KAMBA RAMAYANAM A STUDY

WITH TRANSLATIONS IN VERSE

OR POETIC PROSE
OF
OVER FOUR THOUSAND OF THE ORIGINAL POEMS

By
V. V. S. AIYAR

WITH A FOREWORD
BY

H o n b l e S r i K. S A N T A N A M ,
MINISTER OF STATE, TRANSPORT & RAILWAYS, INDIA

A DELHI TAMIL SANGAM PUBLICATION

KAMBA RAMAYANAM-A STUDY

By V. V. S. Aiyar

Other Works
E n g l is h
THE TIRUKKURALComplete Translation
(Out of print)
A HISTORY OF INDIA
CUnpublished)
T a m il
MAN GAY ARK A RASI YIN KATHALShort Stories
LIFE OF CHANDRA GUPTA MOURYA
LIFE OF BOOKER WASHINGTON
NAPOLEON
(A book on Military StrategyConfiscated by the late
British Government in India)
THAN-NAMBIKKAI
Translation of Ralph Waldo Emerson's S elf -R eliance .
2nd Edition by Sarvodaya Pirasuralayam, Virapandi, Tiruppur (1950).
GURU GOVIND SINGHA Biographical sketch.
2nd Edition (1950) by Navayuga Pirasuralayam, Karaikudi.
KURUNTOGAI
Translation in English verse of the ancient Tamil Classic.
(Unpublished Manuscript lost in 1942 disturbances.)

KAMBA RAMAYANAM A STUDY

WITH TRANSLATIONS IN VERSE
OR POETIC PROSE
OF
OVER FOUR THOUSAND OF THE ORIGINAL POEMS

By
V. V. S. AIYAR

WITH A FOREWORD
BY

H o n b l e S r i K. S A N T A N A M ,
MINISTER OF STATE, TRANSPORT & RAILWAYS, INDIA

A DELHI TAMIL SANGAM PUBLICATION

Published in 1950
First Edition

R sj7 (Postage Re *1 extra)

In India <& Ceylon

$0.50 or sh 14 (Postage inclusive)

Abroad

A ll Rights

Reserved

by

the

Publishers

PUBLISHED AT MADRAS BY

THE

DELHI

TAMIL

SANGAM,

M. C. 1/3038, PARLIAMENT STREET, NEW DELHI.

PRINTED AT THE JUPITER PRESS LTD., 16 . SEMBUDOSS STREET, MADRAS*-*-!

PUBLISHERS NOTE

There is a Tamil proverb in which one mendicant asks

another, Say brother, are you a mendicant by ancestry
or are you a mendicant by famine ? We are publishing
this book due to a famine of publishers of whom there
are too many more worthy than us to publish it. If the
gods had been kind, this work would probably have been
published a quarter of a century ago by reputed English
publishers under the sponsorship of the great Irish poet,
George Russell, more widely known as A.E.
We had intended to tell in this note the story of how we
came to do this work, and of the many difficulties and
obstacles we had to surmount, chief among which is our
colossal ignorance of the job and of everything else besides.
But we are now so nearly bursting with pride in the
successful achievement of our labours that, if we let
ourselves go, the four-hundred odd pages of this book will
not be sufficient for the epic of our travails.
So we content ourselves with expressing our deep sense
of gratitude to all those who have helped us spontaneously
and ungrudgingly in publishing this book. They are so
many, and however small or big their help has been, the
love behind the aid of each of them yields place to none
else. We mention by name only a few.
To Aiyars son, Dr. V. V. S. Krishnamurthy who honoured
us with his faith and entrusted the manuscripts to us and
stood by us with every possible help, we cannot find
adequate words to express our gratitude.
We are indebted to the Editors of the Dinamani,
the Dinamani Kadir, the Hindu, the Indian Express.
the Hindustan Times, the Atma Jyoti of Ceylon and other
publications for the publicity they so generously gave to
our projected publication. We thank them most sincerely
for this invaluable help. We owe the success of our effort
to the tireless band of friends and associations in Delhi and

publishers note

other places who took upon themselves the onerous task

of canvassing subscribers. We can never cease to be
grateful to them. We should next thank all our subscribers
who so trustingly paid th$ price several months in advance
and made it possible to publish this book. We thank them
for their faith in us.
We take great pleasure in being able to print a
Foreword from Honble Sri K. Santanam, Minister of State.
Transport and Railways, India. He is a close friend of
Aiyar and his family and he has followed with keen interest
the progress of the publication of this book. We sincerely
thank him for taking the trouble to write this Foreword in
the midst of his pressing duties.
We are indebted to the Director of the HIND, an
excellent quarterly published in France and devoted purely
to the culture and literature of Bharata Kanda, for per
mission to quote certain extracts from an article by
Monsieur S. KICHENASSAMY (Skti sei) on Le
Ramayana de Kamban, in the second issue of the first
volume (1949). The HIND is published from 41, Rue de
la Bienfaisance, Paris 8e, price 1,000 francs a year250
francs per issue. We take this occasion to tender our
thanks also to the few authors and publishers from whose
works we have taken small extracts to adorn our foot-notes.
Being very brief extracts we have not sought specific
permission, which omission, we sincerely hope, these
large-hearted friends will overlook in the cause of
knowledge. Suitable acknowledgements have been made
at the proper places.
We have, throughout the book, linked the translations
in English verse with the original poems and have given
references to Book, Canto, and stanza. These references
follow the edition of the Karnba Ramayanam in Tamil
(with elaborate commentaries) in seven volumes by Sri
V. M. Gopalakrishnamachariar of 17, T.P. Koil Street,
Triplicane, Madras. The Roman figures refer to the
Kandams or Books, the small Roman figures to the Padalams
or Cantos, and the Arabic numbers to the stanzas.

p u b l ish e r s note

ix

Quotations by Aiyar from the Valmiki Ramayana have

been printed in italics. Except in one or two places, Aiyar
has taken these quotations from Griffith.
The foot-notes, except in the case of reference numbers
to the original poems in Kamba Ramayanam are by the
author in nearly all cases. We have, however, felt called
upon to add a few. As these are, in intention and form,
completely in accord with Aiyars plan, who, if he had lived
to publish this work, would have added these notes, we have
not distinguished them by any special sign. There are none
by us, we hasten to assure the readers, which expresses any
opinion or criticism. Ours are innocuous ones like meaning
of a phrase or word, chiefly for the benefit of the foreign
reader. In a few cases, however, where the notes should
be so marked on account of their import, we have shown
the letter P within brackets.
Aiyar had intended to crown his work with the
character-study of Sita and had fittingly reserved it to the
last. Cruel fate, however, stretched its talons and tragically
snatched him away from this world before he could sing
Sitas virtues. Though very reluctant to make any additions
to Aiyars work, we felt a certain infelicity in letting
the work appear without Sita and hence a character-sketch
has been added to this book. It is written by a member of
the Delhi Tamil Sangam.
Prof. A. Srinivasa Raghavan who had very kindly agreed
to write this chapter, and, in fact, to edit the rest of the
book as well, has been prevented from doing so by pressure
of work, want of leisure and ill health. We know how
much our subscribers will be disappointed. We tender our
sincere regrets to them.
It has been our endeavourwe had almost said, an
obsession with usto make this work free of that common
eye-sore of publications in this countrythe list of Errata.
Still, some errors have escaped our vigilant eyes ; we offer
no excuses but beg to be forgiven. We absolve our printers
from all responsibility for any of these.

publishers note

Though the book itself is a testimony to the excellent

work of our printers, The Jupiter Press Ltd., of Madras, it
cannot speak of two of their outstanding claims on our
gratitude. Their prompt execution of the work at every
stage and their close co-operation only has made it possible
to bring out this book so quickly. As whatever we
may say will appear a hyperbolewe feel so enthusiastic
about this trait of our printerswe pass on to their next
virtuethe almost unique excellence of their proofs, first
or second. Sometimes, we had uncharitably wished that
they were not so perfect, as such perfection made our guilt
in making later corrections stand forth very glaringly.
We acknowledge with pleasure and gratitude the
invaluable help of the small band of friends who typed the
manuscripts, sometimes again and again, ungrudgingly, and
of those who checked them and the press proofs so carefully.
Any excellence in the get-up of this work is due to their
tireless help.
<The cover design is by Sri R. Mahadevan who has adopted
the Sangam as the special beneficiary of his selfless service.
We cannot refrain from mentioning with gratitude
Mr. S. Ramaswamy who has looked after our work at
Madras. Without him, we do not know into what snares
and pitfalls we would have fallen.
Our acknowledgements to those to whom we are indebted
in the Introductory Essay on Tamil and the chapter on Sita
are made in the respective chapters.
We thank God who has deigned to use us as His
instrument for this service to Kamban and Tamil, and we
tender this work with humility at His lotus feet as our
humble offering.
30th June, 1050.

THE DELHI TAMIL SANGAM.

CONTENTS
P age

xiv

KAPPU
F oreword

by

H on ble S ri

T a m il T he L anguage

K. SANTANAM

and

xv
xvii

I ts L iterature

(A Brief Survey)
K am ban A

Short Note

lxv

V. V. S. AiyarA B iographical S ketch

G a ndh iji

on

lxvi
lxxii

A iyar

K am ba R a m a y a n a m A S tudy
C hapter

I I ntroductory R emarks
II T he S tory

of the

R am ayana

26

III I n M edias R es
IV T he A rchitectonics

of the

R am ayana

V T he S upernatural E lem ent

in the

40

R am ayana

VI R a m a

46

VII L akshm ana

VIII I ndrajit His E xploits
IX V ibhishana
X T he E pisode

34

and

D eath

..

101

K umbhakarna

125

H iranyakashipu

152

and
of

71

XI V ali and S ugriva

XII H a n u m a n

169
195

XIII R avana

231

XTV B harata
Sita (Contributed hy a member of the
Delhi Tamil Sangam)

279
311

XU

CONTENTS

P age
A ppendices
I

G aruda s F light
J

II

..

..
>

..

..

..

................

..

..

345

..

347
375
379
380

..

..

S ita

to

E rrata

..

i t

V a l m ik i s V ali

I ndex
I ndex

..
..

..
..

..

..

P lates :

V. V. S. A iyar
F ac- sim il e

..

..

of a page from

M anuscripts

..

..

facing page lxvi

A iyar s

..

lx x i

THE DELHI TAMIL SANGAM

(F ounded January 1946)
F ounder- P resident
S ri S. Subram anyam .

F ounder- S ecretary
Sri A. V. K uppusw am y.

The S angam w as begun in a sm all room in a local board in g

house in Ja n u a ry 1946 w ith less th a n a dozen m em bers.
It w as fostered w ith g reat care by th e selfless w o rk of th e
F o u n d er-P re sid e n t an d th e first S ecretary of th e S angam an d it
w as chiefly due to th em th a t th e S angam occupies its p rese n t
position of th e cu ltu ra l centre of th e T am ilar in Delhi.
The S angam is housed in a building k in d ly provided by th e
Chief Com m issioner of D elhi to w hom th e S angam is ever gratefu l.
The objects of th e Sangam are :
To provide a venue
benefits of th e T am il
and Prose, Music, and
cu ltu ral contacts w ith

for the T am ilar to enjoy th e cu ltu ra l

L ite ra tu re in its th re e fieldsP o etry
D ram a, and to enable th em to establish
th e people of th e local province.

The S angam fosters th e follow ing activities in fu rth e ra n ce

of its objects :
(a) C onducting of S tudy Classes in T am il literatu re.
(b) A rranging lectures by em inent scholars on T am il an d
cognate subjects.
(c) W eekly S um m er talk s by m em bers of th e Sangam .
(d ) C elebration of th e tw o im p o rtan t T am il festiv als The
Pongal an d th e T am il N ew Y ear an d of Days of th e
G reat S av an ts of Tamil.
(e) The p ublication of a m an u scrip t T am il M agazine for the
self-expression of th e m em bers.
( /) M aintaining an excellent lib ra ry of T am il literatu re.
(p ) C onducting a class in H indi for th e m em bers.
( h ) M aintaining a F re e R eading Room (in m em ory of th e
o rato r an d p a trio t S. S aty a m u rth i) fo r th e P u b lic of
D elhi an d providing sam e w ith English, H indi an d T am il
N ew spapers an d Periodicals.

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h n u t

FOREWORD

This profound study of Kamba Ramayanam seeks to

present to the world the greatness of the immortal epic of
Hindu Culture as portrayed by the greatest of Tamil poets.
It is no exaggeration to say that Valmikis Ramayana almost
superseded the Vedas and the Smritis as the fountain source
of Hindu religion and morals. It was inevitable that it
should become the ambition of the poetic geniuses who
arose from time to time in the various parts of India to
seek to render the Ramayana into their own languages.
Of these attempts, the Ramayana of Kamban in Tamil and
that of Tulsidas in Hindi (Brij Bhasha) stand foremost.
They are often considered superior to the original by their
enthusiastic admirers. I do not subscribe to this view.
Taken as a whole, I think Valmikis Ramayana is incom
parable in its simplicity, dignity and power to move the
mind. It is nevertheless true that for sheer beauty of
language and delicate portrayal of character and
emotion, Kamban ordinarily equals and often excels
Valmiki. The author, V. V. S. Aiyar, who undertook this
difficult task of presenting the study in English of Kamba
Ramayanam was a remarkable personality. Perhaps, the
simplest way to assess him is to say that he stood in the
field of politics and erudition in the same relation to
Lokamanya Tilak as Subramanya Bharati stood to Rabin
dranath Tagore in the field of poetry. With the dawn of
the Gandhian era, V. V. S. Aiyar had changed over from
his older ideas of violent revolution to those of non-violent
satyagraha. Unfortunately he died before he could play
an effective part in the new struggle for national liberation.
Aiyars love of the Tamil language and his eagerness to
enrich it and interpret it to the non-Tamil world were

xvi

FOREWORD

second only to his passion for Indian independence. He

died before his fame could be securely established. The
Delhi Tamil Sangam has done a great service to all lovers
of literature by undertaking the publication of this study.
It is to be hoped that their attempt will be crowned with
success and the volume will have the popularity it deserves.
N ew D elhi,

16th June, 1950.

K. SANTANAM.

TAMIL
A Brief Survey of the Language and its Literature*
(C om piled by a M em ber o f the D elhi T am il Sangam .)

Introductory.
This book, KAMBA RAMAYANAMA STUDY, w as w ritten
b y V. V. S. A iyar w ith th e avow ed object of introducing this g reat
lite ra ry tre a su re th e Epic of th e R am ayana by K am ban to those
w ho do not know th e Tam il language. This fru it of Tam il Poesy
is only one am ong the varied fru its and flowers in th e G arden of
Tam il. We feel, therefore, th a t we should ta k e th e read er w ith
us into this ancient and flourishing garden for a strollhow ever
brief it m ay be so th a t he m ay have an idea of the realm from
w hich this p artic u lar fru it came.
I t is im possible to do any reasonable m easure of justice to
this vast subject of Tam il and its L ite ra tu re in this short essay.
We can b u t m ake b rief m ention of m any im p o rta n t m atters w hich
w ould leave an im pression of dogm atic assertions in the absence
of the volum e of evidence behind them . T his essay would,
how ever, have served our purpose if it did b u t give the readers
a glim pse of th e an tiq u ity and greatness of th e T am ilar, th e ir
language and its literatu re, and th eir place in th e cu ltu re of this
B h arata K h an d a called India, and the w orld. F or a detailed
study, w e w ould refer th e readers to th e various books on th e
subject some of w hich have been m entioned in the B ibliography
a t the end of th is survey.

ii.

The TamilarTheir Origin.

A language is b u t the m edium of expression of a people. It

is the people who shape th e language and give it th e im press of
th e ir own ch aracter and life. Who are th e T am ilar ? Or, broadly
speaking, who are th e D ravidiansby w hich nam e th e various
peoples in th e south are designated ?
The origin of the D ravidians cannot be studied or settled
w ithout th e help of geological, anthropological, ethnological and
philological evidences.
Pre-historic
On th e evidence of v ery close affinities
Land of the
betw een th e p lan ts and anim als in A frica and
Tamilar.
India a t a v ery rem ote period, Mr. R. D. O ldham e
co n clu d es1 th a t here w as once a continuous stretch of d ry lan d
1 Manual of the Geology of India.

11

X vm

t Am f h

connecting South A frica and India. This large continent of form er

tim es w hich extended from th e Sunda Islands along th e southern
coast of Asia to th e east coast of A frica, S elata has called Lem uria.
P eninsu lar In d ia or Deccan , says S ir T. W. H o ld ern ess,1 is
geologically d istin ct from the In do-G angetic plain of th e
H im alayas. It is the rem ains of a fo rm er continent w hich
stretched continuously to A frica in the space now occupied by th e
Indian Ocean. In the Deccan, w e are in th e first days of th e
w orld. We see lan d su b stan tially as it existed before th e b eg in
nings of life. W hen th e w orld w as still in th e m aking and before
the elevation of th e H im alayas, th e space now occupied by th e
plain w as a sea., ,
W ithout going to th e extent, as some savants of research do,
of claim ing L em uria or Deccan, its rem n an t, to be the probable
cradle of the h u m an race, we m ay assum e th a t it w as th e cradle
of the D ravidians. It w as how ever th e cradle only, n o t th e b irth
place.
A cute difference of opinion, how ever, exists am ong scholars
in regard to th e early origin and history of th e D ravidians. Some
very learn ed m en are of opinion th a t th e
tf th c ^ a iS la r 6
D ravidians w ere invaders and th a t th ey cam e
^

thro u g h the n o rth -w e ste rn ro u te leading to th e

plains of H industan, and la te r m ig rated to th e south. In proof
of this theory, they point to the existence of a D ravidian trib e in
B aluchistan speaking the B rahui language w hich is closely allied
to Tamil. On the other hand, equally learn ed scholars m ain tain
th a t the B rahuis w ere the rem n an ts of an overflow of D ravidians
from India to B aluchistan 2*. A lthough th e invasion th ro u g h th e
historic period have been into India, y et th e fact rem ains th a t
India w as not connected w ith the m ainland of Asia d u rin g th e
p re-h isto ric tim es and th a t the P en in su lar In d ia d u rin g even
rem oter periods w as connected w ith A frica on th e w est and the
M alayan A rchipelago on the east.
Ethnological evidences seem to point to th e Ib erian or
M editerranean Race as th e ancestors of the D ravidians, who, it is
suggested, m ig rated along the sea-coast and across th e sea to the
1 Peoples and Problems of India.
2 In a small work of this kind, it will be misleading to make any
reference to the recent excavations in Mohenjadaro by Dr. Wheeler, and
the train of hypotheses and counter-hypotheses which the finds have set
in motion. The ultimate conclusions will throw valuable light on the
civilization of the Tamilar. The excavations are not yet completed and
await to be started again.
.

*THE L A N G U A G E

A N ) L I T E R A T U R E

X13C

S outhern Peninsula. R eaders are referred to the excellent treatise

by A. C. H odden on The Races o f M en and th eir D istribution for
the reasons un d erly in g this theory.
These are the people w hose language in th e south w as T am il
from w hich w ere born later, Telugu, M alayalam , C anarese, T ulu
and O ran (O riy a).

iii.

The TamilarTheir Country.

W hile th e e x ten t of th e land and its location w here these

people lived in p re-h isto ric tim es m ay be a m a tte r of conjecture,
we are on su rer ground reg ard in g the boundaries
Tamil-Nad in
Qf the abode of T am ilar T a m il-a ka m in
T in ie s t1
historic times. The ex ten t of this T a m il-a ka m
w as not how ever alw ays th e same. T olkappiyar,
th e g reat Tam il gram m arian, probably of th e fo u rth century B.c.,
Ilango-adigal, th e royal ascetic and rep u ted au th o r of S ilappadikaram , and Sikandiyar, a pupil of A gastyar and the au th o r of a
treatise on music, have m ade references in th e ir w orks to th e
boundaries of th e Tam il country, from w hich w e can infer th a t
the T am il-a ka m extended east and w est from sea to sea and n o rth
to south from th e T iru p ati Hills to Cape Com orin, and to have
also included the m odern States of T ravancore an d Cochin and th e
M adras d istrict of M alabar.
This lan d w as divided into th ree principal kingdom s. They
w ere the P andya, Cola, and C era K ingdoms. T heir boundaries
varied w idely a t different tim es. We deduce
The Three
th e ir ex ten t from certain poem s of A uvvais
Kingdoms.
time. She is said to have been a contem porary
of K am ban.
The ex ten t of the P andya K ingdom is defined thus in a poem
ascribed to A uvvai :
South of th e riv er V ellar *, Com orin on th e south, th e
sea sought by th e gulf on th e east, and open p la in 2 on the
w est com prising fifty-six K avatham s.3
The Cola K ingdom , according to P uhalendhi, a la te r day poet,
is described in th is wise.
1 The Vellar passes through (what was) the State of Pudukottah
and falls into the sea, south of Point Calemere.
2 Peruveli the open plain or Peruvali probably refers to the Achan
Koil Chat leading to Travancore.M. S. P. Pillai.
3 Kavathama distance of about ten miles.
' \

TAMIL

XX

The sea to th e east, th e overflowing V ellar to th e south.

K o ttaik arai to th e w est, and E lam to th e n o rth covering
tw e n ty -fo u r K a va th a m s.
[Kottaikarai was the boundary of the three kingdoms. The Cola
Kings were great warriors and extended their country to Venkata or the
hot hill and to the Pennar river.]

It was in ex ten t ju st a h alf of th e P an d y a K ingdom .

The C era kingdom s boundaries too have been sung by A uvvai
w ho says :
The n o rth ern m o st point is P aini, rig h t to th e east is
S hencottah ( T enkasi is an o th er re a d in g ), to th e w est is
Calicut, th e sea-sh o re on th e south ex ten d in g over eighty
K a v a th a m s
[Chencode is taken by some to refer to Tiruchencode in the Salem
District.]

In point of e x te n t it was as m uch as th e other tw o p u t

together.
The em blem s on th e flags of the K ings of these th ree
K ingdom s 1 w ere th e Fish for th e P andyas, th e T iger for th e Colas,
an d the Bow for th e Ceras. All the th ree w ere unsw erving patro n s
f T am il L ite ra tu re and its poets.
These w ere the lands and these the K ings w hose peoples
ancient h eritag e is Tamil, a language as ancient as and coeval w ith,
if not older than, any ancient language alive or dead in the w orld.
iv.

The T am ilarT heir L anguage an d Its O rigin.

Tam il is the nam e of the language spoken by th e peoples of

th e lands we have specified above. The w ord ends w ith th e
consonant
y;, w hich is unique to th e T am il
Tamil
language and w ould th erefo re denote an in d i
Its meaning.
genous origin to th e w ord. This le tte r, in its
consonant form
has been assigned a p ronunciation of Z h w hen
tran slite rated in o th er languages, and Zha w hen it becomes a
vow el-consonant. M uch w ordy w arfa re has raged round th e
question of the origin of the nam e of th e language, w h eth er it is
indigenous or one given by foreigners. M ore phonological p ed an try
i Their emblems adorn the seal of the Delhi Tamil Sangam. with the
Madhurai Temple to signify the headquarters of the ancient Tamil Sangams
and the Kutub Minar standing for Delhi where, among many other places,
the torch of Tamil is carried- on to this day. *

THE L ANG UAG E

AND

LITERATURE

xxi

has been exercised 1 an d m uch ingenuity has been show n in fixing

the m eaning of th e term .
M ost au th o rities are now agreed th a t th e nam e T am il * m eans
* sw eetness : only those w ho have h eard th e T evaram an d
T iruvaym o li (T he Saiva and V aishnava devotional hym ns) chanted
in th e trad itio n al m an n er could alone know how ap p ro p riate th is
m eaning is.
A ccording to M. H ovalacque w rites Mr. M. S rinivasa
A iy a n g a r2 T am il is one of th e p rin cip al languages spoken
on th e face of th e globe a t th e p resen t day.
OaroMtoatton1
M orphologically, th e existing languages are
divided into four groups, viz., isolating, agglu*
tin ative, p o lysynthetic and inflectio n al/
The morphological classification is based entirely on the form or
manner in which the roots or the final elements of a language are put
together to form words and sentences. In the isolating languages, like
Chinese, the roots are used as words, each root preserving its full
independence, unrestricted by any idea of person, gender, number, time
or mood ; and, in fact, languages of this kind do not require any grammar.
In the agglutinative languages when two roots join together to form a
word one of them loses its independence subjecting itself to phonetic
corruption. This is called the terminational stage. When words blend
together in a sentence by syncope and ellipsis, it is called polysynthesio.
This is a feature peculiar to American languages. T h u s ................. the
Algonquin. . . . Languages in which relations between words are
expressed not only by suffixes and prefixes, but also by a modification of
the form of roots, are called inflectional languages. For example . . .
Sanskrit.................

The theory th a t languages m ust pass th ro u g h th e

m onosyllabic and the ag g lu tin ativ e phases successively before
reaching th e inflectional stage a th eo ry cu rren t w hen Dr. C aldw ell
w rote his C om parative G ram m ar of the D ravidian L anguages
has now been given up. An isolating dialect does not becom e
1 We feel compelled to quote Mr. Eric Partridge, who offers some
sound advice on this matter in his book EnglishA Course for Human
Beings. He says : Personal taste is still potent on the one hand ; on the
other, phonological pedantry should not be allowed to browbeat good
sense. Whenever you encounter that kind of pedantry, that sort of
linguistic lunacy, shrug your shoulders ; and let good-sense, aided by sane
scholarship, guide y o u ...................
2 T.S. p. 147.
*

Important Note :
The reader is invited to refer to the Bibliography at the end of this
essay. Abbreviations used in the footnotes while referring to the books
w ill . be found, therein.. Such references w ill be found on almost. $ach
page and should be taken to mean that the paras on the page are either
quotations or are based on the book or books.

bcxii

TAMIL

agglutinative, or an agglutinative one inflectional. The radical

featu re of a language explained in this fourfold classification,
besides being in n ate to th a t tongue, is expressive of the racial
ch aracter of th e people th a t speak it ; it cannot change from one
class to an o th er though it can be modified or altered by ex tern al
circum stances.
To the agglutinative group belongs T am il, w hile S an sk rit is
th e m ost ancient cultivated m em ber of the inflectional fam ily.
M orphologically th e one has no connection w ith th e other.
L im itation of space forbids us from dw elling on any aspect of this
essay at any length ; we shall therefore, conclude this portion w ith
a few quotations from the same au th o r and proceed to th e Tam il
alphabet, and Tam il L ite ra tu re w hich la tte r is th e pro p er subject
of our survey.
The degree of relationship betw een Tam il and Sanskrit,
w hich are th e only tw o im portant languages know n to th e Tamils,
has been variously estim ated. D uring th e early
Relationship
centuries of th e C hristian era, th e Tam ils, who
between
w ere not m uch acquainted w ith Sanskrit,
Sanskrit and
seem to have alw ays held th a t T am il w as an
Tamil.
independent language and th a t it h ad nothing
to do w ith S anskrit. T hey did not a ttrib u te its origin to Siva,
S ubram anya or A gastya, as the im aginative and sectarian scholars
of a la te r d ate have done. B ut w hen th ey cam e u n d er th e
influence of S an sk rit culture, th a t is, subsequent to the seventh
or eighth century a .d., and w hen S an sk rit puranas and other
S anskrit religious lite ra tu re w ere introduced, th e view s of Tam il
scholars began to change. Most of them w ere acquainted w ith
both Tam il and S an sk rit ; yet th ey had g reater love and reverence
for the la tte r, as th e ir V edas and Puranas and A gam as w ere
w ritten in th a t language ; and this p artia lity or ra th e r a sentim ent
verging on odium theologicum induced them to trace Tam il from
S anskrit ju st as th e early E uropean divines tried to trace the
W estern languages from the H ebrew .
A ll th a t we can say at p resen t is th a t Tam il occupies the
sam e position in th e D ravidian fam ily th a t S an sk rit does in th e
A ry an th a t is, Tam il is the oldest and th e m ost cultivated of
th e D ravidian or South Indian fam ily of languages. 1
Mr. T. R. Sesha Iyengar has some in terestin g observations to
m ake on th is question. Tam il, Telugu, M alayalam , an d Canarese
i.e., th e D ravidian languages, he w rites, a re all fu n d am en tally
1 Tamil Studies by M. Srinivasa Aiyangar, pp. 151-152 and 167,

THE L A N G U A G E

AND

LITERATURE

x x iii

different from S anskrit, th e language of th e A ryans. These

languages, w hile they have a common origin and a close affinity
to each other, are different from S an sk rit and its derivatives.
No person, who is w ell-versed in com parative philology
and who has com pared th e prim itiv e and essential w ords and the
gram m atical stru ctu re of th e D ravidian languages w ith those of
S anskrit, can im agine for a m om ent th a t the form er have been
derived from th e la tte r by any process of developm ent or
corruption. S an sk rit m ay contribute to th e polish of the South
Indian languages, b u t is not necessary for th e ir existence. The
non-S an sk rit portion of the D ra vidian languages exceeds the
S anskrit portion. The base of Tam il, th e most highly cultivated
as regards its original stru ctu re of all the D ravidian languages,
has an independent origin. In its m ore prim itive words, such
as the nam es of n a tu ra l objects, the verbs expressive of physical
action or passion, and th e num erals, it is unconnected w ith
Sanskrit. The Tam il language retain s an alp h ab et . . . w hich
has several letters of peculiar powers. Tam il is not dependent
on S anskrit for the full expression of thought. The ancient or
classical dialect of this language, the S en Tam il, is alm ost entirely
free from S an sk rit w ords and idioms. The finest w orks in Tamil,
such as the K u ra l, are original in design and execution, and also
independent of S anskrit. A ccording to Dr. B urnell, the science
of gram m ar ( v y a k a r n a ) was cultivated in th e south from a very
early period, not as derived from S anskrit, b ut as com m unicated
from a divine source, in other words, as being of indigenous
origin. Prof. Ju lien Vinson says, Tam il and S an sk rit in spite
of some analogies of w ords have no connection w hatever. T heir
gram m atical system s so w idely differ th a t they certainly proceed
from quite different origins. They are only to one an o th er w h at
a cocoa tree w ould be to a c a rro t p lan t. It is th u s clear th a t
th e D ravidian languages belong to a stock distinct from S anskrit.
M any S an sk rit w ords connected w ith the a rts of peace w ere
borrow ed from th e D ravidian. The D ravidian dialects affected
profoundly th e sounds, th e stru ctu re, th e idiom, and th e
vocabulary of Sanskrit. The D ravidian elem ent m akes its
influence felt in th e sounds em ployed not only in the S anskritic
vernaculars b u t to a certain ex ten t in S an sk rit itself. The
cerebral stops, so characteristic of D ravidian, are found even in
the earliest Sanskrit. The existence of a T am ilian su b stratu m
in all th e m odern dialects of India and of th e profound influence,
w hich the classical Tam il has exercised on the form ation and

x x iv

TAMIL

developm ent of both the vedic and the classical S anskrit, is

g rad u ally coming to be recognised by students of In d ian philology.
D ravidian genius was conspicuous n o t m erely in th e sphere
of language, b u t also in th a t of literatu re. O f all th e races of
India, th e only people w ho had a poetical lite ra tu re independent
of S anskrit are th e Tamils, a typical D ravidian people. 1

v.

The Tamil Alphabet.

W e shall now briefly deal w ith th e T am il A lphabet before

w e pass on to its L iteratu re.
The Tam il alp h ab et now in use is not w h at it was a thousand
years ago. Its form appears to have undergone changes from
century to cen tu ry u n til about th e fourteenth,
The Tamil
w hen it reached th e p resen t stereotyped
Script
condition. T here w ere, how ever, tw o different
Vatteluttu.
kinds of w ritin g in use in th e Tam il country
th e one indigenous to the Tam il race and th e o th er introduced
by th e B rahm ans. The la tte r is know n as th e G ran th a-T am il
alphabet, from w hich some of th e m odern T am il ch aracters have
sprung, w hile th e form er is called by palaeography sts as th e
V a tte lu ttu or th e C era-P an d y a alphabet. B u t th e introduction
of all these did not tak e place at one and th e sam e period.
The introduction of the V a tte lu ttu alp h ab et m ust have tak en
place long before the fo u rth or fifth cen tu ry b .c., an d th is
approxim ates the earliest d ate assigned by
Its origin.
E uropean scholars to the introduction of w ritin g
in India, w hich w as th e seventh or eighth cen tu ry
before the C hristian era. As to who first b ro u g h t the alp h ab et
i The Ancient Dravidians by T. R. Sesha Iyengar, pp. 36-44.While
some may not agree with everything Mr. Sesha Iyengar has written, it
has to be conceded that there is a large measure of truth in his statements
which are based on careful and extensive study. A language, however,
cannot afford to remain static, particularly when there is a high-pressure
effort to carve out for the nation a place among the peoples of the modern
industrialised and scientific world. It has to grow and borrow and adapt
foreign words without false pride or narrow bigotry. But there is much
loose talk on importing wholesale foreign terms, and against this it may
be pointed out that the law is not only of the old yielding place to new
but also one of recovery and remodelling of the old to suit the new
conditions. In this connection, the science of semantics, which has not
been used as much as it could Jiave been, could be pressed into service*
Ultimately, the common people are the fathers of the language, ancPthey
use semantics day in, day out, though entirely ignorant of the term*(Pr
T.S., pp. 114, 115 and 119,

THE L A N G U A G E

AND

LITERATURE

XXV

from th e w estern Sem itics w h eth er th e S o uthern D ravidians or

th e N orthern A ryans it is not quite easy to settle.
Dr. B u rn ell seem s to th in k th a t V a tte lu ttu h ad an in d ependent
source and h ad no th in g to do w ith th e B rahm i alp h ab et of
N o rthern India. This a lp h a b e t/ he says, w as form ed and settled
before th e In d o -A ry an gram m arians of th e T am il language cam e
to S outhern India.
A lthough the T am ilians owed th e ir g ram m ar to A gastya and
to Tolkappiyar, it should not be in ferred th a t th ey w ere indebted
to them for th e a rt of w ritin g also.
Am ong the D ravidian races of South India, th e Tam ils alone
m ade use of the V a tte lu ttu alp h ab et from tim e im m em orial, w hilst
th e ir T elugu and K anarese neighbours have, so fa r as epigraphical
researches reveal, been using some alp h ab et or o th er w hich had
its origin from th e B rahm i of U pper India.
The vast difference th a t exists betw een T am il and th e A ryan
languages in th e ir vocabulary, betw een th e Tam ils and th e IndoA ryans, th e contem pt w hich th e one had for th e other, an d th e
g reat an tiq u ity and th e divine origin w hich th e Tam ils claim
for th e ir sw eet * language, and its g ram m ar all these seem to
favour the indigenous origin of th e Tam il V a tte lu ttu alphabet.
The V a tte lu ttu or th e T am il archaic alp h ab et is so called on
account of its round or circu lar form like th e m odern T elugu
alphabet, w hile its m odern developm ent has assum ed th e an g u lar
or, as some w ould say, square shape. This a n g u larity w as due
to th e facility in w ritin g on palm leaves w ith an iron stylus, or
in cutting on stones or copper plates w ith a chisel.
L et us now tak e th e num ber, order, and pronunciation of
th e Tam il letters. T here are th irty -o n e le tte rs ; tw elve vow els
and eighteen consonants ; and one sem i-vow el,
S m i^ A ^ h a b e r rep resen ted by the sym bol 0 . The sound of
P a e it is m idw ay betw een th e A rabic ghayn and th e
S an sk rit pm g .
It is found in no o th er In d ian or E uropean
languages, and it seems to suggest some connection of th e Tam il
race w ith th e Sem itic or W estern A siatic nations.
The o th er le tte rs peculiar to T am il are * err,
r. The
le tte r, tp is equally a p riv ate p ro p erty of T am il and a te rrib le
bugbear for E uropeans to pronounce. I t h as been variously,
T.S., pp. 120, 122, 124, 125, 131, 132 and 134,

XXv i

TAMIL

tran slite rated in some of th e E uropean languages, by lj, zj, zh,

ri, 1, zy, etc.
The le tte r p has th e sound of a rough r an d th a t of tr. The
sounds of * (H indi sf) and ear are alm ost identical and it
m ay be supposed th a t th e second is red u n d an t. B ut th e ir origin
shows a slight variatio n and justifies th e necessity for th e existence
of both, because ib is a d en tal w hile ear is a p a la ta l letter.
The T am il consonants com prise only th e u n asp irate h a rd
consonants, nasals, and sem i-vow els. T here are no sep arate
sym bols for asp irate h ard consonants, b u t th e sounds are
pronounced by th e com bination of th e cereb ral stop of a consonant
and its vowel consonant, and are w ritten accordingly. T am il
w ords do not begin w ith such sounds. T here are, m oreover, no
hard-conso n an t sibilants or u n asp irate or asp irate soft-consonants.
The sounds are, how ever, pronounced in speech an d reading. The
story of how cannot be told here.
vi.

H istory of th e T am il L anguage.

Coming now to th e h istory of th e Tam il language, it m ay

conveniently be divided into th ree periods, nam ely, (1) th e early
Tam il, com prising th e period betw een th e six th cen tu ry before
and a fte r C hrist ; (2) th e Mediaeval Tam il, occupying the in terv al
betw een th e six th cen tu ry and the tw elfth cen tu ry ; and (3) th e
M odern Tam il, ex tending from th e tw elfth dow n to th e p resen t
day. W e shall briefly indicate th e characteristics of each period.
E arly T am il w as th e language used by th e w riters of th e
academ ic and th e classic periods. A nd th e p eculiarities of th is
Tam il m ay be observed in th e lite ra tu re of those
Early Tamil
tim es, th e im p o rtan t of w hich being th e A h a n a nuru, th e Purananuru, th e P a ttu p p a ttu , th e
P adirruppattu, th e Silappadikaram and th e M anim ekalai. The
stan d ard g ram m ars of th e epoch w ere th e T olkappiyam ,
P annirupadalam , U sim uri, etc.
W ords of foreign origin w ere n ev er introduced, n o tw ith stan d
ing the com m ercial intercourse of th e Tam ils w ith th e G reeks,
th e Homans, an d th e A rabs, w hom th ey in d iscrim in ately called
th e Y avanas. S an sk rit w ords w ere v ery sparingly used and even
these w ere m u tilated in th e ir form . F or instance, it is calculated
th a t in th e P a ttu p p a ttu th e re are only about 2% of S an sk rit

words.
T.S., pp. 172, 173 and 174,

THE L ANG UAGE

AND

LITERATURE

XXV

The lite ra tu re of this period is all po etry sim ple b lan k

verse, in chaste classic style, devoid of rh eto rical flourishes, figures
of speech, hyperbolic descriptions, and intricacies of la te r prosody
w hich m a r th e excellence of m odern Tam il poem s ; asiriyappa,
kalippa, venba, an d vanjippa are th e m etres m ostly used. The
descriptions of events and scenery are all faith fu l and tru e to
n atu re.
The su b je c t-m a tte r of most of these w orks is the panegyric
of reigning kings, descriptive of th e ir m ilita ry prowess, th e ir
liberality, and th e ir adm inistration. Some of th em depict
poverty, chiefly of bards, in a very p ath etic m anner. Some are
on m orality, w hile only a few relate to religion.
The Mediaeval Tam il period em braces th e B rahm anic and th e
sectarian periods of Tam il literatu re. The early p a rt of it w as one
of struggle for predom inance betw een B rah m aMediaeval Tamil, nism on the one hand and B uddhism and Jain ism
on the other, in w hich th e form er cam e out
triu m p h an t, B uddhism being deprived of follow ing in this lan d and
Jain ism crippled. The lite ra tu re of this epoch consists of hym ns to
Siva and V ishnu and of the accounts of th e life and ad v en tu res of
Siva and S ubrahm anya, Ram a and K rishna, and Jin a. The
sta n d ard w orks on Tam il g ram m ar d u rin g th is period w ere
T olkappiyam , Virasoliyam , N am bis A happorul, N em inadam , etc.
S ansk rit words, chiefly relatin g to religion, w ere larg ely
introduced, and some of th e Tam il w ords and form s cu rren t in
th e preceding epoch gave w ay to new ones.
F or poetry or m etrical composition, w hich w as still th e only
form of lite ra ry production, asiriyam and ven b a m etres w ere n o t
so m uch in fav o u r as th e viru tta m , ta ndakam and others of
S an sk rit prosody. These w ere introduced w ith th e ir alankaras
or em bellishm ents. R hym e and antadi form s w ere introduced to
ren d er th e recital of sacred songs easier. As for th e ir style, th e
p u re sim plicity and th e n a tu ra l b eau ty of th e academ ic period
w ere gone. A ffectation and artificiality even in excess w ere
considered a lite ra ry excellence. As it w as a period of struggle
for religious suprem acy every one of th e four sects attem p ted to
excel th e re st by extolling and ex ag g eratin g its ow n doctrines,
an d by ifabricating m iracles to su p p o rt them . T ru th w as th ro w n
T.S., pp. 176-179.

x x v iii

TAMIL

in th e background and its place w as tak en up by m ythological

accounts of p re te r-n a tu ra l events, such as one m ig h t find in th e
puranas an d itihasas. T hus C hintam ani, th e R am ayana, th e
K andapurana, th e T iruvilayadalpurana, th e P eriyapurana and
th e M ahabharata cam e to be rep lete w ith stories of this kind.
H ow ever, a tru e sp irit of devotion and piety, though blind or
fanatical it m ight ap p ear to us, pervaded th e w ritin g s of this very
troublous period.
To th e Tam ils the m odern period w hich begins from the
th irte e n th cen tu ry is im p o rtan t in every respect. The ancient
kingdom s of th e Colas and th e P an d y as w ere
Modern Tamil.
subverted. A p ow erful T elugu em pire w as
com ing into existence on th e banks of th e
T ungabhadra, w hich before th e close of th e fifteenth cen tu ry
absorbed all th e T am il kingdom s. T hen cam e th e M ah ratta and
th e M usalm an hordes from th e n o rth , and lastly th e E uropeans
from beyond th e sea.
Till ab o u t th e end of th e seventeenth cen tu ry th e Tam il
countries w ere ru led by H indu governors. B rahm anical influence
w as in th e ascendant. The learn in g of S an sk rit, T am il and
T elugu w as encouraged. S everal original w orks in all these
languages w ere w ritten , besides inn u m erab le com m entaries in
T am il as w ell as in S an sk rit on ancient w orks, especially on th e
Nalayira P rabhandam , all ten d in g to h ard en and ag g rav ate th e
sectarian . . . . anim osities, u n til a reaction set in d u rin g the
succeeding period of M usalm an despotism . T hen for about
h a lf-a -c e n tu ry th e re was a lull, w hich was follow ed by the
production of an ti-B rah m an ical, C hristian and Islam ic literatu res.
A nd it w as only d u rin g th e first h alf of th e last cen tu ry th a t the
v ern acu lar lite ra tu re began to revive.
W ith th e change in governm ent, religion an d social custom s
m any Tam il w ords had gone out of use giving w ay to new ones.
Most of th e rev en u e and ju d icial term s, nam es relatin g to
office fu rn itu re an d stationery, and generally m ost w ords relatin g
to th e ad m in istrativ e m achinery are A rabic, P ersian or English.
The religious term s, of course, are all S anskrit.
T here is nothing new in th e g ram m ar of th is period, p erh ap s
w ith th e exception of a leaning tow ards a g re a te r use of S an sk rit
t o d foreign w ords by th e educated classes ; an d th e unconscious
7.S., pp. 181, 192.

THE L ANG UAGE

AND

LITERATURE

X X IX

creeping in of sev eral English w ords in the hom e-speech of the

English educated T am ilians.
P oetry w as th e only m edium of lite ra ry expression of th o u g h t
in T am il till ab o u t th e beginning of th e last century, excepting
of course, th e extensive com m entaries an d copious notes on ancient
poems. H ow ever, th e n a tu ra l ease and b eau ty of th e w ritin g s
of th e academ ic and th e h y m n al periods w ere gone. The
kalam bakam , m alai, antadi, p illa i-ta m il, pararti, ula, kovai and
thoodu w ere th e different kinds of poesy adopted for sh o rter
literary com positions, and the ka vya ( ka p p iy a m ) form for longer
and m ore descriptive w orks like the puranas. For these q u asi
religious com positions all kinds of m etres en u m erated in th e
gram m ar books on prosody w ere freely m ade use of.
vii. Tam il L ite ra tu re Its Classification.
Am ong the D ravidian trib es of South India, th e Tam ils w ere
the first to cu ltiv ate a literatu re.
Indian gram m arians have divided Tam il lite ra tu re into three
classes, nam elyIya l (b e lle s-le ttre s), Isai (M usic) and Natakarn
(D ram a). As this essay is concerned m ainly
Natafcun
w ith ttle ^ te ra tu re
Tam il, it w ill not
be inopportune to first briefly say som ething
about the Isai and the N atakam or K u ttu , before w e proceed to
our subject.
T radition says th a t A gastya was the only g ram m arian who
w rote com plete treatises on the g ram m ar of all the th ree classes
of Tam il, b u t none of them are now ex tan t. D uring the early
centuries of the C hristian era atten tio n seems to have been paid
by the Tam ils to all the three. They h ad th e ir ow n dances and
m usic vocal and instrum ental. They developed th e a rt of dancing
to a high degree of perfection and m any treatises w ere w ritten
on this fine a rt ; even th eir gods had th e ir ch aracteristic favourite
dances.
Music too, w as in a state of perfection, and th e ir pans of
tunes w ere sui generis to the Tam il race. The only ancient Tam il
w ork of the n a tu re of the dram a th a t has come dow n to us is
th e Silappadikaram (th ird ce n tu ry ). It gives a vivid description
of the stage, th e actor, th e singer, the drum m er, th e flute-player,
the y a l-p la y er and others of th e troupe ; and contains beautiful
T.S., pp. 183 and 185.

XXX

TAMIL

specim ens of Vari, K u ra vi, A m m a n a i, Usai, K a n d u ka m , Vallai,

an d o th er classes of m usical songs.
A b rief description of th e ya l x, a strin g ed m usical in stru m en t,
sim ilar to th e g u itar, p ecu liar only to th e an cien t Tam ils m ay
n o t be uninteresting. I t w as of four kinds, viz., P er-ya l, M akarayal, Sakotayal an d S en ko ttiya l.
P er-ya l h a d 21 strings ; a
M akarayal, 17 ; S a ko ta -ya l, 16 ; an d S en g o ttu -y a l, 7. P erh ap s
these w ere th e in stru m en ts in use d u rin g th e days of Ilango-adigal.
A nd the p er-y a lbig * ya l w hich is supposed to have been in use
in th e days of A gastya h ad becom e ex tin ct even before th e th ird
cen tu ry a .d. I t is said to have h ad one th o u san d strings.
The w orks on music, dancing, and th e d ram a w ritte n by
ancient Tam ils, w ere neglected and le ft to sh ift for them selves ;
an d by th e tim e of A d iy ark u n allar (ab o u t 1200 a .d.) m ost of
th em w ere lost. W ith th em th e D ravidian m usic an d dances
becam e practically extinct. No one can now say w h at those pans
an d dances w ere like. T heir places w ere g rad u ally tak en up by
th e Ind o -A ry an ragam s and n a tya m s.
D uring festivals and processions of gods, dancing w as
encouraged an d plays w ere acted to d raw large crow ds of
devotees. H undreds of dancing girls or gandharvis w ere attach ed
to every im p o rtan t tem ple. This w as th e origin of th e in stitu tio n
of singing by O duvans and A raivans, and th e public rep resen tatio n
of natakas, pallus and ku ra van jis in H indu tem ples. Of these th e
first alone now survives. The sam e in stitu tio n w as carried to
th e W est Coast, and it now survives in th e C h ak k iy ar k u ttu . I t
w as only d u rin g th e eig h teen th cen tu ry th a t d ram a an d m usic
began to revive ; and A run ach ala K avi ( a .d. 1712-1779) th e
fam ous au th o r of Ram a N atakam m ay ju stly be called th e fa th e r
of m odern d ram atic literatu re, and u n d er th e M h ratta R ajas of
T anj ore, a fresh im petus w as given to music.
We shall now come to th e classification of Iy a l. The follow ing
ta b le 12 gives a to lerab ly accurate outline of th e im p o rtan t stages
in th e progress of T am il literatu re. As h as
Classification
alread y been explained religion pervades alm ost
of ^aMTandl.
th e w hole of every lite ra tu re in India, and
th e tab le th erefo re exhibits th e several periods
of th e religious h isto ry also.
1 The 1 * in yal should be pronounced like zh \
2 of Mr. Srinivasa Aiyangar, T.S. p. 211.
T.S., pp. 187-189, 190 and 191.

ttE language n>literature

P eriod

r*-
B.C. 000-200

R eligion

Animistic

B.C. 200A.D. 150 Buddhist

A.D. 150-500

Jaina.

A.D. 500-950

Brahmanic

L iterature

I Academic
(Tolkappiyam,
Kural, etc.)

II Classic (or
Epic)
(Silappadikaram, Manimekalai, etc.)
Ill Hymnal
(Tevaram,
Tiruvasagam,
Tiruvaymoli,
etc.)

XXXI
L anguage

I Early
Grammar :

Agastyam,
Tolkappiyam

II Mediaeval
Grammar :
Tolkappiyam

Kalladam,
Virasoliyam.

A.D. 950-1200

Sectarian

IV Translations
(Kambans
Ramayana,
Kachiyappas
Kandapuranam, etc.)

A.D. 1200-1450

Reformatory

V Exegetical
(Commentar
ies by Nacchinarkiniyar,
Ill Modern
Adiyarku>
Grammar :
nallar
Virasoliyam
Parimelalagar
and Nannul
etc.)

A.D. 1450-1850

Modern

VI Miscellaneous

viii. The Sangam s.

The real history of Tam il lite ra tu re begins w ith the T am il
Sangam (A cadem ies) w hich lasted from b .c. 500 to a .d . 500. This
m illennium m ight perhaps appear to be a very long period ; b u t
during th e first h alf of it none of th e ex ta n t T am il w orks, probably
w ith the exception of Tolkappiyam and one or tw o others, w ere
w ritten.
The ancient classics of the Tam il people fre q u en tly refer to
sangam s or societies of learned men. The w ord *Sangam , 1
i V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar states (pp. 21) that the early poem
Where there is a reference to this institution is the Maduraikanchai * (line

762).
* (One of the poems in Pattupattu, a work of the Third Sangam era.)
T.S., pp. 211 and 212.

X X X li

TAMIL

used by B uddhists and Jain s for a religious ord er o r coterie, cam e

to supersede, w rites the late Mr. P u rn alin g am :P illai, on th e
score of its euphony, th e expression, * K u tta m w hich is Tam il, and
th e presence of poets of th e B uddhists or Ja in persuasion in th e
th ird academ y in m odern M adura (M adhurai, since 1948) accounts
for it. M adura bears th e nam e of K udal, for th e reason th a t the
poetic academ y m et th e re .
The Sangam w as a body, n o t perhaps w ith a charter, etc. in
the beginning, of th e m ost learn ed m en of th e tim e, w hose chief
function, like th a t of th e F rench Academ y, w as the prom otion of
literatu re. The nam e academ y
therefore, seems to be
appropriate to this in stitution and is th erefo re used in th e follow ing
pages.
A ccording to Tam il w riters th ere w ere th ree sangam s in th e
P an d y a country a t different periods.
Of the th ree academ ies th e second w as m ore or less continuous
w ith the first, and both probably existed som etim e betw een th e
fifth cen tu ry b.c. and second cen tu ry a .d., w hile
Three Sangams.
th e third, and th e m ost Im p o rta n t of them all
seems to have lasted till a .d. 500, or, to p u t .it
m ore precisely, could not have lasted beyond a .d. 500. For, m ost
of the inscriptions now available d ate from roughly a .d. 600 by
w hich tim e it is probable th a t th e sangam as an active in stitu tio n
had ceased to exist. H ence th ey h ad no occasion to m ention it
and did not m ention it. 1
The earliest lite ra ry activ ity of the T am ilians could have
show n itself only after th e introduction of w ritin g in South India,
w hich m ust have tak en place long before th e fo u rth cen tu ry B .c.
We shall not th erefo re be w rong if we look for th e foundation of
the first Tam il A cadem y or Sangam som ew here betw een th e six th
and fourth centuries before th e C hristian era.
Tam il lite ra tu re of course did n o t begin only w ith th e fo u nding
of A cadem ies as indicated in th e table. This w as preceded b y
w h at m ay be called th e pre-acad em ic period*
LUer^uremC
But
an account of it w ill be groping
in th e dark, as all literary evidence w e now
possess relates eith er to th e academ ic or to th e post-academ ic
period. Some Tam il scholars still believe th a t A gastya in v en ted
the Tam il alphabet. This is certainly erroneous. The use of p u re
Tam il w ords like E lu th u and S u va d i by A gastya proves unmistak-?
ably th e existence of th e Tam il alp h ab et and th e use of boks
i D., p. 7.

T.S., pp. 211 and 212.

i U

L A N G U A G E AND L I T E R A T U R E

i tX lli

am ong the Tam ils long before his days. A nd even th e com pilation
of th e first g ram m ar for this language by this A ry an sage, aft$r
the S an sk rit model, is an arg u m en t in favour of th e p re-ex isten ce
of lite ra tu re am ong th e Tam ils of an tiq u ity . T h at lite ra tu re
alw ays precedes gram m ar is a stern philological fact recognizd
by A gastya and la te r gram m arians.
I t is th erefo re alm ost certain th a t some sort of lite ra tu re and
also good poets m u st have existed before the academ ic era ; b u t
nothing can a t p resen t be asserted about it in th e absence of any
lite ra ry or o th er records.
R egarding th e F irst Academ y, w e have no reliab le p artic u lars
on w hich w e could base any conclusions reg ard in g its d ate f
inception or its m em bers.
The First
Nor have any of th e w ritin g s a ttrib u te d to
th is academ y come dow n to us in th e ir en tirety ,
excepting p robably a few d o ubtful quotations from A g a stya m an d
one or tw o others. A p p aren tly all these had been lost long before
th e te n th or eleventh century.
The only au th o rs of this period about w hom an y account,
how ever scanty it m ight be, can be ex tracted from T am il lite ra tu re
are A gastya and M u rin jiy u r M udinagarayar. The re st of th e
m em bers seem to be h alf m ythical persons. T he life of A gastyh
is clothed in m y th ; b u t this m uch is certain th a t he w as a B rah m an
of N orth India and th a t he led th e first colony of B rah m an s w hich
settled in th e T am il districts.
He is said to have h ad tw elve students. C hief of them ,
T olkappiyar, w as alsq a m em ber of th e second academ y lik e his
renow ned m aster.
The identification of Ten (S o u th ) M adura, th e seat of th e first
A cadem y has been a controversial point. R egarding th e d estruction
of this place th e re are certain allusions both in th e M adura
Stalapurana and in th e Silappadikaram . The learn ed com m entator
of the la tte r w ork w rites as follows : *B etw een th e riv ers Kurhari
and Pahruli th e re existed an extensive con tin en t occupying an.
area of 700 K avadam s (a Kavadarri being equal to ten m iles). This
land consisting of fo rty -n in e nads (inclusive of K ollam and
K u m ari), innum erable forests, m ountains and r iv e r s ,h a d been
subm erged in th e In d ian Ocean as fa r as th e peaks of K um ari,
'b y a terrific convulsion w hich resu lted in th e u p h eav al of th e
T tim alayah ra n g e /
Geologicl, 'ethnological and linguistic
researches also seem to confirm th e above theory.
T.S., pp. 237,'240 and 241.

Ill

ta iv

T A MI t

To arriv e a t th e d ate of th e Second A cad em y is equally

difficult.
The Second
Mr. V. R. R am ach an d ra D ik sh itar argues
angam.
(pp. 21-D ) : If th e a u th o r of th e T iru kku ra l
could be proved to hav e lived in th e second cen tu ry b.c., th en
th e re is w a rra n t for th e assum ption th a t th e T o lka p p iya m is a
m uch earlier w ork, a t least one or tw o cen tu ries e a rlie r th a n th e
second cen tu ry B.e. A ccording to th e P ayiram to th e T olkappiyam
the la tte r w as p resented to th e A cadem y an d w on its approval.
If this account has an y significance, it com pels us to conclude th a t
prio r to the days .pf T o lk ap p iy an ar th e Sangam existed as an
in stitu tio n and th $ j|S ram m arian did w h a t th e scholars of his tim e
did. It m ust >fee' also borne in m ind th a t th e g ram m ar of
T olkappiyanar or his illustrious predecessor A g attiy an ar
presupposes a body of lite ra ry w orks. R oughly then, a d ate like
th e fifth century B.c. m ay be assigned in reg ard to th e origin of
th e S angam .
(F irst.) He adds a fo o t-n o te P rofessor V.
R an g ach ariars researches have led him to this conclusion.
It is said th a t th e seat of th e second S angam w as K av atap u ram .
T he tra n sfe r of th e h ea d q u arters from T en M adura to K av atap u ram
and from th e la tte r city to th e m odern city of
Venue* *
M adura (seat of th e th ird S angam ) is probably
a historical fact. The form er tw o sites are said
to have been overw helm ed and subm erged by tw o different
incursions of the sea.
The only w o rk of th e Second S angam w hich has come dow n
to us is th e T olkappiyam . N othing fu rth e r is know n about
T olkappiyar, th an th a t he w as a stu d e n t of A gastya an d th a t he
lived in a village n ear M adura d u rin g th e reig n of th e P an d y a
king M akirti. A ll th e w orks of this academ y have also been
irre triev a b ly lost, except th e above w ork and a few poem s w hich
luckUy found th e ir w ay into th e anthologies com piled a t th e th ird
academ y.
We shall now pass on to th e th ird S angam w hich w as by fa r
th e m ost im portant, an d about w hich w e are p artic u larly
concerned. A lm ost all th e best T am il classics
The Third
w e now possess are th e productions of th is last
Sangam . N othing definite can be said ab o u t th e
foundation of th e th ird S angam except th a t it h a d its seat a t th e
m odern M adura.
TS-, pp. 244 and 245.

THE L A N GU AG E AND L lT H A T t l

Xf ckV

A com parison of these an cien t in stitu tio n s of th e T am il people

w ith th e m o d em R oyal A cadem y of th e F rench w ill be interesting,
since bo th of th em w ere alike in th e ir constitution, w o rk an d
influence. The F ren ch A cadem y w as established in a . d . 1635, th a t
is n early tw o th ousand y ears a fte r th e first T am il A cadem y, an d
its m em bers w ere fixed a t forty. Its object w as to cleanse th e
language of th e im purities, w hich h ad crep t into it th ro u g h th e
common people who spoke it and to re n d e r it pure, eloquent and
capable of trea tin g th e a rts and sciences . . . .
I t has done
m uch by its exam ple for style and has raised th e general sta n d ard
of w riting, though it has tended to h am p er and crush originality.
L anguage has life and grow th, and w hen le ft to itself sprouts
out into divers dialects like the branches of a living tree. The
b it and bridle of lite ra tu re says M ax M uller, w ill a rre st a
n a tu ra l flow of language in th e countless riv u lets of its dialects,
and give a perm anency to certain form ations of speech w hich,
w ith o u t these ex tern al influences, could have enjoyed b u t an
ephem eral existence
This linguistic p rinciple w as clearly
understood and fully recognised by th e founders of th e T am il
academ ies. To secure, therefore, perm anency to th e T am il
language, th e boundaries of th e country w here it w as c u rre n t w ere
roughly described and th e p artic u lar locality in w hich p u re T am il
(S e n -T a m il) w as spoken w as sh arp ly defined ; th en th e form an d
pronunciation of letters w ere settled ; ru les w ere laid dow n to
distinguish p u re Tam il w ords from those of foreign origin, an d to
determ ine th e stru ctu re and com bination of w ords in sentences.
These and m any o th er restrictions on th e free g ro w th of th e
language w ere d ea lt w ith in th e first T am il gram m ar. T reatises
w ere w ritte n on prosody, rh eto ric and Porul (d etails of conduct in
m a tte rs of love an d w a rfa re ). Poetical dictionaries or nikhandur,
w ere com piled in o rd er to check th e in discrim inate an d unlicensed
introduction of alien w ords in th e T am il vocabulary. T he canons
of lite ra ry criticism w ere severe and w ere applied im p artially .
In th is w ay th e T am il language, w hich passed th ro u g h th e
crucible of th e th ree academ ies, w as refined an d given to th e
T am il-lan d as a p erfect in stru m en t fo r th e expression of th e best *
thoughts and sentim ents of its people. T he influence of these
academ ies is m ark ed ly seen in th e T am il w ritin g s w hich received
th e ir approval, th e ir style an d language an d choice of w ords
differing m uch from th a t of th e T am il w orks of th e post-academ ic
period.
mm

T.S.. dd. 257, 259, 260 and 261.

HKKV

TAM IL

F or th e advancem ent of lite ra tu re an d academ ies th e Tam il

, kings did m uch. L ib eral presents in th e shape of m oney,
/elephants, palanquins, chariots w ith horses, lands, and flowers of
gold w ere bestow ed upon deserving poets. T itles of distinction
w ere also conferred on them . Instances of th e T am il kings
honouring poets, and of th e ir indirectly encouraging them are only
too m any.
lx.

T he E x tan t Sangam W orks.

A ccording to th e trad itio n w hich finds a m ention .in th e fam ous

com m entary on th e Iraiyanar A happoral th e follow ing are given
as th e accredited w orks of th e first Sangam :
WOTksSanram
Paripadal,
M udunarai,
M u d u ku ru g u ,
and
K alariyavirai.
Since narai and ku ru h u are suffixed to th e titles of w orks, it
is reasonable to conclude th a t th ey w ere m usical treatises, an d
ancient Tam il lan d developed th e arts of m usic an d dancing besides
lite ra ry activities.
It is generally believed th a t w orks of th e first Sangam are lost,
perhaps, beyond recovery. The e x ta n t Paripadal m ay be th e
com position of th e th ird Sangam ra th e r th a n th a t of th e first.
The w orks a ttrib u te d to the second Sangam are K ali,
K uruhu, Vendali, V iyalam alai A haval, A g a ttiya m , Tolkappiyam ,
M apuranam , lsa in u n u kka m , and Budapuranam ,
Works* San*am th e last ^ ve being gram m atical compositions.
W ith reg ard to th e com positions of th e
second Academ y, we have to tak e it th a t all of them except
T olkappiyam have been lost. T olkappiyam w as th e gram m ar
during the period of the, second and th ird Academies.
Tolkappiyam , th e life-w o rk of its author, is in th ree p arts and
counts 1,612 sutras. I t is th e oldest e x ta n t T am il gram m ar, th e
nam e signifying ancient book or *th e p reserv er of ancient
institution s \ It was preceded by centuries of lite ra ry culture, for
it lays dow n ru les for different kinds of poetical com positions,
deduced from exam ples furnished by the best au th o rs w hose w orks
had been in existence.
It tre a ts clearly and system atically of only one of the th ree
tim e-hono red divisions of Tam il, viz., ly a l or N atu ral Tam il. The
th ree p arts of it are E lu th u (O rth o g rap h y ), Sol (E tym ology), and
P orul (M a tte r), each w ith nine sections.
T.S., p. 260,

D. pp. 24 and 25.

P. p.-2&

T H E L A N G U A GJE A N D L I T E R A T U R E

XXXV

Whiles th e E h tita d ika ra m and th e Solladikaram a re in terestin g

from both linguistic and philological points of view, th e P oruladikaram is m ost valuable as it gives us a glim pse of th e political,
social, and religious life of th e people d u rin g th e period w hen
T olkappiyar lived.
I t is th e only w ork from w hich we can have a gleaning of
the ancient T am ilars m anners and customs.
(a) Eluthu : The first p a rt deals w ith L etters, i.e.,
O rthography.
(b ) S ol : The second p a rt on W ords is m asterly in treatm en t.
In this th e au th o r has attem p ted at finding th e root m eanings of
words. It is a p eculiarity a p ecu liarity w hich w ill show the
critical cu ltu re of th e T am ilar th a t th e gender classification is
based on th e signification of words.
(c) P orul : The th ird p art, P oruladikaram is v alu ab le as it
gives us a glim pse of th e political, social and religious life of th e
people du rin g th e period w hen T olkappiyar lived.
We have alread y pointed out th a t th e T am il language is
classified u n d er th ree broad sections, viz., I y al (N a tu ra l), Isai
(M usic) and N atakam (D ram a). T here are a few o th er
classifications, reference to w hich w ill be freq u en tly m ade in th is
essay ; and it is w ell th a t we m ention th e classifications here.
(a) The su b je ct-m a tte r of the w ork is classified as
(i) A ham .
(ii) Puram.
(b) The lan d w hich th e w orks tre a t of is classified into :
(i) K urinchi (m ountain regions),
(ii) P alai (d e se rt),
(iii) M ullai (ju n g le ),
(iv) N eithal (beach or coastal reg io n ), and
(v ) M arutham (fields ; i.e., lan d b ro u g h t u n d er
cultivation, or m ore generally speaking, th e
p la in s ).
These classifications are w ell explained in th e follow ing quotation
from Tam il L itera tu re by th e late Mr. P u rn alin g am P illai :
P orul (substance, subject, m a tte r) is divided into A h a m
(in n er) an d P uram (o u te r). Of these A h a m , th e Subjective,
tre a ts of love, its various em otions, an d incidents ; and P uram , the
O bjective, relates to all o th er thingslife in general, and especially
w ar and th e affairs of th e
D. p. 26.

P. p. 25.

xxxviii
({)

TAM IL

A h am .

Love is tru e or natural, w hen mutual affection

draw s th e parties together, and u n tru e or u n n atu ra l w hen it is

one-sided (ka ikila i) or ill-assorted and m organatic or forced
( perum th in a i). T rue love is considered u n d er five aspects, viz.,
union (p unarthal), separation (p irith a l), patience in separation
(iru tth a l), bew ailing (irangal), and sulking or going into a p et
{uda 1), and these are m ade to fit in w ith th e five-fold physiographical divisions (th in a i). F u rth er, it is m ade to tu rn on th e six
divisions of th e y ear (A ugust to Ju ly ) viz., cloudy (k a r), cold
( k u th ir), early dew (m u n -p a n i), late dew (p in -p a n i), spring
(ila -ven il), and sum m er (m u th u v e n il), and on th e six divisions
of the day ; viz., the first hours of n ig h t (m alai), m idnight
(ya m a m ), th e sm all hours of night (vaikarai), m orning ( kalai),
noon (nanpakal), and evening (erpadu). Besides these, the
n a tu ra l peculiarities of each of th e five thinais are m ade to bear on
the aspect of love peculiar to it. Such peculiarities are com prised
under fourteen heads, viz., deities (ar-anangu), nobles
(u y a m th o re ), th e vulgar (ilinthore), birds (p u ll), beasts
(vilangu), town (oor), w ater (n eer), flowers (poo), trees
(m aram ), food (v u n a v u ), drum (parai), ly re (y a l), tune (pan)
and occupation ( th o lil). Love, again, is w edded (ka rp u ), or
furtive (ka la vu ) ; and furtive love leads to w edlock or the grave,
for the rejected lovers cannot bear life w ithout love. M arriage
was solemnised by the parents on the self-choice of th e lovers,
and m arital rites came into vogue w hen aliens proved u n tru e in
th eir courtship. This is a bare outline of A ham , and com m entators
find in it an allegory of the different stages through w hich the
soul of m an passes from its appearance in the body to its final
absorption in the Supreme.
(ii) Puram, whose subject is w ar and state, consists of seven
divisions, the first five of which correspond to the five-fold division
of true love, and the last two correspond to kaikilai and perum thinai. The seven divisions of puram , w ith th eir corresponding
divisions of Aham, are as follows :
1. V etchi, cattle-raid , corresponds to Kurinchi.
2. Vanchi, invasion,
Mullai.
do.
3. Ulinai, siege,
M arutham .
do.
4. Thum bai, w ar
do.
Neithal.
5. Vahai, victory,
Palai.
do.
e. K anehi, sober counsel
P eru m -th in a i.
do.
7. Padan, encomium,
Kaikilai
do.
P. pp.

25-27.

THE L ANGUAGE AND L I T E R A T U R E

XXXX

Cattle-raiding is the beginning of warfare. It leads to

system atic invasions of the raiders* territories. T hen comes the
siege, upon w hich the w ar pro p er begins. The w ar ends in victory
to one p arty or th e other, and the victor and th e vanquished are
counselled respectively to be sober, w ithout being intoxicated w ith
success, and to be calm and resigned, w ithout being over-pow ered
by grief. The loyal subjects of the victor pay him th eir joyful
trib u te of lau d ato ry odes or encomia.
A brief note on the language of flowers w ill close this b ird seye view of Tholkappiam . [Vetchi, Vanchi, etc., are also nam es
of flowers ; garlands m ade from the respective flower are w orn by
the K ing w hen he sets out on the type of w arfare indicated by the
nam e.] Vetchi, th e country geranium or flame of the forest,
bears a profusion of bright, d eep -red flowers, w hich are associated
in idea w ith bloody action. Vanchi, a creeping plant, bears yellow
flowers and is green all the year round. It is a sym bol of
inexhaustible energy. Ulinai is a species of cotton p lan t whose
shoots are golden, and a w reath of which is w orn in derision as
em blem atic of the w eak and w orthless fo rt besieged. Thum bau
called in S anskrit drona, is the essential w ar-flow er, and a w reath
of it is w orn w hen a king contem plates an offensive w ar. Va hai
(m im osa flectuosa) bears w hite flowers, and a w reath of its leaves
and flowers is w orn by a king who retu rn s hom e after a glorious
victory.
The im portance of Tolkappiyam is fu rth e r enhanced by several
com m entators am ong whom figure (1) Ilam p u ran ar, (2) P e rA siriyar, (3) S enavarayar, (4) N acchinarkiniyar, (5) D aivaccilaiyar, (6) K alladar.
W hile no w orks of the F irst Sangam have come dow n to us,
and the Second Sangam is represented by
Third Sangam
Tolkappiyam alone, we are m ore lucky w ith the
Wonts.
mi , Third Sangam.
In addition to the tradition tran sm itted in the com m entary on
the Iraiyanar Ahapporul, we have other traditions all of w hich
m ark the following as th e accredited w orks of this Sangam : th e
Ettutogai, the P attuppattu and the P a d in en -kilk-ka n a k ku , all
which have come down to us today. K u ttu , Vari, Sirrisai, Pensai,
etc., are others which are now only nam es to us, the works
them selves having been lost long since.

Space forbids us to offer anything but the briefest notice on

the major works of the third Sangam.
D p. 26.

%A H ht:
The Ettutogai comprises : Narrinoti, K uruntogai; A in g W u tiu ru ,
P adirruppattu, Paripadal, K alittogai, N eduntogai, P u ra n a n u m and
t

Pattupatjtu.
The Narrinal contains 401 stanzas, each ranging from nine to twelve
* lines,; Ih it w e find the hands of 175 poets. The verses deal With the
flye th in a is , 28 on m u lla h 32 on m a r u d a m , 107 on p a la i, 103 on n e ith a l
and 20 on k u r in jt. Its general theme is love and its compilation was
at the instance of a Pandyan king, Pannadutanda Pandiyan Maran
Valudi.
The Kuruntogai literally means a collection of short poems. In
this work is brought together a number of verses attributed to as
many as 205 poets. This collection contains 402 stanzas in the a h a v a l
metre', each stanza ranging from four to eight lines. As in the N a r r in a i
the theme of the work is love and the stanzas can be brought under
the category of the five th in a is . It would appear that the compilation
of the extant work was effected under the patronage of the chieftain
o f Puri (identified with North Malabar) by name Purikko. There
was an ancient gloss on the work by the well-known commentator
Per-Asiriyar which has since become lost.
Nacchinarkiniyar has written a gloss on twenty verses only,
because, in all probability, the other gloss existed in his time.
The Aingurunuru means literally the short five hundred. It
contains 500 a h a v a l verses and the whole book can be conveniently
divided into five parts, each part consisting of 100 stanzas. Each verse
.contains three to six lines. Every part again deals with five th in a is.
Orambagiyar, Ammuvanar, Kapilar, Odalandaiyar, and Peyanar,
are said to be the respective authors of hundred verses each on
m a r u d a m , n e ith a l , k u r in ji , p a la i , and m u lla i th in a is respectively. In
the case of this work, however, the name of the compiler is known
as Kudalur Kilar;

The Padirruppattu (the Ten Tens) is an anthology of enormous

importance. Here we are introduced to a number of kings of the
Cera dynasty, with a splendid record of their deeds and achievements
thus enabling us to get at a true picture of the political conditions
of Tamil land about two thousand years ago. Of the ten books into
which the whole work is divided, the first and the last are not available
to us.
The Paripadal (literally stanzas of strophic metre) is according to
tradition a composition of the first Academy as well as the third
Academy. If both are 'different works, the first Sangam work is lost.
The P a r ip a d a l of the third Academy is said to consist of seventy
stanzas attributed as usual to multifarious poets. It is unfortunate
that as many as forty-six verses of this important work are lost.
There is an ancient commentary of Parimelalagar which has been
printed with the available texts by Mahamahopadhyaya U. V.
SWaminatha Aiyar.
The Kalittogai, otherwise known as -K u r u n k a litto g a i or simply
Kali is yet another important work of this category; It contains
Ope hundred and .fifty stanzas in the k a l i metre dealing, w ith.the five
thinais. its theme is love-but it'*also contains a number'Of-niorcl
D., pp. 26-31.

T H E L A N G U A G E 1A N D

LITERATURE

xli*

, ,maxims. Incidentally it furnishes us with some peculiar marriage

customs current in those ancient days. Kadungon, Kapilar, Marudan
Ilanaganar, Cola Nalluttiran and Nallanduvanar are the poets who
composed the various songs in the work. We have no p r im a f a c ie
evidence as to the name of the compiler and the patron at whose
instance the work was compiled. But it is generally believed that one
of the five poets, Nallanduvanar, was the compiler. The celebrated
commentator Nacchinarkiniyar has written a gloss on it.
The Neduntogal, otherwise known as A h a p p a ttu and popularly
known as A h a n a n u r u or simple A h a m is an anthology of sufficient
importance and value to a student of ancient Tamil culture. It
contains 401 stanzas in the a h a v a l metre and is divided into three
sectionsK a llir r iy a n a i - n ir a i of 121 stanzas, M a n im id a ip a v a la m of 180
stanzas and N i t t i l a k k o v a i of 100 stanzas. Its general theme is love.
The length of the stanzas varies from thirteen to thirty-seven lines.
As many as 145 names of poets are given in this collection whose
compiler was Uruttirasarman, the son of Uppurikudi Killar of Madura.
It was accomplished under the distinguished auspices of the Pandyan
king Ukkirapperuvaludi.
The Purananuru otherwise known as P u r a p p a ttu or simply P u r a m
is a valuable anthology of 400 stanzas in a h a v a l form. It is the
counterpart of the preceding work, the A h a n a n u r u , and deals with
aspects of ancient Tamil culture and forms a good record of the
Tamil civilization in ancient times. It deals with war and matters
of state. There is a view that the work is a later compilation inasmuch
as the name of Poygaiyar, a poet of Post-Sangam days is mentioned
among the poets referred to in the P u r a m . It also contains the poems
of Murinjiyur Mudinagarayar, Vanmikiyar, and others who, according
to the legends, belong to the first Academy. Thus the anthology
contains odes ranging from the epoch of the First Sangam to that of
Post-Sangam. Whatever may be the date of its compilation, the events
it treats of are ancient and hence invaluable to an antiquarian.

The P a ttu p p a ttu is a collection of ten idylls. A n id y ll is a

sh o rt poem descriptive of some p ictu resq u e scene or incident,
chiefly in p asto ral life. It is not know n by w hom an d w hen, these
poem s w ritte n a t different tim es w ere b ro u g h t together. The
poem s are by various authors.
F ive of th em belong to a peculiar class called A rruppadai. An
arruppadai is a poem in w hich a b ard or m in istrel is recom m ended
to go to a p atro n to solicit help fro m him . I t is addressed to
an o th er seeker fo r favours by one w ho h as alre ad y benefited
m unificently a t th e han d s of th e patron. O nly one of th em differs
from th e others, viz., T iru m u ru h arru p p ad ai, w hich directs devotees
n o t to a p atro n b u t to a God.
T he follow ing is an atte m p t to nam e th em in a p robable tim e
order, and to give a b rief account of th em .1
..

i_This arrangement and description are given by J. V. Chelliah in his

(General Publishers Ltd., Colombo), an excellent rendering
in English verse.

P a t tu p a ttu

x lii

TAMIL

1. Porunararruppadai (lit. A Poem of Recommendation to a Bard)

was composed by Mudattamakanniar. The poet recommends Karikala
Colan to a bard as a patron of literature. It contains 248 lines.
2. Pattinapalai (lit. [a song of a-] City and Separation) was
written by Uritthirankannanar. It is based on a contemplated
separation of a husband from his wife. It is a poem of 301 lines.
It testifies to the growing prosperity of Kaviripattinam under
the benevolent rule of Karikala Colan. The real value of the poem
consists in giving us an idea of the trade relations of Tamil land with
foreign countries, its busy mart, and some administrative details of
importance.
3. Mullaipattu (lit. A jungle Song) was written by Napoothanar.
It is generally supposed to have been written in praise of
Neduncheliyan. It deals with a wife separated from her husband
who is away in the battle-field. It contains 103 lines, and is the
shortest of the Idylls.
4. Perumpanarruppadai (lit. A Poem of Recommendation to a
Bard playing the larger yal) was written by the author of Pattinapalai.
Ranchi and its king are celebrated in this Poem. It contains 500 lines.
5. Sirupanarruppadai (lit. A Poem of Recommendation to a Bard
playing the smaller yal) was written by Natthathanar, and celebrates
a chieftain. It contains 269 lines.
6. Nedunalvadai (lit. Good Long Cold Wind) was written, it is
alleged, by the great poet, Nakkirar. Its subject-matter greatly
resembles that of Mullaipattu. It has a fine description of the cold
season, and contains 188 lines.
7. Kurinchipattu (lit. A Mountain Song) was written, it is
supposed, by another great poet, Kapilar. It speaks of love at first
sight, in the hilly region. It contains fine descriptions of mountain
scenery, and has 261 lines.
It brings out the social conditions of the Tamil land in prominent
relief. There is a legend grown round the origin of the composition
of this poem, v iz. to introduce a northern king Pirahattan to the
beauties of Tamil literature.
8. Maduraikanchi (lit. A Song of Madura) was written by
Mankudi Maruthanar. It was composed in praise of the Pandyan
king, Neduncheliyan. It contains detailed descriptions of his kingdom,
his administration, and Madura, his capital. It is the longest of the
Idylls containing 782 lines.
9. Malaipadukadam (lit. The Secretion oozing from a Hill, and
fig. The Echo of a Mountain) was composed by Perumkausikanar,
and celebrates Nannan, a chieftain, and his court. It has beautiful
descriptions of mountain scenery. It contains 583 lines.
10.
Tirumurugarruppadai (lit. A Poem of Recommendation to the
Shrine of Sacred Muruga) is supposed to have been written by
Nakkirar. It contains description of the war-god, Muruga and his
different shrines on the hills of South India. It depicts also the life
of ancient Tamils. As a religious poem it is greatly valued by Saivites.
It contains 317 lines.

If Tam il p o etry is to be resto red to its p ristin e spontaneity

and charm , these ancient poem s should be o ur m o d els,.

THE L A NG UA G E

AND

LITERATURE

These poems are valuable from another point of view.

x lii i

Tamil

genius n ev er paid m uch atten tio n to th e tim e elem ent, and so

historical and o th er docum ents from w hich w e
Historical
could gain n idea of ancient T am il life a re very
Value of
,
.
rni_
*
Pattuppattu.
m uch w anting. T here are six sources of
inform ation fo r th e reconstruction of th e life of
th e people of those tim es : T am il lite ra ry w orks, com m entaries,
accounts of foreigners, Ceylon records, inscriptions, an d references
in S an sk rit literatu re. Of these th e m ost im p o rtan t are th e Tam il
poem s of the period. L ite ra tu re em balm s th e cu ltu re, th e ideas
and th e ideals of th e people of th e age in w hich it is produced,
and it is in its lite ra ry w orks th a t the springs of th o u g h t and actions
of a period stand revealed. So, a p a rt from th e lite ra ry in te re st of
these poems, th ey are a m ine for reco n stru ctin g th e life of th e
Tam ils centuries ago.
The E ighteen M inor W orks : The n ex t collection of the
Sangam w orks comes u nder th e general heading th e P a d in en -kilka n a k ku , th e eighteen poem s dealing p rim arily w ith m orals
(T am il aram, Sans, d h a rm a ).
T hey are :
1.
2.
3.
4.

Naladiyar
Nanmani-Kadikai
Kar-narppathu.
Kalavali-narppathu

5. Iniathu-narppathu
6. Inna-narppathu

7.
8.
9.
10.

Ain-thinai-aimbathu
Ain-thinai-elupathu
Thinai-moli-aimbathu
Thinai-malai-nuthaimbathu
11. Kainnilai, Innilai
12. Tirukkural

13.
14.
15.
16.

Thiri-kadukam
Acarak-kovai
Paiamoli
Siru-pancha-mulam

17. Muthu-moli-kanchi
18. Elathi

T he term k il-k a n a k k u im plies th a t th e re w as a classification

like m e l-k a n a k k u . The w orks th a t contain less th a n fifty stanzas,
com posed in different m etres, generally come u n d er th e
k il-k a n a k k u . B u t if the venba m etre is pressed into service, th e
poem can be of any length an d can still find a place in k il-k a n a k k u .
The m e l-k a n a k k u ranges from 50 to 500 stanzas an d is in th e
ahaval, kalippa, an d p arip ad al m etres. The E ttu tto g a i an d th e
P a ttu p p a ttu come u n d er th e category of m e l-k a n a k k u .
Two w orks lik e th e N aladiyar and th e T iru k k u ra l w hich come
u n d er th e category of k il-k a n a k k u deal w ith th e th re e purusharthas
or objects of life, dharm a or righteous living, (a ra m ), artha or
w ealth or secular life (p o ru l) and kam a or love (in b am ). T he
rem aining sixteen deal both w ith ah am an d puram , th e object
aim ed a t being p ractice of dharm a or m orals.
T he T iru k k u ra l (p o p u larly know n as th e M uppal) is th e
fam ous w ork of th e celebrated T iru v allu v ar w ho lived in th e early

xliv

TAMIL

cnturies b efo fe th C hristian era." T he poem is in th e form of

couplets and deals w ith the th ree aim s of hum an lifearam, porul,
and inborn. It consists of 133 chapters, each containing ten k u ra lvenbas. Each couplet is a gem by itself and conveys lofty thoughts
couched in terse language. Though th e scholarly com m entary of
th e illustrious P arim elalag ara happy consum m ation of Tam il
and S ansk rit culture is largely in use, th ere w ere nine equally
w ell-know n com m entaries of w hich M anakkudavars gloss is one*.
Till recently, th is was th e only one available of the nine. Two
others (p arts) are said to have been traced since.
A brief analysis of this universal code of m orals is given
below.
N o. o f C h a p te rs .

B ook I
34 Chapters
*

S u b je c t

20

The Ideal Householder Domestic Virtue .

based on Affection.

14

The Ideal Ascetic

Ascetic or Higher
Virtue based on
Grace.

25
10
22

The Ideal Sovereign

The Ideal Statesman
The Ideal State

13

The Ideal Citizen

Royalty.
Ministers of State.
The Essentials of a
State.
Morality, Affirmativeand Negative.

25

The Ideal Lover

Book II
70 Chapters

'

B ook III
25 Chapters

Furtive love ending

in wedded love.

These are th e seven ideals presented by this P rince of

M oralists. R endered into alm ost every im p o rtan t E uropean
language English, French, G erm an, and L atin th e R u ra l
presents an ideal m onarchy p o rtray ed by this Citizen of th e
W orld w ithin th e lim its of practicality and a t th e same tim e
outdoing th e R epublic of P lato and th e Oceana of H arrington.
A lm ost free from th e influx of S anskrit words, the K ural shows th e
richness and pow er of the Tam il tongue.
We dare not say more, as an en tire set of volum es can be/
w ritten on th is one book alone of the T am ilar. W e m ay mention*
in passing, th a t V. V. S. A iyar has tran slated th e w o rk inter.
I>. p. 38.

P. pp. 75 and 76.

TH L A N G U A G E

AN

LITERATURE

xv

E nglish w ith a keen insight into th e m eaning of th e phrases used

in th e original.
The Naladiyar comes n ea re r the K ural th a n th e others in this
collection in point of su b je ct-m a tte r including th e division of the
subjects. It also deals w ith the th ree p u rsu its of hum an life. It
contains forty chapters, each consisting of ten stanzas. This
anthology, th e composition of w hich can be a ttrib u te d to different
hands, owes its com pilation to one P adum anar.
Space forbids us from giving any detailed description of the
contents of the rest of th e Eighteen W orks w hich m ostly deal w ith
ethics.
I t is interesting to note the swing in the them es of th e w orks
of the T hird Sangam . The earlier books deal, like th e ancient
lite ra tu re of other countries, w ith love and w ar, kings and
chieftains, and N ature and her beauties. Slowly th ere is a change,
and the Tam il w riters become obsessed w ith ethical m atters to
the exclusion of everything else. W hile th e ir w ritings are high
and dignified, fu ll of w isdom and guidance to th e common m an
and savants as well, they, how ever, do not delight one as th e
earlier w orks do, and lack v ariety of them es. L ife has tu rn ed
inw ards, and we can see in this the grow ing influence of certain
tren d s w hich tu rn ed aw ay India, a t any ra te th e South, from a
life of ex tern al activity and achievem ent to one of contem plative
contentm ent.
We see side by side an insidious change in th e a ttitu d e to
women. From being brave m others, ard en t lovers, proud wives,
and life-m ates sharing equally in th e fam ily and state life, w e
find th a t women come to be spoken of as snares and tem ptations,
as som ething to be feared and shunned. It w ould not be an
exaggeration to say th a t in this debasem ent of w om en lay hidden
the seeds of the debasem ent of the body politic of th e people.
The read er w ould have noticed th a t m any of th e w orks of
th e T hird Sangam are collections. This is significant of th e fate
th a t has pursued th e Tam il w orks from ancient tim es. Time, th e
sea, w ar, fam ine, w hite ants and n atu re herself to w hich m an has
added his quota of ap ath y and neglect have com bined to destroy
th e w orks w hich w ere w ritten on Cadjan leaves. W hat rem ained
has been gathered w ithin these togaiscollections by th e selfless
com pilers, w hose very nam es are not know n in marly cases. B ut
for them , these too w ould have been lost for ever to us. Even as
they are, they w ould still have been lost to us, b u t for an o th er
D. pp, 38 and 39.

' TAMI L

x lv i

g reat soul in this lin e of im m ortal com pilers. T he T am ilars h av e

been laid u n d er a g reat debt of g ra titu d e by th a t g reat scholar
an d tireless com piler and learn ed editor of o ur days, Dr. U. V.
S w am inatha A iy ar of w hom we shall have to say m ore la te r on.
x.

T he Epic or P o st-S an g am L ite ra tu re

The chief of them are five, often referred to as A in -p e ru m K appiyam th e Five M ajor Epics. They are th e Silappadikaram ,
th e M anim ekalai, th e Jiva ka C hintam ani, th e
K ^ptyai1"
V alayapati and the K undalakesi. A pleasing
fancy has been coined from th e ir nam es in w hich
the w orks are conceived to be five prin cip al o rnam ents on th e
form of T am il-anangu the Tam il Muse th e w orks sym bolising
the tinklin g anklet, th e g em -studded w aist-g ird le, th e gem on the
chaplet, th e bangles, and ea r-p en d a n ts respectively.
The last tw o w orks are en tirely lost to us. We can give only
a brief sketch of th e o th er th ree works.
S ilap p ad ik aram : llan g o -ad ig al is the celebrated au th o r of th e
Silappadikctram. He w as th e second son of king C eralatan reig n
ing in the city of V anji, th e capital of th e th en C eran ad u and the
younger b ro th er of the fam ous king C eran S en guttuvan. On this
account, he was called Ilango or the younger prince an d he w as
know n as llan g o -ad ig al afte r his ren u n ciatio n of ro y alty and
assum ption of holy orders.
The story of this Epic, according to its payiram (p refato ry
verses) preaches D harm a w reaking vengeance on those w ho failed
in th eir kingly duties ; sings th e praises of th e highly v irtuous
w ife ; and u nderlines th e recoil of ones actions.
The story is sim ple and is as follows :
In Kavirippumpattinam, the capital of the Colas, there lived a wealthy
merchant named Masattuvan. He had a son Kovalan to whom was
married a virtuous and devoted lady Kannaki by name, the daughter of
Manaikan. Being a wealthy young man, Kovalan moved in high social
circles and took an active interest in the amusements of the day. Once
his eyes fell on a beautiful young dancing girl Ma'davi by name, on whom
he directed his love. He Wasted all his wealth and money on this dancing
girl and did not care for his devoted wife. When at last he had lost all
his riches, he thought that Madavis love towards him had cooled and
he became disgusted. Returning home, he realised his past mistakes and
resolved to follow the career of a merchant. The same night he left
for Madura with his wife Kannaki. He had nothing to fall back upon
except her jewels. She placed one of her costly Silambusanklet
ungrudgingly and willingly at his disposal. He took it to the jeweller's
market there to effect a sale. As misfortune would have it, he was
arrested as a thief of the royal jewels. The king without inquiring into
the facts of the case impatiently ordered his execution. It was done.
D. pp. 70, 77 and 78.

THE LANG UAGE

AND

LITERATURE

x iv ii

Poor Kannaki, when she came to know of this, became bewildered as it

were. She wnt before the king and proved her husband's innocence
beyond the shadow of a doubt. The Pandyan King Nedunjeliyan realised
his guilt and could not bear it. He fell down from his seat broken-hearted
and died immediately. Still Kannaki could not control herself and in a
flt of great anger cursed that the whole city be consumed by flames. And
so it happened. Kannaki then proceeded westward to the Malainadu (Hill
country) and continued to do penance at the foot of a Vengai tree in the
Neduvelkunram, a hill near Kodungolur (Cranganore) according to
Adiyarkkunallar.

A source of in fo rm a tio n B arrin g the leg en d ary portions of

the tw in epics, th e Silappadikaram and th e M anim ekalai are th e
unfailing sources of inform ation for w ritin g th e h isto ry of th e
ancient T am il-lan d . The first is a contribution by a royal au th o r
and m ay be relied upon for details as reg ard s th e life in courts,
and the accounts of th e kings m entioned therein. It is indeed a
valuable m ine of inform ation for re -w ritin g th e h isto ry of th e
early P andya, Cola, and C era Kings. It shows th e relatio n of th e
states w ith one another, n o t excluding N orth In d ian states like
A vanti and M agadha. It gives us a tru e p ictu re of th e social and
religious life of th e people of those days. The various fine arts,
such as m usic an d dancing, flourished on an extensive scale as
lite ra tu re itself did. It gives us also types of good and bad
w om anhood and th e ru in of th e innocent by th e seduction of th e
la tte r. It shows how justice w as ren d ered besides o th er d etails
of adm in istrativ e interest. These an d several o th er things found
m entioned are indeed valuable as th ro w in g sufficient lig h t on th e
h istory of the Tam ils in th e early centuries of th e C h ristian era.
This is a w ork w hich com bines in it th e th ree divisions of T am il
Iyal, Isai, and N a ta ka m and P rose as well.
The M anim ekalai is a sequel to Silappadikaram , and tak es up
th e story from th e death of K annaki. The schem e as w ell as th e
plan of th e story are simple.
W hile the story of th e Silappadikaram is of such v aried
in te re st and is p resented vividly like a d ram atic rep resen tatio n ,
th e story of th e M anim ekalai is n arro w ed dow n to th e aim less
ad v en tu res of a B uddhist B hikshuni (n u n ), sectarian in outlook.
Madavi, on hearing of the death of Kovalan, renounced the world, and
turned a Buddhist nun. She had a daughter named Manimekalai by
Kovalan. She too became a nun. Once Udayakumaran, the son of the
reigning king, saw her and fell in love with her and pursued her, but
in vain. . . . She was then taken by a goddess to Manipallavadvipa
where were enshrined the feet of the Buddha. Here she was told that the
prince was her husband in a previous birth. Through the grace of the
deity she got possession of a begging bowl which would be ever full and
never empty.
Z>. pp. 79 and 81.

fclviii

T AMI L

S ie then returned to Kavirippumpattinam and-became fully engrossed

in doing selfless social service, assuming the disguise of one Kayasandikai.
But Udayakumaran came to know of this her new disguise. One day this
real Kayasandikai herself was seen in the garden and the prince rah
after her. This was noticed by her husband, who in a fit of jealous fury
murdered the prince. The king had Manimekalai arrested and imprisoned
but at the request of the queen, she was soon released. She then wandered
throughout the land visiting several holy places. At last she settled at
Kahchi performing penance and listening to discourses on the righteohs
laws promulgated by great teachers of various religions. The last years
of her life were spent in that city in a Buddhist nunnery.

Its au th o r is S ittalai S atta n ar know n also as K u lav an ik an

S a tta n a r and S a tta n a r in literatu re.
S atta n ar seems to have been an accom plished w riter.
Sim plicity of diction, easy flow of words, and a clear and
perspicuous style, fecundity of thought, fineness of im agery, and
richness of im agination are the chief characteristics of his w ritings.
Besides th e classical w ork M anim ekalai, his contributions are to
be found in th e w ell-k n o w n collections of E ttuttogai.
A source o f inform ation. Since the discovery and publication
of the M anim ekalai by M aham ahopadhyaya, U. V. S w am inatha
A iyar, scholars have been at w ork on th e subject. For, a p a rt from
its g reat literary value to students of T am il lite ra tu re , it is an
invaluable source of inform ation to th e historical students as it
contains a w ealth of details regarding the political, social, an d
religious conditions and institutions p rev alen t about th e beginning
of the C hristian era, w hen, it is generally accepted, this w ork w as
composed. T h at a mass of useful m aterial lies b u ried in its pages
is accepted even by acute critics.
Jiv a k a-C h in tam a n i : The au th o r of this w ork is T h iru tth a k k a-T h ev ar. He w as born at M ailapur, and w as a Jain . His
fam e rests on Jivaka-C hintam ani, w hich, though based on a
S an sk rit original, contains an expression of Ja in doctrines an d
beliefs. Its o th er title, M u d i-p o ru l-th o d a r-n ila i-seyyu l, suggests
th a t it trea ts of th e fourfold object of life and aim of a lite ra ry
w ork, v iz . virtue, w ealth, pleasure, and bliss. It is the story of
Jiv a k a from his b irth to th e attain m en t of bliss and has a
com m entary by N acchinarkiniar. It is in 13 books or Ilam bakam s
and contains 3145 stanzas. It is noted for its chaste diction and
sublim e poetry, rich in religious sentim ent, fu ll of reflections and
rem arks on th e grounds of hum an action, and rep lete w ith
"inform ation about the condition of the a rts an d custom s of social
life a t th e period of its composition. It will, th erefo re, in terest thfe
'Scholar, th e poet, and th e an tiq u ary ; and th e re is a traditio^i
D. pp. 70 and 81.

P. pp. 126 and 127.

.................

THE LA NG UA G E

AND

LITERATURE

'

x llX

cu rre n t th a t K am b an s R am ayanam owes m uch of its excellence

and m any of its beauties to this m em orable Epic.
T he above five w orks are called th e F ive M ajor Epics. T h ere
w ere also o th er w orks of w hich th e m ost im p o rta n t are five, called
th e F ive M inor Epics or A in -S iru -K a p p ia m .
M in o r^ ic s
T hey are N ilakesi, Sulam ani, Y a so th a ra -K a vya m ,
N agahum ara-K avyam , and U thayanan^K athai.
T hey are all pro b ab ly th e w orks of J a in authors. T hey are in
m e rit and historic in terest now here n e a r th e F iv e G reat Epics or
ra th e r the th ree w hich are know n to us today.
xi. The P eriod of Religious R evival
The n ex t period in Tam il L iteratu re, i.e., from th e 6th to th e
10th centu ry is w h at m ay be called th e period of Religious R evival
w hen g reat B h ak ta poets poured fo rth th e ir so u l-stirrin g song
offerings. B rahm inism had heavily lost ground to th e B uddhist
and Ja in religions and th is resu lted in its tu rn in a vigorous
R evivalist M ovem ent often characterised by polem ics, m iracles,
conversions and persecution, and bid for royal favour.
The outstanding lite ra tu re of this period are th e Tiruvasagam ,
the Tevaram , and Tiruvaym oli. The S aiva saints an d th e
V aishnava saints belong to th is period. K araik al
Its Literature.
A m m aiyar seems to be th e earliest of Saiva
hym nists. The first th re e A lw ars are th e earliest
of V aishnava hym nists. B oth these people developed a godly
lite ra tu re in th e ir own way. Tam il language possesses m ore th a n
sixteen thousand stanzas in praise of God. A ll these belong to
the said five centuries.
The Saiva saints called th e N alvarth e F o u rare M an ik k avasagar, T iru jn an a S am bandar, A ppar (T iru n a v u k k a ra su ), and
S undarar.
M anikkavasagar : T he life of th is sa in t who b ears a
favourable com parison w ith St. A ugustine, St. P au l, and St. F rancis
of Assisi an d oth er learn ed sain ts of th e W est,
Manlekkais to be traced from poetical legends w hich .have
VMmr*
grow n around th a t notable figure. It is even
difficult to definitely assign to him a p a rtic u la r period, b u t still
it is reasonable to fix it as th e th ird 1 cen tu ry a . d . His chief w orks
a re th e Tiruvasagam an d th e T irukkovai.
i
A dispute, which will probably never be settled, goes on about his
date. Many argue that he belonged to the ninth century and followed
Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar. What matters most, however, is his
teaching and not his date.
D. p.,80.
P. pp. 128 and 120.
r
^
IV

t M l L

Tiruvasagam : Of these th e Tiruvasagam relates an a u to

biographical tale of th e different stages of his sp iritu al life and
experience w hich u ltim ately enabled him to a tta in enjoym ent,
ineffable and etern al. It is a to rre n tia l outflow of ard en t religious
feelings and em otions in rap tu ro u s songs and melodies. This w ork
m ay be regarded as a convenient handbook on m ystical theology.
It is the spontaneous outpouring of his ecstatic feelings, u n d er th e
stress of strenuous sp iritu al impulses. Am ong the accredited
devotional w orks in th e Tam il tongue it takes th e forem ost rank.
Dr. G. U. Pope has ren d ered an invaluable service to Tam il
in tran slatin g this w ork into English. It is difficult to find a p arallel
for this w ork ir\ the other languages of the w orld b u t it w ould
not be altogether in ap p ro p riate to state th a t the Im ita tio n o f Christ
by Thom as A. E ^jppis parallels m ost closely this treasu re of th e
Tam ilar. One is stru ck again and again by th e sim ilarity of
thought and even expressionwhy, even w hole sentences
betw een the tw o books.

Tirukkovai : The other equally rem ark ab le w ork of his is

the T irukkovai. Superficial read ers devoid of tru e sp iritu al
acum en are ap t to tre a t this suprem e m ystic w ork as an ordinary
text-book of love-poetry. True, w h at is know n in S an sk rit as th e
Srngararasa seems at first sight to dom inate th e w hole poem. B ut
it m ust be rem em bered th a t it is only a th in veil covering grand
and beautiful religious tru th s and conceptions.
It would not be out of place here to give the sum and substance of
the story contained in this poem as a layman finds it. A lover accidentally
meets a maid in some solitary mountain glade, is enamoured of her,
approaches her and both become fast attached to each other by the silken
bonds of love. Then they marry in public and settle down to the life
of householders. Shortly after, one business or other necessitates the
husbands absence in foreign countries for a shorter or longer period
according to the nature of the business. Both feel the separation keenly,
and look forward rather eagerly to the day when both of them should
meet for an indissoluble union as it were. But the grief of the forlorn
wife in her solitary home ever thinking of her absent lord, daily becomes
more and more unbearable, and she breaks forth in piteous wail,
expressive of the various phases of her grief. It is this grief of the lonely
wife yearning to join her husband in warm, indissoluble embrace that
allegorizes the earnest efforts of the individual soul seeking re-union with
the Universal Soul.

Men of deep in tu itiv e insight perceive and perceive rightly,

th e highly sp iritu al m eaning un d erly in g this story. The L ord w as
th e etern al object of his love, and M anikkavasagar him self, a lover
p . pp. 101 and 102.

f cE L A N G U A G E

AND

LITRATUR

ti

from th e earliest days of his life. B u t by some accident, h e has

been long sep arated from th e object of his love. H e feels th is
separation intensely, realizes th is w ell, an d y ea rn s for an
indissoluble, inviolable, an d irrep ro ach ab le union or oneness w ith
God.1*
The Tiruvasagam an d th e T iru kk o va i are p ractically free from
any religious bias o r bigotry.
The o th er th re e saints w ere vigorous protagonists of th e
S aiva fa ith an d w ere th e sp ear-h ead s of th e rev iv a list m ovem ent
of th e S aiva religion. T hey w ere deeply m oved
The other
by th e decline of th e ir religion an d th e grow ing
sSnts.S*lya
suprem acy of B uddhism an d Ja in ism and th ey
dedicated th e ir lives to fighting th e a p a th y an d
ignorance of th e ir people. They trav elled fro m place to place
th ro u g h o u t th e len g th an d b re a d th of th e T am il country, an d
everyw here th ey adopted a sim ple procedure of ex h o rtatio n to th e
people to rise and be saved. T hey took a local tem ple an d th e
local d eity an d w ove th e ir songs of m ysticism an d p raise to th e
L ord roun d th is nucleus. T he songs w ere u su ally te n w ith a
eleventh added in m any cases as a 4 sig n atu re * song. T he te n th is
m arked, in m any cases, by direct attack s of o th er riv al religions
and sects. B ut today w ith th e polem ics a th in g of th e past, th e
thousands of songs in th e T evaram an d th e h u n d red s in th e
Tiruvasagam d elight and u p lift one and all in th e T am il-lan d .
It is stated th a t w h at we have of th e T evaram is b u t a frag m en t
of w h at existed long ago. These too w ould h av e been lost to
us b u t for th e labours of N am bi A ndar N am bi, of T h iru -N aray u r.
This Tam il V yasa who collected th e S aiva hym ns and grouped
them into eleven tiru -m u ra is lived in C ola-nadu. The la st ten
p a th ika m s (section) of th e la st collection w ere his own. His
T iru -T h o n d a r-T iru -A n ta d i form ed th e basis of P eria-P uranam by
S ekkilar, a rem ark ab le and com posite hagiology or lives of
six ty -th re e saints in sev en ty -tw o cantos, to tallin g 4,286 stanzas.
W hat the four Saiva saints did to the S aiva religion th e
T w elve A l w ars did for th e V aishnava faith.
i A similar significance underlying the Third Book of the Kural
appears to have been lost sight of the course of ages. The inappro
priateness of the present day lay-sense attached to the chapters on ' Bliss *
wiU be seen from the fact that the fourth and final aspect of life is
ViduAt-one-ment, or Mokshaand the crudity of imagining that worldly
love has been treated as the stage just before it, cannot be over-emphasised.
D. p. 103.

TAMIL

The Tw elve A lw ars have been classified in different w ays b y

different classifiers. The orthodox V aishnavas hold th a t th e
A lw ars w ere th e incarnations of th e sacred
The Alwars.
w eapons and vehicles of Vishnu. The lives of
th e V aishnava saints are found in G uruparam parai or the genealogy
of the G urus and in A lw a r V aipavam or the chronicles of A lw ars
relating th e events and occurrences connected w ith these saints.
V ery little is know n of the biographies of P oikayar, P ey ar and
P oo th atth ar. The nam es of th e A lw ars, th e n u m b er of hym ns
sung by each, and th e ir b irth place are given below :
.. .i
_

Nadu
Fallavanadu

Cola-nadu
Cera-nadu
Fandiyanadu

Name.

Poikayar
Puthatthar
Peyar
Tirumalisaiyar

c
>
)
C

1.
2.
3.
4.

5. Tiruppan Alwar
6. Thondaradippodi
7. Tirumangaiyar

<
<
\
c
S
j
c

8. Kulasekhara
9.
10.
11.
12.

Periyalvar
Andai
Nammalwar
Madhura Kavi

' "~No~T
Stanzas.
100
100
100
216

Birth-place.
Conjeevaram
Mahabalipuram
Mailapur
Tirumalisai

10
55
1,351

Urayur
Tirumandankudi
Tirukkurayalur

105

Kollam (Quilon)

473
173
1,296
11

Srivilliputtur
do.
Alwar Tirunagari
Tirukolur

From this list it w ill be seen th a t the larg est n u m b er of hym ns

contributed to th e Prabandham have been by T irum angai A lw ar
and N am m alw ar and, n ex t to them , by P eriy alw a r and T irum alisai
A lw ar.
Of the 4,000 m aking up th e V aishnava S criptures, th e first
thousand (really 947) is know n as T iru -m o li, w hich com prises
the hym ns of P erialw ar, A ndai, K u lasek h ara, T irum alisai,
T hondw adippodi, T iruppan, and M adurakavi ; th e second thousand
(really 1,351) know n as P eria-tirum oli w as th e w ork of T iru
m angai ; the third thousand (correctly 817) called ly a l-p a w as
th e contribution of th e first th ree A lw ars, T irum alisai, N am m alw ar,
and T irum angai ; and th e fo u rth thousand (strictly l,i0 2 ) , called
T iruvaym o li, was en tirely the w ork of N am m alw ar.
The first A lw ars w itnessed no ja rrin g alien faith s in th e ir
tim e ; T irum alisai, T irum angai and T h o n d ar-ad i-p o d i h ad enough
of them and opposed Saivaism , Jain ism and B uddhism alike.

P. pp. 182 and 183.

TH L A NG UA G E

ANb

LITERATURE

li

T irm alisai, N am m alw ar, ahd Tirum rigai w ere th e g reatest of the
A lw ars of V aishnava saints ; an d N am m alw ar lived a t a tim e
w hen th e lan d w as alm ost free from alien religious influences and
w hen the V aishnavas and Saivas w ere a t peace.
T heir contributions of hym ns and p ray ers in praise of V ishnu
m ake up th e N alayirap-prabandham also called th e D ivyaPrabandam a sa c re d 'w o rk esteem ed by th e V aishnavas as th e
second Veda. It stands on th e sam e footing of sanctity as th e
Tevaram of th e Saiva saints. E very one of th e A lw ars had
personal, in tu itiv e experience of th e D ivine Presence.
W hen these hym ns are sung or chanted, it m ay be said w ithout
fear of contradiction th a t nothing sw eeter to th e ea r can be found
in the en tire range of Tam il lite ra tu re and very few, if any,
can equal th e ir q u ality of lifting th e soul into realm s of spiritual
ecstasy.
The hym ns sung by the A lw ars w ere collected and arran g ed
in order and published together by St. N atham uni into one volum e
and titled th e N alayira-P rabandam or th e Book of F our Thousand
H ym ns \ N atham uni was a contem porary of N am b i-an d ar-n am b i,
the com piler of th e T iru -m u raisand he w as inspired by the
la tte r to do a like service to the V aishnava hym ns.
xii.

P eriod of L ite ra ry R evival.

The n ex t period in th e history of T am il lite ra tu re was one of

literary fervour. The g reat trio of th is period w ere K am ban,
O tta -k u tta n and P uhalendi. We do not give any detailed account
of K am ban and his w orks as th e re is a sep arate note on him in
this book on a la te r page and this w ork of V. V. S. A iyar is itself
an elaborate testim ony to K am bans greatness.
O tta -k u tta n w as a contem porary of K am ban and his U ttarakandam w inds up th e R am ayanam of K am ban. He w rote the
E etti-elu p a th u and th e T h a kka -ya g a -p a ra n i an d th e th ree Ulas on
R ajaraja, V ikram a, and K u lo ttu n g a Colas. He w as a riv a l to our
g reat poet. If K am ban w as strong in his stately viru tta m s and
resem bled M ilton in his diction and rh y th m , O tta -k u tta n w as a
severe critic of po etry and an e x p e rt in m aking antadi, kovai and
ula (various types of m etrical com positions).
P u h alen d i w as a contem porary of O tta -k u tta n , "and th ere
existed betw een them b itte r riv a lry th ro u g h o u t th eir lives.
PhaTendi w as fam ous for his venba an d his best w ork }s the
Naldvenbath e story of N aia and D am ayanti.

liv

TAMIL

B efore w e close th is period w e m u st m ak e m ention of one

species of poetic com position of w hich th e m ost fam ous a u th o r is
Jayam kondan.
He lived in th e tim e of K u lo tth u n g a Cola I, i.e., betw een
A.D. 1070 to A.D. 1118 and described th a t em p ero r's conquest of
K alin g a-n ad u in K alingatthup-parani. * P ararti9 is a ty p e of
poetic com position w hich has for its hero a w arrio r w ho has killed
in th e field of b a ttle a thousand m ale elephants and describes his
exploits w ith the help of th e dem oniac m achinery.
xiii.

Tam il P rose and th e C o m m en tato rs.1

(T he Period o f Criticism ,

a .d .

1200-1450)

O ur d u ty ends here. We have tak en th e reader, though

h urriedly, th ro u g h th e realm s of Tam il L iteratu re. K am ban is
a product of this g reat heritag e, an d has proudly m ain tain ed and
handed over to his po sterity th is g reat em pire, v astly enriched
by his incom parable contribution to its w ealth and fame.
But, an y essay of th is sort w hich fails to m ention T am il P rose
and th e g reat com m entators w ould have om itted one of th e m ost
im p o rtan t sections of T am il lite ra tu re and a group of scholars
w ho have done th e g reatest service to p o sterity by illu m in atin g
th e d a rk caverns of ancient lite ra tu re w h ere lie th e priceless
treasu res of Tam il. T hey have n o t m erely illu m in ated th e grottos
b u t have excavated it, cleaned th e treasu res, an d hav e arran g ed
th em in an im perishable m useum along w ith a w ealth of
inform ation w hich for learn in g and research can scarcly be
rivalled.
The read e r w ould have h ea rd often and from m any sources
th a t th e re w as no T am il P rose a t all in th e olden days. Such
criticism comes from a lack of research and of appreciation of
w h at constitutes prose.
Now th e question arises w h a t is prose ? T he o rd in ary
definition of P ro se is *th e com mon language of m en unconfined
to poetical m e a su re s'. In th is sense, of course, alm ost all our
old prose w ritings are no prose ; for exam ple, le t us exam ine th e
prose passages in th e ancient epic Silappadikaram ; th e ru les of
scansion can v ery w ell be applied and th ey can be bro u g h t u n d er
th e general heading of th e Tam il m etre called A siriappa.

i
This section is chiefly composed of a series of extracts from History
of the Tamil Prose Literature, an excellent thesis by V. S, Chengalvaraya

Filial,

m .a ,

THE L A NG UA G E

AND

LITERATURE

Iv

- The* definition w h ich Coleridge gives o f P ro se may* serve o u r

purpose here. Coleridge has said, I w ish our clever young poets
w ould rem em ber m y hom ely definitions of P rose an d P oetry, th a t
prose is w ords in th e ir best order , p o etry *th e best w ords in
th e ir best o r d e r . As th e m edium in w hich th e P o et w orks is
language, execution in his case is th e arran g em en t of th e best
w ords in th e best order, th e best ord er being in all b u t a few
anom alous cases, a rh y th m ical one. The technical law s of verse,
how ever, deal only w ith the best order \ T here rem ain as a p a rt
of execution *th e best w ords \ This section of th e definition
covers all th e in tellectu al propriety, th e m oral passion, th e v erb al
felicity, th e m y riad charm s an d graces of w hich th e best order '
is b u t th e vehicle. Now applying th is definition to our ancient
prose, w e m ay safely assert th a t it comes u n d er th e com pass of
P rose ; for, th e re we find w ords in th e ir b est order b u t n o t
* best w ords in th e ir best order \ Hence, prose passages w h ere
w e discern only poetic flow are all to be included in th e province
of prose.
I t is noticeable th a t even the prose w ritings in the com m enta
ries have alw ays a tinge of poetic flow in th e m ; and, in fact, th e
Tam il w riters ancient as w ell as m odern hav e h ad a g reat ta ste
for this peculiar style and m ost of th e com m entators including th e
com m entator
on
Irayanar
A gapporul,
N acchinarkkiniyar,
P arim elalag ar, an d A d iy ark k u n allar v ery often indulged in m aking
use of th is peculiar style. This style, w hich is p ecu liar to Tam il,
does not in any w ay m ar th e excellence of good prose ; on th e
other hand, our p leasure is enhanced w hen w e read passages w hich
have th e balanced poetic flow.
The Tam il w ord for P rose is U rai-Nadai w hich m eans th e
speech on foot ; and it w ill be in terestin g to observe th a t th e
L atin expression Oratio pedestiris for P rose m eans also *speech
on foot , i.e. *th e language th a t w alks and does not profess to
fly ; an d as th is w as th e style th a t could possibly be used in
w ritin g com m entaries, th ey w ere also given th e nam e of U ra i9 :
an d T am il P rose has h ad its origin m ainly, if not solely, in
com m entaries. We have no grounds for asserting th a t th e re w ere
sep arate prose w orks before th e beginning of th e 17th century:
T hat com m entary w as not th e only province of prose in o u r ancient
lite ra tu re , we m ay boldly assert ; for, prose w as used in a p a r tii
cular species of com position, th e ch aracteristic featu re of w hich ie
called * Tonm ai n a rra tio n of ancient story an d it alm ost
corresponds to th e Epic Poetry. The Tonm ai com position, lik e th e

Ivi

TAMI L

epic, Mis one of th e ea rliest poetical form s in w hich th e p rim itiv e

im agination has found expression. The 238th su tra m of S e y y u l
Iy a l in T olkappiyam , defines its characteristics.
S ilappad ik aram has some fine exam ples of prose th ough it is
com paratively v ery sm all. T he tru th of th e statem en t th a t th e
best of prose is often p o ets prose because th e
Prose in the
poets m ind is stored w ith good choice of figures
8angam
an d has also a disciplined h a b it in th e use of
Period.
th e m m ay be noticed in Ilan g o v ad ig als prose.
The felicity of expression is m ark ed ly o u tstan d in g ; and th e
passages hav e a thorough poetic flow, w ith alliteratio n s and rhym e.
T he U raiperu K a ttu ra i (speech in prose) is th e only prose
p ortion of th e w ork. T he passages w hich a re called U raippattu,
a n d U raippattu nadai, have th e least claim s to be included in th e
province of prose.
D uring this period, th e Ja in ascendancy w as pronounced ;
an d its influence on th e T am il L ite ra tu re w as equally great.
. M ost of th e Ja in Epics w ere w ritte n a t this
Post-Sangam
tim e.
U>r^V?D.A500. 150
The w orks of th is period are th e Ja in prose
w orks of th e *m ongrel sort of diction , know n
as M anip rav alam style, w hich is pleasing n e ith e r to th e p u rely
T am il n o r th e p u rely S an sk rit ea r ; of these prose w orks, Sri
P uranam and G adya C hintam ani deserve m ention.
As th e re is n o t even a single p ro se -w rite r w ho belonged
M edieval Period
to th is period, w e shall h av e to notice only
to
com m entators and th e ir com m entaries.
1200 A.D.

T heir period has been called th e R eform atory Period. We

m ay as w ell call it th e period of com m entators. It is a
rem ark ab le fact in th e h isto ry of th e Tam il
The
L ite ra tu re
th a t com m entaries have
been,
Commentators
and their prose
from a v ery long tim e, occupying a p ro
A.D. 3200 to
m in en t place. Follow ing th e Tam il G ram m ar
A.D. 1450.
T olkappiyam , w e include com m entaries also in
th e province of prose.
C om m entaries in Tam il have been divided from of old into
K dndigai an d V iru tti, com pendious an d elaborate. The form er
explains th e te x t and th e la tte r, in ad dition to explanation,
t>. p .

200.

THE L A NG UA G E

AND

LITERATURE

Iv ii

criticises, arid supplem ents it, and w ighs th e v alu e f o th er

com m entaries w ith it.
Ila m p u ra n a r w as ad m itted ly th e first in p o in t of tim e to
an n o tate T h o lka p p iya m and is spoken of as th e an n o tato r \
P e ra siriy a r w as th e au th o r of a com m entary on T iru -C h ittA m b a la k -k o v a i, or, shortly, T iru kko va iya r, by M anikkavasagar.
F rom N acch in ark in iars com m entaries w e are led to in fer th a t he
w ro te a com m entary on T holkappiyam .and K u ru n th o ka i. H e is
quoted by N acchinarkiniyar in his com m entary on T h o lka p p iya m
(A ham 36).
His style is gram m atical, graphic and sim ple.
best specim en of eleg an t and sim ple prose.

T his is th e

S en a-V araiy ar w ro te a com m entary on W ords (S o l) in

T holka p p iya m , w hich w as called S en a -V a riya m a fte r th e au th o r.
His prose style is not so sim ple as th a t of N acchinarkiniyar.
N acch in ark in iy ar w as th e g reatest an d m ost p o p u lar of
com m entators. His com m entaries are alw ays V iru ttis or elab o rate
ones. In his com m entaries good prose w ritin g is found. He w as
th e first to com m ent on th e w hole of T olka p p iya m , an d th e
com m entary bears his nam e N acchinarkiniam . Besides T o lka p
piyam , P a ttu p a ttu , K a litth o ka i, Jiva ka C hintham ani, an d tw en ty
stanzas of K u ru n th o ka i w ere an n o tated an d com m ented on by
N acchinarkiniar, who alw ays brought to b ear on th e g reat w orks
h e had chosen to an n o tate his clear and im p a rtial m ind, his v ast
erudition and his m in u te and critical observation. To quote th e
Kev. Dr. Bow er : His (N acch in ark in iars) com m ents are v ery
m uck on th e p lan of E uropean annotations. He p arap h rases th e
te x t, and points out gram m atical p ecu liarities ; he quotes
T olkappiya su tram s throughout, explains obsolete term s, an d gives
th e various readings w hich existed in his d a y ..................
His style is sim ple and fine ; th e occasional poetic flow, th e
balance of style, and th e unem b arrassed flow of diction are th e
outstandin g featu res of his w ritings and it m ay w ell be said th a t
good prose w ritin g com m ences w ith N acchinarkiniyar.
A d iy ark u n allar is know n to us as th e com m entator of
Silappadikaram . He lived ab o u t th e la tte r h a lf of th e 12th
century, a fte r Jay am k o n d an , from w hose Parani h e h as often
quoted in th is com m entary. H e w as a g re a t a u th o rity on th e
P p. 396.

lviii

TAMIL

ancient T am il classics. T he w ork w hich he u ndertook to a n n o tate

w as a very difficult one ; for, Silappadikaram is not a m ere Iya l
Tam il com position ; one who u n d ertak es to an n o tate it should have
a clear know ledge of the th ree branches of T am il literatu re, Iyal,
Isai and N a ta ka m .
His prose sentences are often long, and they, now and then,
have the poetic flow. His style is alw ays clear.
P a ri-m e l-A la k a r w as a fam ous com m entator of * T iru k k u ra l/
and as he w as a g reat S an sk rit scholar as w ell, his com m entary
is very valuable fo r its w ealth of illu stratio n and p arallel q u o ta
tions. His style is lucid and very suggestive.
His prose, u nlike th a t of N acchinarkiniyar, is very terse and
in some places too brief to be easily intelligible. T here is one
thing very rem ark ab le about his style in th is com m entary. L ike
th e style of th e g reat P oet w hose w ork he had ta k en to annotate,
his style also is so m uch com pressed in form th a t one w ord in a
sentence cannot be rem oved or su b stitu ted w ith o u t a t th e sam e
tim e dam aging th e com pactness of th e style. N ot a single w ord
he uses unnecessarily. The quotations he gives are v ery a p t ; in
his w hole com m entary on th e K ural he gives quotations from about
tw en ty select w orks. His style gets often poetical in its flow, as
it cannot b u t become so, w hen its m aster seeks a fte r compression
of expression.
xiv.

M odern P eriod (a fte r A.D. 1450)

It is not our design nor w ill the space at our disposal p erm it
us to deal w ith the Tam il lite ra tu re of the M odern Period, i.e;
from th e 13th century onw ards. If w e did, w e
Luminaries
shall have to speak of them w ho are called The
Modern Period.
Lesser Trio K alam egam , fam ous for invectives
in poetry ; th e Twins, a lam e m an on the
shoulders of his blind com panion who laughed a t th e w orld in
th e ir inspired poems, tw o lines of w hich one of them w ill sing and
the other w ill cap it w ith an o th er tw o ; and P ad ik k asu P u lav ar.
M ention shall have to be m ade also of the sp iritu al successors
of th e lineage of the F o u r Saiva Saints, viz., A ru n ag iriy ar,
P a ttin a tta r, K u m arag u ru p arar, T hayum anavar, and Ram alingd
Sw am igal.
T here w ere m any outstanding M uslim scholars and poets in
this tim e w hose w orks hav e enriched the Tam il literatu re.

THE L A NG UA G E

AND

LITERATURE

li x

Gopalakrishna Bharati has a separate niche in the hearts of

the Tamilar.
The la st an d g reatest lite ra ry pro d u ct of th e m odern tim es
w ill req u ire a volum e for him self, an d in fact volum es h av e been
w ritte n about him our p a trio t and poet S u b b ram an y a B h arati,
w ho w as responsible fpr th e p resen t day cu ltu ra l and em otional
resurgence in th e south.
No one can speak of th e M odern P erio d an d n o t speak of th e
selfless group of E uropean scholars w ho h ad done so m uch for
Tam il, viz., research and classification of th e
s 1hFCan
ancient lite ra tu re and g ram m ar. Dr. Beschi,
C arS*
Rev. Caldw ell, Dr. G. U. Pope, Rev. L azarus,
Rev. D rew , Rev. Ellis and others have laid th e T am ilar u n d e r a
d eb t of etern al g ratitu d e. To this noble b and belongs th e Rev.
H. A. Popley w ho lives am ongst us today and is w ell-k n o w n for
his m usical com positions on th e C h ristian fa ith on th e lines of
K irtans. B ut w e dare not v en tu re into th is tem p tin g field.
The T hem bavani is an Epic of th e Life of C hrist w hich w e owe
to this school of foreign scholars.
Tam il fell into evil days in th e m odern period. The patro n s
of Tam il literatu re, th e line of K ings of P an d y a, Cola and C era
K ingdom s h ad vanished. T he lan d has fallen
Decline of
u n d er alien rule. The debasem ent of th e people
Tamil.
an d th e ir cu ltu re w as com plete. T hey cam e
even to be asham ed of th e ir language an d w en t so fa r as to call
th e ancient lite ra tu re as un in tellig ib le nonsense, an d dism issed th e
chaste style of these treasu res w ith a sneer. T hey w en t fu rth e r
an d destroyed eith er w an to n ly o r th ro u g h superstitious beliefs or
th ro u g h ignorance th e records on cadjan leaves.
In such straits, th e T am il M utts or m a ta m s saved th e priceless
treasu res fo r us. I t is difficult to find an ex act p a ra lle l to
th ese in stitu tio n s in o th er countries. T hey m ay
The Matams.
be classed as m onasteries w ith a h ead to
each w ho is in charge by au th o rity of
sp iritu al succession.
T he m onasteries w ere th e repositories of learning. F ounded
five or six centuries ago, for th e diffusion of T am il learn in g and th e
S aiva faith, th ey m ade a vigorous a tte m p t to p reserv e old cadjan
volum es against th e ravages of tim e an d th e w ild a n d ru th less
persecutions of th e M uham m adan invaders.

1*

TAMIL

T he m ost im p o rtan t of these fnatam are th e T hirU vavaduth u rai, D h arm ap u ram and in la te r days T h iru p an an d al. A ll of
them have ren d ered an d continue to ren d er noble service to Tam il
and S aiva religion. They m ain tain o rien tal colleges, support
scholars an d authors, and publish all th e im p o rta n t lite ra ry
an d religious literatu re. I t m ay be said th a t b u t fo r th em
m any of o ur ancient w orks could n ev er h av e come dow n
to us. L atterly , these m atam s have ta k en to a new approach to
th e propagation of T am il lite ra tu re and Saiva doctrines. T hey
now publish m ost of th e ancient w ritings w ith E nglish an d H indi
translations. The am ount of ignorance p rev ailin g in In d ia outside
th e T am il-lan d ab o u t th e h eritag e and cu ltu re of th e T am ilar has
to be seen to be p ro p erly assessed. The S aiva m atam s have earned
th e g ratitu d e of all T am ilar and oth er w ell-w ish ers of Tam il
and its literatu re.
It is from these repositories, and from p riv ate hom es th a t
Dr. U. V. S w am inatha A iyar w as able to trace out th e ancient
classics and num erous o th er notable w orks of T am il literatu re.
T he people of In d ia are w ont to call g reat souls as th e avatar of
God Himself. It is as if the T am il-anangu T he T am il M use
herself in carn ated as this T am il scholar, research student, tireless
collector, com piler, and editor and publisher. B orn of a poor
fam ily, educated alm ost by charity, m eagrely paid for m ost of his
life, w ith n othing b u t th e generosity of friends (larg e in th e w ish
to help b u t poor in ab ility to do so), this u n tirin g sav an t bro u g h t
o u t eighty -w o rk s, large and sm all, in his eig h ty -fo u r year$
of life.
xv.

Our Days

We h av e show n enough elsew here to disprove th e casual

criticism th a t th e re w as no prose in th e olden days of Tam il. The
a ttitu d e of m ind behind th is criticism an d th e
Praent-day
ignorance it reveals is responsible for th e state
of M odem T am il Prose, reg ard in g w h ich we
cannot do b e tte r th a n quote 1 from a short article called Tam il
P rose T o d a y by Mr. N. R ag h u n ath a Iyer, A ssistant Editor',
T he H indu, M adras, w hich appears in th e B h arati J a y a n ti Souvenir
(D ecem ber, 1949) of the B h a ra ti T am il Sangam , C alcutta.
>

i
By kind permission of the author and the
Calcutta.

B h arati T am il San& M ,

THE L A N G U A G E

AND

LITERATURE

xi

He w rites : I have lately h ad to read la rg e q u an tities of

recent T am il prose in certain allied genres.......................
. . . . I n quality this new literature leaves much to be desired.
Imperfect assimilation of Western ideas and insufficient command over
the medium of expression i combine to produce on the reader's mind
the effect of a rather unsatisfactory translation, not the impact of
an authentic piece of literature..............
. . . There is a certain thinness of substance noticeable parti
cularly in the academic type of criticism. A little learning is sought
to be spread over a vast area . . . .
When one turns to what may be called the literature of know
ledge, two things are seen to stand out prominently, an immense zest
and an almost equally immense inexperience..................
The chief handicap is the absence of an agreed vocabulary of
technical terms and the lack of a real mastery of the chosen subject
on the part of all but a few of those who appear in the role of
popularisers..................

1 There is a class of writers today which does not consider a knowledge

of either the ancient Tamil literature or the rules of grammar as essential
to their calling. It jeers at grammar and thinks that it has delivered
the c o u p - d e - g r a c e to it by saying that the name N a n -n o o l ( T h e G o o d
R u le s ) has been given to the Tamil grammar as an euphemism and that
it should have been called the V ile R u le s. This class of writers may well
benefit by the extracts we quote below from E n g lis h A C o u r s e f o r H u m a n
B e in g s by Eric Partridge. He says :
.................Grammar results from mankinds attempt to speak and
write coherently and, by speaking or writing clearly, to make language
easier to understand ; in a few words, it enables us to communicate with
others, others with us. Grammar forms a notable aid to speaking, writing,
listening ; in short, to communication. More : without grammar, we should
have difficulty in understanding anything except the simplest messages or
warnings.
Only a fool is content to remain ignorant of the tools or instruments
he is using ; only a fool thinks it unnecessary to understand the words
he is using. This being so, you will find it usefulyou will, indeed, find
it necessaryto bear constantly in mind the relationship between speaker
and hearer, hence the only slightly less important relationship between
writer and reader.
We can never hope to understand what language is and how it
progresses (or doesnt) unless we remember that language is primarily
tbe inter-activity of speech and hearing, and that writing is, in a sense
speech at second hand. Grammar is that wonderful and invaluable set of
means and devices whereby we can render our words significant and
make our ideas pass easily, from within ourselves, to other persons.
Language is the vehicle, the carrier, of our thoughts and feelings and of
our stories, whether true or imagined ; grammar is the machinery by
which that vehicle is set and kept in motion ; the motive power (the
steam, the electricity, the turbine) is the mind ; and th speech-sounds,
r the printed page, are the air and space through which the vehicle
jppves..

- ^ bushbrs.

Ixix

TAMIL

. . . A standard literary language is yet to be evolved. Those

writers who were brought up in the Pandit tradition but wish to
stand well with the new public too often merely achieve drabness
in trying to shed their pedantry...............
There is a rude vigour in the writings of polemists; but too
many of them take a childish delight in such verbal tricks as allitera
tion assonance and puns. While there is definitely a place in litera
ture for the genuine regional dialect, too often does the slovenliness
that comes of pure ignorance do duty for realism. Journalese and
portmanteau language have a strange fascination for the half-educated.
And the extent to which the average Tamil writer who has a rudi
mentary knowledge of English has had his syntax corrupted is
amazing.

Exceptions, th ere are to this sorry state, as to anything else

in this world, b u t one speaks here of the general state of prose
today as a whole and not of those rare authors who are responsible
for the very little excellent prose of these days.
To nam e b u t a few, Mr. P. Sundaram Pillai, Mr. V edanayagam
Pillai, Mr. A. M adhaviah, Mr. V. K alyanasundaram M udaliar, Eao
B ahadur P. Sam banda M udaliar, Mr. R. P. Sethu Pillai, Mr. K. V.
Jagannath an , Dr. Seshadrinathan, Mr. Sw am inatha Sarm a,
Dr. V arath arajan , Mr. G nanasam bandam , Mr. C. N. A nnathurai,
Mr. G anapati A iyar, Mr. C. R ajagopalachari and a few others are
the outstanding prose w riters of the present day.
Dr. U. V. Sw am inatha A iyar, the g reat editor and scholar
has left a w ealth of excellent prose w ritings, and his unfinished
A utobiography is one of the best of its type.
The m ention of Dr. Sw am inatha A iyar w ill recall to m ind his
great teacher the late M inakshisundaram Pillai, and A iyars friend
T hiagaraja C hettiar whose nam es occur again and again in A iyars
A utobiography.
N am akkal Ram alingam Pillai, the p o et-lau reate of M adras is
another autobiographer of m erit.
A t the present day, prose predom inates over poetry of w hich
very little is w ritten. Such poetic w orks are breaking new ground
and it is too early to judge th eir w orth and excellence.

xvi.

Conclusion

O ur object in compiling this brief survey is to m ake know n

to the w ider w orld of India and abroad, in as adequate a m anner
as the sm all compass of this w ork w ill allow, th e glories of Tam il
people and th eir literature.

t f E L A N G U A G E

AND

LITERATURE

b tiu

We hav e used th e w ord com piled advisedly. N othing, or

very little of th e contents of th is essay can claim any originality.
We have m erely stru n g to g eth er on page a fte r
Acknowledgepage ex tracts from various w riters, chiefly from
mento.
T am il S tu d ie s 9 by M. S rinivasa A iyangar, M.A.,
T am il L ite r a tu r e 9 b y M. S. P u rn alin g am P illai, b .a ., l .t ., and
* S tu d ies in T am il L itera tu re and H is to r y 9 by V. R. R am achandra
D ikshitar, m .a . We te n d er our g ra te fu l th a n k s an d sincere
apologies to these w riters, th e ir successors and p u b lish ers for th e
lib e rty w e have ta k en in so profusely using th e ir w orks nay, in
com piling this essay alm ost en tirely w ith ve rb a tim e x tra cts from
these w orks.
We are also indebted to m any friends w ho h av e guided
us w ith suggestions an d m aterial, chief am ong w hom is
Mr. G. T h iag arajan of Tanj ore w ho le n t us his unpu b lish ed notes
and essays, and several books out of his lib ra ry fo r com piling th is
survey.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abbreviations
used in
foot-notes.

B ooks Consulted
Books in E nglish
1.

Tam il S tu d ies (F irst Series)

By M. S rinivasa A iyangar,

T.S.
m .a .

2.

Studies in Tam il L iterature and H istory

By V. R. R am achandra D ikshitar, m .a .

3.

The A n cien t D ravidians

By T. S. Sesha Iyengar, M.A.,

M.R.A.S., F.R.H.S.

4.

T am il L itera tu re
By M. S. P u rn alin g am P illai,

P
b .a ., l .t .5
6*

5.

H istory o f the T am il Prose L itera tu re

By V. S. C hengalvaraya Pillai.

6.

P a ttu p a ttu (T ran slated into English V erse)

By J. V. C helliah, m .a .

C
Ch.

ix iv

t a m i l

Books in Tamil
1.

H isto ry o f th e T a m il L anguage
B y V. G. S u ry a n a ra y a n a S a stria r, b .a .

2.

T a m il V aralaru
B y K. S. S rin iv asa P illai.

B ooks R ecommended for S tudy

1.

M anual o f th e G eology o f India

B y R. D. O ldham e.

2.

H u m a n H istory
By G. E. S m ith.

3.

Caste and T ribes o f S o u th e rn India

B y E. T hurston.

4.

P eople and P roblem s o f India

By S ir T. W. H olderness.

5.

A n c ie n t In d ia n H istory and C ivilization

By R. C. M aju m d ar.

6.

A H isto ry o f India
By C. S. S rin iv asa C h ari & M. S. R am asw am i.

7.

T he O rigin and P hilosophy o f L anguage

By L u d w ig N oire.

Reprints of this essay are available at Re. 1/- eath copy, postage extra.
A few copies only have been printed.

KAMBAN
K am ban, th e au th o r of th e R am ayana in Tam il, w hich is th e
subject of critical stu d y in th is w o rk by V. V. S. A iyar lived
in th e IX C en tu ry a.d. 1 He w as b o rn in T iru v azh u n d u r in th e
Cola country. His fa th e r w as A thavan, a p riest by caste. K am b an
appears to hav e been a poet in th e court of th e Cola and C era
K ings, b u t his stead fast p atro n w as S ad ay ap p an of T iru v en n ain a llu r w hose n am e is referre d to in te n places in K am ba
R am ayanam ,
K am ban w as a devotee of N am m alvar, one of th e fam ous
V aishnavite saints and poets. K am ba R a m ayanam w as composed
by him about th e eight h u n d red an d eighties an d according to
th e procedure of those days w as recited by h im for ap p ro v al to
an audience of th e lite ra ry elite a sort of A cadem y of L e tte r s 2
assem bled in S riran g am in th e m onth of P anguni (M arch -A p ril)
of the y ear 807 3 of th e S alivahana S akabda (885 a .d.) on th e fu llmoon day w hen th e sta r U ttaram w as in th e ascendant.4 K am ban
w as acclaim ed by th e assem bly as th e K avich a kra va rti th e
E m peror of the Realm s of Poesy a title w hich every succeeding
generation has been b u t confirm ing ev er since.
M any are th e stories w hich have come dow n to us in poem s
and by w ord of m outh about K am b an s difficulties before he h ad
his w ork approved, about his sp irit of independence an d poetic
h a u te u r an d about the jealousies and in trig u es of his contem porary
poets ; b u t fact and fiction have so in term in g led in these anecdotes
th a t it is im possible to sep arate th em today. They, how ever,
bear evidence to the high v en eratio n in w hich K am ban w as
and is held to this day in T am il-land.
We should not om it to m ention th a t in his w ork of over te n
thousand and five h u n d red stanzas of four lines each, th e re are
m any interpolations too difficult to identify, though a h u n d red
of them are now know n to have been in serted by one V elliam bala
T ham biran. These interpolations, how ever, h av e n o t d etra cte d
th e generations of T am ilians from th e ir undying love for th is
g reat w ork.
His o th er w orks a re said to be
Sadagopar-antadi,
S ila iyezh u p a th u ,
A erezh u p a th u ,
Sarasw athi-antadi.

807.

1 Some say the XII Century.

2 Mushairas and Kavi-sammelans of these days.
3 The original poems allow an interpretation to mean 1107 instead of
4 The Anniversary Day of the wedding of Shri Rama and Sita,
V

V. V. S. AIYAR
VARAGANERI VENKATSA SUBRAMANYA AIYAR, w as
b o rn his fa th e rs first son, on 2nd A p ril 1881, ip a village n e a r
K a ru r in the T richinopoly D istrict of th e M adras Province. His
fa th e r V enkatesa A iyar h ad settled a t V araganeri, a su b u rb of
Trichinopoly, and in his retired days w as resistin g m ass conversion
of th e H arijan s to C h ristian ity and w as arran g in g for th e ir
reconversion to th e H indu fold.
V. V. S. A iyar, w hom w e sh all h erea fter m ention as A iyar
for short, m atricu lated a t th e early age of tw elv e ran k in g fifth
in the P r e s i d e n c y and w as m arried th e sam e y e a r ; an d
grad u ated w h en r\ b u t sixteen. His college-m ates re la te his
annoying patience du rin g discussions an d controversies an d his
sm iling aw ay all opposition in th e College F ree T h in k ers Society,
his drinkin g deep from Spencer and Spinoza, M ilton an d M oliere,
an d of his being th e fav o u rite of all his professors.
W hen tw enty, he was to be seen p ractising as a law y er a t
th e Trichinopoly B ar ; and five years later, he sailed to Rangoon
to seek his fo rtu n e in B urm a. B ut w ithin a y ea r he w as bound
fo r E ngland to become a barrister.
London : M aster of L atin, he cam e out first in R om an L a w
and w as an all round b rillian t stu d en t . N early th re e y ears
h ad rolled by an d he w as soon to re tu rn to In d ia as an am bitious
b a rriste r to m ake fabulous fortunes, b u t D estiny w as shaping
him for quite a different life.
W rote his associate :

i,

In 1907, th e m aid -serv an t at th e fam ous In d ia House

in London handed a visiting card to us and p resen tly a
gentlem an n eatly dressed and inclined to be fashionable
w arm ly shook hands w ith us, and told us th a t he cam e over
to London to qualify him self as a full-fledged b arrister. . . .
He assured us of his in ten tio n to study English m usic an d if
possible also English dance as w ell............... We en tered ,o u r
m ild p ro test against th u s dissipating th e energ y of ones youth
in lig h t-h e a rte d p astim es.. . . The gentlem an, uriconvinced,
though im pressed, took our leave, prom ising to continue to
call on us every now an d then. HE WAS SJT. V. V. S.
AIYAR.

In 1910, we stood as a prisoner in London Brixon Jail.

The ..warder announced, visits and anxiously we accompany

V. V. S. AIYAR

A U f E

SKETCH

Ixvit

the file o f priso n ers to th e yard i w e stand behind the bara;

w ondering w ho could h av e come to call on us an d th u s in v ite
th e u n p leasan t atten tio n of th e London Police. P re sen tly a
dignified figure en ters th e box in fro n t of us. I t w as V. V. S.
AIYAR. His b eard w as closely w aving on his breast. He
w as unkem pt. He w as no longer th e n ea tly dressed fashion-
able gentlem an. His w hole figure w as tran sfo rm ed w ith
some g reat act of dedication of life...............

A iy ar and G andhiji : D iw ali, th e u n iv e rsa l festiv al of

rejoicing in th e w hole len g th an d b read th of India, has a special
significance to th e S outh Indian. A iy ar an d his com panions in,
In d ia H ouse a t London w ere anxious to celeb rate th e D iw ali in
In d ian style as fa r as it w as practicable in England, an d A iy ar
w en t seeking leading In d ian a fte r In d ian in London to grace th e
occasion. B ut he m et w ith no success. A iy ar h ea rd th a t one
Mr. G andhi, a m an of new w ays, h ad come to London to rep resen t
th e case of Indians in S outh A frica. A fter searching for him in
the luxurious hotels and sim ilar rendezvous of fashionable In d ian s
of those days h e found him in a h u m ble hom e and in vited him
to preside over the celebrations. G andhiji m ade searching
enquiries about th e mode of celebrations and w hen he w as assured
th a t it w ould be in p u rely In d ian style he read ily agreed. This
w as th e first occasion on w hich A iyar m et G andhiji. W ith his,
revolution ary zeal, A iy ar did not w a n t to miss th e o p p ortunity
of pressing his view s on th e rising leader. He spoke to him
w ith vehem ence about th e rev o lu tio n ary creed as th e only
possibility of w inning independence for India. G andhiji in tu rn
preached him his n ew ly -fo u n d saty ag rah a. A iyar re tu rn e d
feeling naively confident th a t tw o or th re e m ore pep ta lk s by
him to G andhiji w ould convince him and bring him to his w ay
of thinking.
A iy ar w as aw ay w hen G an d h iji cam e to In d ia House. T h e
other .com panions of A iyar, w ho w ere busy cooking, saw a thin,
sim ply-dressed poor In d ian and im m ediately pressed him into
service and allo tted h im a ll th e m ore m en ial jobs in th e
kitchen. A iyar re tu rn e d to th e house to find th e p rin cip al guest
of th e evening em ployed in th e kitchen. He m ade profuse
apologies to G andhiji b u t he p u t him a t his ease w ith his winning]
sm ile and h e a rtily joined in th e celebrations.
The D ie is C ast : The m om ent cam e w hen he w as to be
called to th e Bar. B ut he firm ly refused to ta k e th e oath oft

Ixviii

V. V. S. A I Y A R

allegiance to th e K ing, w hom he w ould n o t recognise as th K in g

of his country as w ell. Such w as his irrevocable decision to
com pletely dedicate his life for th e cause of In d ian freedom .
London to A m sterdam : This w as sufficient proof of th e
volcano he was, and an u rg en t w a rra n t w as issued to a rre st th is
fiery anarchist. D uring th e night, th e C.I.D. Police h ad occupied
situations in th e H otel in w hich A iyar resided, to ta k e him aw ay
in the m orning. A iyar, scenting this, as a Je a n V aljean, left th e
h otel a t m idnight, tak in g w ith him th e b arest necessities, and
am ong them th e volum es of K am ba R am ayana w ere to be found :
such w as his love for K am ban from w hom he w ould not p a rt
ven in such perilous times.
A broad intellectu al forehead, a bold aquiline nose, a strong
ath letic form and a m ajestic beard adding colour to th e arrestin g
personalityy et the spy of th e Scotland Y ard w as certain th a t
this w as the South Indian B rahm in rev o lu tio n ary he w as to
arrest, his appearance like a P u n jab i Sikh no tw ith stan d in g ; an d
to fix the id en tity he handed over a telegram to V. V. S. A iyar.
W ith an uncanny presence of m ind, A iyar im m ediately retu rn ed
th e telegram unopened to th e C.I.D. m an statin g th a t he w as
delivering it to th e w rong addressee. The official w as quick to
point out the inscription *V.V.S.* on A iyars handbag, an d quicker
w as A iyar to reply Yes ! My nam e is V eer V ikram Singh
T he sleuth h ad to go aw ay quietly.
P aris to P ondicherry : Crossing th e C hannel w as n o t th e
end of th e trouble. The B ritish Secret Police in F ran ce w ere
censoring all his letters, and th e m om ent he en tered any B ritish
territo ry he w as to be tak en into custody. A iyar w as constantly
w ritin g to his fa th e r of his desire to settle in B razil w here la n d
w as rich and plentiful, instead of going to In d ia w h ere he m ight
be arrested and jailed. Could n o t his fath er, A iy ar asked,
arran g e for a h u n d red h ard w o rk in g South In d ian fam ilies to go
w ith him to B razil an d colonise th a t country.
On a certain m orning of N ovem ber 1910, new s reach th e
G overnm ent and th e fam ily of his presence a t P o n d ich erry ! A nd
n eith er could believe it. The ruse w as th is : a bundle of le tte rs
in A iyars h an d w ritin g to his fa th e r and relativ es w as handed
over by A iy ar to one of his friends in P aris to be posted every
w eek, and th is fixed th e atten tio n of th e B ritish au th o rities in
F ran ce to P aris and to th e ship routes to Rio de Janeiro.
In a few days a certain M uslim gentlem an w as sw iftly passing
th ro u g h Ita ly and G reece, T u rk ey and Egypt. He w as v e ry devout*

LIFE

SKETCH

lxix

constantly W riting from th e KURAN, an d p erfo rm in g N am az

five tim es a d ay on th e ships deck. The ship touches Bom bay,
Colombo, and T uticorin before he alights a t P o n d ich erry h arb o u r.
W ithin a few hours, telegram s signed V. V. S. A iy ar are h an d ed
a t th e post office by th is v ery sam e m uslim gentlem an in fo rm
ing th e B ritish G overnm ent of his presence in F ren ch India.
A iyar w as th en ju st 29 years of age.
P ondicherry : A iy ars life a t P o n d ich erry for ten years from
1910 to 1920 is so fully packed w ith th rillin g exploits,
im p ertu rb ab le courage in the face of w orst dangers, and b rillian t
achievem ents in literatu re, th a t it is difficult to d etail th em all
in this sh o rt sketchy note. A nd in all his rev o lu tio n ary activities
and lite ra ry w ork, w e m ay m ention, his w ife w as a source of
constant help. Sm uggling of revolvers, proscribed lite ra tu re ,
arm s and am m unitions to B ritish India w as a m ere routine.
A versatile linguist know ing L atin, G reek, G erm an, P ersian,
U rdu, S anskrit, H industani, T elugu and C anarese, etc., A iyar soon
m astered F ren ch to study N apoleons W ar M emoirs in th e
original ; and w rote a synthetic treatise on m ilita ry strateg y ,
adap tin g N apoleons m ethod of w arfa re for a w ar ag ain st th e
B ritish rulers. L okam anya T ilak sent his n ep h ew to A iy ar to
copy dow n th e m anuscript and A iyar h ad to send h im back in
th e guise of a gypsy to save th e m an u scrip t an d th e m essenger
fro m th e secret police.
D esiring to p rep are a background of rev o lu tio n ary m e n tality
am ong his countrym en, A iy ar w rote T am il biographies of
Napoleon, G aribaldi, Mazzini, R ana P ra ta p Singh, C h an d ra G upta,
etc., an d w rote some excellent sh o rt stories as well.
F inding it im possible to dislodge A iyar from P ond ich erry by
fa ir or foul m eans, th e B ritish G overnm ent took ad v an tag e of
th e G reat W ar of 1914-18 and m ade th e F rench G overnm ent
believe th a t A iyar was secretly com m unicating w ith th e EMDEN
w hich w as th en scouring th e Bay of Bengal. A lthough these
false allegations could not be proved, still as an ally of th e B ritish,
th e F rench G overnm ent agreed to d ep o rt A iy ar to A lgiers in
A frica. In o rd er to gain tim e, A iyar sta rte d a ro u n d of negotia*
tions an d w an ted to leave som ething behind h im to keep h is
m em ory green am ong his countrym en. T ran slatio n of th e T am il
ClassicKRAL into E nglish w as decided on as his b est legacy
for the country. I t w as on 1st N ovem ber, 1914 he p u t his pen to
paper. D ay a fte r day he pounded aw ay a t th e tran slatio n , every

llCK.

,v.

V,

e.

A I Y A R

evening thinking that he might be deported the next mornings

On 1st March, 1915, the manuscripts were ready for the press.
Though completed in such perilous circumstances rand haste*
Aiyars translation is considered the best even today.
Second Meeting with Gandhiji :

G an d h iji cam e in 1917 to

P ondicherry an d A iy ar m et him fo r th e second tim e. To th is
date, A iyar h ad n o t forsw orn his belief in rev o lu tio n ary m ethods,
b u t w hen G an d h iji m et h im it w as a case of * ven i, vid i, vic i/
G andhi ji cam e, saw him , an d conquered him . A iy ar becam e a
convert to th e principles of A him sa an d h e w ho n ev er w en t ab o u t
W ithout a rev o lv er in his possession, now exchanged it for th e
T akli. To his dying day he rem ain ed tru e to his new religion
and th e re w ere often m om ents w hen his closest frien d s w ished
th a t he w as not such a stau n ch devotee of A him sa.

Back to th e Indian Scene : The general am nesty of 1920

saw A iyar an ed ito r of a T am il daily n ew spaper a t M adras. B u t
he w as soon to spend nine m onths in B ellary C e n tral J a il d u rin g
1921-22 on a charge of sedition. It w as in those n in e m onths of
prison life th a t A iy ar w ro te his M agnum Opus A STUDY O P
KAMBA RAMAYANA w hich we now offer to th e lovers of
lite ra tu re today.1*
A iyar needed some books for consultation and w e tra n sla te
h ere th e le tte r he w rote to a frien d in Benares.
He said :
D ear b ro th er, you w ould have come to know of m y
sta y h ere th ro u g h th e new spapers. I h av e still six m ore
m onths to stay here. I expect th e y w ould pass ju st as th e last
th ree m onths have passed in lite ra ry w o rk ........ You could
do m e a service. I am w ritin g a S tudy of K am ban. I req u ire
in th is connection G riffiths English tran slatio n s of V alm iki*
and Tulsidas 3 R am ayanam s and I also re q u ire ............... As l
1 Between the leaves of Aiyars rough manuscripts was found a faded
cutting from a newspaper quoting records in daily or weekly outout of
writing by famous authors. Dr. Johnsons Rasselas of a little mre 20,000
words produced in a week, Mark Twains 4,000 words a day, Stevenson,
Du Maupassant, Balzac, Hutchinson of If Winter Comes* faine, Oppen
heim and Wells have inspired Aiyar. His manuscripts show dates and
numbers of words written each day. In nine months of prison Ufo, with
its.unbending routine, Aiyar lags not far behind these masters with feig
work of a little over 140,000 words, more than a third of which arb
Urverte.
" *
3 The author of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.
3 The author of tfee Hindi rendering of the Ramayana,

'

t l F E

SKETCH

fecxi

canhot th in k of an y one else w ho could g et th e m fo r me, a n d

as a t p rese n t I h av e v ery little m oney, an d as th ese bboks
w ill b e av ailab le in B enares only, I h av e to tro u b le you. A s
soon as I come o u t of prison I shall p ay you th e price. M ore
follow s w ith a list of th e books an d w h ere th e y w ill be
available. He continues : I have finished n ea rly a h u n d red
pages of th e w ork. I am now a t p rese n t w ritin g th e
ch aracter stu d y of L a k sh m a n a .1 I expect th e book to ru n to
about five h u n d red pages. W herever I h av e quoted any poem s
from K am ban I am try in g to tra n sla te them* in verse as fa r
as possible. I hope th a t this w ork w ill rev eal th e glories
of K am ban to th e scholars in N orth In d ia an d to those
T am ilians w ho hav e fo rg o tten th e ir Tam il. My address is
V. V. S. A iyar, No. 65, C en tral Jail, B ellary .
The L ast P h ase : R eleased from jail, A iyar again p lunged
into th e v o rtex of his w ork. A fter a sh o rt sw ift to u r of In d ia,
A iyar sta rte d an A shram a t S herm adevi, T innevelly D istrict in
1922-23, called th e TAM IL GURUKULAM, w h ere th e pupils an d
th e teachers ploughed th e fields an d reap ed th e h arv est, laid
bricks and b u ilt huts, w eaved cloth, p rin ted books an d m agazines,
did carp e n try and gardening, le a rn t self-defence, archery, sw ord
fights, etc. A iy ars am bition w as to create a race of T am ilians
sim ilar to th e Sikhs of th e P u n jab , and he w ro te a biography of
G uru G obind Singh to instil th e ideals in th e m inds of his
countrym en.
The H eroic E nd : It w as 10 a.m., 3rd Ju n e , 1925. The sun
w as shining w ith all its splendour. T he K a ly a n -T h irth a F alls
w as roarin g at a distance w ith a m ajestic voice am idst a scene of
g reat b eau ty and charm . A iyar joined th e p a rty of pupils he
h ad sen t tw o days ago from th e A shram for a v isu al education
trip . A ll w en t up th e h ill and A iy ar w as helping th e safe passage
of th e stu d en ts across th e p ro x im al side of th e falls. A iy ars
daughter, S ub h ad ra, insisted on h e r crossing th e riv er, ju s t as
th e others, b u t as F ate w ould have it, she trip p ed into th e deep
fa st cu rren t w ith th e cry, F a th e r ! F a th e r ! an d w ith in th e
fraction of a second A iyar h ad ju m p ed into th e stream n o t a b it
th in k in g ab o u t th e consequences an d he alm ost h eld his d au g h ter
by h e r locks, b u t only to find it slipping aw ay, an d in a few
1 A fac-simile of a part of the first page of the manuscripts of this
chapter is reproduced opposite. Note the seal of the Bellary Central
Jail, and the calculations of words to a page, and the probable number
W printed pages of the size of a page of his Kural.

ix x ii

GANDHIJI

ON

YA

moments both were submerged in the hungry waters of the

Tam rabaraparani.

Thus ended in but 44 years one of the most momentous of

lives.
How we long to write of the goodness and gentleness of
disposition, how when betrayed you stood unshaken, how you
served them who owned thee not : how you suffered when
unknown and made not the slightest mention of it when you
got known........ Thy greatness must stand undimmed though
unwitnessed by man like the lofty Himalayan peaks. Thy
services and sacrifices must be buried in oblivion as do the
foundations of a mighty castle................

GANDHIJI ON AIYAR.

From Young India18th June, 1925

(Editorial page)
V. V. S. Iyer :
The readers of Y o u n g I n d ia will share my
regret over the death by drowning of Sjt. V. V. S.
Iyer. 1 had the pleasure of meeting him in
London years ago. He was then a fierce anarchist.
But he gradually mellowed down. The fire of
patriotism burnt none the less brightly in him.
He was a staunch non-cooperator and latterly he
had intended to devote himself entirely to
conducting the Shermadevi Gurukul. I always
regarded him as a fine, sincere and persevering
servant of the nation. May his soul rest in peace !
M. K. G.
(Reproduced by Courtesy of the Navajivan Trust.")

A STU D Y OF TH E RAMAYANA OF KAMBAN

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY

REMARKS

It is not easy to convince th e lite ra ry w orld at this late h our

of day th a t th ere is, unsuspected by th e g reater p a rt of it, a
T am il poet who is w o rth y to tak e ra n k w ith th e g reatest nam es
in literatu re. It is, how ever, m y purpose in this book to m ake
an attem p t to prove th a t in th e R a m a ya n a of K a m ba n th e w orld
possesses an epic w hich can challenge com parison not m erely
w ith the Iliad and the JEneid, the Paradise L o st an d th e
M ahabharata, b u t w ith its original itself, nam ely, th e R am ayana
of Valm iki. This is not th e language of m ere p atrio tic enthusiasm .
I t is an opinion th a t has grow n slow ly w ith y ears an d a fte r
deep and careful study. A nd I hope to m ake th e im p artial
read e r rise from th e study of this m onograph w ith a conviction
of th e tru th of m y contention an d w ith a desire to know m ore
of the poet th a n w h at he w ill see ex h ib ited w ith in th e pages
of this volum e.
I spoke of V alm ikis w ork as th e original of K am b an s'
R am ayana. B ut K am ban has not tra n sla te d V alm iki. He has
m erely tak en the story im m ortalised by th e A ry an sage and,
though he has follow ed it closely enough in all its details, has
w ritte n an en tirely original poem. B entley said of P opes Iliad,
I t is a p re tty poem, b u t you m u st not call it H om er. Of
K am b an s R am ayana we should say reversing th e language,
I t is not V alm ikis R am ayana, b u t it is a g ran d er poem
It is a curious fact th a t d u rin g th e w hole course of our long
lite ra ry history, u n til v ery recen t tim es, no S am sk rit classic has
been literally tran slate d into an y of our v ern ac u lars1. The
R am ayana, th e M ahabharata, th e Bhagavata, and th e S ka n d a
Purana have been am ong th e lite ra ry treasu res th a t poets from
ev ery p a rt of In d ia hav e attem p ted to re n d e r into th e ir
m other-ton g u es. B ut in no single v ern acu lar is th e re a lite ra l
tra n sla tio n of an y of these divine poem s w hich d ates from m ore
th a n th ree or fo u r decades ago. On th e co n trary , all th e old
i The Bhagavad Gita appears to be the only exception so far as we
know. It has been literally translated into Tamil verse by the great
Acharya Manavala Maha Muni in the 12th century of the Sakabda, i.e.
the 13th century a .d .

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

poetical ren d erin g s of these classics in th e v ern acu lars are no

m ore th a n free ad ap tatio n s from th e ir originals.
This tendency to rew rite th e stories of th e S am sk rit classics
instead of tran slatin g them seems to be a common in stin ct w ith
th e peoples of India, for, so far as we can see, it cannot h av e
been th e resu lt of im itation by one people of th e literary m ethods
of another. The earliest ad ap tatio n of a S am sk rit classic into
a v ern acu lar tongue is m ost probably th a t of th e M ahabharata
into T am il by P eru n D evanar who is said to hav e lived in th e
first cen tu ry of th e Saka b d a1. Since then, th e S kanda Purana,
th e R am ayana and the stories of N aia and H arishchandra, am ong
others, have been ren d ered into Tam il by scores of poets, b u t
not one of these renderings is a m ere tran slatio n . We find th e
sam e phenom enon in Telugu. The m onum ental B haratam of
N annayya and T ik k an n a has nothing in com mon w ith V yasas
M ahabharata except th e story. T here is n othing to show th a t
th e auth o rs of th e T elugu B haratam took to this m ethod of
adap tin g th e S am sk rit epic instead of tra n sla tin g it from th e
exam ple of Tam il poets. The sam e is th e case w ith B h ask aras
R am ayana, Tulsi D ass R am a Charita M anas an d o th er v ern ac u lar
classics of India. All these poets have d ealt very freely w ith
th e ir originals. T h eir tropes and fancies, th e ir im agery, th e ir
descriptions and dissertatio n s are not those of th e original poem s
l?ut th e ir own. T hey develop certain incidents, cut dow n certain
others, and intro d u ce in terlu d es, fables, allegories or n ew
incidents according to th e ir pleasure. In sh o rt w h at th ey w rite
are new poem s alto g eth er and not translations. A nd th is ten d en cy
is to be seen am ong w riters of P rovinces situ ated so w ide a p a rt
as B engal and th e T am il country an d G u jarat, an d of ages
exten d in g from th e first cen tu ry up to our ow n tim es.
If w e look into th e m a tte r carefully, th is m ethod of
popularising th e stories rev ered by th e people w ill ap p ear m uch
b e tte r th a n th e w estern m ethod of literally tra n sla tin g th em
into poetry. For, th e a ttitu d e of m ind in w hich th e poet has to
place him self in th e a tte m p t to tra n sla te from one language in to
an o th er acts as a d rag upon all his h ig h er faculties, so th a t even
poets of a very high o rd er are failu res w hen th ey descend to
tran slatio n on a larg e scale. Coleridge h it th e nail on th e h ead
w hen he said th e tran slatio n of p o etry into p o etry is difficult,
because th e tra n sla to r m u st give a b rillian cy to his lan g u ag e
w ith o u t th a t w a rm th of original conception from w hich such
brilliancy w ould follow of its ow n accord . T he m ind of th e
1 i.e. the 2nd Century of Christ.

INTRODUCTORY

REMARKS

p o e t is checked in its flight w hen it is w eighted w ith th e th o u g h ts

and images of th e original w hich he has to ren d er closely into
another language. His m ind loses its n a tu ra l flow and has to
substitute for it a sim ulacrum by all sorts of subterfuges. A nd
th e result is a trav esty of the original w hich is not m erely below
th e original, b u t even below the average q u ality of th e w o rk s
of the tran slato r him self, as one can see by com paring, fo r
instance, Popes Iliad and O dyssey w ith his other works.
Hence it is th a t Indian poets even of the second ran k h av e
w ith unerrin g good sense abstained from tran slatin g th e S am sk rit
classics, b u t instead have rew ritten them in th e ir own w ay for
th eir countrym en. Thus w hile Europe has to ta k e one
representativ e each from th e G reek and the L atin literatu res
b u t one Iliad and one JEneid, and a host of translations of these
^pics, India has not one Ram ayana and one M ahabharata, b u t
a t least a score of Ram ayanas and M ahabharatas. No doubt
these are of unequal m erit, b u t each one of them is a t least as
great as the unham pered flight of its au th o rs genius could
m ak e it.
We should th in k th a t this difference betw een E urope and
In d ia in th e m ethod adopted for th e ren d erin g of th e classics
Into the vernaculars is due to the fact th at, w hile th e n atio n s
of Europe have cut them selves aw ay from th e ir ancient religions
as those of Greece and Rome, the peoples of In d ia are, on th e
other hand, even to this day follow ers of th e religion of th e
R am ayana and th e M ahabharata, and the Skanda Purana and th e
Bhagavata. To th e m odern European, Ju p ite r and M inerva an d
M ars and V ulcan are nothing m ore th an nam es, though w ith
poetical associations. C hateaubriand goes so far as to call them
devils who took form to corrupt m ankind. B ut to the H indu of
today, Ram a and K rishna, Urna and S arasw ati are heroes and
divinities w orshipped w ith the same ferv o u r w ith w hich th ey
w ere w orshipped by his ancestors before him. W hile it is
only the scholar in Europe th a t can feel for A ndrom ache and
Hector, and H ercules and Cassandra, every H indu, be he or she
th e m ost innocent of letters w ill shed tears w ith S ita an d
D raupadi, and sw ell w ith pride at th e exploits of Bhim a an d
H anum an. Therefore, in tak in g up these stories as th e subject
m a tte r of th eir epics our poets h ad no need to look to th e literary
classes alone for readers, b u t could appeal to all th eir countrym en
w ho spoke th e ir language ; and th a t ought to be th e reason w hy
th ey rew ro te in th eir m other-tongues, instead of tran slatin g ,
th e se epics so m uch loved of th e ir people. P erh ap s th e poets

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of Europe too w ould have followed a sim ilar course if there had.
been epics th a t trea ted of the stories of A braham or Jesus, greatan d ancient enough to m ake th e greatest poets th in k it a m a tte r
n o t derogatory to th eir dignity to rew rite them in th eir own
language. The absence of such ancient poems of transcendental
m e rit m ay in p a rt explain the fact th a t in m odern Europe th e
n a tu ra l instinct of epic poets to em body in poetry th e
fundam en tal beliefs of th eir race and civilisation has produced
n o t one or m ore central stories for the whole of Europe, but
such different poems as the D ivine C om edy, Jerusalem D elivered,
th e Paradise L ost and Les M artyrs1.
H ow ever this m ay be, here is the fact th a t K am ban has
m erely sung again in Tam il the great story of the Ram ayana
an d yet has been adjudged by his contem poraries, no m ean
judges of poetry, as the E m peror of the Realm s of Poesya title
w hich every succeeding generation in the Tam il country has
been but confirming ever since.
O ther poets have taken th eir stories from earlier authors
or contem porary tradition, and have won im m ortal fam e by
singing them . Indeed it m ay alm ost be said th a t no great poet
has ever cared to in v en t a story. For, even V alm iki got his story
from N arada and Brahm a, Vyasa sang of the events th a t took
place before his own eyes, and Homer w rote th e Iliad and the
O dyssey out of the traditions cu rren t in his tim e. Corneille and
Rachine looked to Greece and Rome and Spain for the them es
of th eir tragedies. It is w ell-know n th a t Shakespeare borrow ed
his stories from any source th a t was n ear a t hand and not
infrequen tly rew rote for his own stage dram as w hich w ere
popular in his day. B ut the sources from w hich these m asters
drew th eir stories w ere alm ost alw ays of very indifferent m erit,
and none b u t the curious student of literary criticism w ould now
care to look into them . K am bans case, how ever, is en tirely
different. He has not m erely taken his them e from the greatest
of Sam skrit epics b u t has followed it in alm ost every detail step
by step. He has him self challenged com parison, though in all
hum ility, w ith th e first of S am skrit poets, and yet not one of
th e critics who have com pared his w ork w ith th a t of V alm iki
has ever denied him place am ong th e g reatest poets of th e w orld.
I t is now for th e larg er critical audience of In d ia and of th e rest
of the (World to appraise K am bans w ork and adjudge to him
his proper place am ong the sons of S arasw ati2.
1 Though this work is in prose, Chateaubriand has conceived ththeme and conducted the story in epic style,
2 the goddess of learning.

CHAPTER II
T HE STO R Y O F THE R A M A Y A N A 1

Though K am ban has follow ed V alm iki v ery closely in th e

-conduct of his epic, and though no In d ian is ignorant of th e story,
I propose to give here in a short compass the m ain incidents of
th a t im m ortal story, alw ays follow ing K am ban, so th a t even those
who have not h ith erto m ade them selves acquainted w ith the sam e
m ay be enabled to follow this study w ith ease.
Ages and ages ago the island of L anka w hich is to th e south
of India, and w hich w as in those days h u n d red s of tim es la rg e r
th a n it is at present, was in h ab ited by a race of beings called
R akshasas, who are described as huge and often m isshapen giants,
strong and pow erful, and active and energetic to a degree m uch
beyond the race of m en. They crossed over to th e m ainland often
an d disturbed th e peace of th e holy m en living there. R avana,
th e ir king had, by his g reat au sterities and devotion to Shiva an d
B rahm a, received from th em th e blessings of enorm ous stren g th ,
long life, and victory against ev ery possible opponent. V aliant,
proud, and am bitious, he m ade w ar against heaven and earth .
W herever he w ent victory follow ed him , and th e w hole u n iv erse
w as pow erless to stand against him and trem b led w ith th e fear
of th e R akshasa nam e. He destroyed sacrifices, k illed Rishis an d
o th er holy m en, subdued th e gods, and m ade w a r on m ankind.
T he gods im plored V ishnu, th e P ro tecto r of th e universe, to free
th em from th e yoke of R avana and th e R akshasas, and th e ir p ra y e r
w as heard. R avana in the p rid e of his stren g th h ad deem ed m an
an d th e m onkey as too m uch b eneath him to p ray to S hiva an d
B rahm a for victory against them . V ishnu th erefo re prom ised to
th e gods th a t he w ould H im self come dow n on ea rth and be b o m
as m an and th a t He w ould destroy R avana and his R akshasas fo r
ever. He also com m anded th e gods to be born on e a rth as m onkeys
a n d apes and bears an d aw ait his avatar12.
So V ishnu in carn ated H im self as m an and w as born in th e
f a m ily of th e Raghus as Ram a, son and h eir to D ash arath a,
E m peror of India. Ram a h ad th ree brothers, B h arata, L ak sh m an a
1 This chapter is the substance of a lecture delivered before the
Highgate Hill Unitarian Church, London in 1908 by the author and partly
printed in the last issue of the Swaraj of Shriman Bepin Chandra Pal
in the subsequent year.
2 Incarnation.

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a n d S hatrughna. The fo u r b rothers grew in age an d years, in

learn in g and all th e princely arts. Even as th e ocean sm iled u p o n
b y th e silvery orb of th e moon sw ells in joyous stren g th , even so
did these children grow in grace an d beauty, stren g th an d learning.
H am a and L akshm ana excelled in arch ery an d all th e a rts of w ar.
B h a ra ta and S h atru g h n a learned, as royal children m ust, th e a r t
o f using th e bow and the arrow , b u t w ere m ore m ild in
tem peram ent. A ll th ree b rothers vied w ith each o th er in th e ir
love for th e v aliant, th e sw eet-souled, th e serene Ram a.
The fam e of R am a a ttra c te d a sage called V ishvam itra w ho
p ray ed D ash arath a to send R am a w ith him to g u ard his sacrificial
fire from pollution by th e evil R akshasas. D ash arath a had n ev e r
h ith e rto p arte d w ith Ram a. He had, like A braham , despaired of
having an h eir born to him, w hen, lo, th e joy of all th e R aghus,
S h ri Rama, w as born in his house. R am a w as th e lig h t of his
eyes, d earer th a n very life unto him . So th e p ray er of th e sage
stru ck him in th e h eart. Even as a m an blind from b irth , w ho
h a d been blessed w ith vision for a b rief space of tim e, w ould
groan helplessly if he should suddenly lose his new acquired
pow er of sight, even so grieved th e k in g / D ash arath a p ray ed
th e sage to leave R am a who w as too young to fight, an d offered
him self to go w ith him to g u ard his sacrifice, b u t th e v ery
suggestion of a denial of his req u est excited th e w ra th o f
V ishvam itra and his serene aspect grew te rrib le to behold.
V asishtha1 how ever advised D ash arath a to accede to th e re q u e st
of V ishvam itra and th e king allow ed Ram a, an d also L akshm ana,
to accom pany th e holy m an.
R am a and L aksh m an a destroyed th e R akshasas th a t attem p ted
to pollute an d desecrate th e sacrifice. On its com pletion th e R ishi
took the princes to M ithila. The king of M ithila, Ja n a k a of Vedic
fam e, had a d au g h ter called S ita w hom he had vow ed to give in
m arriag e to an y p rince who w as able to bend th e bow of Shiva,
th e God of D estruction. V ishvam itra h ad in his h e a rt decided
th a t sw eet-eyed S ita should w ed his w ard S h ri Ram a, and th a t
w as the reason w hy he took th e b rothers to M ithila. D estiny
its e lf seem ed in te n t on consum m ating th e union.
The sp irit of M ithila seem ed to say, I p ray ed both day
and night,
A nd sw eetest Lakshm i, lotus born, of fairest form an d
bright,
1 The family preceptor.

THE

STORY

In an sw er to m y p ray ers left h er thousand p etalled flower,

She left h er hom e an d sought to dw ell in m y ow n greenest
bow er.
Come thou, m y gracious lord, to see an d w ed th a t p u rest
one \
The p en n an ts seem ed h e r o u tstretch ed arm s w elcom ing
D ash a ra th s son1.
The a rtfu l Rishi took R am a and L akshm ana th ro u g h th e v ery
stre e t w here S ita s bow er w as situated. As luck w ould have it,
S ita w as standing on th e top floor of h er palace su rro u n d ed by
h er girl friends. To his g reat delight V ish v am itra saw R am a
looking in th a t direction, noted th a t he encountered h e r eyes,
and th a t afte rw ard s he looked at nothing else. F o r w ho could
look on th a t face, sw eet w ith the sw eetness of In d ian spring,
carry in g m em ories of blue heavens and sunny glades, of th e
scent of a thousand delicate flowers, of the w arb lin g brook an d
th e voice of the koil who could look on th a t face an d not have
his h e a rt en th ra lled ? The poet becom es speechless before th e
ineffable perfection of h er loveliness and falls dow n before it.
He dares not describe h er form. He says, w h at shall we
com pare th a t form to, by the stan d ard of w hose loveliness alone
can all oth er b eau ty be m easured ? The eyes of m en as w ell as
those of the gods are too w eak to d rin k in th e fu ll effulgence of
th a t heavenly form. As th e O cean of Milk, w hen it h ad yielded
am brosia, could afte rw ard s give n othing th a t is sw eeter, even
so, w hen th e C reato r had m ade Sita, he could create no hig h er
beauty, for He had realised perfection. W hat shall w e say is
th e cause th a t L akshm i left h er lotus hom e an d w as b orn on
e a rth ? Is it the p ray er of B rahm ans of infinite holiness ? Is
it th e p ray er of th e ea rth or th e heavens, of th e Devas, or V irtu es
self ? ............. She stood th ere a very queen of light, a sight
to m ake the v ery stones m elt w ith love. The very G enius of
B eauty acquired new loveliness by m ingling w ith h er form .
In due course R am a w as introduced to Ja n a k a w ho ordered
th e bow to be b ro u g h t before th e prince. R am a ap p eared to
u n d erta k e an im possible task. F or had not heroes of m a tu re
stren g th , anxious to w in the h and of Sita, tried to bend th a t bow
and failed ? S ita m ust have p ray ed in h er h e a rt earn estly th a t
he m ight succeed in bending the bow. For, w hen R am a saw
h e r for th e first tim e, h er eyes also h ad lig h ted on him , and she
i I x 1 (See Publishers Note for elucidation of these reference
numbers in this book.)

KAMBA

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had decided in h er h e a rt th a t he alone should be h er lord.

R am a how ever took th e bow w ith o u t th e slightest misgiving.
E verybody held his b reath and looked on w ith intense expectation.
B ut they saw him tak e the bow, th ey only heard it snap. Such
w as R am as stren g th and such the ease w ith w hich he broke th e
pow erful bow of Shiva. The w orld w as glad and th e gods leaped
w ith joy. For was not the union of Ram a w ith Sita to be th e
cause of the deliverance of the w orlds from th e ty ran n y of th e
Rakshasas ?
D asharatha was invited to M ithila, and th e m arriage w as
celebrated am idst festivities and rejoicing.
The scene changes. The rosy hues of th e m orning last b u t
a few m inutes. Soon the basest clouds ride w ith ugly rack on
th e S uns celestial face and from the forlorn w orld his visage
hide \ G reat things have to be done for the w orld by Rama,
and great things have never been achieved from on a bed
of down.
D asharatha desired th a t Ram a should be installed as em peror
during his own lifetim e. He therefore called the assem bly of
th e wise who approved of Ram a and consented to his being m ade
th e ir sovereign. The day of installation w as fixed for the m orrow
and D asharatha gave orders for decorating the city and m aking
other preparations for celebrating the g reat event w ith due
pom p and ceremony. B ut Ram a w as destined not to w ear th e
im perial diadem for fourteen years more.
Now D asharatha had th ree wives : K ausalya the m other of
Ram a, S um itra the m other of L akshm ana and S hatrughna, and
ICaikeyi the m other of B harata. Among them all K aikeyi seem ed
m ost attached to Rama, b u t h er love was selfish. She saw th a t
R am a was good and brave and valiant, and she nursed h er pride
w hen she loved him. W hen therefore M anthara, one of h e r
maids, told h er th a t if Ram a w ere to obtain the crown, th e
influence of K ausalya w ould grow to the d etrim en t of h er own,
lu st of pow er and jealousy of h er riv al sm othered the affection
based on vanity, and she determ ined th a t h er ow n son B h arata
should be placed upon the throne. C unningly she m ade
D asharatha sw ear th a t he would g ran t h er p ray er w h atev er it
m ight be, and th en she dem anded th a t B harata should be crow ned
in place of Rama. The K ing prayed her, rem o n strated w ith
h er not to press h er request, b u t she w as obdurate. Long before,
w hen he w as w arrin g w ith A suras, D asharatha had been saved
in th e m idst of a b attle by th e personal prow ess of this queen,
an d had then prom ised h er th a t he w ould g ran t h er w ith o u t

THE

STORY

q u estio n an y tw o requests th a t she m ight be pleased to m ak e

to him a t an y tim e. 4I claim th e boons th a t th o u d id st once
prom ise m e, she said. Thou m ay st g ra n t th em or refu se th em
as it pleases thee. T he one is th e in stallatio n of B h arata, an d
th e o th er is th e exile of R am a into th e forests for fo u rteen y ears \
The K ing stood aghast. For he h ad prom ised to g ra n t h e r
p ray ers w h atev er th ey m ight be, and his w ord m u st be k ept,
w h atev er th e cost m ight be. N ot ten thousands Ram as should
keep him from th e perform ance of his prom ise. The race of
th e Sun ought n ev er to be sullied by a prom ise broken. A nd so
D asharath a subm itted w ith a m o rtal pang to h er h a rd -h e a rte d
desire and sank on his bed senseless.
K aikeyi herself now sent for Ram a, and he cam e in h is
chariot not suspecting w h at had happened d u rin g th e previous
night. He saluted h er w ith h um ility and affection as usual. B u t
h er h e a rt w as m ade of stone. T here is one thing, R am a , she
said, w hich th y fath e r com m ands th ee to do \ In th e w ords of
th e poet,
She said, 4The king com m ands th a t all th e e a rth
By ocean g irt th y b ro th er B h arat shall ru le ;
A nd thou shalt w ear th e tw isted knot, and tread
The forests w ide w ith saintly steps, and b ath e
In sacred w aters, and in fourteen y ears
R eturn to fair A yodhya and live in peace.
Can I in w ords describe how Ram a looked
W hen fell these cruel w ords from K aik ais lips ?
Who can his calm ness fitly p ain t ? F or w h at
It was so like before, th e faultless lotus
O pening to th e daw n, his unchanged look
O utshone in tran q u il grace \l
R am as rep ly to K aikeyi w as calm an d filled w ith the heroism
of renunciation.
4Een w ere it not m y fa th e rs royal w ill/
He said, 4w ould Ram th y son tran sg ress th y w ord ?
A nd B h a ra tas fortune, can it ever be
Less d ear to m e th a n m ine ? I say no m ore :
I ta k e th y blest com m and a sacred d u ty ;
Behold, this v ery d ay I sta rt and tak e
My leave.2
j

1 II iii 107-108.

2 II iii 110.

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So saying he bow ed dow n a t h e r feet, pressed them to hiseyes, salu ted th e direction w here his fa th e r lay unconscious, an d
tu rn e d tow ards his m o th ers palace.
W hen K au saly a saw him stan d before h e r alone an d
u n atten d ed , him , w ho she w as every m om ent fondly expecting,
w ould come w ith all th e signs of n ew -an o in ted ro y alty to see
h e r first an d receive a m o th ers h e a rtfu l blessing w hen she saw
him stand th e re in h er presence alone, h er h e a rt thro b b ed with,
a vague sense of im pending evil. A nd w h en he p ro strated
him self a t h er feet she blessed him w ith an anxious trem bling
h eart, and th en
asked him w hy he had not been crow ned th a t
day. The gentle R am a told her, It is now decided, m other, th a t
B h arata, th y son, is to be our king. A nd th e artless queen who
loved all th e sons of h er h usband w ith an equal affection said,
This is co n trary to usage ; b u t renu n ciatio n d o th w ell become
thee, son. And, having bestow ed th e sceptre on
th y b ro th er,
live w ith him in friendship and in peace . R am a w as touched
to h ear h er ex alted sentim ents of d isin terested love and w as
pained at th e necessity of having to disillusion her. He told h er
th a t the king h ad com m anded him to do a certain th in g for th e
salvation of his soul, and th a t w as th a t he R am a should live
in forests in th e com pany of sages, and re tu rn in fourteen years.
L ike a deer stru ck to th e h e a rt by th e m urderous arrow , she
fell to the ground and broke out into h e a rt-re n d in g sobs. B ut
R am a consoled her. He said th a t nothing should m ake him
disobey his fa th e r or m ake his spoken w ord a lie, and th a t she
should help him to obey his fa th e rs com m ands. The d u ty of
th e w ife in th e end conquered the affection of th e m other, and
she blessed him , and w ith a p ainful w rench of th e h e a rt she
le t him go.
The new s of R am as im pending exile soon spread abroad
an d reached the ears of L akshm ana. Im petuous was th e love
w hich L akshm ana bore to Rama. He swore a g reat oath th a t
he w ould place R am a upon th e throne, even w ere th e gods of
all the w orlds to stand betw een him and his purpose. B ut
R am a m et him , spoke gentle w ords to him , soothed his storm y
sp irit, and took him to Sum itra. The gran d queen loved Ram a
as h e r very life. She w as filled w ith grief a t th e tu rn th a t affairs
h ad taken. B ut consoled by R am a she soon recognised th a t
w h a t m ust be m u st not be w ep t over b u t endured. N ot only
this. She com m anded h er son L akshm ana to accom pany R am a
in his exile. She addressed him these m em orable w ords :
4 C onsider R am a as D ash arath as self an d look upon S ita as th y

THE

STORY

11

ow n m other, m yself ; th e forests w ild shall be to th ee as pleasan t

as A yodhya ; I bless thee, son, d e p a rt w ith a jo y fu l h e a rt \
K am a pray ed h e r to look a fte r his m o th er an d fa th e r an d took
h is leave.
I t rem ain ed now to broach th e u n expected new s to S ita an d
ta k e leave of her. In th e presence of Sita, therefore, th rillin g
w ith the expectatio n of seeing him come to h er crow ned w ith th e
im p erial diadem , Ham a stood, atten d e d by L ak sh m an a only,
W hen she saw his uncrow ned head and fo re st-d w e lle rs robes
sh e could not u n d erstan d at first w h at it all m eant. Ham a
ex p lain ed to h er th e situation and asked leave of her. Then,
in th e w ords of th e poet,
She grieved not th a t h er lord his kingdom left
A nd th ro n e ; but th e w ords he spoke grieve not, m y
love,
I tak e th y leave did send an arro w th ro u g h
H er h eart. R ight holys th y purpose to obey
T hy m o th ers com m ands, she said. B ut, lord, th y w ord
To me to stay at hom e w hen thou dost leave
An exile for th e w ilds unknow n, th a t w ord
Has pierced m y h e a rt . Said Ram a, T hy te n d er feet
A re not m ade to tread th e stony w ilds th a t b u rn
L ike m olten w ax . 4B ut can th e stony w ilds,
Said she, b u rn m ore th a n sep aratio n from
My R am ? ?1
So saying, before R am a could fram e an y reply, she w ent
back into h er ap artm en ts, p u t on coarse robes, an d w ith o u t a
w o rd m ore stood by his side read y to accom pany him to th e
forests. A ll th e m en and w om en th a t w itnessed th a t strong
love and q u iet d eterm ination, w ept w ith renew ed grief.
A nd so th ey left for th e forest, renew ed th e ir old friendship
w ith th e stu rd y fo rest-ch ief G uha who row ed th em across th e
G anga, an d w ended th e ir w ay southw ard.
In th e m eantim e D ash arath a had died of a broken h eart.
B h a ra ta and S h atru g h n a w ere aw ay from A yodhya w hile all
th e se things w ere happening and th ey w ere recalled in haste
by th e council of m inisters. As soon as B h a ra ta re tu rn e d an d
le a rn e d th e cause of all this g rief he cursed his m other, h e
1 II iv 224, 226-228.

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cursed him self, he cursed th e day th a t he w as born. It b roke

his h e a rt to th in k th a t it w as for his sake th a t R am a h ad been
exiled by his m other, and a g reat sorrow filled his soul. He
determ ined therefore, to bring back Ram a and in stall him on
the thron e of th e Raghus. He perform ed th e obsequies of his
father, p u t on coarse garm ents, and w ent into th e forests to seek
Rama. The people of A yodhya b u rn ed w ith a desire to see
Ram a and bring him back, and so followed B h arata. The fo re stchief G uha at first thought th a t B h arata w as come to cap tu re
and destroy Ram a and w anted to give him battle. B ut w hen he
. saw his garm ents and g rief-strick en appearance his stu rd y h e a rt
m elted and a boundless love and reverence sprang in his h e a rt
for B harata. He th en directed him to the road th a t Ram a h ad
taken. B h arata a t last m et Rama, fell at his feet, and w ept lik e
a child. Take back the crown th a t is thine, brother, oh m y
b ro th er ! he said, b ut Ram a lifted him up, em braced him like
a ten d er fath er, and told him th a t he could not go back upon
his w ord, and th a t u n til th e fourteen years had passed he w ould
not cross back even into the borders of A yodhya. B h a ra tas
rem onstrations w ere all in vain. A t length he m ade R am a
prom ise th a t he w ould be back at A yodhya on th e first day of
the fifteenth year. He th en vowed th a t he him self w ould n o t
en ter the capital u n til th a t day, b u t w ould hav e th e affairs of
the kingdom conducted by m inisters an d w ise m en, and th a t if
he did not see R am a on th a t first day of th e fifteenth y ea r of
R am as exile he w ould lig h t a fire and fall into it as accursed
both of God and m an. The expostulations of R am a w ould
not move him from his resolve and Ram a h ad to prom ise
as he asked him to. Ram a th en m oved southw ard into th e
D ekhan forests.
For th irte e n years Ram a, L akshm ana and S ita lived a life
of p astoral peace in th e forests. T rue to his m o th ers w ord,
L akshm ana did ev ery th in g to m ake th e life of R am a and S ita as
happy as possible. W hen R am a decided to stay a t any place
for some considerable tim e, L akshm ana w ould m ake a clearin g
in th e forest, erect a th atch ed h erm itag e on a lonely em inence
not far from a babbling brook, and p lan t flowers and creepers
around th e cottage. He w ould go into th e forest, collect fru its
and edible roots fo r th e ir food, and generally do e v e ry th in g th a t
could conduce to th e com fort or add to th e happiness o f h is
b ro th er and sister. The deep silence of th e forest, th e v a st
panoram a of n a tu re around them , th e green hillock, th e grassy
.heath, the g ian t trees upreaching to th e v au lts of heaven, th e

THE

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13

w ild creepers hanging luxurious from the tops of the ta ll trees

an d reaching to th e ground, th e cool shade, th e scraps of blue
sk y here an d th e re visible through the dense foliage in the
in te rio r of th e forest and on th a t account th e m ore lovely and
th e m ore eagerly looked for, all these contributed to th e ir life
of A rcadian beauty and sw eet sim plicity. In the m ornings,
a fte r th e daily baths and custom ary devotions, the brothers w ould
go out into the ju n g le and re tu rn to the cottage laden w ith th e
b an an a an d th e b re a d -fru it and the sw eet m ango and edible
roots, and w ould lay them before Sita. In th e m eanw hile Sita
w ould have p rep ared th e welcome meal. A fter serving them
th e ir m eal she w ould p a rta k e of the food an d th en join them
in th e out-house. As evening drew near, they w ould go out
of the herm itage an d enjoy the sublim e beauties of the tropical
forest. They w ould listen now to the m u rm u rin g of the brook,
now to the d istan t sound of a w aterfall, now again to th e far off
ro a r of th e lion, now to th e m ellow calls of th e sw eet-th ro ated
ko il or th e te n d er cooings of the w oodland dove. Now they
w ould play w ith th e sportive faw n. A nd now again they w ould
w atc h th e frolicking m onkeys jum ping an d leaping up th e trees.
T hus th ey w ould enjoy th e thousand and one sw eet things th a t
N atu re shows to those th a t seek her in h er solitudes. Hama
w ould tell S ita stories from th e Vedas and ancient P u ra n as of
p asto ral loves and city magnificence, of religious calm or daring
heroic w ar, and w ould raise a ltern ate em otions of love and pity,
w onder and adm iration in h er responsive heart. Som etim es her
rich voice a t R am as req u est w ould fill th e forest solitudes
w ith th e very soul of music, an d then even th e koil w ould
h u sh h er tones and acknow ledge a m aster. Thus passed the
life of th a t pair, h ap p y in the unm easured fulness of each
o th e rs love.
B ut th e race of th e R akshasas had to be destroyed an d th e
peaceful course of this perfect love w as to be in terru p ted .
One day S hu rp an ak h a, the sister of R avana, in h e r w anderings
th ro u g h th e forest saw R am a and at once fell in love w ith his
godlike form. She approached him but he repelled h er advances.
To revenge herself and to rem ove the cause, as she thought,
of R am as disregard for her, she attem p ted to carry aw ay Sita.
B u t L akshm ana who was w atching over S ita w ith a b ro th ers
care punished S h u rp an ak h a by m u tila tin g h e r person. The
R akshasa arm y, w hich advanced on Ram a to avenge S h u rp a n ak h as
w rongs, w as com pletely an n ih ilated by him. So she set off to
L a n k a an d th e re d etailed h er griefs to R avana. She said, falsely,

14

KAMBA

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STUDY

th a t she w as about to carry aw ay for him a w om an of p erfect

beauty w hen h er h u sb an d s b ro th er m aim ed her, and th e re she
was, in ju red in his cause. H er description of S itas b eau ty
m addened R avana w ith passion and raised in him an irrep ressib le
desire to possess such a woman. He who had b u rn ed w ith rag e
on seeing his sisters w rongs and hearing th e fate of his arm y
and had sw orn to avenge them , now forgot his sisters w rongs
and forgot th e prow ess of him who could sin g le-h an d ed
annih ilate a w hole arm y, b u t rem em bered S ita and rem em bered
h er alone. He b u rn ed w ith the desire of m aking h er his w ife.
R avana decided to carry off Sita by stealth. He th erefo re
directed a R akshasa nam ed M aricha to cross over to th e m ainland,
to take the shape of a golden coloured deer, and to go n ea r S ita
and a ttra c t h er eyes. W hen she should w an t R am a to cap tu re
him for her, the R akshasa w as to give them th e slip and d raw
Ram a into the woods. The plan w as th a t R avana should th e n
surprise Sita alone and carry h er aw ay.
So th e golden deer cam e and frolicked about th e h erm itage.
S ita saw him and w as charm ed w ith his seductive b eau ty a n d
.sportiveness and begged Ram a to cap tu re him for her.
L akshm ana w arned Ram a th a t th ere w as some unknow n d an g er
lu rk in g behind all this. H ow ever, seeing R am a neglect h is
w arnings he him self offered to go, b u t w ith a p etu lan t, fa te fu l
obstinacy S ita asked R am a him self to go. So R am a w en t a fte r
th e deer bow in hand. The disguised R akshasa how ever d rew
him on fa rth e r an d fa rth e r and fa rth e r into th e in terio r of th e
forest. He w ould stan d still p reten d in g to brow se th e te n d e r
grass. B ut w hen R am a w ith cautious step w ould approach h im
and be on th e point of catching him , he w ould d a rt aw ay w ith
lightning speed an d begin to sport in a fa rth e r field. R am a
had ru n afte r him for such a long tim e and h ad gone so far, an d
th e R akshasa w as so provoking in his deceitful gam bols, th a t h e
lost his tem p er an d aim ed an arro w a t him . The R akshasa w as
m ortally w ounded. B ut even a t th e m om ent of d eath he w an ted
to serve R avana, and so he gave up his b reath , sending up a
groan in th e intonations of R am as voice, an d his groan w as
loud enough to reach th e herm itage. R am a saw some g re a t
evil in this abnorm al cry an d hasten ed back.
B ut in th e m eantim e S ita h ea rd th e R akshasas cry an d ,
believing th a t it w as R am a calling fo r help, asked L ak sh m an a
to look for him in th e jungle. L ak sh m an a ap p reh en d ed som e
te rrib le evil if h e left S ita alone, w hile on th e o th er h an d h e
w as absolutely confident th a t th e re w as no foe living w ho co u ld

THE

STORY

15

Jiarm R am a in com bat. He, therefore, told S ita th a t no h a rm

could come to R am a and th a t he should n o t leave her. B u t S ita
spoke cruel w ords to him ; and so w ith a h e a rt h eav y w ith gloom y
forebodings he obeyed h er and follow ed in th e direction of
R a m as steps.
L ike a th ief R avana h ad been w atching for this o p p o rtu n ity ,
and he cam e in the. garb of a religious m endicant before S ita s
cottage. The door o f the H indu hom e is ev er open for w ay farers
to w alk in and claim hospitality, and so he w en t in. He w as
w elcom ed by Sita. In th e course of th e conversation he fell
to praising him self (in th e th ird person) and his rule, w h ile
still p reten d in g to be a w andering Sadhu. To h er rem a rk th a t
th e praise of th e R akshasa did not become a holy m an h e
replied th a t R avana w as th e m aster of th e w orld today an d th a t
it was w ell to be on th e side of th e strong. 4F ear not th en ,
she said ; for R am a has sw orn to an n ih ilate th e R akshasa w ith
all his arm y . The p reten d ed m endicant replied, 4The h a re
w ould beat th e tusked elep h an t or th e h o rned deer gore th e
Jion to death if m en should be able to destroy th e R akshasas
H e also spoke of th e vast size and tw en ty arm s of R avana.
4Of w h at avail are tw en ty arm s ? said Sita. 4F or did n o t
P a ra sh u Ram a k ill K artav iry a, th e king of th e thousand arm s,
even he who had k ep t R avana in prison for y ears ? The allusion
to his form er d efeat and sham e stru ck him in th e h ea rt, a n d
b u rn in g w ith rage and foam ing w ith passion, th e false form b u rst
and revealed th e R akshasa. As living beings in sight of th e
aw fu l God of D eath, S ita trem b led w ith fear. B ut R av an a
uprooted and lifted sheer th e cottage in w hich she w as an d
placing it in his v ast flying chariot flew to w ard s L anka.
Ja ta y u s a po w erfu l V u ltu re and a frien d of R am a fo u g h t
w ith R avana in m id -air in order to rescue Sita, b u t R av an a
felled him dow n w ith th e g reat sw ord of Shiva and S itas one
forlo rn hope w as crushed.
In th e m eantim e L akshm ana h ad found R am a and both
h u rrie d hom e w ith a beating h eart. Sita w as n o t th e re an d
th e te n d e r-h e a rte d h u sb an d w as convulsed w ith grief. T h ere
w ere th e m ark s of larg e feet and th e tra il of a h eav y ch ario t
on th e ground close by. F illed w ith a th o u san d anxieties th e
b ro th ers follow ed th e tra il and fell in w ith th e V u ltu re-K in g
struggling ag ain st death. He told th em th a t S ita w as carried
off by R av an a th e R akshasa king and th a t he him self h ad b een
m o rtally w ounded in his a tte m p t to rescue her. R am a w ep t te a rs
of g ratitu d e and b ittern ess a t th e feet of Ja ta y u s w ho ex p ire d

16

KAMBA

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STUDY

w ith R am as nam e upon his lips. W ith a h e a rt bleeding witha

g rief for the loss of Sita and th e d eath of th e devoted K ing of
V ultures, Ram a perform ed his obsequies and sw ore a great oath,
once again th a t h e w ould uproot the w hole race of Rakshasas.
Ram a now pursued his w ay southw ard tow ards L anka.
A fter a few days journey he m et Sugriva, a chief of the V anaras,1
w ho was living in constant terro r of his b ro th er Vali. R am a
learned from him th a t his b ro th er w as not only on th e look-out
to kill him b u t h ad even deprived him of his wife. The m em ory
of his recent loss moved Ram a to punish th e w rong-doer w ith,
his own hand. So Vali was killed and S ugriva w as anointed
king of the V anaras.
In re tu rn for this help S ugriva agreed to tak e upon him self
th e task of searching all over th e w orld for S ita and help R am a
in recovering her. A nd the V anaras w ere sent in different
directions to search for her.
Among those th a t undertook to w an d er over th e w orld for
R am as sake was H anum an, th e Indian H ercules. He w as th e
very ideal of stren g th and endurance an d loyal devotion an d
in tu itiv e wisdom. He h ad been th e first of th e V anaras to see
R am a and L akshm ana and a t th e very first look he had decided
th a t they w ere n o t ord in ary m en b u t heroes w hom it should be
an honour and glory to serve. His devotion to R am a w as intense.
I t was th e loyalty of im m ense physical stren g th to m agnificent
m anhood, of perfect valour to god-like heroism .
H anum an w as am ong those who w ent south. He crossed
the ocean and reached the city of L anka. E very palace, every
court, every tem ple, every conceivable place he en tered and
searched for Sita. He saw M andodari th e w ife of R avana
sleeping on a lu x u rio u s couch in h er apartm ents. H er p erfect
b eauty suggested to him th e th o u g h t th a t she m ight be Sita.
B u t the richness of h e r a ttire and belongings an d th e absence of
any signs of deep grief on h er face soon told h im th a t she coufd
n o t be Sita. He passed. As he w as en terin g th e portico of
an o th er palace bad p o rten ts appeared. A nd he th o u g h t A las t
th is city, w ith all h er magnificence, is doomed to perish ! H e
p en etrated fu rth e r and saw th e gigantic form of R avana reposing
m ajestically, b u t rolling w ith pain and m en tal anguish. O n
seeing him, his first im pulse w as to w ak e him an d fight w ith him .
B u t soon second thoughts told him th a t it w as n e ith e r w ise n o r
right, for th a t w as n o t in the instructions given him by R am a.
1 Powerful monkeys.

THE

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17

A n d as th e ocean m ain, though pow erful enough to dash d o w n

th e shore and flood th e earth , y et bides its tim e and le a v e s ,n o t
its appointed lim its \ even so did H anum an check his im p u lse
and leave H avana to th e p ro p er vengeance of Rama.
A t last a fte r a thousand anxieties he saw S ita in a g ro v e
of A shoka trees. T h ere she was, surro u n d ed by Rakshasis, lik e
a deer in th e m idst f leopards, th e colour faded from h e r cheek,,
h er eyes raining a p erp etu al show er of tears, h er form lean a n d
em aciated, h er h a ir one tw isted kn o tth e re she w as lik e a
p ictu re smoked, like th e moon eclipsed, like th e lotus k illed
by frost. *M ight it be th a t m y lord h ad not m et L ak sh m an a ? *
she w as saying to herself. *How could he know th a t I am h e re ,
in this se a-g irt island ? O r w ould
he have sp u rn ed m e a s
unw orthy of him ,
for th a t I h a d spoken h arsh w ords
to
L akshm ana ? Oh w ho w ould give him th e tastefu l b e te l-le a f ?
A nd how he w ould grieve w hen he sees a guest ! She w o u ld
th in k on th a t lion
face th a t w as n o t overcast a t th e su d d en
com m and of exile,
th a t face w hich, both w hen asked by h is
fa th e r to accept th e im perial crow n as w ell as w hen com m anded
to leave all and live a forest life, lik e th e p ictu red lotus w as
ever the same ! She w ept for th e iron arm th a t broke S h iv as
bow. She th o u g h t of R am as g rief w hen B h arata refused th e
crow n and condem ned him self to a forest life, an d she w ept.
It w as in th e m idst of these reflections th a t H anum an sa w
her. He saw and he felt th a t i t w as she. He blessed R a m a,
he blessed h er stainless virtue, he blessed h e r fa th e rs race..
W hile he w as in this state of g rate fu l joy a t seeing S ita aliv e
and pure, R avana appeared on th e scene. This w as one o f h is
m any visits to S ita to atte m p t to persuade h e r to rep u d iate R a m a
and m arry him . He recounted to h e r his greatness, his strength,,
and his pow ers, his victories in th e p ast an d his p re se n t
prosperity. A ll his w ealth, his pow er, his v ery sceptre h e s a id ,
he w ould place a t h er feet and him self w ould rem ain h e r sla v e ,
if she w ould b u t consent to w ed him . On h earin g th ese w ords,
grow n m ore h atefu l by constant repetition, S itas face b u rn e d
w ith indignation an d w ifely pride, and she rep lied to h im ini
these w ords :
To pierce m ount M eru, to sh a tte r th e v au lt of h e a v e n ,
to an n ih ilate the fourteen w orlds, is n o t one arro w fro m
R am as q u iv er sufficient ? Thou w e rt afraid of th a t a rro w
and th a t arm : th erefo re is it th a t thou earnest like a th ie f a n d
carried st m e aw ay h ere in his absence. D ost th o u affect to
despise m y lord and his b ro th er for th a t th e y a re m en ?*
2

18

KAMBA

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I t w as a m an th a t killed K artavirya, the sam e K artav iiy a who

Im prisoned thee in form er days. T hinkst thou th a t th ey are
only two ? He th a t ends the w orld and all in it is only one . . .
K now est thou not th a t P arash u Ram a quailed before m y
blessed lordeven th a t P arash u Ram a who killed K artavirya,
w hom I w orship because he k ep t thee once in close
confinem ent.
She w ould have continued fu rth er, b u t R avana could not
en d u re it any longer. Conflicting em otions re n t his heart, but
a t length he spoke these w ords :
My first impulse, Sita, was to p u t thee to th e sw ord for
daring to use such w ords to me. But, O m y love, if I k ill thee,
I kill myself. Thou m ockest me w ith m y defeats, as thou
callest them . B ut w ere they reverses ? They w ere all sport,
m y victories as w ell as my defeats. And th in k est thou I was
afraid to m eet Ram a in b attle ? No ! for if he had died as
d ie he m ust against me fighting, thou, who even now continuest
t o love him, w ouldst have p u t an end to th y life. It is to
.guard against this th a t I brought thee aw ay in secret. G rant
th a t I failed in w ar against m y foes ; how comes it th a t I rule
th e earth and heaven, and w ithout a second ? Though I
should never w illingly expend my w rath upon these pigmies
w ho are w asting th eir life in austerities, y et for th y sake I
shall even stain m y valour th a t has extinguished th e might
o f th e Suprem e T hree and gods, and stoop to fight these
feeble folk. B ut I shall not kill them I shall m erely bring
th e m over here and m ake them m y slaves. Though they are
w orthless puny men, they deserve not to die, at least for the
service they have done me in having brought thee w ithin m y
reach. B ut if thou w an test them killed, if thou canst believe
in m y stren g th only w hen I destroy them , if th a t alone w ill
please thee, I shall even k ill them .
T he m ention of blood inflam ed his w rath once again and
lie continued, try in g also to see if th reats could m ake h er yield.
H e said,
I shall even go to A yodhya and, p u ttin g to death
B h arata w ith all his host, I shall m arch on M ithila like the
F ire of the Day of Dissolution, and after uprooting th y kith
and kin I shall drin k th y blood also ! Thou a rt bringing
th y ow n end n earer by provoking me, O S ita ! *
A n d th e n looking a t his flashing steel h e frow ned and said,
*T here are b u t tw o m onths left, w ithin w hich thou m ust
y ield . If th o u dost n o t become m ine w ith in th a t tim e I

THE

STY

shall, k ill th ee straig h t ! f

So saying he frow ned and w ent h is way, bearing h e r im age
a w a y in his h e a rt \
H anum an h ad been w atching this in terv iew w ith a beating
Heart.
In th e m eanw hile, how ever, despair h ad seized th e h e a rt of
Sita. S he h ad been hoping against hope th a t R am a w ould come
and rescue her. B ut days and m onths h ad passed and th e re w ere
no signs of R am a coming, and 'th e R akshasa alw ays retu rn ed ,
unabashed by previous insults, to press his suit. She could not
endure her situation any longer. So, as soon as R avana w en t
aw ay, she w ent n ear a tree w ith th e in ten tio n of ending h e r
life there. B ut ju st th en H anum an revealed him self to h er and
told h er th a t he came from Ram a. The sound of th a t bloved
nam e fell lik e angel's m usic upon h er earsit w as th e falling
rain th a t bathed h er h e a rt w hich was fading aw ay u n d er th e
shadow of despair. H anum an gave h er R am a's rin g as a sign
th a t he w as the genuine m essenger of Rama. She set h e r eyes
on it. How shall we describe her, says th e poet, how she
changed, and w h at she said w hen she beheld th a t w ell-rem em b ered
ring ? W hat w ill be th e joy of th e dead m an if he sta rts back
into life ? W hat w ill be th e jo y of th e bereaved m other w hen
she sees h er deceased child brought back to life ? W hat w ill be
the delight of the blind m an w hen he gains th e use of his eyes ?
Even such joy and such delight w ere S itas w hen she saw th a t
m ute m essenger of R am as love. She took it into h er hand, pressed
it to h er eyes, pressed it to h er lips, pressed it to h e r bosom.
H er w hole fram e sw elled w ith joy she smiled, she w ept. R am as
ring w as th e philosophers stone th a t tu rn ed h er fading colour
to gold. She blessed H anum an w ith a fervent, h e a rtfu l blessing :
O thou th a t b ro u g h tst me the m essage from R am a and
gavest m e lifea fa th e r th o u to m e and m other, and a fo u n t
of loving m ercy besidesthou h ast earned glory for this life
and for all tim e to come. O hero of th e m o u n tain chest ! O
thou who has lifted a heavy b u rden from off m y h e a rt ! If
I be one who know s n o t ill, if m y h e a rt be p u re and conduct
right, m ay m y blessing n ev er fail, m ay e te rn ity be to thee like
unto a day, and live thou fo r ever an d fo r ev er !
She th en took from h er h ead h er h ead -o rn am en t and han d ed
it over to H anum an desiring him to give it to R am a as a sign
of h e r tru s t in him .
H anum an, how ever, did n o t w an t to cross b ack to th e continent
w ith o u t giving a ta ste of his prow ess to th e people of L anka. Ha

20

KAMBA

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STUDY

destroyed groves an d palaces, felled dow n th e R akshaas th a t w e re

sent against him , and, w hen ta k en p riso n er before H avana, defied
him . H avana com m anded th a t H anum ans ta il should be set o n
fire >but w hen it w as aflam e H anum an leap ed a ll over L an k a
lashing his tail fa r and w ide, an d th u s b u rn in g dow n th e H akshas
cap ital he leaped back to th e m ainland. He him self escaped th e
effects of th e fire th ro u g h th e blessing of S ita w ho p ray ed to th e
God of F ire to sp are him .
H am a learn ed from th e lips of H anum an th a t S ita w as living
a life of. m artyrdom . His w ra th w as roused an d he com m anded
S u g riv as arm y to cross over to th e island. The V anaras b u ilt a
bridge by th ro w in g big rocks and trees into th e channel sep aratin g
L an k a from th e m ainland, an d over it th e V an ara arm y m arched
to L anka. A nd th e g reat w a r began.
* The w ar w as a w a r of heroes. The first day H avana him self
led his arm y. B ut before th e sun set his arm y w as gone, his
qhariot w as broken into pieces, his bow w as sp lit in tw ain, his
v ery sw ord w as broken in his hands. T he ch iv alry of H am a
saved him his life. A nd he w arn ed him th a t he w as doom ed
unless he gave up Sita. R avana, how ever, did n o t speak a w ord
and retu rn ed silent an d sullen. Says th e poet, *he grieved n o t
th a t all th e foes he used to m ock in ancient days w ould now je e r
a t him ; b u t he grieved th a t Sita of th e la n ce-lik e look w ould
sm ile a t his em pty boasts and m ock a t his w ordy v alo u r. As
a soldier and w arrio r he w onders a t R am as valo u r and stren g th .
H e tells M alayavan, his g ran d fath er,
*W hen all m y m ighty stren g th w as being crushed
By clouds of d arts from his d eath -sh o w erin g bow,
T h in k st th o u th a t th e re w as care in his look ? Oh no..
His tra n q u il face show ed careless sport, not w ar !
I ve faced th e th u n d e rb o lt of H eavens king,
The trip le lance of aw fu l D h u rja ti,1
The flam ing disk of V ishnu, first of Gods,
B ut w h at are th ey to R am as fiery d a rt ?
Of all th e m asters of th e a rt of w ar,
T hough V ishnu is th e first, I did believe
T h at none could striv e against g reat K a rta v ir ;
B ut even he isnt w o rth th e fallen d u st
f L akshm ans feet ; w h at th e n of m ig h ty Ham ?
I tell thee, fath e r, it h um bled R av an s valour.
Oh fath e r, if Ja n a k i of p atience like
i Shiva.

*1

THE

STORY

21

The earth , should see his feats of v alo u r on

The field, shed hold th e God of Love him self
A nd m e as no th in g b e tte r th a n tailed curs. 1
H ow ever, a few w ords from M ahodara, his chief m inister,
w ere sufficient to m ak e R avana forget th e prow ess of his adversary.
A t M ahodaras suggestion H avanas b ro th er, K u m b h ak arn a w as
aw akened from his age-long sleep. B u t w hen h e cam e to know
th e purpose for w hich h e w as called, he advised R avana to give
up Sita. R avana paled w ith fu ry w hen he h ea rd his w ords. I
called thee not to seek th y advice , he said. *I th o u g h t th o u
w ert a w arrio r bold I did not know th a t th o u h ad st forg o tten all
th y valour. Thou m ay st go and w orship m en . A R akshasa of
im m ense size and a hero of faultless valour, K u m b h ak a rn a w as
w ounded a t his b ro th ers words. P ard o n m e m y h asty w ords,
he said, I shall ta k e m y club and go to b attle. B u t th in k n o t
th a t I shall come back bearing victory or m y life. A t least a fte r
m y death, O my brother, release S ita an d save th y life w ith
honour. If they conquer m e an d live, O lord of L anka, be sure
th a t they w ould vanquish thee. So, a t least a fte r I sh all hav e
died on th e field, give up th a t P earl of C hastity. P ard o n m e an y
w rongs th a t I m ay have com m itted ag ain st thee. T hy blessed
face I am not given to see again. I ta k e th y leav e. So saying,
he w en t fo rth to b attle.
A nd R avana w ept.
Now an o th er of th e b ro th ers of R avana, V ibhishana by nam e,
had le ft R avana w hen he refused to give up S ita, an d w as now
w ith Ram a. W ith R am as perm ission he cam e to K u m b h ak a rn a
and advised him to come to th e side of Ram a. T he rep ly of
K u m b h ak arn a w as m ost heroic. He said,
I t is rig h t to w arn a m isguided kin g an d point to h im
his good. B u t w hen he persists in his evil course and he is
doomed to fall, is it n o t infinitely b e tte r for m e to die before
him th an live to see him fall ! H e is lord of all th e w orld,
th e m ost v alian t am ong the v aliant, th e b rav est am ong th e
brave. S hall he en ter Y am as kingdom 2 alone an d w ith o u t
a b ro th er by his side ? It is appointed th a t R am a shall end
R avana. S hall I w ho have vanquished even th e God of
d eath bow dow n before a m ere m an, and he m y b ro th e rs
foe ? Go back, m y b ro th er, and live w ith th e victor, fo r
though a R akshasa, th e creator has m ade th ee v irtuous an d
good. As fo r me, let m e do th e d u ty I ow e to m y liege an d
1 VI v 17, 23, 25, 27, 30.

* The other w orld.

22

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

lost m y life in h i s f l g h t . B u t n o t alone shall I die ! H anum an,

S ugriv a^an d V alis son w hy, none of th e m onkey kind shall
re tu rn alive if th ey are rash enough to fight to d a y /'
The b attle began. The V anara arm y sw ayed to and fro
u n a b le .to b ear th e shock of K u m b h ak arn as attack. G reat w as
th e loss on th e sid e of R am a. W herever he. attacked*
K u m b h ak am a carried d eath w ith him . B ut a t len g th R am a's
arro w cut
his h ead and th e R akshasa arm y w as annihilated.
In th e m eantim e, a t L anka, R avana w as again pressing S ita
to accept him. This tim e also h e experienced th e sam e repulse*
S itas rep ly is superb an d it is im possible to conceive of g reater
heroism or devotion on th e p a rt of w om an. N either th e m ajestic
form of th e R akshasa king, n o r his p ro sp erity for th e gods w ere
his servants , nor his fam e had any attractio n s for her. She
said in th e course of h er superb rep ly :
*T hink n o t I love m y w asted form, th in k not I love m y
life. T hink not th a t I fear to die and earn a glorious nam e,
It is n o t fear of d eath th a t m akes m e live and en d u re th y
h atefu l words. The hope of once again seeing m y blessed
lordwhose ornam ents are his v irtu es it is this alone th a t
reconciles m e to life. I long to see th e day when, w ith
L akshm ana g uarding his holy person, his arrow s, shall send
thee to the o th er w orld ; and th a t is w hy I do not y et end
m y self/
. , -
It w as in th e course of this in terv iew th a t m essengers brought
to L anka th e new s of K u m b h ak arn as fall. . A nd g reat w as th e
grief of R avana.
,
_
B ut th e w ar w en t on,, . A nd his passion for S ita increased
w ith every defeat.
Ra v an s son M eghanada, who w as called In d ra jit for h aving
conquered In d ra, n e x t led an arm y against Ram a. Tw ice h e w as
victorious, b u t th e th ird tim e he w as com pletely routed. He too,
w hom th e poet adm iringly describes as th e first am ong those w ho
w ield th e bow, grew hopeless. A nd w ith trem b lin g h ea rt and
aw e-filled look h e told R avana th a t it w as useless to contend
against R am a and L akshm ana and th a t th e release of S ita alone
w ould save th e kingdom .
W hen h e h eard these w ords R avana laughed a g reat laugh.
A nd in lines p reg n an t w ith heroic th o u g h t R avana addressed his
son :
*I t is n o t w ith the hope th a t th o se , who have h ith erto
died on th e field w ould b rin g m e victory, it is not w ith th e
hope th a t those who .y et Jiv e w ould y in m e success, it i s n o t

THE

STORY'

23

w ith th e hope th a t th o u w ouldst v anquish m e m y foes

it is not w ith any of these hopes th a t I provoked this foeI relied on m yself and m yself alone and en tered into this w a r.
K eep th y n id d erin g 1 counsel to thyself, son. This m o rta l
fram e, in d u ratio n like a bubble on th e w aters, I w ould faini
lay dow n on th e battle-field in fu ll sight of th e Devas, e a rn in g
fam e th a t w ill n ev er h av e an end b u t I w ill n o t give up*
Sita. Is it for releasing h er th a t I possess tw en ty arm s T
Even should I fall, even then, so long as th e Vedas will la s t
m y nam e w ill also stand, if R am as nam e will live. D eath
is certain no one escapes th a tm an today is, tom orrow h e
ceases to be b u t w hen does Fam e cease to live ? Let m e
send aw ay Sita, th en who w ill count m e as R avana ? T h e
very gods w ill laugh, and casting th e ir fear aw ay w ill com e
and besiege this my city. Even if I be doomed to fall, it is n o t
in me to stoop to littleness ; have I not carried m y v icto rio u s
arm s to the ten 2 directions ? As for thee, thou m ay s! go
to thy home and, rem oving th e barbs from th y arm , th o u
m ayst rest on th y couch sleeping both day and n ig h t.
And in the sam e b reath, like a tiger enraged he th u n d e re d
forth, B ring m e my w ar-ch ario t !
In d ra jit was cowed. He fell at his fa th e rs feet and begged
to be pardoned. I go he said ; b u t I shall not retu rn . M ay
b etter counsels prevail at least a fte r I am gone. So saying th e
doomed R akshasa w ent back to th e battle-field.
A fierce b attle did he fight, Like a lion a t bay he fo u g h t
w ith desperate valour. B ut an arrow from L ak sh m an as ,boW
ended him and he fell a headless corpse.
W hen R avana w as inform ed of his death his grief k n ew n o
bounds. T enderly does th e poet sing of th e fa th e rs inconsolable
grief at th e loss of his heroic son. I shall give the p u rp o rt o f
b u t one stanza here. If th y G andharva, Y aksha, Siddha, a n d
R akshasa wives, silv er-to n g u ed th ey one and all, w ill fall a t m y
feet and ask me w here is our lord ? shall I only w eep in ch o ru s
w ith them , m y son ? M andodari, th e m o th er of In d ra jit w as
even m ore inconsolable. T he poet depicts w ith sym pathy th e
poignant grief of the m o th ers heart. H ere is th e tran slatio n o f
tw o stanzas :
*W hen like th e w axing moon, th o u grew st in y ears,
I had th e fortune, m y son, w ith p rid e to see
1 niddering a simpleton.
* eight cardinal points, the . heavens above and nether regions.

2WL

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

T hee conquer In d ra ; b u t now th y headless corpse

To see an d m ournO son, w h at hav e I done
T o behold th is p lig h t ? A nd still I cling to life,
In co n stan t life ! 1
In olden blessed days,
W ith tin k lin g an k lets w hen th o u w e rt y et a child
S low -craw ling on th e ground, th o u b ro u g h tst a p air
Of fierce lions and m ade them fight like ram s :
W hen shall I once again such sight behold ! 2
A nd she has forebodings th a t H avanas life too is doomed.
S he says,
Of all th e hosts th a t out of L an k a m arched
To m eet in b attle Ham a an d his force,
None has as y et w ith life retu rn ed . Alas !
Like stubble th ey have gone, a t touch of fire !
A las ! I fe a r th a t S itas sacred charm s,
D estin y -lik e w ill drive m y R avan too
To an untim ely, gory d eath ! 3
But evil counsels still prevailed. The first d ay s aw fu l
m assacre, K u m b h ak arn as fall, th e d eath of In d ra jit, th e failu re
o f num bers of arm ies th a t w ere despatched a fte r th a t, from none
o f these did R avana learn his lesson. He w as destined to le a rn
it only a t th e cost of his life.
D eterm ined to m ake one bold and final stan d he collected
h is arm y and him self m arched a t its head. G rand w as th e sight
o f th a t arm y. The m ighty form and fierce aspect of R avana
created a panic in the V anara arm y. The R akshasas fought w ith
desperate valour. B u t R am a and L akshm ana an d H anum an
en co u rag ed th e ir forces and re-estab lish ed th e ir line. R av an a
fo u g h t like a lion of the forest. B ut his h our w as come. A nd
R am a ben t his K odanda 4 and out sped his fearfu l arro w d irect
to H avanas heart.
It quenched his th ree crore years of m o rtal life,
It quenched th e stren g th of all his austerities,
It quenched th e w ord of B rahm a g ran tin g him
P erp etu al victory ; it quenched his stren g th
T h at b en t th e w orld ben eath his aw fu l ru le ;
I t pierced his ad am an t chest and quenched his life.
Such w as th e force of R am as sacred d art. 5
1 VI xxviii 47,
3 VI xxviii 53.

2 VI xxviii 49.
4 The name of Ramas bow.
9 VI xxxvi 196

THE

STORY

25

So H avana fell. B u t even w hen he fell th e re w as a m ajesty

ab o u t him w hich th e poet describes w ith th e g reatest ad m iratio n :
His m ighty w rath , fierce as th e u n tam ed lions
W as quenched in blood ; his aw ful stren g th w as gone ;
His pow erful arm s had ceased to m ove ; his love
Consum ing like volcanic fire, w hich filled
His h eart, had ceased to beat ; b u t th e h ero s face
E vn a t th a t aw ful m om ent w ore a look
Of m ajesty, surpassing all its splendour
E vn of days w hen saints and Rishis had
To flee from his oppressive rule I1
So th e prophecy w as fulfilled and the w orld w as freed once
m ore of the sp irit of evil.
S ita w as released from h er prison. B ut h er trials w ere n o t
ended.
Ram a insulted h er in sight of th e assem bled leaders an d
arm y saying th a t w om en of honour in h er condition w ould h av e
com m itted suicide and not have lived in th e enem ys city fo r one
w hole year. The whole assem bly w ept a t these cru el w ords.
S itas h e a rt w as broken. She asked L ak sh m an a to p rep are a fire
so th a t she m ight end herself in th e flames. B u t w h en she fell
into the fire, th e F ire w ould not b u rn her. On th e co n trary , th e
God of F ire w as b u rn ed by th e fire of h er p u rity ! A nd R am a
now accepted Sita.
The fo u rteen y ears of exile w ere now over. R am a, S ita an d
L akshm ana trav elled hom ew ard in an aerial car accom panied by
V ibhishana an d th e V an ara arm y.
In th e m eantim e, B h arata saw th e last day of th e fo u rte en th
y ear daw n and y et th e re w ere no signs of R am as com ing hom e.
He had n ev er forgotten th a t R am a w as sen t into exile for his sake
and th e th o u g h t had been consum ing him every day th ese
fourteen years. So he lit a fire w ith th e in ten tio n of b u rn in g
him self to death. R am a, how ever, h ad alw ays in his m ind
B h a ra ta s vow an d th a t w as w hy he trav e lled in th e ae rial
car. To provide ag ain st every ev en tu ality he also sen t sw ift-flying
H anum an to w h ere B h arata was, to tell him of his coming.
H anum an surprises B h arata in th e act of w alking ro und th e
fire and assures him of R am as approach. R am a also arriv es
soon, consoles B h arata, and offers to crow n him . B u t B h arata
refuses th e crow n once again and R am a is crow ned E m peror of
A ry a v a rta to th e d elight of all th e w orlds.
1 VI xxxvi 201.

CHAPTER

III

IN M EDIAS RES.1
The read e r w ill have noticed th a t th e R am ayana follow s
in its n a tu ra l o rd er th e life of th e hero from his b irth and
childhood up to the close of the action w hich form s its them e.
On th e oth er h an d th e epics of Europe, as is w ell know n, follow
th eir prototype and exam ple, th e Iliad, and s ta rt th e story as
n ear the end as possible, filling in the earlier events by slight
allusions as w ell as by episodic n arrativ e. These epics have an
undeniable ad v an tag e over the In d ian Malia K a vya s in th a t
th e ir d ra m a tic opening arrests the im agination even at th e very
com m encem ent of th e poem, w hile the In d ian epics have to
g ath er some m om entum before they are able to carry w ith them
th e atten tio n of th e m odern reader. B ut our g reat epic poets
have proved th a t one m ay tell a story in chronological order and
y et w rite a poem th a t .generations w ill not w illingly le t die.
It is A ristotle th a t first fo rm u lated th e ru le th a t th e story
of the epic should not be told in chronological order. He says
in the 23rd ch ap ter of his Poetics as follow s :
C oncerning the poetry w hich is n a rra tiv e and im itativ e
in .m etre, it is ev id en t th a t it ought to have d ram atic fables
in the sam e m an n er as trag ed y and should i be conversant
w ith one w hole and perfect action w hich hasr a beginning,
m iddle, and end in o rd er th a t, like one w hole an im al it m ay
, produce its ap p ro p riate pleasure, and th a t it m ay n o t be
a fte r the fashion of histories in w hich it is not necessary
to tre a t of ,one action, b u t of one tim e. . . . H ence in this
respect also H om er w ill ap p ear to be divine w hen com pared
w ith o th er poets, because he did not a tte m p t to sing of th e
w hole T ro jan W ar though it had a beginning an d an end.
F or if he had, it w ould have been v ery large, an d n o t
sufficiently conspicuous, or if it h ad been of a m o d erate size,
it w ould h av e been in tric ate thro u g h the v arie ty of incidents.
B ut now, h av in g selected one p a rt of th e w ^r, he has m ade
use of m any episodes such as th e catalogue pf ships an d
other such ones w ith w hich he has .em bellished his poem .
i Into the Midst of Things.

IN

MEDIAS

RES

2t

Horace lias followed Aristotle closely, and he too has given

his sanction to this canon.
For after praising Homers manner
of beginning the O d y s s e y he says in his A r t o f P o etry,
To sing of the return of Diomed, the poet does not
ascend up to t h e death of Meleager ; in singing of the Trojan
War he does not begin with the two eggs of Leda. Oft the
other hand, he hastens with the .reader into the very midst
of the action1 taking for granted that he is fully acquainted
with the story.
The a u th o rity of these m asters to w hich w e should add
also the exam ple of V irgil has overshadow ed all la te r lite ra ry
criticism , and w e find alm ost all E uropean poets and critics m ake
a fetish of this ru le and bow dow n before it. M ilton follow ed
it consciously and* d elib erately as we see th a t he uses th e very
words of H orace in his arg u m en t to th e F irst Book of th e
Paradise Lost * w hich action passed over, the poem hastens into
the m idst of things etc. Boileau w rites in his U a rt P oetiqve
in this wise : A w ay w ith those haltin g rh y m ers w hose
phlegm atic sp irit w ould m ake them p reserve th e ord er didactic
even in th e ir elan ! Poor annalists, who w hile singing th e
exploits of a hero follow th e order of events ! T hey d are n o t
leave one incident out of sight. Apollo w as n ev er lib eral w ith
his fire to such as these !
D acier, B oileaus contem porary, w as so m uch obsessed w ith
this ru le th a t he w rote a very elab o rate com m entary to th e
follow ing effect on th ree lines of H orace : 2
H orace reveals here one of th e g reatest secrets of th e a rt
of poetry. A h isto rian alw ays follow s th e o rd er of events. B ut
the order w hich poets follow in th e tre a tm e n t of th e ir subject
is en tirely different. F or in th e dram a, as in th e epic, th e g reat
m asters place th e opening of th e scene as n ear to th e catastro p h e
as possible, and ta k e hold of th e action alw ays n ea r th e end.
T heir a rt enables th em to b rin g back before our eyes all th a t h ad
gone before. Hom er, Sophocles and E uripedes hav e n ev er
d ep arted from th is rule, an d it is an ad m irab le one. F o r in
1 In medias res, non secus ac notas, auditorem rapit.
Qrdinis hoec virtus erit et venus, aut ego fallor,
Ut jam nunc dicat, jam nunc debentia d id ,
Pleraque differat, et prcesens in tempus omittat.

These lines may be translated thus : *In the matter of the order o f
a. poem, m erit and gracefulness consist, if I am not mistaken, in saying
at the commencement those things that ought to be said in the beginning,
and in postponing several things to the end, abstaining from treating them
in the beginning of the poem.

28

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

postponing th e catastro p h e w hich w e are aw aitin g ev ery in stan t,

an d in interposing betw een it and us a series of p robable and
n a tu ra l incidents, th ey aw aken o u r curiosity an d excite in u s
one a fte r an o th er all th e passions a th in g w hich a m ethodical
arran g em en t can n ev er do. In o rd er to be convinced of th e
tr u th of this, one has only to read A pollonius of Rhodes w ho
h a s w ritte n a poem on th e A rgonauts. L onginus adm its th a t
th e re is n o t a single fa u lt in this w ork ; b u t it is m o rtally w eary
reading. One could give several reasons as to w hy this should
be so, b u t th e p rincipal reason is its chronological sequence. It
is m ethodic throughout, and th a t is th e w orst e rro r into w hich
a n au th o r could have fallen ; for th ere are none m ore cold th a n
those poets,
Who singing of a hero th e exploits g rand
P oor annalists, pursu e th e ev en ts course.

V ida has tre a te d at length this question of arran g em en t in

th e Second Book of his Poetics, w here he says finely th a t th e
read er, carried by th e a rt of th e poet to th e very end of an
action, an d filled w ith a vain hope, com m ences th e read in g of
th e poem w ith th e g reatest alacrity believing th a t he is v ery
n e a r th e conclusion of the story, ju st as a m an w ho sees his p o rt
im agines th a t he is about to e n te r into it ; b u t he is m uch
fa rth e r from it th a n h e im agines he is fated to retrac e his
course an d fly over m an y a sea. He th en adds th a t a w ise poet
w ill n ev er begin, to tak e an exam ple, th e T ro jan W ar a t th e
ju d g m e n t of P a ris and place every incident in its n a tu ra l o rd er
as if he w ere w ritin g an n als or a jo u rn al and n o t a poem .
W e h av e quoted these ex tra cts a t some len g th purposely
as w e w a n t th e read e r to realise how deep an d w idespread is
th is su perstitio n in th e W est w ith reg ard to th e o rd er of n a rra tiv e
in th e g ray er poems. But, as w e have said before, o u r epic
poets h av e show n th a t th e ru le in question is n o t as absolute
a s w estern critics seem to im agine. F or our poets have follow ed
th e chronological o rd er in th e ir g reat poems, and y et hav e
succeeded in producing epics th a t are as fresh today as w hen
th ey first issued from th e ir lips. V alm iki sang o ur first n atio n al
epic. H e has called it variously as th e L ife of Ram a, th e
D estruction o f R avana or th e G rand S to ry o f Sita, an d in fact
th e w hole life sto ry of R am a and Sita up to th e o v erth ro w of
R av an a is described in its n a tu ra l o rd er in th e epic proper. A nd
y e t th e in te re st of th e story n ev er flags for a m om ent in th e

IN

M EDIAS

RES

29

whole course of th e poem w hich is v ery n ea rly th re e tim es a s

long as H om ers Iliad ; on th e co n trary th e in te re st grow s steadily
until the very end is reached. The sam e w ill be found to be
the case w ith th e M ahabharata if we rem ove th e didactic p o rtio n s
like th e S h a n ti and th e A nushashana Parvas, w hich seem to
have been added by our sires to th e m ain story in ord er to give
it an encyclopaedic character. O ur ow n poet K am ban has n o t
dep arted from th e chronological o rd er in th e tre a tm e n t of his
poem, and y et th e w hole story in his hands rises into a crescendo
of in te re st from th e com m encem ent till th e v ery close of th e
action.
As a m a tte r of fact, it is not the h astening into th e m idst
of things , or th e tak in g hold of th e action n e a r th e end ' th a t
has given H om er th e first place am ong the poets of th e w est1.
B ut ra th e r it is his superb know ledge of the h u m an h e a rt w ith
all its joys and sorrow s, an d his love of N atu re in all h er aspects,,
joined to a rich im agination and a noble earnestness of purpose,
all guided by the indefinable b u t suprem e q u ality of poetic tact
th a t know s how to m ake all th e p arts ad h ere to g eth er into a
single organic whole it is these we say, th a t hav e m ade him
the greatest of w estern poets and th e Iliad th e g reatest of
w estern epics. The liquid flow of his story and his m ajestic sty le
are b u t th e n a tu ra l resu lts of these g ran d qualities. B u t n p t
satisfied w ith giving H om er th e first place am ong th e poets of
the W est, or even, if th e y pleased, to satisfy th e ir ch au v in istic
pride, the first place am ong th e poets of th e W orld, E uropean
critics have m ade him in to a sort of ty ra n t of th e R epublic of
L etters, raising ev ery single tr a it and trick of his g ran d poem s
into an im m utable law w hich every o th er poet disobeys a t th e
cost of his reputation.
The ru le in question, how ever, is so artificial th a t n one can
give any su b stan tial reason a s to w hy it should be so. W e h av e
seen above how Vida supported it.
B u t w e w onder if a n y
read er has ev er deluded him self on read in g th e opening lin e s
of th e ASneid th a t /E neas w as a t th e end of his labours a n d w as
1 It is out of our province to discuss here the Unitarian authorship
or otherwise of the Iliad or the Odyssey. The question is far from being
settled as yet. But we may take it that there was a poet in Asia Minor
who called him self Homer and who had a great deal, to do with the
Homeric poems. We shall in this study m erely accept the tradition, and
always speak of the Iliad and the Odyssey as the works of Homer. There
is the - same difficulty w ith regard to th e authorship' of the original
Samskrit Ramayana. Here also we shall only accept the tradition and
generally speak of it as the production of Valmiki and Valm iki alone.

30

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

going immediately to p la n t th e seed of th e R om an E m pire on

Italian s o il.1 No* do w e believe th a t th e opening lines of th e
Iliad or th e O dyssey create th e delusion th a t th e end of th e
n a rra tiv e is n o t fa r off. Such a delusion m ight conceivably be
induced in th e m inds of scholars w ho are deciphering an unknow n
poem in a forgotten language ; b u t how can we suppose th a t
th e read e r of any w ell-k n o w n epic w ill believe th a t his business
as read e r and th e poet's business as n a rra to r is going to end at
th e very th resh o ld of th e poem ? G reat poets are able, of
course, by th e ir suprem e a rt to th ro w us off our g u ard a t th e
critical m om ents of th e story and m ake us hope and alm ost
expect th a t a g reat m isfortune th a t th rea ten s th e hero m ay pass
over, and m ay not m aterialise. B ut th e delusion th a t V ida an d
D acier req u ire to support th e dicta of A risto tle an d H orace is
som ething en tirely different, and we do not believe th a t any
read e r of th e g reat w estern epics has ev er experienced such a
feeling.
The real ad v an tag e of opening th e story n e a r th e end of th e
catastro p h e consists in th is th a t th e in terest of th e read er is
cap tu red a t once at th e v ery com m encem ent of th e poem. B ut
this m ethod has a com pensating d isad v an tag e in th a t th e poet
is obliged to cry h a lt to th e action before he has proceeded v ery
far, gnd to n a rra te th e e a rlie r portions of th e story w hich are
bound to be m uch less in terestin g th a n th e m ain action. Even
th e g reatest poets hav e to b eat tim e w ith flat verses till th ey
ju d g e th a t th e epic has d raw n itself out to a len g th sufficient
to gl}ow th e tak in g up of th e m ain th re a d of th e story. On
th e o th er hand, th e chronological o rd er follow ed by eastern
poete, if it m akes th e beginning of the poem p lain and unadorned,
has this g reat ad v an tag e th a t th e in te re st of th e story g ath ers
force in an ev er progressive degree to th e v ery end of th e poem.
r
Thus K am ban's R am ayana is divided into six books. The
F irs t Bqqk describes th e b irth and education of R am a and his
marriage w ith S ita on w hose b eau ty an d spotless ch astity tu rn s
th e catastro p h e of th e epic. In th is book w e hav e m any
episodes, hjiost of w hich m ay w ell have been suppressed. In
th e Secopd Book, we hav e th e plot of M an th ara an d K aikeyi
to th w a rt R am a's coronation, an d as a consequence to brin g
ab o u t R am a's exile to th e forests. T he T h ird Book, w hich is
1
The reader w ill have noticed how this view conflicts with that of
Horace when he says, in medias res, non secus ac notas, auditorem
rapii the poet hastens the reader into the very m idst of the action,
taking for granted that he is fully acquainted w ith the stqry .

IN

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31

called th e Ju n g le B ook, brings H avana upon th e scene, w ho

carries aw ay S ita from R am as cottage hom e in th e forest. This
form s the seed of th e action pro p er of th e poem. T he F o u rth
Book is episodic in appearance, b u t in re a lity it introduces to
us th e V an ara hosts w ho a re to p lay such a larg e p a rt in th e
w ar. The ch aracter of V ali is superbly draw n, and w e are m ade
to feel th a t w e can .n ev e r have enough of this h ero s m ajestic
w ords. The n ex t book, distinguished as th e Book of B eauty
gives us th e sublim e pictu re of S ita stan d in g firm in h e r ch astity
in th e m idst of tem p tatio n s and th reats. This increases tenfold
our m oral indignation against R avana and p rep ares us for th e
w a r in th e la st book w hich is called th e Book of B attles, an d in
w hich is described w ith g reat pow er th e fall of R av an as generals
and finally of R avana him self.
It w ill be seen from th e above th a t K am ban is able to m ake
th e story rise steadily in in terest from beginning to end.
Com pare this w ith th e Paradise Lost, w ritte n by one of th e
greatest poets of any age or country b u t w ho felt him self bound
by the exam ple of the Iliad and th e ru le of A ristotle w hich w e
have quoted above. In this poem th e four books from th e fifth
to the eighth deal w ith th e w ar of th e angels in heaven and th e
creation of th e w orld and m an ; w hile th e elev en th book an d
th e g reater p a rt of th e tw elfth deal w ith th e vision of th e fu tu re
-shown by th e A rchangel Michael to Adam . B ut these books,
though they are beau tifu l in them selves, an d are a rtfu lly soldered
on to w hat goes before and after, still create th e im pression th a t
the action is in te rru p te d m erely for th e sake of th e episodes.1
If even M ilton has found it a difficult m a tte r to m ake his
episodes organic and in teg ral p a rts of his epic, it is no w onder
th a t lesser poets w ho have subm itted them selves to th is canon
o f A ristotle have been unable to keep th e ir episodes from bulging
Out of the general cadre of th e ir story.
Thus we see th a t th e ru le of opening th e epic in m edias res
has at least as m uch disadvantage as it has advantage, w hile th e
chronological m ethod, if it does not en su re an arre stin g beginning
to th e poem, has a t least th e ad v an tag e of keeping it from
tu rn in g sloppy in th e m iddle.
i
It is indeed a question if the tendency on the part of later poets
to introduce the earlier portions of the story episodically as if narrated
by one character to another, is not due to Aristotles dictum, based on
the example of Homer, that the author of an epic should seldom speak
himself, but should throw as much of this work as he can into the
mouths of those who are his principal actors.

32

K AMB A K A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

From treating the story chronologically flow s another resu lty

n a m ely that th e poet is able to make the m ain sto ry occupy a
longer period of time than if he followed Aristotle's rule. This
may not be considered an advantage by western critics. But
there seems to be a greater fullness of life and greater stateliness
in an epic which deals poetically and with art with the birth
and youth and manhood of his hero and his achievements.
B ut afte r all these are secondary m atters. If w e p refer th e
chronological tre a tm e n t of th e o rien tal epics for th e ir steadily
increasing in terest and for th e ir g reater stateliness, we are n o t
blind to th e g ran d poetical qualities of th e epics as understood
by H om er and M ilton. We can ap preciate th e a r t th a t takes up
th e action n ear th e catastro p h e and is able to w eave into th e
story th e details th a t give it g reater volum e an d fullness. We
claim only th a t th e in m edias res th eo ry should not be raised
into an absolute rule, disobedience to w hich ipso facto throw s
th e epic into the second rank.
I th in k we m ay conveniently consider h ere the length of
our epic. K am b an s R am ayana contains 10,569 stanzas of four
lines each. Being about thrice th e len g th of th e Iliad, it m ay be
thought to be over-long for an epic. B ut V alm ikis Ram ayana
in the southern recension, contains 21,018 shlokas, th e vast
m ajority of w hich consist of tw o lines e a c h .1 The M ahabharata
goes up to 100,000 shlokas. A nd C hand B h ats P rith ivi Raj Rasa
is said to be at least as long as th e Mahabharata.
T here is of course no fixed ru le as to how long an epic
should be.
Dandi, a S am skrit critic, only says th a t it should
be asam kshipta, th a t is, not short. I t is of course allow ed by
w estern as w ell as eastern critics to be so long as to be incapable
of being read thro u g h a t a single sitting. A nd if it cannot be
finished a t one sittin g it does n o t m a tte r how long it is, provided
th a t it is rasabhava-nirantara i.e. satisfies our sense of th e grand
and th e b eau tifu l by appealing to th e hig h er em otions in an
artistic m anner.
W e have h eard of a Jap an ese novel, of w hich even th e 200th
volum e or so w hich has been recen tly 2 published has not bro u g h t
th e end of th e story in view. This story m akes, w e need n o t
say, an extrem e dem and upon th e patience of th e reader, b u t
even here w e do not know if th e book finds any detracto rs in
Ja p a n on account of its length. H ow ever, w hile we are n ot
1 We exclude from th e ,calculation the Seventh Book which is of the
nature of the cyclic poems of Greece.
2 About 1920.

IN

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RES

33

p re p a re d to go as fa r as th e a u th o r o f o u r Japanese novel, w e
can allow th e epic p o et to choose fo r h im se lf h o w long h e w ill
m ak e his poem. I f p o p u la rity w ith the mass o f th e people, as
w ell as w ith th e learned, is a test of the ju stn ess of a p o ets
choice as to length, w e find th a t In d ian epics, long as. th e y are,
have been listened to from beginning to end w ith o u t flagging
enthusiasm as th ey are read and explained by P an d its d u rin g
evenings continuously for m any m onths at a stretch. A nd as
K am bans R am ayana holds th e read e rs in terest sustained up to
th e very end, we cannot condem n it as excessively long, b u t on
th e contrary we should be th a n k fu l to th e poet for providing us
w ith such abundance of rich and delicate food for our
im agination and our spirit.

CHAPTER IV
T H E A R C H IT E C T O N IC S O F

THE RAM AYAN A

The build and the stru ctu re of th e R am ayana of K am ban are

superb. The poem satisfies the soul w ith its am pleur, th e
proportion of its parts, and th e a rt w ith w hich th e p arts a re
com bined into an organic whole. It is tru e th a t the story follows
th e order of events chronologically. B ut th ere are a hu n d red
"\yays in w hich a story can be n a rra te d even in the chronological
order, and it is in the choice th a t th e poet m akes from am ong
these th a t we see w hether he is the suprem e a rtist or an ordinary
w riter. A nd K am ban has show n his genius for th e architectonics
of poetry both w here he follows V alm iki as w ell as w here he
departs from his order.
The question of th e build of the epic is n o t trea ted in d etail
in any of the treatises of rhetoric in S am skrit th a t have come
to light up to now. There m ust have existed books w hich
exam ined this question deeply, for w e cannot im agine th a t a
people who have laid dow n elaborate rules for th e construction
of the dram a could have neglected such an obvious subject of
critical stu d y as th e detailed anatom y of th e epic poem. These
are eith er lost to us or are w aiting to be discovered in th e
B h a n d a ra s1 of o ur tem ples and of our States. The rh eto rical
w orks th a t have been p rin ted up to now discuss generally only
questions of style, figures of speech, and th e em otions as subjects
of poetical treatm en t. The M ahakavya L akshanas, so called, are
not m uch m ore th an lists of w h at subjects should be necessarily
tre a te d or described in an epic.
In th e K avyadarsha, how ever, D andin, a fte r describing ten
figures of speech finishes w ith th ree shlokas on w h at he calls
B h a vika . He says,
B h a vika is said to th e essential q u ality of th e
Prahandha or poem ; for hhava is th e idea of th e poet as to
how he should arran g e th e poem and set fo rth its parts. T he
m u tu al harm ony of th e p arts both in th e subject m a tte r as
w ell as in th e canto divisions ; th e leaving out of useless
incidents and th e placing of everything in its pro p er place ;
th e in d iv id u ality and ch aracter in th e tre a tm e n t even of th e
sublim e w hich comes of a vigorous diction and w ell-o rd ered
l archives.

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35

words a ll th is is th e re su lt of bhava, i.e., th e in n e r poetical

sense. A nd th e rig h t em ploym ent of th e bhava gives rise to
the q u ality called B h a v ik a
In th e above lines is contained, though in m ere skeleton, th e
whole theo ry as to how th e epic, as any o th er k in d of long poem ,
-should be constructed. I t is in terestin g to com pare these lin es
w ith th e w ords of A risto tle in reference to th e sam e m a tte r, th a t
th e epic should be a u n ity like one w hole anim al. The an im al
h as different organs, no doubt, b u t all its organs ad h ere to g e th er
p erfectly to m ake up th a t one anim al. The au th o r of th e
M ahabharata too, w e m ay note in passing, com pares his w o rk to
a m ajestic tre e w ith branches and stem , and fru its and flowers,
b u t w hich in its en tire ty is a single whole. The epic, th e re fo re,
should be a u n ity , w ith p a rts of course, b u t p a rts w hich go to
m a k e up and show off th a t unity.
Now th e one action of th e Ram ayana, as V alm iki proposes in
th e beginning of th e poem, is th e destru ctio n of R avana, a n d
^ v e ry incident of th e story contributes to th is end. T his idea is
n ev er absent from the m ind of K am ban. W hen T adaka, w ho
comes to spoil th e sacrifice of V ishvam itra, falls by th e arro w of
R am a, she looks, according to him , * like R av an as sta n d a rd o f
victory felled dow n to th e ground as a foreboding of h is fu tu re
fa te \ W hen K aikeyi yields to th e evil advice of M an th ara, it is
Because th e prom ise m ust be fulfilled now
T h at V ishnu to th e gods h ad m ade, because
The gods did w ork th e ir m aya, and th e saints
H ad earn ed th e fru it of v irtuous deeds, and cup
Of R akshas sins w as full,h er h e a rt w as hardened.
F or if th e w orld to -d ay th e am brosial strain s
Of R am as praise doth di'ink, doth not it owe
The joy to K aik ey is cru elty ? 1
A nd w hen R avana lies dead on the field, M andodari lam en tin g
h is death says, am ong o th er things,
The fairy charm s of Sita, h er chastity
Divine, th e passion of m y R avana,
S h u rp a n ak h as disgrace, and b anishm ent
Of R am a by com m and of th e K ing of kings,
A ll these and m ore, w h at are th ey b u t th e fru it
O f In d ra s g reat au sterities ? 2
1 II ii 77, 78.

2 VI xxxvi 241.

vf

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

Here we see the poet referring all these different incidents;

as leading but to one only end, namely, the destruction of Havana,
for it is only after Havana was destroyed that Indra could get back
his heavenly kingdom.
L e t us now exam ine the plot of th e Ram ayana in some
detail. In the beginning of the F irst Book, the destruction of
H avana is proposed, and V ishnu H im self prom ises to come into
th e w orld as th e son of D asharatha and destroy the Rakshasa.
T he interest of th e reader is from th a t m om ent fixed upon Rama,
th e avatar of the Suprem e God, and all his doings. The F irst
Book is taken up w ith th e exploits of R am as youth and his
m arriage w ith Sita who is the incarnation of Lakshm i. The
killing of Tadaka, the episode of A halya, the love of Rama for
S ita and of Sita for Hama, R am as bending and breaking of th e
m ighty bow of Shiva, P arash u R am as pride and its punishm ent,
all these form a num ber of varied incidents interesting in
them selves and at th e same tim e calculated to m ake th e reader
expect high things of Rama. The m arch of this book is rath e r
slow owing to the various episodes th a t are cast in the form of
stories told by V ishvam itra to Ram a and by S hatananda to Janaka.
T he journey of D asharatha to M ithila w hich V alm iki describes
in but one or two shlokas is elaborately described by K am ban in
fo u r Patalas 1 w hich take up about 300 stanzas. This is a great
deal too much.
B ut these patalas occur in the F irst Book before
th e epic has gathered its proper m om entum . Moreover, m any of
th e stanzas in these cantos are of great idyllic beauty.
In th e Second Book, R am as character is m agnificently
developed in his attitu d e tow ards Kaikeyi, K ausalya, and
L akshm ana. The story too m arches rapidly. The conversations
betw een the several persons here are pitched in a high key, and the
nerves of the reader become highly strung even at the thousandth
reading. Betw een every one of these meetings, th e pitch is low ered
a little for the read er to take b reath before he is confronted w ith
th e nex t scene of h ig h -stru n g emotion. The a rt w ith w hich th e
clim ax is prepared in th e m eeting w ith Sita can never be
sufficiently adm ired. The struggle of D asharatha betw een his love
of Ram a and love of T ruth, his anger against K aikeyi, his despair
a t the charioteers retu rn w ithout Rama, th e whole contrast
betw een Ram as expected coronation and his banishm ent, B h aratas
renunciation, G uhas attachm ent to Rama, his suspicion of and
indignation against B harata and his subsequent recognition of his
i Chapters.

ARCHITECTONICS

37

sublim e n atu re, th e riv alry in th e heroism of renunciation b etw een

B h a ra ta and Hama all these m ake th e Second Book a su p erb
piece of w ork.
In th e T hird Book, th e first th irteen years of R am as life in
the forests are passed over very rapidly though not w ith o u t th e
poet rem inding us of th e purpose of H am as avatar. In th e
^fourteenth year, S h u rp an ak h as passion for Ram a unchains th e
series of incidents th a t end w ith the death of Havana. The fight
in w hich Ram a annihilates th e fourteen thousand R akshasas w ho
come to avenge S hurpanakha gives us a foretaste of the m agnificent
battle-pieces w ith which K am ban fills his Book of B attles.
H avanas passion for Sita is described in a very ex trav ag an t w ay.
O ur idea of probability requires th a t R avana should have seen
S ita a t least once before his soul could be fired w ith a desire to
possess her at w hatever cost. Tulsi Das has felt this and so h e
introduces R avana as one of the suitors to h er hand a t th e
Sw ayam vara a t h er fath e rs court. The extravagance of K am bans
description of R avanas passion how ever, fau lty as it is, has a
m eaning, for only such a passion can explain R avanas persistence
In keeping h er in spite of the w orst defeats and disasters. R am as
going after the golden deer and S itas fa ta l obstinacy in sending
L akshm ana after Rama are n arrated w ith g reat skill. R avana
now meets Sita alone in the cottage. The poet expends all h is
a r t in the colloquy betw een the disguised R avana and Sita, and
the bursting of the false form and the revealing of R avana in
his true shape are m ade to tak e place exactly at th e right m om ent.
The battle of the V ulture-K ing provides a heroic and touching
episode to this book and R avana carries off Sita w ithout fu rth e r
hindrance. K am ban shows his sense of the fit in not describing
a t this stage, as V alm iki does, another interview betw een Sita and
H avana, in Lanka. It is only in th e n ex t book th a t he describes
th e first m eeting of Sita and Ravana after her captivity, and h e
m erely suggests th e ir previous interview s by one sentence p u t in
th e m outh of R avana :
4 The days are passing one by one aw ay,
A nd this is all the kindness thou h ast show n
To me ! 1
L akshm anas adv en tu re w ith A jom ukhi is b u t a repetition o f
R a m as w ith S h u rpanakha and is therefore superfluous, b u t
I V iv. 26.

38:

KAMBA

B A M A Y N A M A STUDY

K am ban em ploys it to reveal to us th deep love th a t Ram a hasr

to w ard s L akshm ana. K ab an d h a closes, as V iradha began, th e
ad v en tu res of R am a and L akshm ana w ith th e R akshasas in th e
F o rest Book. These th ree incidents have th e sam e kin d of
fa iry -ta le rin g about them as th e ad v en tu res of Ulysses w ith th e
Cyclops and Circe have in the O dyssey.
The F o u rth Book introduces to us new characters in th e
V anaras of K ishkindha. The poet exhibits to us the in ten sity of
R am as desire to avenge his w rongs w hen he m akes him d eterm in e
th e death of Vali th e m om ent he hears from H anum an th a t V ali
h ad deprived S ugriva of his wife. The single com bat of Vali an d
S ugriva, V alis fall, his reproaches against Ram a an d final
acceptance of th e justice of his punishm ent, all these form one o f
th e finest episodes in th e poem. The F o u rth Book ends w ith th e
sending of th e V anara host in all directions in search of Sita.
In the F ifth Book H anum an, the favourite serv an t of R am a,
discovers Sita. H avanas interview w ith Sita, S itas despair,
H an u m an s delivery of R am as message, his desire to leave a m ark,
in L anka w o rth y of his m ight, his subsequent capture, his release*
his setting of L an k a on fire, and his re tu rn to R am a crow d this,
book w ith a m u ltitu d e of shifting scenes each flowing from its
predecessor as a n a tu ra l and inevitable consequence.
T he Y u d d h a K anda or the Book of B attles is a t least as long
as the Iliad. The scene opens in L an k a ch arred by th e conflagration
sta rte d by H anum an. The Council of th e R akshasas is less
in terestin g th a n th e debate in th e Second Book of th e P aradise
L o st, b u t th e episode of H iranya is magnificent. V ibhishana
recites to R avana th e story of th e g reat A sura w ho w as destroyed
for his pride, and advises R avana to avoid a sim ilar fate by sending
S ita back to Ram a. R avana, of course, refuses to listen to th is
advice and w ar begins. E very b attle is a m asterpiece, an d
th e re is h ard ly a rep etitio n in th e descriptions of such a m u ltitu d e
of battles. The read e r w ill see in subsequent pages th a t t h e
battle-p ieces of K am ban cannot a t all suffer by a com parison
w ith H om ers best battles. B u t b attles are n o t all th e c o n ten ts
of th e Y ud d h a Kanda. In this book scenes of th e deepest p ath o s
a lte rn a te w ith scenes of g rand-souled heroism ; d esp air and hope,
a n d hope an d d espair w eave th e ir lig h t and shade about th e h ero es
an d heroines, th e te rrib le and th e sublim e p lay ab o u t us in all
th e ir gran d eu r. T he story g ath ers fresh force an d anim ation a t
ev e ry step till th e d eath of R avana. T he poet, how ever, does
n o t stop h ere b u t desires to enhance th e glory of S ita and b rin g
o u t into g re a te r prom inence the v irtu e of B h arata. A nd so, w e

ARCHITECTONICS

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h av e th e ordeal of S ita w hich raises our feelings to a p itch w hich

alm ost b u rsts o ur h earts. B h a ra ta s sensitive h e a rt is n e x t
presen ted to us in his sublim e d eterm in atio n to ex p iate his
im agined sh are in his m o th ers sin by falling into a fire th a t he
h as kindled. A nd th e poem ends sw eetly w ith th e coronation
of R am a and th e h appy announcem ent th a t all th e w orlds w ere
contented and in peace.
Now th e plot In alm ost all its details is V alm ikis. B u t if
K am ban tak es th e situations from V alm iki, he has tre a te d th em
absolutely in his ow n way. In th e m an n er of developing th e
situations, in the g rad atio n by w hich th e clim ax of each situ atio n
is brought about, in th e justesse w hich know s how to bring o u t
all its capabilities out of each situation, w e feel th e touch of th e
m a ste r-a rtist. In th e m an n er also in w hich th e incidents hav e
been joined to g eth er to form th e whole, no o rd in ary skill has
been displayed. E very lim b of K am b an s story is of course
fam iliar to th e stu d en t of V alm iki. B u t on going th ro u g h th e
w hole poem of K am ban, one is constrained to exclaim , here is a
building w hich is b u ilt on the sam e plan no doubt, and w ith th e
sam e m aterials, b u t w hich possesses a strik in g in d iv id u ality of
its ow n \ 1

1
Further remarks on Kambans sklU in the Architectonics of poetry
will be found in the succeeding chapters where the characters are
examined and studied in greater detail. See especially chapter XI where
the episde of Vali is examined closely with special reference to
Architectonics.

CH A PTER V
T H E S U P E R N A T U R A L E L E M E N T IN T H E R A M A Y A N A

E very epic h as got a su p e rn a tu ra l elem ent in it w hich

interlaces itself w ith th e h u m an elem ent in th e story, and th e
action of bo th these elem ents in them selves as w ell as in th e ir
in teractio n form to g eth er th e w arp an d th e w oof of th e w hole
story. T hus w e hav e in th e Iliad an d th e O dyssey and th e AEneid,
Zeus an d Ju n o , M inerva an d M ars, N eptune an d A pollo w ho
in te rfe re d irectly or in d irectly w ith th e actions of th e several
h u m an heroes, ^Eolus w ho could unlock th e w inds an d lash th e
sea into a tem p est ; and sim ilar beings endow ed w ith m ore th a n
hu m an pow er an d stren g th , an d w ith ab ility to m ove from h eav en
to e a rth and from e a rth to heaven w ith ease.
In th e Paradise
L o st M ilton introduces S atan an d B eelzebub, Raphael an d A bdiel,
th e M essiah and even God H im self as th e chief actors in th e
story along w ith A dam and Eve. In his L es M artyrs C h ateau b rian d
brings into play S atan and oth er fallen angels, th e S p irit of
Jealousy, th e S p irit of V engeance, th e good angels and God as
some of th e protagonists of his story. In a sim ilar m anner, all
other epic poets have in some w ay or o th er m ade use of th e
su p e rn a tu ra l elem ent in o rd er to give m ore th a n o rd in ary
im portance to th e action w hich th ey celebrate in th e ir epics. T he
tak in g in of th e aid of th e su p e rn a tu ra l in Epic P o etry has becom e
such a un iv ersal h ab it th a t even Pope th o u g h t his Rape of th e L o ck
not dignified enough w ith o u t th e play of this m achinery, and so
he introduced in his revised edition elves and fairies w hich
certain ly add to th e in terest of th e original poem.
In our R am ayana also, th e su p e rn a tu ra l elem ent plays a v ery
im p o rtan t p a rt in th e action of th e story. B ut it is, as is n a tu ra l,
of a ch aracter different to th a t of th e w estern epics. It is alw ays
difficult to ad ju st th e focus of ones m en tal vision to th e conditions
of a w orld different from th a t to w hich it has been previously
adjusted ; and it is th is difficulty th a t is to a larg e e x te n t responsible
for m ost of th e criticism th a t those whose taste is form ed on a
stu d y of th e w estern epics alone are used to m ake ag ain st eastern
epics. W e should d raw th e a tten tio n of such critics to th e w ords
of Mr. M ark P attiso n w hich he uses in connection w ith th e
Paradise L ost, b u t w hich are capable of being applied w ith eq u a l

SUPER N A TU RA L

ELEM ENTS

41

tr u th to all epic p o etry an d even bro ad ly speaking to ev ery fine

art* He says,
The w orld of th e Paradise L o st is an ideal, conventional
w orld, q u ite as m uch as th e w orld of th e A rabian N ig h ts o r
th e w orld of chivalrous rom ance or th a t of th e p asto ral novel.
N ot only d ram atic b u t all p o etry is founded upon illusion.
We m ust, tho u g h it be for th e m om ent, suppose it tru e. W e
m ust be tran sp o rted out of th e actu al w orld into th a t w orld
in w hich th e given scene is laid. It is chiefly th e business of
th e poet to effect th is tran sp o rtatio n , b u t th e read e r (o r
h e a re r) m u st aid. If th e read e r's im agination is n o t active
enough to assist th e poet, he m ust at least n o t resist him .
W hen w e are once inside th e poet's heaven, o ur critical facu lty
m ay ju stly req u ire th a t w h a t tak es place th e re is q u ite
consistent w ith itself, w ith th e law s of th e fan tastic w orld.
B ut we m ay n o t begin by objecting th a t it is im possible th a t
such a w orld should exist. If in any age th e pow er of
im agination is enfeebled, th e read e r becom es m ore u n ab le to
m ake th e effort and he ceases to co-operate w ith th e poet.
M uch of th e criticism of th e Paradise Lost w hich w e m eet w ith
resolves itself to the conditions th a t th e poet dem ands, a
d eterm in atio n to insist th a t his heaven peopled w ith deities,
-dominations, principalities and pow ers shall hav e th e sam e
m a terial law s w hich govern our p la n eta ry system . I t is not,
as w e often h ea r it said, th a t th e critical facu lty is u n d u ly
developed in th e n in eteen th century. It is th a t th e im ag in ativ e
faculty fails us ; an d w hen th a t is th e case, criticism is
pow erless it has no fu n d am en tal assum ption upon w hich its
jud g m en ts can proceed."
A sym p ath etic u n d erstan d in g of th e n a tu re and conditions of
th e conventional w orld p o stu lated by th e poet is th e re fo re
indispensable to th e critic if his criticism should be ratio n a l an d
fru itfu l. Such an u n d erstan d in g is eq u ally necessary for th e
sim ple lover of p o etry w ho desires only aesthetic enjoym ent. So,
we propose in th is ch ap ter to give an account, necessarily brief*
of th e n a tu re of th e su p e rn a tu ra l beings th a t ta k e p a rt in th e sto ry
and of th e m iraculous m achines of destru ctio n used by th em as
w ell as by th e h u m an heroes in th e ir battles.
^ T here are m ain ly tw o classes of beings w hich p a rta k e of th e
ch aracter of th e su p e rn a tu ra l in th e R am ayana. T hey are th e
R akshasas an d th e V anaras. We shall ta k e th e R akshasas first.
They are beings of enorm ous pow er an d size, an d should be, stric tly
speaking, lab elled as p re te rn a tu ra l beings. R avan has te n heads.

42

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

T rishiras has th ree heads. Some o th e r R akshasas and R akshasis

have heads of horses, wolves, jackals, lions, etc. By p erfo rm in g
g reat and severe tapas (au ste rities) these R akshasas have acquired
enorm ous physical stren g th and m any m agical pow ers. T hey can
bend the bow w ith such force th a t th e ir arro w s can b reak to
pieces the rocks h u rled against th em by th e ir enem ies. T hey can
assum e w h atev er shape they please a t th e ir w ill. They can fly
through th e air w ith or w ith o u t aerial chariots. T hey hold o th er
w orlds th a n this te rre stria l w orld in subjection u n d er them selves.
They can create autom atons looking like hum an beings or
Rakshasas. In short they possess all the pow ers an d qualities th a t
are a ttrib u te d to th e gods in th e G reek m ythology. As a class,
the R akshasas h ate v irtu e and doers of v irtu e and love a life of
vice and luxury. D estruction and hum iliation of m en and gods
are th e ir chief delight.
Besides th e o rd in ary pow ers and stren g th of th e R akshasas,
R avana possesses some very ex tra o rd in a ry pow ers. He is able to
lift w ith his hands the g reat M ount K ailas w ith S hiva H im self
en throned upon it. He fights and conquers th e A sh ta -d ik-g a ja s
the eight im m ense m am m othselephants w hich are supposed to
b ear aloft th e universe from its eight sides an d corners. T h e
God of D eath an d V aruna 1 have to acknow ledge d efeat a t his
hands. The Sun and th e Moon, an d F ire and W ind obey his every
wish. The very seasons obey him , and come and go a t th e slightest
expression of his will. In sh o rt his au sterities have earn ed for
him from Shiva an d th e oth er gods pow er and stren g th only short
of om nipotence.
Gods as such do not ta k e an active p a rt in th e story. They
have been conquered by th e ir enem ies, th e R akshasas. T heir
w orld, th e Svarga, is in th e hands of R avana. T heir w ives and
d au g h ters are w orking as m aids to th e R akshasa 4w om en in
L anka. They them selves are doing m enial service to th e ir
R akshasa m asters. T heir king In d ra is a w an d erer aw ay from h is
kingdom and throne. Even th e Suprem e T h r e e 2 have been
defeated by R avana and live u n d er a self-d en y in g ordinance,
resolving not to in terfere w ith his doings till th e stren g th of his*
austerities has begun to wane.
B ut a t th e com m and of V ishnu one of th e S uprem e T hree
w ho is th e one designed in th is age to destroy th e evil and
unrighteou s R akshasas an d A suras, th e gods are b o rn as Variar as
o r g iant m onkeys on earth. B ut w hile th ey a re born on earth*
1 Rain-God.

2 Brahma, Vishnu: and Shiva.

SUPERNATURAL

ELEM ENTS

43

th e y keep also th e ir ow n divine bodies in S va rg a, or w h erev er

th e y are fo r th e m om ent. The V anaras are th erefo re spoken of
b o th as th e sons of th e respective gods as w ell as th e ir
incarnations. The V anaras, a t least th e ir leaders, hav e th e sam e
p re te rn a tu ra l stren g th and courage as th e R akshasas. T hey can
also assum e at w ill w h atev er shape th ey please. They can leap
over im m ense distances of space. H anum an, th e g reatest of th e
V anaras, can fly across th e sea from th e m ain lan d to L an k a and
fly back. A gain he flies to th e h ill of drugs situ ated fa r n o rth
of the H im alayas and re tu rn s w ith th e h ill in his h an d in th e
course of a single night. He can grow as high as th e heavens
an d pervade th e w orld w ith his body. A ngada and S ugriva a re
alm ost equal to him in stren g th but do not possess his pervasive
pow er. The stren g th of the V anaras is such th a t th ey can te a r
trees and rocks by th e roots and h u rl them against th e ir foes.
T h e read er w ill n o t be far w rong if he im agines th e V anaras
as possessing alm ost all the stren g th and pow ers of th e gods of th e
G reek epics. Only, unlike th e la tte r, they compose th e e n tire
arm y of one of th e com batants in th e w ar.
G aruda and S am pati and Ja ta y u s m ust be classed sep arately
am ong the su p e rn a tu ra l and p re te rn a tu ra l beings of th e Ram ayana.
G aru d a is th e g reat golden eagle, th e V ahan or ca rrie r of V ishnu.
He is the enem y of all serpents and he appears on th e b attle-field
to free L akshm ana and th e V anaras from the serp en t noose of
In d ra jit. A t his m ere approach all the serpents of the noose
e ith e r die or slink aw ay. Ja ta y u s and S am pati are v u ltu res the
sons of A runa, th e charioteer of th e Sun, and th ey are th e Icarus
an d Daedalus of In d ian story. T hey h ad tried to fly up to th e very
S un and h ad fallen dow n scorched by his fierce rays. Jatay u s,
th e younger, w as protected from being b u rn t by S am pati who^
shaded him from th e sun and had his ow n w ings b u rn ed off. A t
th e period of our story, S am pati lives on th e M ahendra h ill at
th e southernm ost point of th e m ainland, till th e choral rep etitio n
of R am as nam e m akes his w ings m iraculously to grow. Ja ta y u s
is th e friend of D ash arath a an d so R am a has a te n d er filial affection
fo r th e noble V ulture-K ing. Jatay u s, as th e read e r w ill rem em ber,
attem p ts to p rev en t R avana from carrying off Sita, b u t a fte r a
te rrib le struggle falls m o rtally w ounded by R avana.
These are ab o u t all th e p re te rn a tu ra l beings th a t ta k e p a rt
in th e action of th e epic. A lthough R am a an d his b ro th ers are
d ivine incarnations, K am ban, like V alm iki, tre a ts th e ir actions
a s those of m ere h u m an heroes, only endow ed w ith some
e x tra o rd in a ry pow ers. F o r instance, K am ban does n o t gift R am a

44

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

w ith th e pervasive pow er or enorm ous size and stren g th o f

H anum an, though everyw here he rem inds us th a t he is th e S uprem e
One w ho is im m anent in ev ery th in g an d w ho transcends even
the T hree P ersons of th e T rinity. In fact, R am a an d his b ro th ers
are hum an in th e ir actions and th e ir physical condition, th o u g h
they are divine in th e ir u ltim ate n atu re.
B ut if Ram a and L akshm ana are m erely m en in th e ir actions,
they possess the pow er to com m and th e gods to do th e ir bidding
even as R avana and the R akshasa leaders have. We speak of th e ir
pow er to convert th eir arrow s by m eans of m antras or spells in to
weapons possessing the pow er of A g n i and V a yu ,1 Shiva an d
V ishnu and B rahm a, and other deities. A rrow s th u s im p reg n ated
by spells are called Astras. It is these astras th a t deserve to be
called m achinery, a term w hich w estern critics are used to apply
to the su p ern atu ral beings etc., th a t influence th e action in th e
TUad and other epics.
The astra should be im agined by th e read er to be an arro w
w hich the spell, pronounced by the bow m an a t th e tim e of aim ing
it, converts into a w eapon possessing p re te rn a tu ra l pow er, generally
the pow er of a god. Thus the A gneya-astra m ust be supposed to
be an arrow w hich th e spell of the arch er im pregnates w ith th e
S h a kti or force of A g n i, the God of Fire. Such an arrow m u st
be im agined to fly against the enem y carry in g living fire in its
bosom and b u rn in g down ev ery th in g before it. S im ilarly th e
V aruna-astra w ould be th e w eapon possessing th e force of V aruna,
the God of the Ocean, and hence w ould be aim ed against th e
A gneya-astra whose fire it w ould extinguish. The M aheshvaraastra w ould be an arrow filled w ith th e force of God Shiva or
M aheshvara, the N arayana-astra w ould be an arro w filled w ith
the force of God N arayana or V ishnu, and th e B rahm astra w ould
be a d a rt filled w ith the force of B rahm a, an d so on. T he
Naga-pasha or th e serpent-noose m ust be im agined to be an arro w
or a succession of arrow s w hich th e ap p ro p riate spells convert in to
deadly serpents w hich bind them selves round th e bodies of th e
enem ies and stran g le them . K am ban speaks also of th e
M aya-astra w hich creates any illusion th a t th e sender pleases
before th e eyes of th e opponent. In ra re cases, incantations a re
supposed to be pronounced upon o th er w eapons th a n arroW; aijd
th en these w eapons, som etim es even a blade of grass serves as
a w eapon to th e ex p e rt in th e science of astrasbecom e th e
;appropriate astras.
1 Fire and Wind.

SUPERNATURAL

ELEMENTS

45

T he read e r w ill observe th a t w hen an astra is aim ed against

an archer, his obvious defence according to this convention w ould
be to send against it an astra of superior pow er w hich w ould
conquer or n eu tralise it. T hus arrow s w ould w restle against
arro w s in m id -air, each arm ed w ith th e force given to it by the
respective archers.
O ut of all these astras, th e B rahm astra is supposed to be th e
m ost pow erful, though' in one or tw o places K am ban speaks of
th e N arayana-astra and M aheshvara-astra as equally or even m ore
pow erful weapons. These astras are to be supposed to ru sh
through th e a ir w ith fatal force, giving birth, both on th e ir w ay
as w ell as w hen th ey strik e th e enem y, to innum erable d estructive
m achines and even beings such as cobras, dem ons, etc. The
torpedoes and shrapnels, and flam e-throw ers an d poison-gas shells
an d sim ilar d estru ctiv e w eapons so ab u n d an tly used in th e late
w ar are th e analogues of th e astras of th e R am ayana. A nd who
know s if th e first ideas of some of th e terrific w eapons of m odern
tim es w ere not p u t into th e heads of th e ir E uropean inventors by
the description of th e several astras m entioned in th e R am ayana !
R am a an d L akshm ana on th e one side and th e g reat leaders
of th e R akshasas on the other are described by th e poet as g reat
ex p erts in th e science of astras. R am as arro w s h av e an o th er
p eculiarity in th a t th ey come back to his qu iv er a fte r doing the*
destruction for w hich th ey w ere sent.
A lthough th e gods do not tak e p a rt in th e action of th e story
except th ro u g h th e astras, they m ake th e ir appearance som etim es
in th e ir ow n persons in the course of the action. Thus, w hen
B h a ra ta persists in inviting R am a to come back to A yodhya, th e
Devas who are standing around unseen by th e assem bled people
pronounce a com m and, w hich is h eard as a disem bodied voice,
th a t he should him self go back and ru le th e kingdom for fourteen
years. A gain R am a and L akshm ana see In d ra approach
S h arabhan g a in order to offer him residence in his ow n heaven.
M atali, th e chario teer of Indra, is ordered by th e gods to d rive
R am a in th e heav en ly vim ana or air chariot of In d ra du rin g th e
final b attle w ith R avana. A nd finally th e gods and th e deceased
D asharath a come dow n on e a rth at the tim e w hen S ita falls into
th e fire and advise R am a to tak e h er back to him self.
We believe w e have now placed before th e read e r all th a t
is necessary for a pro p er u n d erstan d in g of th e conventional w orld
in w hich th e action of th e R am ayana unfolds itself. Now w e
shall ta k e up th e stu d y of th e m ore im p o rtan t ch aracters of our
sto ry an d see how K am ban tre a ts th em in his epic.

CH APTER VI

RAMA
In the delineation of character, K am ban stands on a level
w ith the greatest poets of the world. The lines are draw n w ith
a firm hand, and the characters are painted w ith such accuracy
and fullness th a t from any single sentence, and som etim es even
from a single phrase in a speech, one can tell the person speaking
w ithout any the least doubt.
H ere too, n atu rally , V alm iki has set the stam p on th e
characters of th e R am ayana. B ut in K am bans h and they h av e
become m uch m ore grand. The stu d en t of V alm iki w ill w onder
.how his Ram a and B harata, R avana and K um bhakarna, Vali an d
H anum an, Sita and K ausalya and the rest could be im proved. T h e
fact, how ever, is th ere th a t K am bans heroes and heroines a re
beings of a decidedly higher statu re th an those of Valm iki.
The idealisation of Ram a is
not solely or
chiefly the w ork
of K am ban. The fact is th a t the Ram a of V alm iki has so
captivated the h e a rt of H industhan th a t the w hole nation h as
expended on him all th e love and devotion of w hich its rich n a tu re
w as capable. The Tam il A lw ars, and especially K u lasek h ara th e
C hera Prince, have given literary expression in th eir devotional
verses to the popular pronouncem ent th a t Ram a is the Suprem e
N arayana H im self in hum an form. In K am bans tim e, therefore*
the ideal m an had grown into very God, the m ere repetition of
whose nam e w ith devotion w ould lead unto heaven. W hat
K am ban has done is to give the im press of th e m a ste r-a rtist to
the character th a t h ad grow n into its fullness and g ran d eu r by th e
devotion-filled m editation of generations of the sons of India.
This, how ever, was no ordinary task. It is easy to pile ep ith ets
upon epithets and constantly rep eat th a t Ram a was a divine king.
B ut to create th e poetical im pression of th e divinity of R am as
ch aracter and to m ain tain th e epic in all places at th e level th a t
w ill alone harm onise w ith such an im pression is a vastly different
thing. And K am ban has em inently succeeded in this ex trem ely
difficult task.
W ith reg ard to the other characters, and especially w ith
regard to th e Rakshasas, th e heightening of the colour is m ain ly
K am bans work. W ith the instinct of th e born artist, Kamban.
m u st have seen th a t th e idealisation of R am a alone w ith o u t

RAMA

47

raising th e o th er personages of th e story to a sim ilar h eig h t of

ch a ra c te r w ould not produce a harm onic whole. A nd so h e h as
m ade his R avana and In d ra jit, S ugriva and A ngada, K au saly a
and M andodari m uch g ran d er ch aracters th a n th ey ap p e ar in
V alm ikis poem. A nd although V alm ikis B h arata is one of th e
finest creations of poetry, the little touches th a t K am b an h as
given to th e figure have ren d ered B h a ra ta s v irtu e even m ore
resplendent th a n in the original Ram ayana.
W ith these p relim in ary observations, we shall exam ine m ore
closely th e ch aracters of K am b an s R am ayana, .giving g re a te r
attention to th e m ore pro m in en t ch aracters th erein .
Ram a, of course, w ill claim our first atten tio n . In th re e or
four places V alm iki has deified Ram a. E ven these passages,
how ever, m odern critics reg ard as interpolations. B ut, how soever
this m ay be, ev ery w h ere else in V alm iki, R am a is only th e valorous
prince, perfect in v irtu e, b u t no th in g m ore th a n a sim ple m o rtal
man. In K am ban, how ever, it is ra re to m eet w ith any reference
to R am a w hich does not indicate his divinity. He is th e S uprem e
Lord, he is N arayana, he is th e one th a t sleeps th e sleep of
w akefulness in th e Ocean of Milk, he is th e G re at O ne w hom
even the Vedas have not seen. If he ru n s a fte r th e golden deer,
1he sets fo rw ard th e foot th a t m easured the th ree w orlds \ If
Ram a and S ita love each o th er at first sight, is it not th e m eeting
again of those th a t w ere to g eth er in th e Ocean of M ilk, and w ere
separated only for a w hile ? It is th e sam e from beginning to
end. B ut th is constant deification of Ram a does not stan d in
the w ay of the m ost hum an em otions being a ttrib u te d to him .
He feels all the anguish of separation from Sita. He is stu n n ed
on h earing of th e d eath of his fath er. He is affected by th e sim ple
affection of G uha and th e self-rep ro ach of B h arata. He w eeps
at the fall of L aksh m an a in one of his encounters w ith In d ra jit,
and is beside him self w ith g rief a t th e rep o rt th a t In d ra jit h ad
m urdered Sita. A nd y et we do n o t feel th a t th e re is an y th in g
u n n atu ral in R am as hum an acts and em otions. T h ere is th e sam e
m ingled d iv in ity and h u m an ity about K am b an s R am a as ab o u t
the C hrist of the Gospels and of th e Paradise Regained.
The fascination w hich th e ch aracter of R am a has exercised
upon th e m ind of H industhan is a m easure of th e g re a t a rt w ith
w hich our poet, am ong others, has d elin eated him . R arely has
lite ra tu re an y w h ere ta k en upon itself th e ta sk of creatin g such
valour and such v irtu e. A nd still m ore ra re ly h as it risen to th e
level of such a creation.
A nd w h a t a ch aracter is th a t of R am a ! A ll th e q u alities

48

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

th a t belong to th e hero are to be found in him to perfection. H e

is th e very personification of valour. He is not elated even w h en
th e im perial crow n is offered to him . V alm ikis Ram a announcesto his m other th e fact of his prospective coronation w ith ju st a
touch of joy. A nd to L akshm ana he says w ith g reater
expansiveness,
f R ule thou th is kingdom w ith m e, O Lakshm ana. This
fo rtu n e is fo r thee too w ho art m y other se lf. L ife and the
crown I desire for th y sake m ore than for m y se lf.
B ut K am ban takes care not to p u t even these words into the
m outh of Rama. He says,
W hen D asharatha had finished, the L otus-eyed One was
not elated, n eith er despised he the gift. But, feeling th a t it
was his du ty to obey his fath er's commands, he consented ! 1 ^
A fter this, K am ban does not allow Ram a to speak a w ord in
th e poem till he m akes his grand reply to K aikeyi. 2 By this,
R am a is m ade to appear m ore stoic th an in Valm iki. The poet,
as th e read er is aw are, draw s pointed attention to this stoicism a t
th is place. A nd he calls it again to our m ind w hen he describes
S ita s thoughts w hile she is a captive in L anka. She w ould think,
he says,
On th a t face, which, both w hen asked by his fath e r to
accept th e im perial crown as w ell as w hen com m anded by his
m other to leave all and live a forest life, like the pictorial
lotus was ever the same ! *3
A nother effect of this stoical calm ness is th a t Ram a not only
does not him self accuse K aikeyi anyw here, b u t deprecates others
accusing her. W hen L akshm ana rages against h er on hearing of
R am as exile for th e first tim e, Ram a calms him saying,
They blam e not stream s if w ater som etim es fails ; blam e
thou not then our king, n or h er our m other : Tis fate th a t
drives us on, m y b ro th er ! W hy th en this rage ? 4
A fine sidelight is th ro w n on this tra it in R am as character
w hen the poet m akes B h arata say to his m other, w hen she
announced to him th a t she h ad exiled Ram a for his sake,
Thou livest y et ! A nd still m y spell-bound h an d
L eapeth not fo rth to finish thee ! Did not
I fear th a t Ram, m y sovereign, w ould resen t
The deed, shall evn th e nam e of m other stay
M y arm from slaying thee ? 5
i II i 70.

4 H iv 134.

2 S e e p. 9.

3 V hi 20.
5 II i x 72.

RAMA

49

N ote h ere how the poet raises R am a in o u r estim ation by

m aking B h a ra ta say th a t Ram a w ould n ever to lerate the slaying
of K aikeyi even fo r h er trip le crime.
B ut it is n o t only th a t R am a forgives K aikeyi h e r evil. He
retain s his fo rm er love for h er even in his exile. For am ong th e
m any things th a t S ita w ants H anum an to rem ind R am a about,
she says,
A nd w hen I had a p arro t fair I loved,
I asked m y lord w h at nam e he liked to give
To her. A nd he w ith tenderness replied,
Give h er my virtuous m other K aik ey s nam e. 1
If Ram a, how ever, is a vairagi2, w hen it is a question of his
ow n personal fortunes, he is ten d er as a w om an w hen he sees
others suffer. T hus w hen he sees L ak sh m an as princely hands
engaged in building a cottage for him ih the forests, he exclaim s
to him self thus :
4The flow er-like ten d er feet of J a n a k a s c h ild 3
A re strong enough to tread the ju n g le p ath s ;
A nd L ak sh m an s hands are skilled to build for us
A tastefu l cottage home. Ah, those w hom F ate
Has helpless cast upon th e w orld, w h a ts th e re
T h at th e y ll not learn to do ! 4
The poet again touches on this side of R am as n a tu re w hen
he m akes S ita recall to m ind w hile in th e A shoka grove in L anka,
T he pain of R am a w hen he saw his b ro th er 5
W ear n o t th e crow n upon his head, b u t w ear
The d u sty tw isted knot of hair. 6
The g rief of R am a at th e fall of L akshm ana, in one of In d ra jits
battles, is pitched in a h ig h er key :
Now he w ould plough th e ground w ith his lim bs ; now
he w ould heave heavy sighs ; now he w ould sw oon aw ay
as in d eath ; soon coming to him self he w ould act as one w ho
knew n o t w h at he w as doing ; suddenly h e w ould cry aloud,
1 V vi 83.
2 stoic.
3 Sita.
* n v iii 52.
5
Bharata, when he came to forest to invite Rama to take back the
Crown that K aikeyi had deprived him of.
V iii 25.

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

*L akshm ana, O L ak sh m an a !* T hen he w ould place his h an d s

u n d er L ak sh m an as nostrils, an d call out, 4L ivest thou, m y
child ?
A gain he w ould g en tly press L ak slim an as feet w ith h is
lotus h an d s ; h e w ould p a t his thighs ; he w ould look in te n tly
into his lotus eyes, fa ir like fre sh -g a th e re d flowers ; he w ould
listen a t his h e a rt to see if it w as y et b eatin g ; he w ould look
a t th e heavens ; he w ould lift u p his body and place it
again st his h e a rt ; th e n he w ould lay it dow n upon th e
ground ; suddenly he w ould exclaim , * Is th e foe fled aw ay ?
He w ould look a t his bow and th en a t th e deadly noose
th ro w n by th e enem y ; he w ould look a t th e n ig h t th a t
ap peared as if it w ould n ev er end ; he w ould look a t th e gods
th a t w ere crow ding in th e heavens ; h e w ould w an t to te a r
th e ea rth itself up by its roots.
He w ould cast his eyes on th e heroes assem bled ro u n d ;
he w ould th in k of th e fate th a t h ad b ro u g h t ab o u t th is
m isfortune ; once again he w ould look a t his po w erfu l bow
and th en at his arro w s ; an d th en he w ould cry aloud, 4H as
ever m an suffered lik e m e ? 1
We shall close th e stu d y of th is phase of R am as ch aracter
w ith one m ore ex tract. Seeing th a t it w as difficult to overcom e
his enem y by p u re force of arm s, In d ra jit w an ted to d estroy th e ir
m orale and so he created an autom aton resem bling Sita, b reath ed
life into it by his m agic art, cu t off its head in th e presence of
H anum an, and flew aw ay upon his ae rial ch ario t saying th a t he
w as going to invade A yodhya. W hen H anum an b ro u g h t this new s
to Ram a, R am as grief k n ew no bounds, and h e sw ooned aw ay.
A t length, rising from his trance, R am a spoke th ese w ords :

4It seem s m y curse ends n o t w ith S ita evn :

Needs m u st it sw allow u p m y race ; n o r know
I now w hom else it w ill destroy. O L ord !
Is th e re an end to th is ? an d then, m y b rothers,
W ill th ey be spared ? In his aerial car
F aste r th a n thought, th e foe to w ard s A yodh
Has flown, and is retu rn ed . The hom e th a t gave
Me* life, is sh a ttered now , w hile S ita h ere
Has fallen u n d er th e m u rd e re rs k n ife ! W h at else
Is coming, I know not, n o r w elcom e d e a th
I find ! 2

1 VI xviii 222-225.

2 VI x x v 78, 79.

RAMA

51

This capacity for po ig n an t suffering is b u t th e obverse of

K am as n a tu ra lly affectionate disposition. T he p o et does n o t
forg et to point out th a t even as a child R am a h ad k in d w ords a n d
sw eet looks for th e v eriest strarigers. W hen V asishtha approves
-of R am as coronation, he says,
Tis little if I say he loved all m en
E vn as he loves him self : th e love h e bears
To thee, ev n th a ts th e m easure of his love
To all things living. 1
W hen th e rough forest king G uha comes to see him on th e
banks of th e G anga, R am a is so m oved by his love fo r h im self
th a t he begins to love him as if he w ere a blood-brother. A n d
so .when G uha desires to accom pany him so u th w ard an d serve
him all the fo u rteen years of his exile, he addresses to him th ese
feelin g w ords :
Thou a rt dear to m e as life : an d th is m y b ro th er
Is b ro th er to thee as w ell, and th is fair one
Is kin to thee ; and all th e se a -g irt e a rth
Is thine of rig h t w hilst I ad v en tu re on,
T h y duties doing. H appiness comes to us
Alone ih the w ake of m isery. G rieve n o t
T herefore th a t now we p a rt : w e w ere b u t four
B efore : to -d ay w ith thee w ere b ro th ers five
A ttached one t an o th er w ith loving bonds.
L akshm an, th y b ro th er, is here to suffer all
For m e ...............
Thy other b ro th er B h arat is th ere to g uard
O ur k indred in th e n o rth ; now tell m e who
B ut thee can g u ard our k in d red here ? T hy m en,
A re not th ey m ine ? T hen stay thou h ere an d w atch
Oer them till I retu rn . 2
Such w as th e dep th of R am as affection for G uha th a t S ita
in h er lonely stay at th e A shoka grove w ould go into ra p tu re s
w hen she rem em bered,
how R am a said to G uha, hum ble fo rester as he w as,
L aksh m an a is th y ow n b rother, an d S ita h ere is b ro th ers
w ife to thee !
Two others R am a loved w ith th e sam e k in d of b ro th erly
i II i 38.

2 II vi 68-71.

52

KAMBA

RAM AYANAM A STUDY

affectionS ugriva, w hom he sw ore to avenge as soon as he h eard

th a t his elder b ro th er V ali w as hounding him , an d V ibhishana,
w ho w as disgusted at th e conduct of his ow n b ro th er R avana in
refusing to send back Sita, and w ho h ad come to Ram a as a
refugee from L anka. So, w hen he crow ns V ibhishana as K ing 'of
L anka, he tells him,
*W hen G uha joined us on G angas banks,
I counted m yself blessed w ith b ro th ers four :
S u g riv to m e a fifth did add ; and now
W ith thee we are become sevn loving brothers.
B lest v erily is fa th e r D ash arath :
One son he banished to th e forests w ild,
B ut sons on sons do grow on him , and bless
His royal n a m e / 1
T ow ards B h arata and L akshm ana and H anum an, R am as
affection grow s into a ten d erer plant. We have referred to
R am as grief a t seeing B h arata coming to th e C h itra k u ta hill clad
in h e rm its weeds. He has few occasions to ex hibit his love for
h im in th e course of his w anderings in th e forest and the w ar
w ith the Rakshasas. B ut B h arata is n ev er absent from his h e a rt
even for a single m om ent. A nd th e m em ory of his sublim e n a tu re
w as one of the m ost d early prized com panions of his lonely
thoughts. F or w hen he sends a m essage th ro u g h S u m an tra to
A yodhya from th e threshold of the ju n g le country, he asks him
to req u est V asishtha on his behalf to console B h arata in his grief
w h en he should h ea r of his exile, and asks him also to tell
B h a ra ta not to be an g ry w ith his m other for having bro u g h t about
h is banishm ent. W hen L akshm ana, seeing B h a ra ta approach
tow ard s w h ere R am a w as on th e C h itra k u ta hill, charges him w ith
desiring to k ill R am a, R am a expostulates w ith him an d says,
I t is th y love to me, brother, th a t m akes thee blind to
B h a ra ta s virtues. I reg ard th e Vedas them selves as no m ore
th a n com m entaries on B h a ra ta s life. Is it th e p a rt of w isdom
n o t to see th a t it is his love for me th a t draw s him h ere and
th a t he m ust be com ing h ere to offer m e th e crow n ? . . . . '
C anst th o u suspect th u s our B h arata, th e touchstone of'
honour, th e v ery God of suprem e V irtu e ? 2
H ow n e a r B h a ra ta w as to R am as h e a rt is show n in a m ore
po in ted m an n er by th e poet w hen he describes th e single combat.
i V I i v 146.

2 II xii 44, a45.

53

HAMA

of V ali an d S ugriva. As S ugriva an d V ali w ere w restlin g w ith

each other, L aksh m an a spoke to R am a condem ning th e conduct
of S ugriva in h av in g in v ited him to k ill his ow n b ro th er. B u t
R am a said,
...................................... 4If all
W ere lik e in th e ir devotion to th e ir brothers,
How can m y' B h a ra ta be placed th e first
V th list of loyal b ro th ers ? 1
The read er w ill not fail to notice th e veiled blow aim ed a t
L akshm ana him self 2 who m ust have been proud, an d n o t w ith o u t
reason, of his u n w av erin g loyalty to his b ro th e r R am a. T his
veiled cut at L akshm ana by praising B h arata. is suggested b y
V alm iki him self, b u t he introduces th a t sen tim en t a t th e tim e
w hen R am a is consulting his council as to w h eth e r th e y should
adm it V ibhishana into th e ir cam p as an ally. A nd V alm iki m akes
Ram a say th e re and R am a is addressing bo th S u g riv a an d
L akshm ana a t th e tim e ,
f N o t a ll b ro th e rs, c h ild , are like Bharata,
nor a ll son s lik e m y s e lf !

This snub is m ore cruel being ad m in istered in th e presence

of others though friends w hile th e self-p raise tak es aw ay
som ething from the ch aracter of Rama. The situ atio n th a t
K am ban has chosen for the expression of th e sentim ent, an d th e
sup p ressio n of th e self-p raise show him once again th e g ra n d
connoisseur as w ell as a rtist th a t he is.
B ut th e superior praise given by R am a to B h a ra ta does n o t
m ean th a t he loves L akshm ana less. In fact, how could h e love
anybody m ore th a n his inseparable com panion w ho h ad le ft a ll
and w as suffering all for his sake ? We have re fe rre d to R am as
feelings w hen he saw L aksh m an a building h im his cottage a n d
also w hen L aksh m an a w as b ro u g h t dow n by th e N aga-pasha of
In d ra jit. We m ay say th a t Ram a reg ard ed him as his ow n child.
F or did not S u m itra tell L akshm ana in his ow n presence th a t h e
should look upon Ram a as a fath e r ? A nd w as n o t L ak sh m an a
doing him every service th a t a son does to his fa th e r ?
1 IV v 34.
2 For if Lakshmana suffered all for Kama, was he not unkind to his
other brother Bharata?
V

54

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

A nd so R am a heaps on him all his ten d erest ep ithetsb u t

alm ost alw ays in his absence. T hus w hen he finds th a t w h at
L akshm an a had forew arned him of h ad come tru e, nam ely, th a t
th e golden deer w as not really a deer b u t a R akshasa in disguise,
h e exclaim s to him self,
*Ah, wise, verily wise is m y d ear child, th e life of m y
life, th e soul of m y very soul !
So also w hen L akshm ana w as w ay -laid by A jom ukhi and
did not come back in tim e, R am a w en t out in search of him in
th e forest and gave v en t to his love and an x iety for him in these*
w ords :
S till he is not come back, the d earest p a rt
Of m y life. Alas, has he sunk n eath th e load
Of m y g reat grief ? Eyes have I none b u t him
To lead m e on in this d ark wood. How th en
Can I w ith bleeding h e a rt th e jungle scan
And find out if he lives ? O L akshm ana !
My only staff in life ! h ast thou th e h e a rt
To hide th y face from m e ? H earst thou, m y child ?
H ard v erily is th y h e a rt !
Sit ju st to m ake me roam in search of thee
As w ell, m y fearless lion, w ho left th y all
A nd follow ed m e ? *1
W e shall give one final e x tra ct from our poet to illustrate*
R am as affection for L akshm ana. W hen L akshm ana w en t to*
fight his last b attle w ith In d ra jit, Ram a did not accom pany h im
b u t rem ained in th e cam p aw aitin g th e result. A nd this is how
K am ban describes his feelings d u rin g L ak sh m an as absence :
He w aited on w ith an anxious, to rtu red h ea rt,
To him self oft repeating, sure, he w ill
C onquer the guileful R akshasa, and p ray in g
M ay D harm a be an arm o u r to m y b ro th er !
....................... A nd keeping eer his eyes fixed on th e way:
His b ro th er w ould come, evn as good B h arata
In h erm its robes w ith m any a p ra y e r w as
A w aiting him, a t len g th he saw th e m arch
T riu m p h al of his b ro th er tow ards th e camp. 2
;

u n i*

63, 67, 68, 71.

#
2 VI xxvli 64.

RAMA

The sight d rew tears from R am as eyes.

th e poet com m ents upon it :

55

A nd this is how

The tears th a t flowed from R am as lotus eyes

W hen he his b ro th e rs form descried, w ere th e y
The liquid stream of love ? or w ere th e y tears
Induced by p ain fu l m em ories of th e p ast ?
O r w ere th y tears of joy ? O r w ere th ey b u t
The tokens of His m ercy infinite ? 1
The affection of R am a to H anum an is th e affection of a g reat
G uru to a g reat disciple. He honours th e learn in g an d w isdom
an d physical stren g th of th e g reat V anara. B ut th is respect isw arm ed by personal affection w hich arose a t th e v ery first sight
of him , an d grew stro n g er by ev ery day th a t passed. I t is to
him th a t R am a en tru sts his signet rin g and his m ost in tim ate
m essage to Sita, a t th e tim e th a t he sends th e V an ara host in
search of her. I t is to him th a t he e n tru sts th e rin g once again,
th is tim e in o rd er to p rev en t B h a ra ta from fallin g into th e fire.
I t is him th a t he keeps by his side as his con stan t com panion
an d friend, and it is on his jo y fu lly offered shoulders th a t h e
rides durin g his g reat battles w ith th e R akshasas.
If w e say th a t Ram a was all affection for G uha, S ugriva and
V ibhishana, and th a t he loved H anum an, L ak sh m an a an d B h arata,
how shall w e describe his love for th e beau tifu l, th e holy, th e
all-suffering Sita ? It w as an all-ab so rb in g love, w as his love
for his incom parable spouse. The g reat com poser of S outh India,
T hiyagayya, says th a t R am as love for S ita w as as un iq u e as his
loy alty to his pledged w ord an d his skill in arch ery .2 T h at love
adds new n erv e to his lio n -lik e stren g th a t J a n a k a s court, because,
The m assive bow th a t like th e M eru h ill
Before him lay, he lig h tly lifted up
As if it w ere th e w edding g arlan d b rig h t
F or his beloved ! 3
T h at love m akes him d istracted ly apostrophise th e moon and
M a n m a th a 4 on th e n ig h t previous to th e Svaya m va ra of
Sita. A nd th a t sam e intense love m akes h im rav e like a
1 VI xxvii 65.

2 Oka mata, oka banamu, oka patni ! One his word, one his arrow*
aim, and one his beloved spouse.
4 The God of Love.
3 I xii 33.

56

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

m ad m an w hen he loses her, and fall dow n like a lig h tn in g -stru ck

sal tree w hen he hears th a t she has ju st been m u rd ered by
In d rajit.
K am ban does not describe an y en tran cin g love scenes betw een
R am a and Sita. He m akes them first speak to each o th er only
w hen R am a desires to ta k e leave of Sita at th e tim e of sta rtin g
for the forest. T here is a w orld of suggestion in th e ir w ords of
th e ir hap p y dom estic life, and it is generally by suggestion th a t
K am ban speaks of the ineffable love th a t th ey b ear tow ards each
other. Thus w hile w alking tow ards the country w atered by th e
G anga, Ram a and Sita enjoy in each o th ers com pany the delightful
Sights of ru ra l n atu re. They see th e sw ans sporting w ith each
o th e r in the distance. Sita sees h er lo rd s feet mock the lotuses
in freshness of colour and beauty of shape. The blue lotus
lu x u ria n tly grow ing in the brooks puts Ram a in m ind of th e soft
eyes of his beloved Sita. The lake banks w here sleep th e royal
swans, th e sand dunes in th e open country, the groves full of
young trees and sm iling flowers, and the g reat G anga herself
delight th e ir h earts and add rom ance to th eir ever deepening love.
T hey b ath e together in the holy G anga. They enjoy to g eth er
th e w ild beauties of th e forest, and it is th ere th a t R am as w ords
become m ore and m ore ten d er tow ards Sita. She is A ru n d h a ti1
to him and sw eeter th an am brosia. She is his u n p ain tab le beauty.
S he is to him th e am rit th a t rose at the churning of th e M ilk
Ocean. She is th e sw eet-singing koil bird fairer th an th e dancing
peacock. She is his light, and the life of w om anhood itself. She
is the fair one th a t could teach v irtu e to A ru n d h a tis self. She
is the one th e very thought of w hom is am brosia to him.
R am as passionate love for Sita appears m ost w hen, a t th e
tim e of giving his final instructions to H anum an ju st before th e
V anaras w ere sent all over th e earth to search for Sita, he dw ells
w ith delight upon th e beauty of h er form, and calls to m ind th e
little telling incidents of th eir m arried and p re-m arriag e days.
T hus he tells H anum an,
Even the lotus has its petals pale,
Th moon has got its spot, and w here is form
Of any kind w ith o u t th e slightest fau lt ?
'

"But thou w ilt see no im p erfection m ar

H er shapely form.

G reat B rahm a m ade th e flute

1 The wife of Vashistha held up to all womankind as the ideal of

wifely virtues and womanly chastity.

RAMA

51

A nd vin a , parrots, koils, an d ch ild ren s babble,

A n d th en he coped all sw eetness w ith h er voice :
B u t n o u g h t could he create to p arallel
H er speech and tone ; an d can he e er succeed
J f h e should try evn now for all his life ?
Though e a rth and heaven should search to find its lik e
.W hat can approach a m r it1 in taste ? A nd w h at
Can eer com pare w ith th e sw eetness of h e r speech ?
Thou th in k st of honey and a m rit : b u t can
They ee r delight the ea r ?
Rem ind h e r th a t our eyes did first com m ingle
W hen I a stran g er came to M ithla tow n,
The w hile she stood beside th e dovecot fair
In h er virgin bow er. Recall again to h er
How I beheld h er form, like a lig htning young,
A nd full of grace, at J a n k a s palace hall.
Tell h er I call to m ind h er g reat resolve,
W hen I th e bow of Shiva broke in tw o,
To end herself if I should o th er prove
T han w hom she saw w ith holy K aushika.
R ecall to h er m y w ords, w hen she resolved
To follow m e to w ilds unseen before :
I said, O Sita, thou w ert a fo u n t of joy
To m e till now : but now thou w ilt become
The source of griefs innu m erab le if thou
P ersist in th y desire. A nd she rep lied
W ith tears in h er eyes, w hen thou dost leave
T hy crow n, and tak e thyself to forest life,
O love, is ev ery th in g supportable
By thee excepting only m e ? A nd last
Rem ind h er how, w hen w e had b arely passed
The gates of O udh, she stopped and asked, *W here is
The forest boundless in expanse ? A re we
A rriv ed in it ? 2
How deep, how ten d er, how loyal m ust be th e love th a t
could trea su re up in its h eart, and dw ell w ith in ten se d elig h t
upon such incidents as these ?
So w hen, w ith th e - aid of h er m agical pow ers, S h u rp a n ak h a
.takes the shape of a w om an of en tran cin g b eau ty an d approaches
1 The immortal drink of the gods.
2 IV x 60, 62, 63, 67-72.

58

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

h im w ith lu stfu l intentions, R am a m erely exclaim s, *w here is th e

lim it to b eau ty of shape ? , b u t his h e a rt is absolutely untouched.
A s th e m eeting w ith S h u rp a n ak h a brings into prom inence th e
unshakeab le lo y alty of R am as love for S ita, w e tra n sla te t h e
scene and give it below alm ost in extenso :
A nd th e d au g h ter of duplicity approached, fu ll of sw eet
speech, h e r feet shapely and soft as th e fresh red lotus and
leaf-buds, h e r appearance recalling to m ind th e ten d er creeper
and th e sw an an d th e young peacock.
The Goddess of th e golden lotus h erself w ould yield to
iler in b eau ty ; h e r face gleam ed w ith th e lig h t of h e r
lance-lik e eyes ; an d she w as like lig h tn in g descending from
th e skies.
H er form h ad th e grace of th e K alpaka creeper ; h e r
w ords b reath ed tenderness and love ; she w alked on like a
gay peacock, b u t h er eyes she took from th e y oun faw n.
H er an k lets and h er b elt-b ells, h er gold garlands an d
th e bees buzzing about th e flowers in h er hair-, ann o u n ced
th a t a fair one w as approaching, an d R am a tu rn ed his eyes
in th a t direction.
She cam e like softest am brosia w hich th e Devas w ere
delighted to offer an d w ith h er w aist a little b en t u n d er th e
w eight of h e r superb bust, an d He w ho in His m ercy o p en eth
th e eyes of w isdom to His devotees 1 now saw h e r b efore
his eyes.
He saw th a t m elting form , th e like of w hich w as not to
be found in Svarga or th e e a rth or th e w orld beneath, an d
th o u g h t w ith in him self, W ho can confine th e S p irit o f
B eauty ? W here is th e lim it to b eau ty of shape ?
A nd she th a t w as fu ll of desire p u t into h er expression
all th e charm she could com m and, joined h e r han d s to g eth er
in salute, lig h tly bran d ish ed th e lances of h er fascinating
eyes, and softly stepped aside lik e a young faw n. 2
A fter p relim in ary inquiries, in rep ly to w hich she says th a t
she is th e sister of K u b era and R avana, R am a asks h er w h at shew an ts of him , an d th en th e colloquy continues th u s :
*I ts h a rd for fair ones nobly born to speak
The love th a t b u rn s th e ir h ea rts : alas for me,
My life doth ebb aw ay an d th e re is none
To help m e here. W hat can I in th is plight,
1 Rama

2 III v 31-37.

'

RAMA

S a v e s p e a k to th e e in b o ld n e s s a l l I fe e l ?
I p r a y th e e , s a v e m e f r o m t h e c r u e l d a r ts
T h a t M a n m a th a im s a t m e ! T h u s b o ld ly s h e
H e r b a d a n d lu s t- f ille d h e a r t la id b a r e , th e w h ile
H e r lig h tn in g g la n c e s d id h e r t a le c o n firm ,
W h e r e a t K a u s a ly a s so n th o u g h t in h is h e a r t,
* N o s h a m e h a s s h e , a n d e v il is h e r m in d .
S h e d id n o t s e e h is th o u g h ts , a n d o n c e a g a in
B e g a n : 41 k n e w n o t u n t i l n o w t h a t th o u
W e r t h e r e : a n d so m y tim e a n d y o u th w e r e lo s t
I n s e rv ic e d o n e to h e r m its d e e m e d w is e .
Q u o th R a m , 4 T h e S h a s tr a s d o s u c h u n io n s
C o n d e m n a s th o u d e s ir e s t : f o r th o u c o m s t
O f B r a h m a n s to c k , a n d I a m K s h a t r iy a b o r n .
4 I f th is is a ll th o u u r g s t, s a id S h u r p n a k h a
41 d ie n o t y e t ; f o r th o u g h m y f a t h e r w a s
B r a h m a n , m o th e r w a s a R a k s h a s q u e e n .
H e h e a r d th e lu s t f u l R a k s h a s i : t h e s h a d e
O f a b u d d in g s m ile su ffu s e d h is lo tu s lip s
W h ile th u s h e s p o k e : 4 T h e w is e d e c la r e t h a t m e n
S h o u ld n o t d a m s e l w e d o f R a k s h a s b i r t h .
4 W h a t fo o l I w a s to s a y , th o u g h t S h u r p n a k h a ,
4 T h a t I w a s R a v a n a s s is te r ! T h e n a lo u d
Q u o th sh e , 4 A s f r u i t o f g r e a t a u s te r itie s
I h a v e m y s h a m e f u l R a k s h a s b i r t h c a s t off,
A n d G o d h a s b le s s e d m e w ith th is c o m e ly f o r m .
T o h e r, th u s H e w h o m V e d a s th e m s e lv e s fin d
F o r e e r to b e b e y o n d t h e i r u tm o s t d e p th :
4 I f th o u a r t s is te r to th e s o v e re ig n ,
A s th o u d o s t sa y , o f a ll th e w o rld s , a n d if
T h y o th e r b r o t h e r is K u b e r , a f r a id
A m I to m a r r y th e e u n le s s th e y g iv e
T h e e w a y in s o le m n fo rm ! 4 B u t k n o w s t n o t t h o u /
P e r s is te d sh e , 4 G a n d h a r v a r ite s a r e fix e d
F o r th o s e lik e u s w h o m m u tu a l lo v e h a s jo in e d ?
W h e n th u s o u r lo v e is s a n c tifie d , m y b r o th e r s
W ill g la d ly w e lc o m e th e e . N o w th e y m a k e w a r
O n h o ly m e n ; a n d f u ll o f sin a n d r a g e
A r e th e y ; u n a id e d th o u s h o u ld s t n o t a p p r o a c h
T o w h e r e th e y a r e . W h e n I s h a ll m a k e th e e k in g
O f e a r t h a n d h e a v e n , th e n w ill th e y co m e a n d s e r v e
A n d c la s p t h y lo tu s f e e t. R a m la u g h e d a lo u d ,
A n d s a id , 4 w ith th e e a s w ife , a n d R a k s h a s h o s ts

KAMBA

BAM AYA N A M A

STUDY

As friends, w ith all th e endless w ealth th a t comes

To m e w ith thee, am I n o t blest indeed ? 91
A lthough she saw th a t R am a w as m ocking a t her, she d id
n o t give up hope. A nd so, as S ita approached R am a ju s t a t th e
m om ent, she th o u g h t th a t she m ight be ju st an o th er w om an lik e
herself who w as come to Ram a w ith intentions sim ilar to h e r ow n,
and she w arned him against h er saying th a t she, Sita, w as a
m a n -e atin g R akshasi disguised. B ut w hen S ita nestled h erself
in R am as breast for fear of herself, and w hen Ram a bid h e r go
aw ay and w ent into his cottage accom panied by S ita w ho w as
still clinging to him,
She was like one stru ck dum b, h er life w as fled.
H er b reath stopped short, nor knew she w here she w as
Or w hat she thought. B ut jealous thoughts soon rose
And ag itated once again h er breast.
And then she slowly said w ithin herself,
Deep verily is his love for h er ! 12
T hat was R am as love for Sita, a deep abiding love, w hich
charm s, the most fascinating, could not for a m om ent alter.
It was his excessive love for h er th a t m ade him d isreg ard
L akshm an as w arning and go afte r th e golden d eer him self, an d
thus sow the seed of endless m isery to him self as w ell as to Sita.
For w hen L akshm ana offered, as the best of a bad bargain, to
h u n t the deer and bring it him self,
P outing h er am brosia-dropping ru b y lips,
Like a sw eet-tongued p arro t young she lisped, T hen, thou
W ouldst not thyself pursue and cap tu re him
For me ? and left him w ith tears flowing dow n
H er cheeks. B ut Ram a could not bear to see
H er in a pet, and said, My golden love,
Behold I m yself go and I shall bring
Him in a trice. 3
So saying he asked L akshm ana to g uard S ita in his absence
-and h u rried after the golden deer.
1 III v 45-56.
2 III v 70. Aiyer follows a different reading of the 3rd line of the
^original poem.
3 III vii 237, 238.

RAMA

61

A gain w h en he re tu rn e d from his fruitless h u n t an d found not

S ita, he w as
lik e th e soul th a t had left th e body for a w hile and
re tu rn in g on its w ay finds it not in its place an d m ourns its
loss. He w as like one whose all w as sw allow ed up by the
e a rth an d w ho h ad nothing else to call his ow n.1
The d ep th of R am
as love is again described
_ by H anum an to
S ita a t th e A shoka grove w hen he tells h er how R am a w as grieving
for her. One stanza m ust suffice for us. He says,
*I bless thee, m other, for I have found out at last th e
secret spring of R am as life. Thou h ast not q u itted his h e a rt
and th a t is w hy he liveth yet. A nd w here h a th he a life to
p a rt w ith, w hen thou his life a rt here ? 2
It is th is sam e intense love th a t m akes R am as h e a rt th rill
a t th e sight of th e jew el th a t S ita sends him th ro u g h H anum an.
Says th e poet,
He w as lik e a m an changed. W hen th e jew el w as placed
in his hands, his feelings w ere even as on th e day w hen first
before th e holy fire he clasped h er hand.
His h a ir stood on end ; tears flowed freely from his eyes ;
th e re w as a trem o r in his arm s and chest ; sw eat drops
suffused his w hole body ; he b reath ed h eav ily ; his body
sw elled w ith joy. Oh, w ho can te ll all th a t passed in his
h e a rt ? 3
T here is a b lo t in R am as love, b u t of th a t w e shall speak
w hen w e come to Sita. Now w e shall close th e stu d y of R am as
ch a ra cte r w ith an exam ination of his valour, his m agnanim ity,
an d his lo y alty to his pledged w ord.
R am a is th e ideal hero of India. The g reat poet B ana gave
th e d ram a of R am as life th a t he w rote, th e nam e of
M ahaviracharitra th e life of th e G reat Hero. S h ri K rishna, w hen
h e is describing his ow n glories as th e S uprem e One in th e te n th
c h a p ter of th e B hagavad G ita, gives R am a th e first place am ong
w arrio rs. He says, R a m a h shastra bhrtcfm a h a m am ong those
skilled in th e han d lin g of w eapons of w ar know m e to be Ram a.
A nd K am b an s description of R am as v alo u r an d exploits rises
fu lly to th e h eig h t of such a g ran d conception.
Indeed, in a w ay, th e w hole story of R am as life in o u r epic
is a sto ry of heroic deeds and v alian t fights. E ven w hile he w as
v e ry young, th e fam e of his stren g th h ad sp read fa r an d w ide,
and th e R ishi V ish v am itra chse him , of a ll princes an d heroes,
1 HI vili 158.

2 V v 77.

3 V xv 82, 83.

62

KAMBA

B A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

as th e protector of his Y a jn a -b h u m i. 1 A nd g reat w arrio r th a t h e

him self w as in th e days of his w orldly life, V ishvam itra,
supplem ented th e m ilita ry train in g of R am a an d L ak sh m an a
d u rin g th e ir sojourn w ith him , w ith his ow n special teaching.
R am a's skill in arch ery and th e stren g th of his arm a r e
adm ired by th e poet a t every step. T ad ak as ad am an tin e b o d y
is pierced by one d a rt sped from his m ighty bow. V ish v am itra
cannot speak too highly or too often of his stren g th and skill.
W hen A halya is freed from h er curse by th e touch of th e d u s t
fallen from his feet, V ishvam itra tells him h er story and a t th e
end of it b u rst out w ith th e follow ing w ords :
A nd een th e sin of G autam s w ife h as been
O rdained for good : th erein I see a hope
F or the suffering world. F or in th e m arvellous fight
W ith T adaka I saw th e stren g th of th in e arm ,
A nd h ere I see th e v irtu e of th y feet ! 2
A gain at J a n a k a s Court, w hile introducing Ram a, V ish v am itra
m u st needs sing th e praises of R am as valo u r in th ree verses :
Note thou, m y lord, the stren g th of th e b eau tifu lly long
and m uscular arm s of th is m anly boy, w ho is d a rk ev en
as th e ocean w ith its incessant roaring b reak ers : it w as b u t
one arrow of his, b u t it pierced th e h e a rt of T adaka of th e
flaming eyes, and after piercing h er h e a rt tore th ro u g h th e
rocks, and th e trees, and the solid e a rth itself.
*Endless w ere th e heads of the R akshasas th a t fell th a t
day and w ere piled one over another like hills on hills. O ne
arrow of his sent one of th e R akshasis sons to th e o th e r
w orld : I know n o t w h at becam e of h er o th er son ; b u t th o u
seest th a t m y yajna is com pleted and I am here.
4
Again, O king, behold the w eapons w hich I ta u g h t h im
to use w eapons th a t B rahm a him self w ill not find it easy
to handle. T h in k of it, even I w ho ta u g h t him th e ir use;
am astonished a t th e w ay th a t they obey his w ill and a r m / 3
K am ban generally takes care th a t R am a does not boast ab o u t
his prow ess him self. B ut th ere are occasions w hen R am a cannot
b u t speak of his stren g th and pow er him self. F or instance, w h en
he h ears from Ja ta y u s lips th a t R avana has carried aw ay S ita,
he b ursts out into a te rrib le w ra th and th rea ten s th e w hole w o rld
w ith destruction. K am ban describes his w ra th in these w ords :
i Sacrificial ground.

2 I i x 82.

3 I xi 26-28.

63

RAMA

He scarce h ad spoke w hen ru sh ed th e blood a t once

To R am as eyes ; a storm w as in his b re a th ;
A frow n settled on his m an ly brow ; th e spheres
In te rro r shook ; th e stars th e ir orbits fled ! . . . .
The w orlds lay crouching lest his sudden w ra th
Should b u rst on th em ; w hen w ith a sm ile th a t m e an t
D estruction dire, he th u s addressed th e b ird : 1
*Behold th e World on its stab le axis m oves
A nd gods unm oved look on, w hile in th e ir sight
A R akshas carries off a helpless dam e,
A nd th o u a rt m angled th u s in h er defence !
I w ill destroy th em all in one single ruin.
The stars shall scattering fall ! The sun shall b u rst !
The void of heaven shall shim m er w ith th e lig h t
Of b u rn in g spheres ! A nd w ater, air, an d fire
A nd all th a t lives an d m oves shall soon dissolve
To th e ir em bryon atom s ! A nd m y w ra th shall end
The gods them selves in heaven. A nd th o u w ilt see
The circling universe an d all th a t lies
Beyond, b u rst like a bubble in th e stream ! 2
W hen, afte r th e rain y season is over, S ugriva does n o t bring
Jiis V an ara host according to his stip u latio n in o rd er to begin the
search for Sita, R am a sends L aksh m an a to K ishkinda, th e capital
o f Sugriva, w ith th e follow ing th re a t :
Tell him , said Ram a, th a t th e bow w hich We
H ave b en t to stablish R ighteousness, and end
A ll evil ones, un b ro k en y et doth rest
In O ur han d s ; and let him know th a t Y am 3 has n o t
Y et ceased to w ork, nor We to han d le d arts ! 4
W hen R av an as spies are caught and are bro u g h t before him ,
lie bids them tell R avana th a t he w ould destroy him , even if
R u d ra and V ishnu and all th a t live in all th e w orlds come an d
h elp him , and th a t he w ould pacify th e sp irit of Ja ta y u s by
sacrificing to it in th e blood of his adversary.
W hen a t th e close of th e first d ay s b attle R av an as bow s an d
chariots are destroyed, an d he stands alone, unarm ed, w ith all
his arm y ann ih ilated , R am a addresses him some stinging w ords
i Jatayus.
3 Yama is the God of Death.

2 HI vii 201, 203-206.

4 IV viii 4.

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A STUDY

w h erein h e speaks of his ow n prow ess.

w ord s :

H ere are som e o f his;

K now thou the gods them selves w ith all th eir m ight
W in not if u njust is th eir cause. Thou hadst
This very day been dead, did not I stay
My arm for pity sake, because thou sta n d st
Helpless, alone, upon the field. If canst,
T o-m orrow bring the flower of th y troops,
Or seek in flight precarious safety. L isten !
If thou send S ita back, and Svargas throne
Restore to Indra, and V ibhishan crow n
As L an k as king, thyself his w ill obeying,
Then I m y deadly arrow s shall w ithhold.
B ut if, perverse, in th y evil thou persist,
B ring all th y stren g th and face me on the field.
T hy evil soul m ight tu rn to good if thou
Should even die by m y darts. But th in k no m ore
Thou canst retu rn alive from here. 1
B ut such passages w here Ram a him self speaks of his prowess
are com paratively rare. The read er gets an idea of R am as valour
m uch m ore from the lips of the other characters and R am ak acts
of heroism on the field than from R am as speeches. The read er
w ill rem em ber R avanas description of his first b attle w ith Rama.
The terrib le P arash u Ram a w hen he sees him bend w ith ease
th e bow w ith w hich he challenged him, bows down his head in
acknow ledgm ent of defeat and says,
*I doubt not now th a t thou a rt V ishnus self !
Saved is the earth from all her ills, for ev n
The bow I gave thee now cannot suffice
For th y lion strength ! 2
The invincible Vali, as the read er w ill find in C hapter X I,
speaks of R am as valour in no m easured term s. A nd it is his
valour m ore th an anything else th a t binds th e m ighty H anum an
and Sugriva to his cause and to him self for ever. And
.................... it hum bled R avans p ride :
No fu rth e r proof thou needst of R am as valour. 3
1 VI xiv 252-255.
2 I xxii 38.
3 See page 20. We do not describe in this chapter the exploits of
Rama in detail, as we reserve them for the chapters dealing with the
Rakshasas, and especially his great adversary Ravana.

05

RAMA

I f R am as v alo u r is g reat and unique, his m ag n an im ity is

g re a te r and still m ore unique. We have seen how h e ab stain ed
from fu rth e r attack in g R avana w hen he stood defenceless and
u n arm ed on the field of battle. Even w hile he w as a m ere youth,
h is chivalrous instincts w ere so delicate th a t he w ould n o t aim
h is arro w ag ain st T ad ak a because she w as a w om an, an d
V ishvam itra had to persuade him h a rd to a tta c k her, rem inding
h im of h er violence against all things living th a t cam e w ith in
h e r reach. The read e r w ill rem em ber th a t he en tertain s no
ran co u r against K aikeyi for bringing about his exile. W hen his
fa th e r descends from svarga and em braces him on th e b attle-field
in L an k a a t th e tim e of S itas sacrifice, th e one boon th a t he asks
of him is to call back th e curse w hich he h ad pronounced w hile
still in th e lan d of th e living against K aikeyi an d B h arata. This
is how our poet presents th e colloquy betw een fa th e r an d son :
Thus R am his fa th e r ten d erly addressed :
W hen th o u w ert h ere below, O fa th e r m ine,
Thou d idst ab ju re m y m o th er K aikeyi
A nd B h arata th y law ful son : g ran t m e
T o-day th a t she m ay once again be m o th er
To me, and he m y b ro th er as ever before.
I g ran t , said D asharath, *th a t guiltless B h arat
Be once again th y b ro th er : b u t th e sinful she,
(A nd th e hands th a t held his R am a to his h e a rt
Fell lim p, the w hile he spake these vengeful w ords)
The h eartless one th a t robbed thee of th y crow n
A nd m ade thee w ear these h erm its weeds, shall not
Escape m y curse ! The p u re one th u s replied :
The sin was not m y m o th ers, b u t ra th e r mine,
T h at I saw not th e kingly office is
The p reg n an t source of endless sins an d crimes,
A nd at th y bidding underto o k to ru le
A yodhya, th y self living. Once again,
T herefore, let m e plead w ith thee, call back th a t curse. 1
A nd w hen R avana had fallen in battle, R am a does not, lik e
A chilles, w a r w ith th e dead, b u t directs V ibhishana to perfo rm
h is obsequies w ith all trad itio n al rites, saying and how nobly,
A lthough his evil has cleaved our h e a rt in tw ain,
L et us forgive ! 2
1 VI x x x v ii 129-131.

2 VI xxxvi 216.

66

KAMB

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

I t is this m agnanim ity greatness of soul w hich m akes h im

th e Suprem e Sharanagata Vatsala, th e lover of th e su p p lian t
refugee. He is ev er w aiting w ith open arm s to receive w ith love
all, no m a tte r w ho or w h at th ey m ay be, an d w h atev er th e in ju ries
th ey m ay have done to him , if, rely in g upon no th in g else, th e y
ta k e refuge in him . It is th is larg e h e a rt th a t em braces all,
forgives all, receives all, th a t has end eared his nam e to all th e
children of H industhan from generation to generation. A nd it
is th is sam e g ran d eu r of soul th a t has raised him from th e
position of an o rd in ary em peror to th a t of th e hero of th e g reat
n atio n al epic of B h arata K h a n d a ,1 and from th e position of th e
epic hero to v ery godhood. We shall give h ere some of th e b est
instances of th e display by him of this g ran d quality.
W hen on his en tran ce into the forest, th e Rishis p ray to h im
to p rotect th em against th e R akshasas, R am a offers to th e m
unhesitatingly his a b h a y a ,2 and says,
If they su rre n d er not,
My d arts w ill bring them dow n een if th ey flee
To o th er w orlds ! .....................
................... W hat use is life to me,
If I end n o t th e sinners th a t oppress
B rahm ans of holy vows ? ....................
.....................Whoso his life
Does sacrifice for saving B rahm ans, cows,
O r feeble ones, aye whoso sacrifices
His life for saving o th er life, behold
H es w orshipped by th e gods ! 3
A lthough In d ra s son had in ju red S ita disguising him self as
a crow, an d alth o u g h he him self h ad aim ed against him in h is
anger his d eath -d ealin g astra, he y e t pardons him w hen he falls
a t his feet an d p ray s for protection. W hen S ugriva approaches
him , w orn, w eak, oppressed, and h u n ted by his g reat b ro th er,
Vali, and he h ears his (S u g riv as) story from th e m o u th of
H anum an, he a t once sw ears, careless of all consequences, th a t
he w ould destroy V ali an d place S ugriva on th e v acan t th ro n e.
W hen V ali charges him w ith attack in g him u naw ares, R am a
rep eats to him th e vow th a t h e h ad ta k en :
1 The continent of BharatIndia.
2 Protection,literally , immunity from fear.
3 III iii 17, 19, 21.

67

RAMA

I t is m y ev er-p ressin g vow to help

TV oppressed, th e poor, and those forlorn 1 . . .

W hen V ibhishana, th e b ro th er of R avana, comes to R am as

c a m p as a refugee from th e w ra th of his b rother, R am a consults
th e V anara Council as to w h eth er th ey should adm it h im as a
frien d or no. Differences of opinion n atu ra lly arise, am ong w h ich
th e m ost in terestin g is th a t of S ugriva w ho forgets his ow n p a s t
record and opposes th e adm ission of V ibhishana on th e ground o f
h is treach ery to his own brother. But, afte r h earin g all of them
R am a finally accepts the opinion of H anum an, giving expression
^ t the same tim e to th e follow ing grand sentim ents ;
L et th ere be victory, let be defeat,
I cast not out th e m an th a t refuge takes
In me. W hy speak of this V ibhishana ?
L et come to me as su p p lian t th e m an
Whose cruel hands m y parents, brothers, friends,
H ad done to death. If leaving all oth er hope
He comes to me, him self surrendering,
T henceforth he is m y brother, lover, friend !
Evn if he does prove false, m y glory n ev r
W ould be eclipsed : tw ill only b u rn m ore b rig h t. 2
He is read y even to forgive R avana if he w ould come b ack
t o v irtu e and w holly su rren d er him self to him . For, does n o t
I n d ra jit him self say to his father,
If thou w ilt cease desiring Jan ak i,
T heir3 w ra th w ill cool, and they w ill go from hence
Forgiving us our evil w ays. 4
Such is th e g ran d eu r of soul of this suprem e hero !
We need not ex p atiate m uch on R am a's loyalty to his pledged
w ord, because th e w hole story is hinged and m otived on th a t
loyalty.
B ut w e should n o t forget th a t R am a gives as m uch
fespect to th e prom ise forcibly exacted by his step -m o th er from
h is fath e r as he gives to his ow n pledged word. W hen K ausalya
p ra y s him not to leave her, he silences h er by saying th a t h e
should not m ake his fa th e rs spoken w ord a lie. So he w ould n o t
go back to A yodhya even afte r his fa th e rs death, and even th ough
i IV vii 102.
3 Ramas and Lakshmanas.

2 VI iv 108, 109.
4 VI xxvii 6.

68

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

B h a ra ta him self places th e crown a t his feet. He would not haveb een the hero th a t he is, if he h ad listened to B h arata and if heh a d taken back the crown th a t he offered to retu rn .
S a t y a s a n k a l p a and D ridhavrata12, these are the titles th a t h e
loves most, and these titles no hero in story or in life deserves in
a n equal degree w ith Rama.
W ith this w e shall close the study of R am as character. Not
th a t we have exhaustively described or even m entioned all the fine
tra its in the character of this great hero. We can w rite about
th e delicate w ay in which he manages his friends and allies. For,
he alw ays knows, as if by instinct, w hat to say to each and w hen
to say. For instance, w hen he accepts H anum ans opinion
regarding the admission of Vibhishana, he m akes the rest of th e
V anaras also accept the opinion cheerfully by saying,
*B ut for your excess of pru d en t care for me, would not
every one of you have told me yourselves th a t we should
unhesitatingly take unto ourselves the suppliant Rakshasa ? 3
A nd look at the delicacy w ith which, after rem oving from
S ugrivas m ind the sense of his defeat in debate by the
preceding words, he asks him to go and bring him th e
R akshasa chief.
We can also w rite m uch about the great respect he alw ays,
shows to his elders, how even w hen he is obliged to contradict
o r disobey them , as, for exam ple, w hen V asishtha reiterates and
supports B h aratas request to him to retu rn to Ayodhya, he m akes
them feel th a t he does not abate one jot from the reverence th a t
h e owes them. We can w rite about his uniform kindness and
ready accessibility even to the lowest of the low. But, all this is
unnecessary. We hope, we have given the read er sufficient
m aterial to form an adequate m ental picture of the Rama of
K am ban, and we hope th a t this w ill create in him a desire to
study the poet in his own words and enjoy the en tire picture w ith
all its details filled in.
And where, is R am as like or superior in epic story ? Can
w e nam e Nestor along w ith him ? Can we nam e Ulysses ? Can
w e nam e the pious JEneas ? Can we nam e Y udhishthira or
Bhishm a ? Can we nam e along w ith him even the Messiah of
th e Paradise L ost or Him of the Paradise Regained ? We th in k
every one of these falls short by m any an inch of the statu re of
1 He whose one dynamic motive is truth.
2 He who never gives up a worthy resolution.
a VI iv 120.

RAMA

69

p u r Hama. R am a has th e v alo u r of Achilles, b u t is free fro m

th e littleness th a t would, for instance, conjure Jo v e to h u rl th e
G reeks, his ow n countrym en,
................... headlong to th e ir fleet and m ain,
To heap the shores w ith copious d eath and b rin g
The G reeks to know th e curse of such a King.
H am a has th e dignity of N estor and th e cleverness and th e
sk ill of Ulysses, b u t N estor lacks th e fire and delicate m o ral
sensibility, and Ulysses the straightness, of th e Prachanda
K odhanda Ram a 1 who w ill go through fire ra th e r th an go back
upon his pledged word. The M essiah is not w orked up by M ilton
w ith the same pow er w ith w hich he has w orked up his S atan a n d
Beelzebub or A dam and Eve, and his figure does not leave a
lasting im pression upon the r e a d e r im agination as does th e
figure of S atan ; and th ere is a shadow iness about him w hich
tak es aw ay a g reat deal from him , though as lite ra ry creations
th e y im press the read er w ith no less force th a n th e ch aracter
of our hero.
In fact, V alm iki searched long for an ideal hero w hose
achievem ents he could w ork out into a M ahakavya, an d N arad a
suggested to him the nam e of Shri Ram a as th e pro p er su b ject
for his contem plated poem. And, gran d ly has V alm iki ex a lte d
an d idealised th e ch aracter of th e g reat hero. B u t if V alm ikis
R am a is grand, K am bans Ram a is, as we have rem ark ed before,
g ra n d e r still. K am ban w ould leave no littleness, no crookedness,
no commonness, in his hero.
If K am bans R am a adm its V ibhishana into his friendship, h e
w ould not im m ediately question him about th e defences of L an k a,
so as to give the im pression, as V alm ikis hero does, th a t he to o k
h im prim arily for his usefulness as L an k as traito r. W hen V irad h a
lifts Sita up in order to carry h er off, V alm ikis R am a la m en ts
i n these w ords :
f O m y L akshm ana, the intentions o f K a ikey i tow ards u s,
the object w ith w hich she claim ed and obtained her p rayer,
the desire nearest to her heart have all been ve ry q u ic k ly
fulfilled today. For, fa r-sig h ted w om an th a t she is, she w a s
not satisfied m erely w ith obtaining the crow n for her son ;
she took care to banish m e to the forest also m e w ho h a ve
the good of all beings at h e a r t Behold, today m y
step -m o th ers heart m u st be verily delighted ! i
i Rama of the terrific bow called Kodhanda.

TO

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

A gain, w hen S ita has been actu ally carried off by Ravana^,
V alm iki m akes his Ram a say to L akshm ana :
' W hen I am dead /o r th e sake o f S ita , and w h en th o u
art gone, w ould n o t K aikeyV s heart be fu ll of jo y ? A n d
w ould n o t holy K ausalya, th e m other bereaved of her son,
have to w a it on K a ikeyi w ho has her son living and w ho has
everyth in g th a t she desires in th e w orld ? 9
B ut th e thoughts of K am bans Ram a, as w e have rem a rk e d
in an o th er connection, n ev er descend to th is w eak accusation of
K aikeyi. They are alw ays pitched in a higher key. N ever from
h is lips fall any w ords th a t condem n K aikeyi who has done h im
so m uch in ju ry not even w hen th e w orst m isfortunes befall him .
V alm iki again, m akes his Sita, w hile at A shokavana, to
apostrophise Ram a and say,
P e rh a p s, th y fath er's hard c o m m a n d s fu lfilled,
T h o u a r t r e tu r n e d to fa ir A y o d h ; a n d th e r e
P e r h a p s , t h y v o w s p e r f o r m e d , t h o u f e a r l e s s s p o r t s t
W ith la r g e -e y e d virgin s yo u n g .9

B u t K am bans R am a is too grand to be capable of being

suspected thus by his beloved Sita. For th e thoughts o f
K am b a n s Sita, w hile she is in this mood, w ould only tak e this,
lin e :
*P erchance his b rothers and m others, have they come
Again, and called him back to lovely O udh ?
B ut he w ould n eer retu rn , the w hile th e days
To K aikeyi vow ed unfulfilled y et rem ain.
Alas, has any ill befallen him ? 1
We m ay go on m ultiplying instances w ith o u t end to show t o
how g reat a h eig h t K am ban has raised th e ch aracter of Rama,.
B u t we hope th a t even th e m ost p artia l ad m irer of V alm iki w ill
b e satisfied w ith th e ex tracts th a t we have given from our poet,
a n d w ill accept our contention th a t K am bans R am a is cast in a
g ran d er m ould th an V alm ikis hero. A nd if he is superior t a
V alm ikis hero, is h not M ahavira indeed, th e g randest am ong
th e heroes of epic p oetry ?

i V iii 17.

C H A PTER VII

LAKSHMANA
HIS CHARACTER AND HIS FIRST BATTLES WITH INDRAJIT.
In th is chapter, -we tak e up th e stu d y o f th e character and
e x p lo its o f L akshm ana, th e brother and in sep arab le com panion
o f Ram a. L ak sh m an a h as id en tified h im se lf so m uch w ith R am a
th a t th e d ev o tees of R am a in th e T a m il-la n d d e lig h t to call him
b y th e n am e of f younger lord \ H is valou r is eq u al to th at of
R am a h im self, for h e is ab le to bring d ow n th e first o f th ose
th a t w ield th e bended bow , n am ely, Indra jit, th e son o f R avana,
B u t th e m ain sp rin g of h is ch aracter is n ot valou r or h eroism ,
th ou gh h e p ossesses th ese q u a lities to a w o n d erfu l d egree, but
lo v e an a ll-a b so rb in g , se lf-fo r g e ttin g lo v e for h is brother, th e
c h ie f o f h is race and th e first o f m en.
W e do not see m uch o f h im in th e F irst B ook. He, o f course,
accom p an ies R am a to th e fo rest w h en V ish vam itra tak es Ram a
to guard h is sacrificial grounds again st T ad ak a and her host. H e
is p erfected in h is k n o w le d g e of archery b y th e old R ish i w h o
tea ch es h im alon g w ith Ram a th e m ethod of in v o k in g m agical
w eap on s. H e m arries a d augh ter o f Janaka at M ithila. B u t,
g e n er a lly sp eak in g, h e is but th e sh ad ow of R am a all through th e
B alak an d a of th e Ramayana.
H is character, h ow ever, u n fold s itse lf rap id ly in th e Secon d
B ook o f th e poem . H e accom p an ies R am a to th e D urbar H all
w h e n th eir fath er sen d s for th e latter, and is p resen t w h e n
D ash aratha an nou nces to R am a h is in ten tion to crow n h im as
so v ereig n o f A yod h ya. B u t w h en th e n e x t m orn ing K a ik ey i sen d s
su d d en ly for Ram a, L akshm ana does n ot go w ith him , and so is
ign oran t o f th e n e w d ev elo p m en ts th at are tak in g p lace. T he
n ew s, h o w ever, is n ot lon g in reach in g him , and w h en h e h ears
th a t his b elo v ed brother is b ein g d ep rived o f h is rig h tfu l crow n
b y th e m ach in ation s o f h is step -m o th er, h is w h o le fram e throbs
w ith u n con trollab le anger, and h e starts for figh t lik e a cobra
p rovok ed . S a y s th e poet,
W hen L ak sh m an lea rn t th at K aik ai had th e p led ge
R evok ed o f D asharatha, and forced e x ile
On R am , h e rose in d ign an t lik e th e fire
T hat d oth on D isso lu tio n s D ay a ll th in gs

72

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

Consume. His eyes shot flame ; his fro n t shone b rig h t

L ike n o o n -d ay sun, and scorched his v ery h a ir ;
A nd sw eat suffused his lim bs ; his b re a th cam e in
A nd w en t tem pestuous ; and terrific
He looked like A di S h e s h 1 him self, in all
His fu ry roused ! 2
W hen he grasped th e fu ll significance of th e new s th a t reach ed
his ears, he laughed aloud saying,
Doth she desire to give to a dog th e m eat p rep ared fo r
a lion-cub ? W ise indeed is K aikeyi ! 3
He p u t on his arm our, girded on his sw ord, and took his
bow and quiver. He w ore on his ankle th e an k le t w orn by th e
invincible hero. A nd as he strode along th e streets of A yodhya,
th e fell sound of his an k let-b ells rose and fell sham ing th e ro a r of
th e sea ; and none d ared to encounter him . A nd he challenged
all m en saying,
41 stan d p rep ared to lig h ten M other E arth,
E xtinguish all th e sons of guilt, and h eap
T heir lifeless corpses up to heaven, and crow n
My R am as A yodhs king. W hoeer desires
To offer b attle, let th em come ! B et gods
O r Nagas, V idyadhars, m en or evn th e T hree
Suprem e w ho challenge me, I let no w om an
U surp th e th ro n e in th is m y sacred lan d . 4
As he w as th u s strid in g th e e a rth lik e th e
m ountain endow ed w ith life, frow ning on all aro u n d
b urning m idday sun, R am a h eard th e tw an g of his
th e w hile he w as consoling S u m itra in h e r grief a t
new s of his p artin g . And,

v ery M en i
even as th e
b o w -strin g s
th e sudden

His golden an k let g litterin g in th e sun,

B reath in g am brosial w ords, he h u rrie d on
To w here his L akshm an stood : so flies th e cloud
To quench th e w in d -fan n ed flam ing forest fire
Fum e-crow ned. 5
1 The thousand-hooded divine cobra on the Sea of Milk, on whose
lap sleeps the Supreme Narayana. Lakshmana is the avatar of Adi Shesh.
2 II iv 116.
3 i i iv 117.
II iv 121, 122.
5 i i iv 125.

L A K SH M A N A

73

Ham a saw h im arm ed from h ead to foot an d fro w n in g ag a in st

a ll things living, an d asked him ,
*W hy a r t th o u arm ed for b attle, m y C hild ?
S u rely th o u a r t n o t going to fight th e gods ! n
L aksh m an a replied,
I have vow ed to crow n th ee king, an d th a t in th e v e ry
face of h er w ho has m u rd ered tr u th an d robbed th ee of th y
rig h tfu l inheritance. A nd even if it is th e gods th a t sta n d
in th e w ay, th e y all shall b u rn in th e fire of m y w ra th .
W hen I hold th e bow in th is hand, even th e gods w ill n o t
dare to oppose me. If an y oppose, th ey w ill be b u t ta rg e ts
for m y fiery darts. A nd I w ill give th ee th e crow n of a ll
the ea rth ! D eign to receive it at m y hands.*
Hama tried to cool him by appealing to his sense of filial
obedience and g en erally to his sense of righteousness. B u t
L aksh m an a did n o t grow calm. B u rning like R u d r a 2 him self
in his anger, he b u rst out saying,
I know not fath er, m other, or lord : th y self alone a r t
m aster, m other, fath e r, all to me. Thou h a st le a rn t to give
aw ay w h at is th in e : now see me give back th y ow n to
thee ! *3
B ut w hen R am a asked him ,
How w ilt thou w in th e crow n for me, m y child ?
W ouldst thou fight B h art th e ju st, o v er-fau ltless,
O r w ouldst th o u k ill th* adored of v irtu o u s m en
O ur fa th e r ? Or w ouldst th o u fight o u r m o th er ? * 4
L aksh m an a could only say,
L et enem ies in su lt thee in th e ir pride,
M eekly I ll b ear it all. Am not I born
To bear th e b u rd en of these idle arm s
A nd pom pous bow, im potent to avenge
O ur in ju ries ? 5
A nd he becam e, says th e poet, even like th e ocean th a t keeps
from overflow ing its bounds in obedience to th e w ill of th a t
sam e Rama.*
1
1 II iv 126.
* II Iv 138.

2 God of Destruction.
3 II iv 137.
s i i iv 140.

74

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

In th e few w o rd s ,4I know n o t fath er, m o th er or lo rd : th y s e lf

alone a r t m aster, m other, fath er, all to m e,r is contained th e
k e y to th e w hole ch aracter of L akshm ana. He cannot b ear to
see his R am a suffer in an y w ay. So, w hen K aik ey is m aids
b rin g to R am a coarse h erm its w eeds to w ear, L aksh m an a says,
to th em in bitterness,
*Behold, th e re stands he w ho is born to w ear
A ll th a t she sends in th e hard n ess of h e r h e a rt ;
A nd m e behold, w hose fate it is to look
Im p o ten tly on all these ren d in g sights ! 1
W hen R am a has p u t on those coarse garm ents, Lakshm ana:
does n o t say an y th in g b u t him self also silently and as a m a tte r
o f course casts off his ow n ro y al robes and p u ts on th e fo restd w ellers garb. B u t w hen R am a expostulates w ith h im an d
p ray s to him to rem ain in A yodhya, his love receives a shock,
a n d like a w ounded lover he asks Ram a, 4In w h at have I offended
th e e ? F o r he cannot so m uch as im agine how R am a could
th in k of p a rtin g from him even w hen going to th e forest. A n d
th e n he continues th u s :
Fishes live n o t if w aters fail ; and all
T hat lives m ust die if M other E arth give way.
Now tell me, brother, on w h at do S itas life
A nd m ine d e p e n d .........................................
............................................ T hy w ords th a t bid m e stay,.
W hile thou dost A yodh leave behindthese w ords
A re cru eller fa r th a n those th a t bade m e calm
My w ra th against th y enem ies. T hy w ealth,
A nd all th a t is th in e ow n th o u leavest h ere :
W ouldst thou abandon also us, m y b ro th er ? 2
Such w as L ak sh m an as love for his R am a. I t w as now
R am as tu rn to yield. He saw L ak sh m an as face and his ow n
eyes filled w ith tears. How could he desist from te ars a t such
w ords, and how could h e desist from tak in g him w ith him self
in his exile ?
A nd how L ak sh m an a serves his b ro th er in th e fo rest ! H is
one stu d y is to look afte r every little com fort of R am a and*
i n i v 149.

2 n iv 1ST, 159.

L A K SH M A N A

75

g u a rd him ag ain st a ll enem ies k now n an d unknow n. It is h e

th a t builds th e leaf-co ttag es
w h erev er th e y m ove in th e
fo rest-co u n try . I t is he th a t g ath ers th e ir food. It is he th a t
m o u n ts g u ard ab o u t th e cottage w hile his R am a an d S ita sleep
u n d istu rb e d in th e bed th a t he has lovingly m ade for them .
G uha sobs aloud w hen he sees th e devotion of L ak sh m an a
in w atching, bow in hand, over R am a and S ita th e livelong night.
A nd R am a him self w hen he asks him to crow n V ibhishana as
k in g of L anka, addresses him as m y child of th e sleepfo rsw earin g e y e / and shows how th e th o u g h t of all th a t his
b ro th e r suffers for him is n ev er ab sen t from his h eart.
Now this intense love for R am a m akes L ak sh m an a reg ard
as his ow n m o rtal enem ies all w ho have in ju re d R am a. He
n e v e r stops to in q u ire w h eth e r th ey have actu ally in ju re d him .
I t is sufficient if he believes th a t th ey h av e in ju red , or even
suspects th em to hav e in ju red Ram a. This passion of h a tre d
clouds his m ind in all th a t concerns K aikeyi an d those connected
w ith her. So, w hen S u m an tra a fte r carry in g in his chariot R am a,
L ak sh m an a an d S ita to th e forest tak es leave of them , and asks
th e m if th ey h av e any w ord to send hom e, L ak sh m an a for his
p a r t sends th is m essage. He says,
H ave I a m essage too for him , as if
He w ere m y king, w ho prom ised first th e crow n
To Ram, and th en in th e sacred nam e of tru th
R esigned th e th ro n e in fav o u r of his queen ?
A nd th en to B h a ra t p ro u d this sh a lt th o u say,
i Behold, S a u m itr i1 liv eth yet, alth o u g h
His h an d s u n w o rth y failed to fight for R am .
A nd th is th ereu n to add as if for me,
1 L akshm an fo rsw eareth kinship w ith th e son
Of K aikeyi. 2
So also, w h en B h a ra ta comes to th e forest accom panied b y
th e w hole population of A yodhya in o rd er to req u est R am a to
r e tu rn and assum e th e crow n, L akshm ana, as soon as he espies
th e m oving host, ju m p s to th e conclusion th a t he comes w ith a
h o stile design ag ain st Ram a. So he rushes into th e cottage, p u ts
on his arm our, m akes read y his bow and quiver, an d th u s
u n b u rd en s him self to R am a :
l Matronymic from Sumitra, Lakshmana being Sumitras son.
a II v 43, 45.


76

KAMBA

HAMAYANAM A STUDY

*Behold yon B h arata, now an o u t-caste to th is w orld as

he has alread y become an ou t-caste to th e n ex t ! Thou w ilt
see the prow ess of th y b ro th ers single rig h t arm ag ain st
him and all his hosts. Thou w ilt see m e destroy th e tro o p s
of B h arata and m ake Svarga bend u n d er th e w eight o f
q u ick -ru sh in g im m igrants, th e w hile E a rth is lightened of
h er load. Thou w ilt see rivers of blood floating w ith thfe
carcasses of his elephants and horses, and w ith his b ro k en
chariots flowing to th e sea and m aking th e seven oceans
o n e . . . Thou w ilt see m y feathered arrow s pierce th e h e a rts
of those tw in -b ro th ers 1 ; and fly thro u g h th e eth ereal void
carrying th e ir bleeding flesh in th e ir beaks. By th e com m and
of th e ty ra n t prince, who w as th ereto induced by h is
favourite queen, B h arata is now the Sovereign of th e E arth :
thou w ilt p resen tly see him ru lin g in H ell a t m y com m and !
A nd thou w ilt soon see the guilty K aikeyi roll ob th e g ro u n d
in inconsolable grief, who delighted not long ago in th e
tears of th y m other w hen thou leftest for th e ju n g le country ! 23
Such is the violence of his w rath th a t R am a listens q u ie tly
to all his o u t-pourings till th ey ex h au st them selves, and th e n
alone attem p ts to reason w ith him. A nd even th en see how h e
begins his rep ly w ith delicate flattery :
Do not I know , m y L akshm ana, th a t th e re lives none
th a t can stay th y hand if thou desirest to confound even th e
fourteen w orlds ? But, m y brother, h ast th o u th o u g h t th a t
in the long list of our glorious ancestors, th e re has n e v e r
been born one w ho ever sw erved from th e p a th of v irtu e ? 93
But, w henever it is not a question of K aikeyi or B h a ra ta,
L akshm an as m ind sees clear as crystal. He is in all o th e r
m atters the w isest of th e wise and the w ariest of th e w ary. H is
devotion to Ram a and Sita gives him a pow er of insight w h ich
is denied to R am a him self. So if Sita and R am a are deceived
by the beauty of th e golden deer, L akshm ana suspects tre a c h e ry
even a t th e v ery first sight of him. As S itas and R am as
attractio n for him grow s greater, L ak sh m an as suspicion grow s
only deeper. W hen R am a sets out to go an d cap tu re th e d e e r
for S ita L akshm ana w arn s him saying,
1 Bharata and Shatrughna. Shatrughna, though the twin brother of
Lakshmana, is the inseparable companion of Bharata as Lakshmana is ox
.Rama.
2 II xii 30, 34, 36, 38-40.
3 II xii 42, 43.

77'

LAKSHMANA

*If w e p u rsu e th e deer, of th is be sure,

W e'll find ourselves encom passed by th e guile
Of R a k sh a sa s.'1
B ut R am a w ill not listen to him.

He replies,

.................... If this prove a R akshasa disguised

He dies, and th ereb y I fulfil m y vow ;
If b u t a deer I capture him for S ita / 2
L akshm ana again m akes an attem p t to dissuade him.
reto rts,

He

B ut . . . who is behind th e veil

We know not ; this m ysterious golden deer,
W hat he m ay be, w e h ard ly care to think.
Forego th erefo re th e h u n t, m y b rother. F or wise
A re th ey th a t have condem ned th e pleasures of sp o rt/ 3
Ram a laughs a t his fears, b u t his suspicions are n o t allayed.
H e proposes th a t a t least R am a should stay a t hom e and th a t
h e him self w ould go an d h u n t th e deer an d b rin g him to Sita.
B ut, as th e read er know s, his w isdom and fo reth o u g h t are useless
as C assandra's prophesies. S ita goes into a pet, an d Ram a, to
satisfy her, asks L akshm ana to look a fte r S ita an d sta rts off
him self in p u rsu it of th e m agic d eer and, finding th e dead body
of th e R akshasa in place of th e deer, he exclaim s to him selfb u t
too late to be of any use Ah wise, v erily w ise is m y d ea r
child ! '
S im ilarly again-, w hen M aricha, stru ck dow n by R am as d art,
(w ho w as th e R akshasa th a t h ad come assum ing th e form of th e
d e e r) groans piteously as he falls, b u t assum ing th e voice of
R am a, L akshm ana is not at all deceived. He shows no an x iety
fo r th e safety of Rama. B ut S ita fears th e very w orst. She
frow ns a t L ak sh m an as coolness, and, in spite of his assurances,
d a rts cruel w ords a t him w hich force h im to leave h er and go
on th e trace of R am a's footsteps, th e w hile his m ind is to rtu re d
w ith th e w orst forebodings for S itas safety.
W hen L aksh m an a and R am a re tu rn to g eth er to th e cottage
a n d see n o t Sita, it is L akshm ana th a t calm s R am a and suggests
i III v ii 232.

2 HI vii 233.

3 III vii 234.

78

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

th a t they should -pursue the trace left on the ground by H avanas

car. On the w ay they find a flag fallen on the ground, and
signs of fierce combat. W hen they see a n u m b er of golden
crow ns fallen p ell-m ell here and there, it is L akshm ana th a t
suggests th a t S ita m ight have been carried off by Ravana, an d
th a t Ja tay u s m ight be engaging w ith him on the way. T hey
h u rry on and h ear the story of H avanas flight from the d y ing
V ulture-K ing. W hen Ja tay u s dies, R am as h e a rt is torn w ith
grief and he w eakens for a moment. B ut L akshm ana brings h im
to him self w ith his h earten in g words.
A fter this we see L akshm ana again at his best in th e Book
of Battles. We get only little glimpses of him before th e w a r
commences. For instance, we see him m aim S h u rp an ak h a an d
kill A jom uki, th e Rakshasi, who like S h u rp an ak h a sought him
w ith lustfu l intent. We see him charge S ugriva w ith
unbrotherly conduct, and receive a sh arp rep rim an d a t the h an d s
of Rama. We see him carry R am as angry m essage to S ugriva,
who, in his d ru n k en revels, forgets to come to R am a w ith his
forces a t th e appointed tim e. We see him tak e th e w ord o u t
of R am as m outh w hen Vali puts to Ram a his last question, an d
give to Vali the plausible answ er w hich R am a w ould not an d
could not g iv e .1 In all these places, how ever, he is only a sid eactor. It is only in the Y uddha K anda th a t he has th e stage
w holly to him self for long periods a t a stretch.
L akshm ana distinguishes him self g reatly in the very first
fight w ith R avana. The read er w ill rem em ber R av an as
unstinted praise of his archery and skill in w ar.2 B ut he falls
w ounded by an arrow of Ravana. R avana attem p ts to tak e him
prisoner b u t is unable to lift him from the ground. The h an d s
th a t could lift M ount K ailasa itself, w ith Shiva upon it, h av e
not the pow er to lift L akshm ana from th e ground such is th e
divine pow er confined in th a t m ortal body ! B ut H anum an
rushes in and snatches th e body of L akshm ana and carries h im
w ith ease to the camp.
On the second day w hen K um bhakarna carries ev ery th in g
before him and bears w ith o u t flinching th e shock of th e huge
rock th a t H anum an th rew against him w ith all his force, th e
la tte r says to him self,
Scatheless he stands th e shock ! th e hugest rocks
Seem pow erless to bend or break his ad am an t fram e !
i See Chapter XI.

2 See Ch. XIII ; also p. 20.

LAKSHMANA

78

S au m itris 1 fiery d arts alone, perchance,

(If m o rtal w eapons can a v a il), can h av e
The stren g th to pierce his g ian t shape. *2
L akshm ana, on his p art, seeing th e havoc th a t K u m b h ak a rn a
is w orking in the V anara arm y hastens tow ards th a t p a rt of th e
field and restores th e fight shooting dow n th e E akshasas b y th e
h u n d red and by th e *thousand. Seeing his skill an d aim a n d
force, K u m b h ak arn a exclaim s,
The God who burned th e cities th ree alone
Can riv al L akshm an in th e bow m ans a rt ! 3
an d directs his chariot against him. W hen H anum an sees h im
come against L akshm ana, he leaps w ith joy saying,
These eyes w ill w itness now u n h eard of deeds
Of valo u r, 4
and runs to L akshm ana and asks him to seat him eslf on h is
broad shoulders.
W hen L akshm ana h ad seated him self on th e shoulders o f
JHanuman, K u m b h ak arn a challenged him , saying,
Behold, th o u a rt th e b ro th er of Ram, an d I
Am b ro th er to m ighty R avana : and lo,
The Gods assem ble round to w itness o ur deeds
Of w ar. Fore them I sw ear th a t I shall cleave
In tw ain th e sacrilegious hands th a t d ared
To hold m y sister by th e h air and h e r
D eform ed ! 5
L aksh m an a replied,
Not learn ed in th e b ra g g a rts art, w e can
B u t answ er th ee w ith th arrow s point. 6
The fight now began in rig h t earnest. T he R akshasa sh o t
num berless d arts from his m ighty bow, and L aksh m an a b ro k e
1 Lakshmanas.
2 VI xv 203.
3 VI xv 228.

VI xv 230.
VI xv 234, 235.
8 VI xv 236.
4
5

80

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

th e ir fu ry w ith his own arrow s before th ey could reach him .

A gain K u m b h ak arn a sent hund red s of arrow s against him.
L ak sh m an as sw ifter arrow s scattered them aw ay. Now
K um b h ak arn a h it H anum an w ith an arrow and L akshm ana also
w ith a couple of fierce darts. B ut L akshm ana, in spite of his
deep w ounds, b en t his bow alm ost to a circle an d shot dow n and
destroyed K u m b h ak arn as w ar-ch ario t and broke th e bow in
his hand. Ju st a t th a t m om ent th e reinforcem ents sent by
H avana arriv ed and engaged L akshm ana leaving K u m b h ak arn a
tim e to arm him self. K um bhakarna, how ever, after this sought
other enemies, and L akshm anas p a rt in this d ay s fight ended
w ith the struggle w ith these new ly arriv ed Rakshasas.
K um b h ak arn a fell by the hand of Ram a in this second d ay s
battle. W hen new s reached L anka th a t K u m b h ak arn a h ad fallen,
A tikaya, one of th e th ree sons of Ravana, sw ore th a t he w ould
k ill L akshm ana and m ake Ram a grieve for his b ro th er even as
H avana w as grieving for his ow n brother, an d m arched to th e
b attle w ith g reat eclat. V ibhishana knew his stren g th and
h in te d to Ram a th a t L akshm ana m ight probably be unequal toth e fight. B ut Ram a sm iled a t his doubts and praised
L akshm an as valour in these w ords :
* Ten thousand thousand R avanas m ay oppose
A nd all th e Gods, and who in other w orlds
A re counted m ighty ; m ay be T hree Suprem e
M ay try, and join th e ir stren g th w ith th eirs ; een th e n
T hey cant outm atch our L akshm ans w arlik e skill !
Can heaven stand his deadly aim, or ea rth ?
B reathes th ere an arch er who can w ield th e bow
As he ? W hats Vishnu, Indra, Shiva, or I
Myself, before him, if he frow n ? 1
This is th e only occasion w here R am a seriously praises
L akshm an a in his presence.
L akshm ana did obeisance to R am a and sta rted for th e fight.
T he b attle raged furiously. The V anara arm y w as pressed back
b y th e onrush of th e R akshasas ; L akshm ana encouraged th em
b y his voice and by the tw ang of his m ighty bow w hich was
T he fav o u rite hom e of Yam a, th e God of D eath.
1 VI x v ii 78, 79.

Bl

LAKSHMANA

E lephants an d cavalry, chariots an d R akshasa in fa n try w ere

destroyed by th e h u n d red thousand. D aruka and K ala, K ulisa
an d K ala Shanka, M alin and M aru t attack ed him w ith trid en ts
an d lances an d maces. B ut L ak sh m an as arrow s broke or tu rn e d
aw ay th e m issiles and killed th e R akshasas in th e end. In th e
evolutions of th e battle, L akshm ana cam e face to face w ith th e
m ain w ing of th e arm y com m anded by A tikaya, and did g re a t
havoc. Seeing th e force of his arrow s, m ountains trem b led an d
th e th u n d e r-la d e n clouds feared for th e ir safety. H anum an joined,
an d in th e sight of A tik ay a killed D evantaka w ith a blow of
his iron fist, and challenged and killed T rishiras w ho cam e to
support A tikaya. A tikaya, how ever, did not w aste tim e in
attack in g H anum an b u t w ent for L akshm ana straig h t, saying to
him self,
It is not th e p a rt of w isdom to tak e up an o th er en terp rise
w hen m y first vow is unaccom plished. 1
L akshm ana seated him self now on th e shoulders of A ngada
w ho follow ed ev ery m ovem ent of A tik ay as chariot to th e
adm iration of th e V anara arm y. A fter shooting dow n A tik ay as
guards, L akshm ana addressed th e R akshasa in th is w ise :
D esirest thou t engage w ith m e w hen all
Thy m en have m et th e ir fate or dost in ten d
To try th y stren g th w ith m e before ? The choice
Is thine ! 2
A tikaya replied,
4 O thers shall w atch our com bat : I am seeking
Alone to m eet thee, though th e gods m ay stan d
By thee and offer battle. Thou m ay st call
T hy b ro th er to give th ee aid or S hiv him self
A nd all th e gods of heaven or o th er w orlds :
A nd y et th is day shall be th y last ! 3
So saying he blew his sonorous conch.
sm iled and said,

B ut L ak sh m an a only

4Of those th a t th o u didst nam e, n o t one w ill come

T engage w ith thee. If fall I m ust, I fall
Alone. Tell th ee this. If m e th o u beat,
T hou w ilt hav e conquered also th em ! 4
1 VI xii 180.
3 VI xvii 189, 190.

2 v i xvii 188.
4 VI xvii 191.

82

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

and then tw anged his bow and sent an arro w laden w ith
lightning against th e chest of A tikaya. A tik ay a sped first one
arrow to m eet it in th e air and tu rn it off from him , and th e n
Sent sixteen o th er arrow s, fierce like cobras, against L akshm ana.
L akshm ana cu t them off w ith d arts of equal force, pierced
A tik ay as arm our, and w hile he fainted w ith loss of blood
chivalrously tu rn ed to another side and sowed th e R akshasa p a r t
of the battle-field w ith falling corpses.
W hen A tikaya recovered and saw th e havoc played by
L akshm anas arrow s, his pride was up and he sent a v eritab le
iro n -h ail against him.
His arrow s covered th e sky and all th e bounds
Of heaven ; the earth, it bristled w ith his darts.
The V anar heroes scream ing rolled, tossed by
T hat iro n -tem p est . . . . Rocks to pieces flew
S truck w ith the d arts of m ighty A tik ay .1
The sky becam e overcast. The sun was hidden behind a
cloud of arrow s. The earth trem bled u n d er th e shock of m issiles
struggling against each other in m id-air.
The Devas, each his neighbour trem bling asked,
Is all th e V anar host to end th is day ?
Has L akshm an skill and stren g th to m aster him ?
Sit from the God of D eath th a t A tik ay a
His w ondrous archery did learn ? 2
A tikaya w ounded A ngada and L akshm ana as well. B u t
L akshm anas blood w as up ; w ith one show er of lig h tn in g -lad en
arrow s he cut off the heads of th e R akshasas horses and broke
the bow, and w hen he leaped up another chariot, sent against
him th e A gni A stra.3 B ut A tikaya sent th e S u rya -A stra , th e
w eapon inspired by the Sun-G od, to tam e it down. W hile these
tw o w eapons w ere struggling against each other, L aksh m an a
pierced th e R akshasas body w ith his sharpest arrow s, b u t still
h e fought on unm indful of his wounds. Fiercely, and m ore
fiercely, came his arrow s, and L akshm ana could barely p a rry
them . Ju st then Vayu, the W ind-God, w hispered to L akshm ana
th a t his adversary could not die by any other w eapon except th e
1 VI xvii 197, 198.
2 VI xvii 198.
3 Weapon inspired by the Fire-God.

LAKSHMANA

as

B ra hm astra , th e w eapon of th e g reatest pow er. L akshm ana,

th e re fo re , sped th e B rahm astra and lo, th e arro w cu t A tik a y as
Mead clean from th e tru n k and carried it off.
This b attle w ith A tikaya, g reat as it is, is only a reh ea rsal
f o r L akshm anas g reater b attles w ith In d rajit. F or K am ban,
lik e Valm iki, reserves th e g reat In d ra jit as th e fit ta rg e t fo r
L ak sh m an as arrow . A lready in th e S u n d arak an d a he had m ade
H anum an exclaim to* him self w hen he saw In d ra jit sleeping in
h is palace in L anka,
Is he th e R akshasas king or K artikey,
The son of M ahadeva, God of gods ?
He looks like a lion sleeping in his den :
A terrific fight I see in th e days to come
W hen L akshm ana and Ram encounter him . 1
And at the close of the com bat w ith A tikaya, th e poet finely
suggests the coming battles w ith In d ra jit in the follow ing lines :
W hen wise V ibhishan saw this feat of arm s
And heard the shout of gods above, he leaped
W ith joy, and said, If this is his m atchless skill
In w ar, th e fate of In d ra jit him self
Is se a le d .2
G reat was th e consternation in L anka w hen th e new s sp read
th e re th a t A tikaya was dead. W hen D anam ala, th e m o th er of
A tik ay a, h eard th a t h er son had fallen on the field, she cam e
b eatin g h er breasts and fell sobbing at th e feet of R av an a w ho
w as him self aghast at the death of his son ; and she v en ted
h e r grief at th e loss of h er son and chid R avana in th e follow ing
w o rd s :
W here is m y child, the apple of m ine eye ?
Show m e m y son, Oh bring him back to me !
The Gods them selves did envy me as m other
Of him w hom even In d ra could not beat
In w ar : ah me, I see him delivered up
As prey to th arrow of a m an to-day.
A ksha is dead, an d dead is A tikay,
A nd fallen are th e w arrio rs g reat in m ight.
i V 141.

2 VI xvii 208.

84

KAMBA

RAM AYANAM A STUDY

Among th y sons M andodaris son alone

Is yet alive : now once again attem p t
Thy w orld conquests ! . . . Silent thou sitst ! . . where^
now
Is gone th y m ight ? H ast lost the stren g th to tam e
Thy pow erful foes ? H earst thou m y w ords ? Or hearing.
Dost thou not understand ? Or w ilt not h ear ?
W ilt thou not weep a t least for th y w arriors dead ?
Oh cruel ! Black ru in has thou brought on us.
Cursed, thrice cursed is thy guilty lu st :
And yet is this the last of th e ills th a t are
To blight our race for S itas sake. n
The lam entations of D anam ala and h er companions reached
th e ears of In d ra jit and, w hen he heard th a t it was A tikaya th a t
had fallen on th e field, he swore th a t if he should not fell to
earth , th a t same day, L akshm ana who took his life, he w ould
give him self in slavery to In d ra whom he had tw ice defeated
in battle. He then p u t on his arm our, selected his troops, and
m arched to the w ar in a chariot draw n by a thousand lions,
preceded by goblins and ghouls who heralded his approach
saying,
Behold the hero th a t brought In d ra dow n as a prisoner
tied to his chariot wheels ! 2
Lakshm ana had not left the field, thinking that, after the
fall of A tikaya, either Ravana him self or at least In d ra jit would
head the n ex t attack. And he was am bitious to try his m ettle
against one of them. So w hen the grand w arrio r who had
only seen the back of the gods flying for life and never th eir
faces *came near, L akshm ana asked V ibhishana who he was.
V ibhishana replied,
He is the hero who has crushed in w ar
The king of Devas : hot w ill be the fight
This d a y / 3
and advised him to take H anum an, Sugriva, and other V anara
heroes to support him in battle.
As L akshm ana accepted his advice, A ngada came back to
him , and H anum an also hastened to him. On seeing him p itted
against the greatest w arrior am ong th e Rakshasas, S ugriva
1 VI xvii 269-272.

2 VI xviii 21.

3 VI xviii 28.

LAKSHMANA

85

b ro u g h t th e pick of his troops in fro n t and th e a tta c k com m enced.

The encounter of th e tw o arm ies w as like tw o seas d ash in g
a t each o th er in fu ll flood-tide. The Devas who h ad com e dow n
to e a rth to w itness th e g reatest fight th a t m o rtal or im m o rtal
eyes could look upon, sh u t th e ir ears to th e deafening sounds
o f th e tru m p ets and conches and th e challenging shouts of th e
opposing heroes. The very field of b attle cracked by th e terrific
force of th e arrow s an d lances, trees an d rocks h u rled ag ain st
each other by th e contending arm ies, and th e sh atterin g en co u n ter
of V anara and R akshasa heroes. Blood flowed in to rren ts,
carry in g the floating corpses of dead heroes on eith er side.
D eath, parad in g in the form of V anara heroes, broke th e h ead s
o f the R akshasas w ith tru n k s of uprooted trees, d ra n k th e ir life,
or sm ashed th e ir arm s and feet. Even afte r th e lances h ad pierced
th e ir vitals, the V anaras sprang upon th e ir enem ies and died only
a fte r m auling th em or crunching th em in th e ir iron jaw s. In
ev ery p a rt of th e enem ys arm y you could find th e V anaras, on
th e heads of elep h an ts and of horses, on th e chariots of th e
R akshasa leaders, on the top-ends of th e ir m ighty bows, a n d
som etim es on th e heads of th e R akshasas them selves. The bodies
of the V anara heroes broken by th e m aces of th e R akshasas floated
dow n to th e sea over the riv ers of blood flowing from th e field.
B ut even th en th e grip of th e ir han d s did n o t rela x th ey still
held the rocks w hich th ey h ad uprooted in o rd er to h u rl a g a in st
th e ir foes ! In th e sham bles m ade by th e m ig h ty paw of
H anum an, you could not distinguish eith er horse or elep h an t,
b an n er or w heel, lance or bow or m ace or even chariot.
The R akshasas assau lt now began in rig h t earnest, an d th e
com mon V anaras fled from th e field. B ut th e leaders stood th e ir
ground an d dam m ed th e R akshasa flood. The R akshasas cared
n o t w ho died or who lived, and dashed fo rw ard pounding th e
V anaras w ith th e ir m aces and clubs. A nd yet, though suffering
te rrib ly , th e V an ara leaders broke th e force of th e onset.
W henever N ila rushed, th e eig h t-h an d ed God of D eath, Y am a,
a^m ed w ith trid e n t and axe an d noose had his han d s fu ll
ca p tu rin g th e souls of th e falling R akshasas. W h at is this sight ?
Is it a tem p est ? O r is it th e ro arin g deep ? O r is it all-consum ing
fire ? No ! I t is th e V anara K um uda w ho knocks dow n th e
R akshasas : an d Y am a him self trem bles a t his w ork. R ish ab h a
a n d P an aja, Ja m b h av a n and K esari, M ainda an d his b ro th er c a rry
havoc in th e enem ys ranks.
Seeking th e R akshasa a tta c k broken by th e leaders, th e
"Vanaras th a t h ad fled aw ay now form ed u p an d w ere led to t h e

*6

KAMBA

RAMAYA-KAM-A

STUDY

A ttack by th e chiefs. The R akshasa arm y w as pushed back.

In d ra jit saw this, and fu ll of anger and p ride he now cam e to th e
fro n t causing to quake th e very ea rth and th e ocean by th e twartg-*
in g of his m ighty bow. The arrow s discharged from his bow clove
th ro u g h th e air like deadly cobras, and broke to pieces th e rocks
an d tre e tru n k s flung by th e V anaras, and pierced th e larg e bodies
of th e V anaras them selves. H undreds of thousands of V anaras h a d
fallen before a m u h u rta 1 passed. B ut th ey died n o t in vain. E ven
a t th e m om ent of dying th ey w ould p u ll rocks by th e ir roots an d
w h irl them into th e enem ys ranks. N othing w as visible ow ing
to th e tem pest of arrow s blow ing from In d ra jits bow. No sound
w as heard except th e th u n d e r of its tw ang. The V anaras tu rn e d
an d fled, unable to bear th is w hirlw ind of missiles, and th e Godfc
trem b led w hen th ey saw th e ir cham pions flying from field. T he
R akshasa flood now recom m enced to flow over. To stop it, S ugriva
a n d H anum an cam e fo rw ard w hirling trees an d fragm ents o f
rocks. W hen he caught sight of H anum an, In d ra jit rem em bered
his exploits in L anka w hen he had been th ere to look for. Sita,,
a n d challenged him in th e following w ords :
4Fly not ignoble, stand thy ground : I ve come
To the fro n t seeking thee. Thou canst not w ield
The bow, b u t endless boast of great prow ess
Thou m akest. T hinkest thou w ith stones and twigs.
To m aster me ? 2
H anu m an s rep ly was not less proud :
4H ere also th ere be some, O feeble, who
Can w ield th e banded bow, and thou w ilt taste
By proof th eir stren g th to-m orrow if thou scape
From h ere w ith life to-day. Face m e if canst ;
T hink not thou h ast an In d ra here w ho fled
In olden tim es before th y feeble arm s ! 3
a n d he defied him still fu rth e r in these w ords :
4W ouldst fight w ith m e ?
O r w ouldst thou m easure th y stren g th w ith L akshm ana ?
O r choosest thou to face the m atchless chief
Who has vow ed to bring th y fa th e rs ten heads dow n ?
The choice is th in e to m ake. 4
l an hour and a half.
3 VI xviii 74.

2 VI xviii 73.
4 VI xviii 75.

LAKSHMANA

&

A s soon as th e K akshasa h e a rd th e n am e of L ak sh m an a he
rem em b ered his o ath an d addresged H anum an as follow s :
W here is th a t L ak sh m an a doom ed w ho took th e life
O f m y lion b ro th e r an d reserves his ow n
As ta rg e t to m y tearin g d arts ? I ve come
To cool m y w ra th in his blood ! A nd w hen I shoot
The fiery arrow s th a t th e w orld can burn,
Can he an d th o u and all y our v au n ted force
Suffice to feed th e ir h u n g ry m aw ? I ll send
My troops and generals all aw ay ; alone
I ll stand, w ith none to back m e b u t m y bow
Invincible. A nd you m ay come w ith all
Y our stren g th , an d all th a t m o rtal m en or gods
Can b rin g of force : th e sun goeth n o t dow n
This day or ere your severed heads h ad rolled
Upon th e plain ! 1
So saying, In d ra jit shot h u n d red s of arro w s into H an u m an s
m ig h ty fram e. B ut, though bleeding all over his body, H anum an
aim ed a huge stone a t him saying,
In th e ir thousands though th ey come, can elep h an ts tam e
The lo rd ly lion boiling oe r w ith rage ?
If th o u th e patience lack to w ait S aum itri,
A nd b a ttle w ant, I give th ee this, now g u ard
Thyself, if canst ! 2
an d h u rled a huge rock a t him.
B ut th e rock broke into a thousand frag m en ts w hen it stru ck
th e iron body of th e R akshasa, and, as if no th in g h ad happened,
h e sent his sh a tterin g arrow s against H anum an. H anum an w as
overw helm ed, but, ju st a t th a t tim e, N ila cam e to his side and
sustained th e conflict. B ut n eith er he nor A ngada who cam e to
his suppo rt could long w ith stan d th a t iro n -h ail.
L aksh m an a saw this from a distance an d h asten ed to th e spot.
T he R akshasa leaders w ho w ere furious ag ain st h im for having
k illed A tik ay a concentrated ag ain st him from all sides and aim ed
th e ir deadly d arts at him. B u t th e cunning h an d of L aksh m an a
w as able to b reak th e ir force and b rin g th e R akshasas also to
th e ground. Seeing th e rap id ity and force w ith w hich th e arrow s
flew from his m ig h ty bow, th e gods exclaim ed,
i VI xv iii 76, 77.

2 VI xviii 79.

8$

KAMBA

R A M AY AN A M A S T U D Y

Is it from L ak sh m an as arch ery th a t th e rain -clo u d

L ea rn t to ra in in to rre n ts ? *1
The R akshasa flood ab ated com pletely, b u t In d ra jit stood
his ground like a rock rising sheer from th e bosom of a d rie d -u p
sea. A nd piloting his chariot th a t dashed on w ith th e quickness
of his ow n th o u g h t he stood before L akshm ana. H anum an,
m eanw hile, h ad recovered from his shock and ru sh ed to th e fro n t
and desired L aksh m an a to seat him self upon his shoulders so as
not to give the ad v an tag e to th e charioted R akshasa. The g ian t
fight began.
Now th u n d e re d th e tw an g in g bows. A t th a t terrific sound
the v ery boundaries of th e w orld w ere shot aw ay from th e ir
places. The m ountains split. The concave of heaven cracked.
The w hole u niverse becam e em broiled in a w h irlw in d of dust.
The fierce arro w s struggled in th e air m auling each o th er to
pieces. The Gods in svarga trem b led for th e ir lives, an d crouched
in th e ir hiding places fo r safety. The u n iv ersal sphere rocked
to and fro like a fra il boat in a tem pest. H anum an p aralleled
every evolution of th e enem ys lio n -d raw n chariot. The arro w s
flew so thick th a t even th e Gods could n o t see w h eth er th e
com batants w ere alive or dead or w ounded. T he bounds of th e
e a rth cracked to pieces at th e deepening tu m u lt. The spectators,
astonished at th e m astery and skill displayed by th e com batants
and th e ir su p e r-h u m an deeds, exclaim ed to each other,
Is n o t th e a rt of arch ery infinite
A nd various ? A nd w here is th e lim it set
To stren g th of m uscle ? W ondrous is th e ir skill
A nd prow ess ! W ho has ever fought like these ?
N ever w as seen such fight before, and n e er
W ill be ! 2
T here w as no end to th e flight of arrow s. The tw o heroes
p arried each o th e rs arrow s and found tim e to aim n ew er ones
again st each other. L ak sh m an as and H an u m an s bodies w ere
flowing over w ith blood. The R akshasas chariots w ere b ro k en
one a fte r another, and he got upon new chariots only to descend
from th e ir b roken ru in s th e v ery n e x t m inute. L ak sh m an as
arrow s killed th e lions an d horses th a t d rew his chariot and to re
i VI x v iii 95.

2 VI xviii 105, 106.

L A K SH M A N A

89

o pen his a rm o u r. His body itself becam e a ru n n in g sore. B u t

o v en in th e m idst of his te rrib le suffering he adm ired L ak sh m an as
a rc h e ry and exclaim ed,
S uperb is th is m an s skill w ith th e bow. L et fools say
th a t he m ay be S hiva or B rahm a. If he is n o t H am a o r
N arayana him self, I do not know w ho he is ! W ho is th e re
in our city w ho can m atch him in th e a rt ? 1
Seeing th e p lig h t of In d ra jit, his g u ard flew to his help, an d
on this side A ngada cam e to support L ak sh m an a and H anum an.
'T he V anara heroes flung rocks and stones an d tre e -tru n k s, an d
th e guard too w as all b u t destroyed.
The H akshasa was asham ed a t th e fate of his arm y an d
exclaim ed to his associates, W hat sham e is th is ? O ur arm y of
fo rty m yriad m yriad troops is destroyed ! B u t th ey replied w ith
pride, The V anara forces are no less punished by th e to rre n ts of
d arts we are not behind them in valo u r ! As In d ra jit w as still
exhausted by th e endless fight, such of his personal guards as
w ere still alive took his place and continued th e fight, b u t th e y
too w ere soon overw helm ed.
The w ounded R akshasas ran p an tin g for w ater, and p a n tin g
died. Some slaked th eir th irst w ith w ater from th e clouds a n d
died drinking. R akshasa w om en w ho had come to th e field to
encourage the heroes to g reater heroism by th e ir presence becam e
satis2 and died em bracing th e ir dying husbands on th e b attle-field
itself. Some w ounded R akshasas w arned th e ir b ro th ers an d sons
and said,
If this should be th e m ight of R am as brother,
The doom of L an k a is n ot far ; so, fly
Before d eath overtakes yon In d ra jit.
A nd saying, died.3
Now, L akshm ana saw th a t one single final effort w ould finish
his foe and so, exh au sted as he was, he pulled him self to g e th e r
and bent his bow and sped against In d ra jit arro w s m ore p o w erfu l
th a n Y am as. The d arts tore sheer and felled dow n th e n ew
arm o u r of th e R akshasa. B ut tw o of his faith fu l guards w ho
w ere close by ru sh ed against L akshm ana w ho w as fighting singly
from on th e shoulders of H anum an, and rain ed on him an iro n :show er. L akshm ana, how ever, n o t only p arried th e arrow s aim ed
1 VI xviii 120.
2 Self-immolators on the funeral pyres of their husbands.
3 VI xviii 167.

KAMBA

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STUDY

a t him , b u t destroyed th e ir bows an d chariols shooting dow n

th e ir horses. T hey w ere not non-plussed b u t took th e ir clubs
a n d stru ck H anum an on w hom L akshm ana w as seated. B ut w ho
could m atch th e g reat M aru th i in h and to h a n d fight ? He
p lu ck ed th e ir tw o m aces each w ith one hand, an d w ould h av e
sm ashed th em h ad th ey not fled from th e field in u tte r dism ay.
M eantim e th e V anara heroes w ho had re tire d from th e b a ttle
re tu rn e d , an d th e R akshasas also rallied, and again a h a il-sto rm
of rocks an d tre e -tru n k s and clubs and sh a tterin g d arts b eg an
to blow. In d ra jit, w ho had by now recovered from his exhaustion,
broke th e force of th e enem ys m issiles w ith his m ighty arro w s
saying, Is this all your boasted m ight ? The sun w as ab o u t to
sin k into th e w estern ocean. V ibhishana noticed th e rap id ly
sinking sun and w arn ed L akshm ana saying,
Invincible is R akshasas blood w hen N ight
D oth ride th e heavens : if th o u fell n o t th e foe
This m inute, he wins, and all th e lau rels w on
This day do go in vain. 1
So w ith one m ighty effort L akshm ana shot his terrific arro w s
ag ain st his great foe. The chariot broke into a th ousand fragm ents,
b u t th e R akshasa w as n o t h u rt. In a trice th a t *m ost w o rth y
am ong th e w orkers of evil and d early beloved of th e S p irit of
Illusion assum ed an invisible shape and rose from his sh a ttered
car, and en tered th e solid darkness of th e low ering sky.
The gods w ere filled w ith joy w hen th ey saw no trace o f
In d r a jit. A nd L akshm ana also w as glad th a t victory h ad blessed
h is arm s. He got dow n from H anum ans shoulders an d han d ed
his m ighty bow to A ngada, and, as a p relim in ary to giving him self
m uch needed rest, he began to p u ll out th e arrow s w ith w h ich
In d ra jit h ad sow n his body all over. But,
A las ! He knew n o t th a t th e h o u r w as big
W ith fate inevitable . . . . For, th e ir foe
O f cobras fierce th e d read fu l spell pronounced
A nd sped on them his d arts w ith m o rtal aim.
Lo, ev ery d a rt becam e a m onstrous sn ak e........
A nd hissing clove th e air w ith force ab n o rm ,. . . .
D riving th e v ery darkness forth, an d bound
T h eir arm s w ith m any a scaly fold involved.2
i VI xviii 180.

2 VI x v iii 188-190.

LAKSHM ANA

91

The cob ra-(larts flew in th e ir m yriads and bound ev ery one

o f th e V an ara h o st a fte r w ounding th em all over th e body.
V ibhishana alone w as n o t touched as In d ra jit h ad pronounced the^
in c an ta tio n only ag ain st non-R akshasas. Blood flowed in to rren ts.
T h e heroes w ere w rith in g w ith pain. T hey w ere h u n g erin g to
revenge them selves on th e R akshasa, b u t, w h enever th ey trie d to
rise, th e stran g lin g hold of th e serpents w ould drag th em dow n
a n d keep them transfixed to th e spot w h ere th ey h ad fallen. T hey
w ould look a t L ak sh m an a an d feel for his bonds ten tim es m ore
in ten sely th a n for th e ir ow n to rtu rin g pains. T hey w ould ask
V ibhishana, Is th e re no rem edy for th is ? T hey w ould say,
* H anum an alone can save us in th is p lig h t/ an d ask, Is h e
aliv e ? B ut H an u m an s m ighty arm s too w ere bound in th e
sam e living coil an d he, though u n m in d fu l of his pain, w as to rtu re d
w ith grief for th e fate of L akshm ana. A ngada, Nila, S u g riv a
him selfall w ere held prisoners in th e sam e stran g lin g hold.
A nd L akshm ana,
though conscious of pow er to b reak th ro u g h his bonds
was robbed of his w ill to b reak through, even as th e h um an
soul, though possessed of infinite wisdom , is still en tan g led
in th e folds of M a y a .1
Soon a deadly silence began to creep over th e V an ara arm y.
T he h e a rt of In d ra jit was at last glad. I have today accom plished
m y o a th / he said ; 4L akshm ana and th e m onkey host are
destroyed today, and a fte r resting tom orrow I shall re tu rn an d
finish th e o th er m an and w h atev er rem ains of th e V anara a r m y /
A nd, his h erald s announcing his victory before him , he en tered
th e gates of L an k a and proudly m arched off to R av an as palace,
th e w hile he w as p u rsu ed by o th er m issiles th e adm iring glances
of th e R akshasa dam sels. T here he announced his victory to his
fa th e r, and tak in g his leave he w ent to his ow n palace an d began
to rest his tire d limbs.
R am a had n o t come to the field this day, as he had th e fu llest
confidence in L ak sh m an as stren g th and valour, and as he desired
to give him all th e honours of th e day.2 W hen he w as inform ed
of th e fate th a t h ad ov ertak en his brother, he w as overw helm ed
w ith grief. H aving recovered from th e first paroxysm of grief,
h e reprim an d ed V ibhishana on his com ing n ea r him for not calling
h im to th e field w hen In d ra jit came to engage L akshm ana.3 B ut
l VI xviii 201.
2 See page 111.
3 Rama did not intend to allow Lakshmana to fight without his aidagainst Indrajit. He permitted him to go alone only against Atikaya.

92

KAM BA

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STUDY

V ibhishana w ith te ars in his eyes told him all th a t h ad h ap p en ed ,

-an d how th e last w eapon w as an unforeseen su rp rise even to h im
and added,
*T heyre living y et : b u t for th e m agic spell
Could ev er m o rtal v alo u r hav e sufficed
To b rin g th em dow n ? G rieve not, th erefo re, m y lord,
B u t hope : can sin oer v irtu e ev er p rev ail, 1
R am a now asked V ibhishana to tell him th e n a tu re and p o w er
of this cobra-noose of w hich he h ad n ev er h ea rd before. I t w as
created by B rahm a, he replied, and obtained from h im by S h iv a
and gifted over by Shiva to such as do very severe tapas and p ra y
for it. And,
No force can ever loose its strangling hold :
It falls not till its victim s die. If eer
The noose can be uncoiled, self-uncoiled
A lone tw ill fall : not een the fo u r-faced One
Suprem e can break its m o rtal spell ! 2
R am a cried out in despair,
S hall I d irect m y d arts against th e Gods
W ho forged th e deadly arm ? O r shall I end
The w orlds and ta k e m y life ? S hall I reduce
To ashes this sinful city ? If th e God
Who fram ed this spell undoes its fata l force
Ill cool m y w ra th : if he refuse, be sure
W ithin a trice I end th e universe
Even as Shiv the cities th ree ! If dies
My b ro th er, th en w h at to m e is glory ? W hat
Is D harm ? A nd w h at is infam y ? 3
B ut how can he, who cam e down specially to pro tect th e
universe, continue for long in his mood ? A nd so th e poet says,
.................... B ut in his h e a rt
The springs of m ercy soon began to flow :
He called to m ind how heinous it w ould be
1 VI xviii 233.

v i xviii 232.

3 VI xviii 238-240.

LAKSHM ANA

93

To end th e w orlds for w reaking vengeance on

A single foe ; and then unknow ing w hat
To do, he sank in blank despair.1
W hen Ram a w as thus become a prey to despair, and th e
gods w ere trem bling w ith fear as to how all this w ould end,
th e heavenly Eagle, G aruda, the te rro r of all serpents m ortal and
im m ortal, w ho also had been w atching th e com bat along w ith th e
gods from a distance, spread his m ighty w ings for flight, and
arriv in g at the place w here Ram a w as standing, fell at his feet
an d w orshipped him as his m aster, th e Suprem e N arayana
H im self. A t th e very touch of the air flapped up by Garuda*s
w ings, behold, th e serpent noose lost its spell and th e V anara
heroes and L akshm ana broke through th eir bonds as if th ey w ere
no stronger th an filam ents of lotus stalk, and rose as if fresh
from the hands of th e C reator Himself. The m agnificent stanzas
in w hich K am ban describes the m ajestic flight and appearance of
G aruda have scarcely a p arallel in lite ra tu re fo r th e roll of th e ir
rh y th m and th e g ran d eu r of th e im age th a t th ey p resen t to th e
eye of im agination. Though conscious of th e im possibility of
giving an adequate tran slation of them , we feel bound to attem p t
a tran slatio n and give some idea to th e read er of th e ir grand
sw ing.2
As soon as th e V anaras w ere released from th e cobra-noose,
th e y raised a shout th a t shook L an k a to its very centre, and
R avana soon learned th a t th e magic spell w as broken and th a t th e
V anaras w ere as ready for fight as ever. He th en sent for his
son and told him th at, as it w as b u t n a tu ra l th a t he should desire
again to fight those th a t had escaped so n arro w ly from his hands,
h e should com m and th e arm y th a t day also. But, as In d ra jit w as
too tired, he requested his fath er to send others to engage th e
enem y, and so oth er leaders and M akaraksha, th e son of K hara,
w ere sent against the V anara host.
M ahaparshya and D um araksha, tw o of th e five com m anders
now proposed to be sent, w ere at first found o u t to be
none but th e guards of In d ra jit th a t had fled from th e field
th e previous day from th e clubs of H anum an, and R avana
1 VI xviii 241.
2 The translation of these seven stanzas are missing in the manuscript.
Aiyar appears to have postponed translating them but died before he
could do it. They are verses 243 to 249 of the 18th Padalam of the Sixth
Book. An inadequate translation is offered with apologies to Aiyar and.
the reader in Appendix I. (P)

KAMBA

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STUDY

ordered th a t th e ir noses should be cut off and th a t th ey should b e

p arad ed through th e streets of L an k a and proclaim ed as b ase
cowards. B ut M ali opposed, saying th a t th ey had fought v e ry
h a rd and stayed on th e field alm ost up to the very last, and, if th e y
h ad ru n aw ay from th e battle-field, In d ra jit had also all b u t done
th e same. A nd w ho was not afraid in L an k a in these days ?
For, said he,
4In L an k as streets let L ak sh m an as nam e be called
A loud b u t once : alas, a panic w ild
A t once does seize our people, and th e y d h ear
No m ore b u t sh u t th e ir doors am ain ! Such te rro r
Inspires th a t dreaded nam e ! 1
H avana was, therefore, persuaded to give these com m anders
a fresh op p o rtu n ity to retriev e th eir good nam e. T hey and th e
Other com m anders w ith th e ir troops fought brav ely b u t could n o t
sta n d against th e V anaras. In the end they w ere all d estro y ed
an d In d ra jit had again to tak e th e field.
This second fight of In d ra jit w as still m ore furious th a n th e
first. Ram a com m anded the V anara arm y to fall back, as th e y
w ere unable to fight the divine w eapons th a t th e enem y w as
using, and took the field him self alone w ith th e bow. D arts
a fte r d arts flew against th e enem y, laden w ith death. The v a st
arm y of In d ra jit w as blow n to th e w inds, and H anum an, seeing
th a t grand display of th e arch e rs art, sm acked his broad shoulders
w ith his m ighty paw and sent up a shout of ad m iratio n and joy.
W hen L akshm ana saw In d ra jit coming fo rw ard to engage
* personally w ith Ram a, he p ray ed his b ro th er to allow him to fight
-the R akshasa singly by him self. Said he,
The serp en t noose, m y brother, th a t helpless bound
My lim bs, has cast a slu r upon m y nam e ;
A nd m en w ill point a t m e and say, 4his friends
He could n o t save from w orse th a n d eath ; n or could
He stan d against a v alian t foe ; an d y et
He lives ! If In d rajitta s head, m y d arts
Do n o t rem ove, th e lu stre of m y nam e
Is gone for ever. I b u rn t engage th is foe
U naided, th y self only looking on ;
A nd k illin g him in single fight, em blaze
My nam e fore m en for service leal done
t

V I x ix 13.

LAK SH M ANA

95:

To thee, m y king and lord. A nd w itness heaven,

If In d ra jit I bring not dow n this day,
M ay I the m erit lose fo r ev er th a t I
H ave earned by service faith fu l done to th ee. 1
W hen L akshm ana took this solem n oath, th e gods w ere filled
w ith joy and said, th e days of our g rief are over ! A nd th e
endless w orlds echoed .that joy and the S p irit of Righteousness
rejoiced. A nd th e h e a rt of Y am a also w as glad.
So, du rin g this day, R am a plays b u t a m inor p a rt and even
th a t only du rin g th e earlier hours of th e battle.
The brothers blew th e ir conches, and a t th e terrific sound
even the lions yoked to the chariot of In d ra jit trem bled. C lubs
an d steel discuses, lances and spears, maces and sling-stones w ere
now h urled a t th e brothers and also at the V anaras who w ere
d raw n up a t a distance. The fire-w inged arrow s of L aksh m an a
brought dow n th e chariots and horses, elephants and R akshasa
heroes by th e thousand. In th a t fell m assacre you w ould n o t
know w hich w ere th e leaders and w hich th e o rd in ary R akshasa
soldiers. L ak sh m an as arrow s w ould drop th e head of th e sons
in the cars of th e fath ers and th e m angled heads of th e fath e rs
in the chariots of th e ir sons and then resum e th e ir flight. R am a
also joined his fatal arrow s to L akshm anas, and in th e end, In d ra jit
stood alm ost alone w ith his chariot broken, but, his high sp irit as
h ig h as ever. A nd getting on to another chariot, and directin g
it to w here the tw o brothers w ere standing, he addressed th em
a n d said,
W ould both of you today engage w ith m e
O r desires one alone to fall a prey
To this d a rt ? O r w ish you w ith th e rem n an ts
Of your broken force to m eet your fate ? Decide,
ITI g ran t your every w ish ! 2
L akshm ana h au g h tily replied,
I ve sw orn to fell thee dead upon this field
To-day. Thou m ayest choose the sw ord or bow
Or lance or fists or any w eapon else
Thy w him dictates : I ll m eet thee arm for arm
A nd bring thee dow n. 3
l VI xxi 39-43.

2 v i xxi 61.
3 VI xxi 62.

98

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STUDY

T he rejo in d er of In d ra jit is no less h au g h ty :

I m ean today to m ake th e eld er b ro th er
G ainst n a tu re s w ay survive th e younger born.
If first I send thee not to th y doom, an d m ake
T hy eld er younger seem and m ourn th y loss
I call not m yself son to m ighty R avan ! . . . .
M istake me not for K u m b h ak arn a th e brother,
I am the son of R avan ! I have sw orn
To soothe th e m anes of those m y b ro th ers dead
A nd him m y m ighty uncle, by oblations
Offered in th e red blood of both of you ! 1
L akshm ana w ould not be beaten even in this w ar of w ords :
He said, V ibhishana is w ith us here
D estiny-chosen t offer sacrifice
To all th e race of doomed Rakshasas.
B u t th a t w hich thou to th y fath e r ow est dead,
The w ater-sacrifice, I ll m ake him give
T ear-m ingled to th y predeceased soul ! 2
W ithout fu rth e r w ords the R akshasa rain ed his fiery arro w s
upon L akshm ana and A ngada, H anum an and Ram a. B u t R am a
saw th e R akshasa alone and unaided, and so, did not bend his bow
against him b ut let L akshm ana alone engage him . The sky w as
sow n w ith flying d arts burning and tearin g each o th er to pieces,
and every th in g around appeared to be on fire. L akshm ana could
only p a rry In d ra ji t s sw ift-flying d arts for a long tim e, but, w hen
th e R akshasas h an d began slightly to slack owing to his te rrib le
exhaustion, he seized his op p o rtu n ity and killed th e lions yoked
to his chariot. A nger nerved th e arm s of In d ra jit, and he regained
his old vigour and ploughed th e bodies of his enem ies w ith his
terrific arrow s, and blew his sonorous conch to th e trep id atio n of
th e V anara host. L akshm ana again aw aited his o p p o rtu n ity and,
w hen it p resented itself, he pursu ed his ad v an tag e an d stru ck
dow n In d ra jits strong arm our and tw anged his m ighty bow.
R am a w as delighted to see his grand archery, an d called th e
V an ara arm y standing at a distance to cheer him w ith th e ir
sp h ere-ren d in g shouts.
i VI xxi 63, 66.

2 VI xxi 67.

L A K SH M A N A

In d ra jit saw th a t L akshm ana w as invincible by his ord in ary

w eapons, and th o u g h t again to em ploy his magic. B ut w aiting
first to know w h at the brothers w ere th in k in g on th e ir p art, he
rose into th e sky, and becom ing invisible approached n ear w here
th ey w ere standing. L akshm ana knew by th e previous d ay s
experience w h at his enem y w as capable of, and so proposed to
his b roth er th a t he should use th e terrific B rahm astra and finish
him and all L anka. As soon as he heard these words, In d ra jit
flew am ain to L anka saying that, if they w ould attem p t to use th a t
w o rld -sh atterin g missile, he w ould forestall them an d p rep are it
him self against them .
B ut here on th e field, Ram a replied to L akshm ana th a t if h e
used the m issile in his anger it w ould destroy not only In d ra jit
b u t all the w orlds besides, and th at, therefore, he should n o t use
it now and endanger th e universe for the sake of one enem y.
The V anara host now retu rn ed to the field, an d th e re w as im m ense
joy am ong them to see th a t the R akshasa had fled aw ay. R am a
also w ent to the re a r to m ake fresh sacrifices to th e gods, by th e
stren g th of w hich sacrifices alone could th e different d iv in e
w eapons and missiles be used and p arried w ith effect.
In d rajit, how ever, asked his fath e r to send M ahodara w ith
fresh troops to engage the enem y w hile he him self w ent to do
th e necessary sacrifices to the gods and obtain th e pow er to send
th e Brahm astra against them . M ahodara, therefore, led his vast
arm y into th e field. B ut H anum an now took th e huge shape th a t
he could a t w ill and scattered and destroyed a w ing of th e
R akshasa force headed by A kam ba. S ugriva and A ngada joined
in the melee and they attack ed and destroyed or drove from th e
field other divisions of the enemy. B ut M ahodara w ith his m agic
pow ers checked the advancing V anara troops, reform ed his arm y,
and then by feints at retreatin g drew the V anara heroes and
L akshm ana fu rth e r south tow ards the w alls of the city.
As all sound of b attle died aw ay in the distance, Ram a, who
w as in the m idst of his sacrifices for th e divine w eapons, becam e
anxious to know w h at w as happening, left the sacrificial grounds,
and retracin g his steps tow ards th e battle-field follow ed th e tra c k
of his arm y w hich was being d raw n fu rth e r and fu rth e r south
by the fascinating m agic of M ahodara. Confusion reigned
everyw here, and it was afte r hours of an x iety th a t R am a learned
from H anum an th a t unless he him self sent some m issiles of divine
pow er th e R akshasa m agic could not be overcome. Ram a bent
h is bow th erefo re and sent his d arts instinct w ith th e divine
pow er of Shiva, an d M ahodara, seeing th a t his m agic refused to
7

KAM BA

RA M A T A L A M A

STUDY

Stand against this class of weapons, rose up in ^he air and bided
his time.
The field now being absolutely clear of th e R akshasa troops,
R am a w en t back to th e sacrificial ground to com plete his sacrifices
for th e divine astras. B ut soon after, In d ra jit re tu rn e d h av in g
perfected his sacrifices and obtained th e cruel m issiles called
B rahm astra th a t destroy w hole masses a t one fell throw . H e
had not th e com punctions th a t p rev en ted th e b ro th ers from using
such a w eapon, and so standing u n d er th e cover of th e Illusion
again produced by M ahodara he b en t his bow, pronounced th e
m antras of th e B rahm astra an d released th e d art. A t once m illions
on m illions of arrow s flew w ith deadly force from inside th a t
deadly d art, and killed th e V anara heroes by th e m yriad an d even
L akshm ana him self.
H aving achieved his fell w ork, In d ra jit w en t back in triu m p h
to L an k a and pro u d ly told his fa th e r th a t his enem ies w ere now
destroyed for ever, for, said he, w ould Ram a, if living, fo rg et
his valour w hen I stretch ed his d earest friends and b ro th er upon
th e field ?
W hen R am a cam e back to th e field a fte r finishing his sacrifices
and renew ing th e pow er of his a s t r a s , he w as stu n n ed a t th e sight
th a t m et his eyes. W herever he tu rn ed , he saw n othing b u t heaps
of V anara corpses. He saw his S ugriva and H anum an, A ngada
and Nila, and th e rest ploughed w ith bleeding w ounds and falle n
a t th e head of th e ir respective divisions ; and his tears fell lik e
show ers. B ut w hen he saw his L akshm ana also a lifeless corpse,
he fell dow n plum b, like a s a l a tree stru ck by th e th u n d erb o lt.
A nd w ho w as th ere to console him in th a t aw ful m om ent of
so u l-sh atterin g g rief ? Who w as th e re to sep arate him from th e
body of his b ro th er w hich he w as em bracing w ith his trem b lin g
arm s ? A nd w ho w as th ere to lift him up and b rin g him to
him self ? He w as alone, all alone in th a t w ilderness of th e dead !
A fter hours of silent anguish in th a t w eirdly d ark night, R am a
th u s gave expression to the m easureless grief th a t w as ag itatin g
his m ind :
I died not w hen I h eard of our fa th e rs death,
T hough he a kingdom gave,1 for in th y love
I learn ed to forget his loss : but, thee now dead,
W h ats life to me ? I come, m y brother, I come.
1 Read : I died not though he a kingdom gave (to m e). The original
allows also a rendering as *1 minded not when he gave away th e

kingdom. (P)

LA K SH M A N A

0#

B u t w ert thou b ro th er alone ? Thou w ert to m e

A child and fath er, m other and blessings all :
A nd thou a rt gone ! A nd thou a rt gone w ith o u t
A F a re w e ll said. A las ! hav e I become
M ore cruel th a n thee ? F or I see thee dead
A nd still, p reten d in g sorrow , I b ear to live.
M y h e a rt is m ade of stone, it b reak eth n o t ;
E en th y loss J shall bear and cling to life !
In all these fourteen years of forest life,
T hrough sun or show er, th o u labouredst h a rd fo r m e
A nd n eer didst rest : a rt thou now gone for rest ?
Thou h ad st forsw orn een sleep : w ouldst n o t aw ak e ?
Thy one desire, child, w as to see m e crow ned :
Now ope th y eyes, behold, I m grow n hom e-sick ;
T ake m e to O udh an d crow n m e w ith th y h an d s !
Ah w retch I am th a t know s not w h at is love
T hough losing thee, m y b ro th er, I am n o t dead.
Now w ho is b ro th er to thee ? A las o ur bonds
A re broke : Nor I n o r life are kin to th ee ! . . .
My love of throne has untold m isery b ro u g h t
On fath er, m other and all. A nd for this love
Of S ita I have sacrificed t h e e ....................
Thou w ert a b ro th er born b u t grew est a frie n d
Inseparable, thou didst th y fath e r leave
A nd m other and D harm itself and follow edst me.
B ut do I follow thee now thou a rt dead ? . . .
W hy did I p a rt from thee, and let th ee fight
Alone w ith In d ra jit ? I h ate m yself ;
I h ate this life inconstant : I come, I come !
Behold, I follow thee ! 1
T hus lam enting, R am a once again fell into a swoon.
R akshasa scouts now th o u g h t th a t Ram a also w as d ead a n d
r a n to L an k a and inform ed R avana th a t th e w hole V an ara a rm y
a n d the tw o m en lay dead upon the field. R avana w as now
triu m p h a n t and ordered th a t S ita should be tak en over th e
b attle-field and shown the corpse of h er husband.
A fter S ita h ad come an d gone, V ibhishana w ho had gone to
look a fte r th e provisions of th e arm y re tu rn e d and saw th e carn ag e
a n d th e d read fu l silence over th e w hole field. R elieved to find
th a t, though R am a could n o t be w aked from his swoon, he h a d
1 VI xxi 206-209, 218, 210, 212, 214, 17.

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no w ounds on his body, an d hoping th a t L akshm ana and th e rest:

w ould escape from this astra even as they did from th e Naga pasha,.
he searched th e field torch in h an d to see if any of th e g reat
heroes w ere living, so th a t he m ight consult w ith them as to w h at
they should do in this great disaster. He a t la st saw H anum an
w ith his body drilled w ith th e terrific shafts of In d ra jit b u t w ith,
life not ex tin ct ; and then, rem oving the d arts from his body an d
cooling him w ith fresh w ater from the clouds, he brought him
back to consciousness. H anum an now rose w ith R am as nam e
upon his lips, saw w ith grief the sham bles th a t th e ir arm y was,
and asked if Jam b h av an was yet alive as he alone could suggest
a rem edy in th a t great hour. Jam b h av an w as searched for and
fortu n ately found alive. On being asked, he said th a t on th e
Sanj ivi hill grew th e drugs th a t could heal all w ounds and bring
th e dead back t life, and th a t H anum an should fly th ith e r and
bring the drugs, and w ith th e ir aid restore to life the fallen arm y.
So H anum an flew through the air the thousands of miles
lying betw een L anka and the hill, lifted th e hill sheer w ith his
hands and flew back to L anka before the day broke. As soon
as the hill of drugs was brought, the very air a t once w afted
balsam , and the V anara heroes and L akshm ana rose as if from
sleep w ith all th eir w ounds healed and fresher th an ever before.1
L akshm ana had now escaped from tw o disasters. A lthough
h e fought w ith a valour equal to th a t of his enem y, the la tte rs
m agic pow ers and unscrupulousness w ere able to w rest victory
out of defeat. The challenges th a t he had throw n out to In d ra jit
w ere yet unfulfilled, and it was by m iracles th at he him self escaped
w ith life. These two m iracles, how ever, showed th a t th e gods
w ere on his side and th at he would end by destroying th e
Rakshasa. B ut how great fights h ad again to be w aged, through
w h at great fire he had again and again to pass before he was
able to bring the head of In d ra jit to the ground !

i As the Rakshasa dead had been thrown into the sea at the command*
of Havana, the balmy air was of no use for them.

CHAPTER V ili

INDRAJIT : HIS EXPLOITS AND DEATH

W hile describing L ak sh m an as exploits in th e last chapter, w e
h a d inevitably to speak of In d ra jit, th e ablest fighter in th e
R akshasa arm y. In this ch ap ter w e shall stu d y his ch aracter as
K am ban depicts him and describe his la st g reat fights w ith
L akshm an a w hom he h ad chosen as his especial opponent.
We have alread y referred to H anum ans estim ate1 of his v alo u r
even w hen he w as asleep. He is the only R akshasa w ho d ares to
Use h a rd w ords to R avana. For, w hen he h ears th a t H anum an,
d u rin g his first visit to L anka, afte r discovering S ita had d estro y ed
R akshasa arm y a fte r R akshasa arm y th a t w ere sent against him ,
an d also had killed his b ro th er A ksha w ho h ad com m anded th e
la s t arm y, he rushes to the presence of his fa th e r an d chides h im
saying,
Thou w eighest n o t th e d an g er b eforehand b u t ru sh e st
u n th in k in g into it, and then thou sufferest. Even a fte r seein g
th e prow ess of th a t m onkey, thou h ast sent against h im in
batches those w ho could n ev er hold th e ir owri against him .
Is it not th en th o u th a t h ast killed' them ? W hen th e K in ka ra s
and Jam b u m ali and th e five com m andants w ith th e ir goodly
force re tu rn e d n o t w ith life from th e fight, how can w e ca ll
our enem y m onkey ? O ught w e n o t ra th e r to ra n k him w ith

Shiva and B rah m a and V ishnu ? Thou h ast in th e days p a st

broken th e force of th e E lephants th a t hold th e u niverse in
its place, and conquered th e th ree w orlds and lifted m o u n t
K ailasa itself w ith S hiva upon it. B u t now w h at w ill w ash
this hum iliation received a t th e han d s of th e m onkey w h o
has killed o ur A ksha ? A fter this, even a victory w ill n o t
be a m a tte r fo r rejoicing ! *2
So also, w hen his fa th e r tells him th a t A tik ay a w as k illed in
;4he b a ttle w ith L akshm ana, he boldly attack s him saying, 4
4Ist
T h at
W hy
T hat

L akshm an killed m y b ro th er ? No ! tis th o u

sent him to th e slaughter. K now ing th e ir m ig h t
se n tst thou not for m e before ? The foe
killed m y o th er b ro th er thou se n tst aw ay

I See page 83.

3 V xii 9-11.

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U nthinking, for, sooth, he as an envoy came.

A nd now w h ere are th y sons to g u ard th y th ro n e ?
P ast are th y days of glory, S ire ! *1
B ut though lie chides his fa th e r to his face, h e is e x tre m e ly
jealous of his fa th e r's glory. For instance, w hen he learn s th a t
H anum an h ad ended A ksha he exclaim s,
4Alas, 'tis n o t m y b ro th er th a t is dead
I t is m y fath e r's glory faded lies
Upon th e ground.2
W hen, on reaching the battle-field he sees th e ground
soaked w ith th e blood of R akshasas killed by H anum an, he is filled
w ith sham e th a t R akshasa blood should be spilled in L an k a by a
m onkey. Says th e poet,
He saw his com rades d ear to him as life
O r th ' apple of his eye, all fallen dead
Upon th e ground, and endless p h alan x fierce.
He saw th e sham bles th ey had become, an d a t
T he sight h e b it his lip ; and w ho could sound
The g rief and sham e th a t ag itated him ?
A stick th a t probes a bleeding w ound does give
A lig h ter pang.3
W hen, a t th e R akshasa council, R avana speaks of heading a n
a rm y him self against Ram a, In d ra jit considers th a t he should
n e v e r th in k of doing a th in g th a t is so m uch b en eath his d ig n ity
a n d asks him to send him self. He says, sarcastically,
A nd thou to m arch against this p u n y m an !
O g reat w ill be th e glory thou w ilt reap,
A nd g reat th e triu m p h in th a t noble w ar !
V erly thou dost despise th e R akshasas
T h at b ear th e arm s divine, now ru sty grow n,
T h at M ahadeva gave an d B rahm a blessed ;
A nd I am grow n th e least before th in e eyes
Of those th a t w ield th e sw ord ! '4
1 VI xviii 7, 8.
3 V xii 18.

2 V xii 5.
4 VI ii 58, 59. .

>

108

INDtfAJIT

A n d th e n changing th e m ood he continues,

E ven if all th e w orlds conspire gainst thee
A nd ran g e th e ir pow ers upon th e field, Ill b rav e
T hem a ll an d b rin g th ee victory. If I fail,
I ll brag n o t m yself son to thee, b u t deem
M yself a lo w -b o rn crav en . . . . T hou w ilt see
The V anars lick th e dust, an d M other E arth
G roan w ith th e w eig h t of rolling heads : and I
S hall to rtu re S ita w ith th e b lood-curdling sight
Of L ak sh m an s gory head an d R am s. 1
We have given th e reader, w e hope, in th e la st ch ap ter an
ad eq u ate idea of his superb valour. K am ban calls him th e
* perfection of all valorous qualities . He leaps w ith joy w hen
he finds a brave an d m ighty enem y to fight w ith. Thus, du rin g
H an u m an s first v isit to L anka,
Though he had conquered w orlds before,
The m ighty form of H anum an w hen h e saw,
A nd th e field heaped up w ith m asses of th e dead,
H ere is a foe th a ts w orthy of m y steel,
He thought, and w as delighted a t his luck
In having such a foe to fight.2
The gods and th e w hole w orld live in p erp e tu a l te rro r of
his valour. As an instance, w hen he m arches to punish H anum an
a fte r th e d eath of Aksha,
Now th u n d ered loud th e tru m p ets and th e bells
Jin g lin g on w arrio rs an k lets proud. The king
O f gods did trem b le for his v ery life.
Even th e T hree S uprem e from Yoga tu rn ed
E xpecting fierce w ar.3
The D evas fear of him , how ever, w as as m uch due to his
m agic arts as to his valour. For he w as an ex p e rt in th e
em ploym ent of th e black a rt as in the w ielding of th e w eapons
of w ar. So m uch so, th a t anybody who displays an e x tra o rd in a ry
cunning is dubbed a t once in India as In d ra jit. We have seen
him , in th e last chapter, resorting to the Naga pasha and
i VI ii 60, 61.

2 V xii 15.

3 V xi i 4.

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STUDY

B rahm astra afte r concealing him self from h u m an sight. W e sh all

presen tly see him try to throw R am a off his g u ard by an o th er of
his m agic trick s and by false th re a ts u tte re d before R am as
faith fu llest serv an t H anum an.
For, w hen he found th a t R am a w as not touched even by his
B rahm astra w hich brought dow n th e w hole of th e V an ara arm y,
his hopes of final victory by p u re deeds of valo u r began to grow
dim, and he spoke to his father, disclosing his plans for th e th ird
day s fight, prefacing his speech by his opinion of R am a :
M an he is not, n o r In d ra, ancient foe,
Nor Rishi striv in g a fte r B rah m ag n an 1
I doubt n o t now th a t h es th e A ncient One
A dored by all, as V ibhishana held forth,
B ut not fo r th a t shall w e our strivings cease :
Though fallen are our heroes g reat th e re s hope
Of victory y et for us : if I b u t go
To th e field of N ikum bhal and u n d istu rb ed
I can perfo rm m y m agic rites, I w in
The pow er to conquer even him .2
And th en he explains how he proposes to p u t th e m an an d
the V anaras on th e w rong scent :
By m agic a rt I ll m ake a b reath in g shape
Like unto Jan ak i, and sever its head
In sight of H anum an, and straig h t proclaim
I fly to O udh, and for revenge destroy
The city and its king. D espair w ill seize
The V anar arm y and th e M an and th ey
Will eith er leave th is land or send to O udh
The m ighty H anum an and suspend w ar
Till he retu rn . M eantim e m y rites com plete,
I fall on th em w ith m o rtal w eapons new ,
A nd b rin g thee triu m p h sure.3
R avana agreed to this and In d ra jit w ent his w ay to m ak e
th e living autom aton.
M eantim e, th e V an ara arm y th a t w as resto red to life by th e
h ill of drugs d eterm in ed to set fire to L anka, and set ab o u t to
th ro w b u rn in g tin d e r and torches into th e in terio r of th e city,

1 Knowledge of the Ultimate Reality.

2

VI xxv 13, 14.

3 v i xxv 16-18.

s^

INDRAJIT

10&

H a n u m a n w ho h ad gone n o rth to resto re th e Sanj ivi h ill to its

place retu rn ed to L an k a an d joined in th e w ork. As, how ever,
"he approached th e w estern gate of th e city, In d ra jit ap p eared
before him sw ord in hand, dragging by th e h a ir th e au to m ato n
to ad e like Sita, an d said,
It is for S ita ye are m aking w a r :
My fath e r careth n o t for her, and lo
I spill h e r blood een fore your eyes ! 91
H anum an knew n o t his trick and w as ta k en aback. He knew
n o t w h at to do. In his confusion he th o u g h t a soft w ord m ig h t
sav e Sita and so he pray ed to In d ra jit to release her. He th e re fo re
ad d ressed him in these w ords :
*O w orthy son of a w orthy race (th o u a rt
The fifth in direct line from B rahm a g reat)
K ill not a w om an, sham e not th y ancient line !
Thou h ast the shasters m astered an d th e Ved :
K now est thou not tis a crim e and also sham e
To fell a w om an dead ? Behold, th e E arth
Doth trem ble at the sight and heaven above
A nd yet thou p ity st not ! O spare the fair !
If thou deliver h e r to me, Ill p ray
T hat all the w orlds m ay own thee king for ever.
Alas, forgettest thou the glory g reat
Of th y race ? D isgrace not thou its ancient nam e ! 2
In d ra jit only laughed at H anum an and replied,
Well h ast thou said ! W ell purchase safety, sooth,
Me and m y fath er, by delivering S ita !
A nd g reat w ill be th e glory th ereb y reaped !
No, I w ill kill h er straig h t and send m y shafts
T h atll m ake you flee for life, and stablish firm
My fa th e rs throne B ut all I have not said :
For I shall first to O udh and burn h er w alls ;
G uard h er if e er ye can ! Behold I speed
T h ith er : Nor gods can save th y m a sters m others
Or brothers. Behold, m y flaming arrow s fly !
A lready, hark , th e ir d eath -g ro an s ren d th e air ! 3
1 VI xxv 31.

2 VI xxv 34, 35.

* VI xfcv 38-41.

;1

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STUDY

So saying, w hile still th e autom aton w as piteously p ray in g t o r

life, he drew his sw ord and w ith one stroke severed th e h e a d
from its body an d directed his charioteer to steer his a e ria l c a r

northward.
H anum an fell w here he stood, stunned, even like a m o u n tain
to m by its roots. The poet describes his grief and lam en t f o r
S ita s fate in these w ords :
O sw an ! he w ould cry out, and sob ; and th en
W ould cry, 1O jew el of w om ankind ! He w ould
Then call aloud, O m other m ine ; th e n groan,
A sking in deep despair, Is th ere no god ?
A nd th en w ould curse his h e a rt th a t it did not
In pieces break w hen she was killed before
His eyes.
He thought of springing on his foe,
B u t lacking force he fell upon th e ground
A nd groaned. His eyes did flash w ith rage. His fra m e
Did shiver for the anguish of his h e a rt ;
A nd knocking his huge head against th e ground
He thus lam ented loud : I th o u g h t th e n ight
W hich did th e th ree w orlds envelop had passed,
A nd daw n w as nigh ; alas, th e th rice black pall
Of M isery has fallen once again
Upon th e E arth, and she subm erged groans
B eneath th e flood of sin. For th e cruel foe
Has felled dow n Sita, and D harm a m angled lies !
The foe does k ill th a t lovely princess pure;.
I see h er killeda w om an killed before
My eyes ! and yet I stand transfixed to th e spot
E en like a bird th a t has its w ings lopped off !
0 bravely have I from captivity
Rescued h er ! M aithili, m y R am as spouse,
T h at m other of unsurpassed austerities,
T h at spotless d au g h ter of a spotless race,
A helpless oneh er he has cleaved in tw ain,
A nd I have let him go : and now I w eep
As if I have a h e a rt th a t compassion feels !
1 braved th e dangers of the deep, O m other,
A nd carried R am as m essage here, and th in e
Oer there, not for to end this cursd race
N or for to force thee from th e ir hands : I can^e

INDRA JIT

107

A lone to see th ee k illed before th y tim e !

A nd m en w ould curse m y nam e fo r e'er. W hen Ram
Did w an d er in his g rief oe r h ills and dales
L ik e one d istrau g h t, I had th e fo rtu n e g reat
To rouse him back to life w ith th e words, 41 saw
T hy love, I saw h e r still alive \ A nd now
A m I to say, I saw th e R akshasa k ill
T hy spotless .wife ? Ah, w retched is m y fate !
I w as proud I could th e ocean cross, and bridge
T h abyss unbridged, and carry off th e hill
Of drugs and aye bring back th e dead to life.
A nd I to m yself boasted, T here is none
A m ong th e V anars like thee \ Alas,
A ll m y exploits are now no m ore th a n scent
Dissolved in ocean stream . I d ared not spring
Upon th e m urderous foe and m angle him
To death ; I died not straig h tw ay rending m y fram e
In tw ain ; b u t saw him kill h er undisturbed.
A nd still I ll live to fa tte n this body m ine
W ith food : is then m y glory sm all ? l

A fter this lam en t H anum an came to him self sufficiently to

enable him to ru n to Ram a and inform him th a t he saw In d ra j i t
k ill Sita. W hen R am a h eard th e w ords he w as stu n n ed :
th e re w as no shudder in his fram e ; he did not b reath e
heavily ; his eyes did not move, nor tears cam e from th em ;
he spoke not a w ord ; b u rst not his h e a rt ; he did not fall to
th e ground ; he did not sob ; th e re w as no sw eat show ing over
his bodyth e gods even w ere not able to sound th e d ep th
of th e anguish in his h e a rt !2
The V anara heroes who h eard th e new s fell as uprooted rocks
at th e feet of Ram a. B ut Ram a,
who w as unm oved even as a statue, looked not at th e faces of
his friends ; he w ould not even rep ly to L ak sh m an as
questions ; he lost control over him self ; and w ith his h e a rt
carved and cut by th e scalpel of deep attach m en t to Sita,
he fell dow n on th e ground even as a m an dead.3
L akshm ana could n o t bear to see Ram a to rtu red w ith such
grief. He felt th a t all th e ir endeavours h ad come to nought w ith
th e tragic end of Sita. Especially could he n o t b ear th e sham e i VI x x v 45-53.

2 VI xxv 58.

3 VI xxv 60.

108

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

th a t th ey w ere un ab le to p rev en t such a fa te fro m beflling th e

w om an w hom he looked upon as his ow n m other. A nd h e also
sank dow n in g rief lik e a calf th a t has lost its m o th e r \
A t length, V ibhishana brought Ram a back to consciousness,
b u t Ram a w as still too full of sorrow . L akshm ana too, soon afte r,
came to him self ; and, though full of anguish him self and sin k in g
u nder th e w eight of such a terrib le disaster, he fe lt th a t ow ing to
the attach m en t of Ram a to Sita, R am a's h e a rt w ould b re a k
endangering even his life, and so he addressed to R am a th ese
tru m p e t-lik e w ords :
*W hen F ate h er d ark est h o u r unrolls, an d all
A ppears lost, tis only w eaklings lose
T heir h e a rt and hopeless sink in black despair.
B ut w ilt thou be like them ? W hen tarn ish ed is
O ur race itself by this irrep arab le loss,
W hy slacks th y arm from ending all th e w orlds
A nd D harm a's self at one fell stroke ? H ere w as
A wom an w eak, a helpless one, of life
A ustere, and she th y spouse, as L akshm i fair :
If h er the Rakshas kills and thou a rt still
Engulfed in sorrow , th y rage unroused, I ask,
Is life so dear ? Or dost thou p ity feel
For m en and gods ? W hat h ast thou now to do
W ith D harm itself ? W hat care w e now for gods
Or Rakshasas, for G urus, B rahm ans, Ved
Itself ? W hen violence prospers in th e w orld
A nd Righteousness in ruin ends, w hy sit
We here w ith folded arm s ? W hy hesitate
To end th e trip le w orlds w ith fire and sw ord ?
Behold, the w orlds are still revolving on
In th eir appointed spheres ; the gods are still
Alive ; and men are bowing yet to D harm
As if it still exists ! And clouds y et yield
T heir plenteous rain to m an ! A nd b en t w ith grief
We sit and w eep and rise not to end th em all !
Is not our valour great ?
O ur du ty w as
If we but knew , to b u rn this city vile,
A nd scattering fire around, to line w ith flames
The roads, all through, th a t In d ra jitta passed.
And send him to his doom. This unattem p ted ,
If im potent we sit w ith indolent arm s,

INDRA J I T

109

A nd w ater w ith our tears the earth, will not

O ur m anliness look sm all ? A t Ayodh too,
We feared this D harm a, and renounced our throne
A nd w andering in the forests wild, we lost
O ur Sita, tricked by villainous H avanas guile ;
A nd y et we kept our w raths w ithin our bounds.
H ere also to this outrage fell if we
Should subm it meek, w hat doubt but he will bind us
In chains and bid us slave for him ? Should We
D esperate, die by our own hands, the world
Will laugh at us and say we lacked the strength
A helpless w om ans m urder to avenge
And died consumed w ith shame. Yield not, therefore,
My b rother to this unm anly, w eak despair,
The portion of the feeble in m ind and h e a rt. 1

Sugriva was fired w ith these words, and rose to spring on

L anka. But H anum an told the company, w hat he had forgotten
to say before, th a t In d ra jit had threatened to m arch on Ayodhya
and th a t he had seen the Rakshasa direct his aerial car northw ards.
H am as anxiety for the fate of his brothers and m others at A yodhya
w as even g reater th an his grief for the loss of Sita. A fter a
m om ents agitation he thought of pursuing the R akshasa on th e
shoulders of H anum an. B ut Lakshm ana heartened Ram a by
rem inding him of B h aratas valour w hile V ibhishana proposed
th a t, as he doubted th a t Indra jit m ight have played some trick
of illusion, he should first go to A shokavana disguised and see if
S ita was alive. This proposal was im m ediately agreed to, and
V ibhishana soon retu rn ed w ith th e happy new s th a t Sita was still
alive and unharm ed. He also fu rth e r brought the inform ation
th a t In d ra jit had gone to the field of N ikum bhala to perform a
sacrifice, and proposed th a t Ram a should send L akshm ana
im m ediately to attack him there and prevent th e com pletion of
th e sacrifice, as it had been foretold to In d ra jit th a t if he
com pleted this sacrifice at N ikum bhala he w ould be able to destroy
h is enemies, no m a tte r who they m ight be, w ithout fail. Ram a
agreed to it, gave L akshm ana th e great bow of V ishnu surrendered
to him by P arsh u Rama, and after telling him w ith w hat weapons
to p arry the R akshasas divine weapons and enjoining him not to
use the Brahm astra even if the enem y should use it, sent him to
th e fight w ith his blessings.
1 VI x x v 65-71.

no

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

A t N ikum bhala In d ra jit w as a t his sacrifice invoking th e

gods for invincibility and final victory. The sacrificial g ro u n d
w as guarded on all sides by the E akshasa arm y standing silent in
circolar form ation called the C hakravyuha. L aksh m an a an d h is
host now came to in te rru p t the Y ajna and th e b a ttle began.
The R akshasas m et th e challenging shouts of th e V an aras
w ith th e ir counter-challenges, an d th e ir rocks an d tre e -tru n k s b y
th e ir arrow s and maces and clubs and lances. The V anaras a n d
th e R akshasas fell by th e thousand, an d th e sacrifice w as
interru p ted . The lim bs and tru n k s of th e dead R akshasas fell on
and desecrated th e sacrificial fire. T heir heads fell on th e pots of
th e sacrificial w ater and broke them in pieces. The blood of th e
R akshasas flowed in stream s and extinguished th e fire in the chief
sacrificial pit. The sacrificial buffaloes w ere killed by th e sw ords
and lances still grasped by the torn and falling arm s of In d ra jits
loyal soldiers. L aksh m an as arrow s destroyed th e R akshasa a rm y
4 like the w hirlw ind, like the engineering a rt of th e K alingas1,
like an epidem ic of disease, like acid th ro w n in m ilk.'
W herever In d ra jit tu rn ed his eyes he could see only th e
heaped up carcasses of elephants and heroes, th e broken frag m en ts
of chariots, the heads of his valorous soldiers, and a sea of blood*
*He could not see th e bodies of his heroeshe could see only stream s
of blood issuing from th e fragm ents of th e ir m ighty lim bs. H e
saw the rest of his troops flying for life every w h ere and d y in g
or dead or crouching w ith te rro r in th e ir flight. A nd so h e
stopped his invocations, and rose like a sm oke-topped p y ram id
of flame about to be quenched. He thought th a t the ex tin g u ish in g
of the sacrificial fire foreboded his own end. B ut like a tru e son
of b attle he feared not b u t p rep ared to m eet L akshm ana an d th e
V anara arm y.
H anum an now came w ithin his earshot, and ta u n ted him w ith
these w ords :
O R akshas of a h u n d red m illion lies ;
I ween I saw thee kill our Ja n ak i
A nd fly to O udh ? W hen didst thou thence retu rn ,
My w arrio r bold ? I hope success has sm iled
On thee ! I hope thou h ast th a t city fair
i Read : military engineering art \ Aiyar here renders the original
phrase *Kalinga-K-Kammiar noolena * in a sense more apposite to the
other terms denoting forces of destruction than the more commonly
accepted meaning of *the yarn of the workers on (the) cloth (loom) *
which is inappropriate as it refers to the frequent and easy snapping of
the yarn and is therefore the thing destroyed.* (P)

INDRAJIT

111

U p ro o ted , and R am as race destroyed ! I hope

Thou h ast th y b o w -craft show n to sain tly B h arat,
S trong as the m ighty Shesh th a t bears aloft
The spacious ea rth and all th a t is thereon !
I hope thou h ast his youngest b ro th er m et
In b attle face to face and conquered him !
I w ould n o t be surprised if een th e ir heads
Thou h ast as trophies brought. K now est thou p erch an ce
T h at now th y circling b a ttle -fro n t is pierced ?
H ath tw ang of L ak sh m an s b attlin g bow by chance
E ntered th in e ear ? . . .
Is it th e noose to -d a y
T h at thou w ilt w ield, or B rah m as fata l d a rt ?
Sit d a rt of M ahadev or V ishnus disk
Thou dost purpose to h u rl ? We die w ith fear,
O m ighty sire, of all th y arm oury ! . . .
Een if M aheshvar comes to save th y life,
O r V ishnu from His Sea, th y doom is fixed
Today. I see th e trem o r ominous
On th e w rong side of th y fram e : sta y st th o u to fight
This day ? Behold th e hero challenging
W hos sw orn to tak e th y life ; th e th u n d erin g tw a n g
Of his strong bow, I crave to know , is it
An indispensable p a rt of sacrifice ?
The Gods are come to see him w ield the bow
The suprem e archer, b ro th er to m ighty Ram.
D eath comes to every m an one day so w hy
Dost h esitate ? n
T hough In d ra jit now saw th a t he could n o t contend a g a in st
U akshm ana, his h a u te u r did n o t ab ate an inch, an d he flung th e se
w ords a t H anum an :
Well h ast thou le a rn t m y w ords from me, and now
F o restallst me w ell ! A nd ye to ta u n t m e th u s !
W here is th e fight, in all our b attles fought,
In w hich ye w ere not crushed ? W ith life restored
Ye forget clean your enem ys d eath -w in g ed sh afts !
A gain ye th irst for d eath and challenge m e :
H ave you preserved th e d ru g th a t saves from d ea th ?
L et L akshm an come or Ram, let those th a t feel
T hey can now come to g uard ye from m y d arts !
i V I xxv i 70-78.

112

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M --- A. S T U D Y

The gods w ill only see th e carcasses

Of V anaras dead heaped up upon th e field,
A nd anguish of th e ir h u m an m asters feeble !
Long as I have m y b raw n y arm s and bow
I let no foe re tu rn aliveor m an
O r h u n ch -b ack ed ape* E en if ye refuge tak e
In heaven, I w ill pursu e ye even th e re
A nd end ye all : and een Sanj ivi Hill
C annot restore ye back to life ! Because
My sacrifice is in te rru p t, dream not
T herefore th a t victory w ill now be yours,
Nor brag in im itated speech of prow ess
T h at ll n eer be yours. I w aste m y w ords no m ore :
The d arts th a t one by one w ill cleave your necks
A nd drop your heads upon th e blood-red sw ard
W ill blazon fo rth m y m ight to all th e w orlds.
I am n o t skilled like ye in th e b o asters art,
B u t this I ll say : th rice have ye b it th e dust
'F o re me. H ave ev er ye stood your ground to face
Me in m y rage ? A nd now a t least hav e ye
To face m e train ed yourselves ? O r w ill ye fall
Upon th e field and stretch yourselves in d eath ?
O r w ill ye flee from h ere for life ? 91
So saying In d ra jit blew his w ar-conch and tw anged his bow.
A t th e m ere sound th e common V anaras th rew dow n th e stones
an d tre e -tru n k s in th e ir hands and ran for th e ir lives. The
leaders, how ever, stood th e ir ground and gave him battle.
H anum an took a giant rock and h u rled it w ith such a force th a t
even his fath er, th e God of W ind, trem bled w ith fear. A nd th e
gods said, w h at is too heavy for such b raw n y arm s ? The rock
flew w ith th e force of a thousand thunderbolts, and th e w orlds
trem b led a t it, and th e R akshasa host fled in terro r. B ut In d ra jit
laughed, and saying,
W ell done, m y V anar brave ! Thou hopst w ith stones
To throw me dow n and kill me fore th e gods.
P erh ap s a m onkey can this feat ! 92
se n t a forceful sh aft against th a t rock and blew it into fragm ents ;
b u t even th e unw inking gods did not see w hen or how he aim ed
1 VI xxvi 80 to 85.

2 VI xxvi 91.

INDRAJIT

113

his arrow . As H anum an w as lifting another rock In d ra jit sent

a score of arrow s against him and stru ck him dow n senseless.
S ugriva now took his place. B u t In d ra jit despised his
stren g th and said,
Een though they rush on him w ith scowling eye,
Does e er the lion tu rn from elephant chase,
And stop to w ar w ith chattering m onkeys vile ?
Go, bring me* L akshm an who m ay stand some fight
And give my d arts some w ork : fall n o t a prey
To th eir deadly point. S aw st not th y H anum an
Felled down ? A rt thou m ore strong ? Hold I not still
My m ighty bow ? Has ever my rig h t h an d failed
Me up to now ? H ast thou forgot th y lesson
Of yesterday ? Or hast thou gained new stren g th ?
Show me the man, and flee w ith all th y host
To th y native hills ! n
So saying, he tu rn ed tow ards w here L akshm ana stood, but
th e V anara heroes rained on him rocks and stones, and received
his arrow s on th eir limbs. G reat was the havoc th a t th e
R akshasas arrow s played upon the V anara arm y, and V ibhishana
prayed to L akshm ana to check his course. H anum an had now
recovered from his shock, and taking L akshm ana upon his
shoulders strode to the front and stood facing In d ra jits chariot.
A nd though the chariot was draw n by a thousand horses, n eith er
in appearance nor in fact did the advantage rest w ith the R akshasa
so m ighty and so sw ift was the g reat V anara. L akshm anas
arrow s rushed through the air like fire, like thunderbolts, like
ghouls searching for living prey, like fam ine, like epidem ic disease,
like the fru its of th e sins of m an when they re tu rn home to him
in th e ir season, like m olten m etal, like v u ltu res sweeping over
th e ir prey for the sake of th eir living. But, for every arrow the
R akshasa had a counter, and he sped his arrow s in such m u ltitu d e
th a t V anaras w ondered w hether the w orld could contain any m ore
of them. In d ra jits chariot m ade its evolutions over hill an d
dale, m ound and plain, to catch L akshm ana at a disadvantage,
b u t H anum an was as sw ift as the w ar-horses of In d rajit, and he
n ever for a single m om ent exposed L akshm anas unguarded side
to the enemy. Such w as the sw iftness of th e ir evolutions th a t
even tried w arriors could not tell w hich w as L akshm ana and
w hich the Rakshasa. The gods w ere glad th a t th ey w ere given
i VI xxvi 98, 99.
8

214

KAMBA

RAM AYANAM A

STUDY

to see such a fight as n ev er w as fought before. The co m b atan ts

looked like tw o avatars of D urga th e w ar-goddess striv in g
against each other. T he arrow s clove th e air w ith such sw iftness
th a t they w ere rig h t who said, behold, th e arro w s fly th e air
and those also w ere rig h t who said 4no, arro w s cleave th e a ir.
The gashes in th e bodies of the com batants alone show ed th a t th e
arrow s had left th e bow -strings so rap id w as th e ir flight. F a r
as the eye could reach, th e sky w as overcast w ith flames an d
smoke. The v ery stars becam e cinder in th a t iro n -h ail. The
tw ang of th e bow -strings re n t th e a ir like th u n d er. T here w as
explosion everyw here. The raging d a rts beaked each other. T he
seas dried up, th e hills crum bled to pieces, th e trees caught fire,
th e bodies of th e com batants w ere crum pled up in th e fire of th e
burn in g arrow s.
A t length th e arm o u r of In d ra jit w as to rn open and his body
w as pierced by L ak sh m an as arrow s. B u t he did n ot m ind th is
and sent his d a rts w hich w ounded H anum an all over. Seeing
H anum an w ounded, L akshm ana got dow n an d aim ed a t th e
R akshasas chariot and sent it into a thousand fragm ents. In d ra jit
now w ounded an d stunned L ak sh m an a w ith te n arrow s rap id ly
fired. B ut the la tte r at once recovered and pierced th e enem ys
chest and arm s w ith arrow s th a t flew w ith th e force of S hivas
foot w hen he kicked D eath in order to save M arkandeya. T hen
In d ra jit drew out his divine w eapons one a fte r another, b u t
L akshm ana w as able to p arry th em all by sim ilar ones. A t length,
seeing no other w ay, he sent th e B rahm astra ag ain st L akshm ana.
T he gods trem b led and pray ed for his life. B ut, though it w as
against the injunction of his brother, L akshm ana sent th e
Brahm astra him self to p a rry his enem ys w eapon, and show ed to
him th a t it w as not for his ignorance of its use th a t he desisted
from using it d u rin g th e second battle. In d ra jits B rahm astra w as
destroyed by L ak sh m an as w hich in addition th rea ten e d to consum e
th e w hole w orld. B ut L akshm ana aim ed an o th er m issile a t h is
ow n B rahm astra, and m ade it innocuous ; and th e gods exclaim ed,
4 w h at is th e re th a t is im possible to m en of heroic m ould.
In d ra jit now th o u g h t th a t p erhaps th e N arayanastra m ay
finish L akshm ana, and so, saying,
4If th o u can p a rry this, none can oppose
Thee on th e field. B ut th is w ill send th ee sure
To h eav en I know it cannot fail,1
i VI x x vi 146.

INDRAJIT

115

lie aim ed it a t L ak sh m an a w ith all his m ight. I t cam e lik e a

ro arin g fire, an d Lakhm ana, know ing th a t it could n o t be opposed
b y an y other divine w eapon, m ed itated on N arayana, its p resid in g
d eity and faced it ; an d lo, it tu rn ed aside, w en t round L ak sh m an a,
a n d gatherin g its force into itself ev ap o rated in smoke, harm less.
In d r a jit w ondered a t th e m iracle and once m ore d o u b ted th a t
la k s h m a n a m ig h t be th e g reat N aray an a him self. B ut checking
his thought, and saying, It does n o t m a tte r who he is, I w ill fight
h im to th e e n d / he invoked th e M aheshvara-astra and se n t i t
flam ing thro u g h th e air. I t cam e filling th e v a u lt of th e sky a n d
exploding from its body lances and axes, re d -h o t arro w s a n d
living fire, poisons and cobras and thunderbolts, th e grisly shapes
o f death, and black ghouls and giant demons.
The w orld-consum ing fire now issued from
Its loins, and now th e w h irlw in d sw eeping clean
The e a rth and all th a t lives on Ju d g em en t Day.
A nd now the w aters of th e seas beyond
The seven did issue fo rth from its entrails.
The sky it dark en ed as w ith o u ter darkness.
The gods in te rro r fled, and Rishis left
W ith w hitened face th e field : The V an ar host
Sank in despair upon th e ground ; and moon
A nd sun and all th e w orlds th e ir o rbits sw erved
In fear ! V ibhishan trem b led a t th e sight
A nd called th e holy nam e aloud of Ram,
B ut lio n -lik e L akshm an only smiled. 1F ear n o t ,
He said to those w ho ran to him in fear :
F ear not, tru s t in m y valour, ye are saved.
He said, and straig h t invoked the Infinite One
On w hom Shiv him self m editates, and sped
His d a rt w ith unsurpassed force. A nd lo,
It sh attered in th e air th exploding d a rt
Of R av an s m ighty son. It did no m ore,
F or L akshm an in his m ercy did com m and
T h at it should spend itself w hen w as destroyed
Its deadly targ et. The heavens did shout fo r joy
A nd e a rth ; th e seas and clouds th e chorus joined ;
A nd D harm an d W isdom cried out, V ictory !
B ut w h eres th e w onder w hen Ja y ala k sh m is1 self
Did leap for joy ?2
^ The Goddess of Victory.

2 VI xxvi 156-160.

116

KAMBA

RAM AYANAM A

STUDY

In d ra jit now cam e to th in k th a t one w ho could b reak t h e

force even of these astras w ith such suprem e skill should be v e ry
God. B ut he slacked n o t in his d u ty to his king. Even w h ile
L akshm ana w as aim ing a t the M aheshvara-astra, leaving In d ra jit
fre e for th e m om ent, th e la tte r took ad vantage of th e respite, and
rain ed his terrific d arts upon him and the V anara leaders.
But, ju st then, V ibhishana show ed him self before him , and
w hen In d ra jit saw him actu ally in the act of aiding and advising,
h is enem y, his indignation grew to w hite heat, and he b u rst out
in th e follow ing w ords :
Thou tra ito r base th a t h ast th y d u ty broke,
A nd beggar-w ise dost cringe before a m an,
Echoing like a drum his every w ord !
T h in k st th o u ITI spare th y m iscreant head to-day,
Because, forsooth, thou a rt my fa th e rs b ro th er ?
Though, all our leaders dead, th e sovereignty
O f e a rth and heaven be slipping from our hands,
We y et can bear our breasts to our foem ans d arts :
B u t can w e th in k of life distained w ith sham e ?
As fish th a t leave not stream s though w ate r fails
The R akshas race w ill leave not R av an s side
B u t die w ith him : th e e a rth alone w ill rest
A nd thou w ith it ; b u t who w ill own thee king ?
Tis not th y valour helped m y fa th e r great
(W ho lifted sheer the h ill th a t Shiva guards)
To conquer B rahm and w ield th e sceptre proud
O f th e varied w orld. Thou m ayest rule, w hen we
A re dead, over B rah m as race, by gods adored,
T hyself a slave to m an ! W hat carest th o u
F o r glory ? Ends it n o t w ith us ? A h no !
Is not th y glory g reat ? F or h ast th o u not
O ur secrets to th e foes b etray ed w ho m aim ed
T hy sister ? H elpest not th e m en to k ill
T hy b ro th er and me and all th e R akshas race ? . . .
A nd on the day th a t R avans m ighty fram e
S hall fall by R am as d arts on th e d u sty field,
W ilt thou, O valorous prince, his blood-stained lim b
E m brace an d roll upon th e ground in g rief ?
O r w ilt th o u join th e victors in th e ir shouts
T riu m p h al ? O r w ilt fall a t R am as feet

117

INDRAJIT

A nd cringe for favours, blessing him ? I th irs t

To know th y m ind, m y noble uncle b rav e ! n

V ibhishana justified him self for having left a b ro th er w h o

'Carried off a chaste w ife from h er h usband and p ersisten tly refu sed
to restore h er back to him . A nd he closed his justification b y
saying,
I know t h a t Sin can never-overcom e
V irtue : I ve tak en refuge in S h ri R am
The God of Gods ; le t glory come to m e
O r sham e ; let evil come to me or good :
I am content.2
B ut In d ra jit b en t his bow, and saying,
Alas ! th y dream s of glory and of good,
O uncle, w ill dissolve, th e m om ent dire
My barbed arrow s pierce th y traito ro u s b reast,3
aim ed a deadly d a rt against him. B ut L akshm ana cu t it off
in m id -air and saved V ibhishana. In d ra jit now poised a >
lance and sent it against his uncles chest, b u t it w as p a rrie d
and broken in its flight by L aksh m an as arrow s. V ibhishanas
anger w as now roused, and tak in g his m ace in h an d he atta c k e d
In d rajit. In d ra jits charioteer w as killed, and th e horses w ere
eith er killed or dispersed. B ut In d ra jit w as n o t h u rt. He, on his
p art, how ever, sent a show er of arrow s against him , an d shouting
a shout th a t sent th e spheres in shivers disappeared in th e clouds.
In d ra jit had done all th a t he could to b rin g victory to h is
fath e r. Young, brave, fu ll of resource, and proud of th e g re a t
record of his past achievem ents, he en tered upon th e w ar fu ll of
hope. He knew , of course, the valour of his enem ies. B u t th e ir
courage and stren g th only gladdened him. For, th e ir greatness
w ould give a lu stre to his victory w hile th e ir feebleness w ould
only have b ro u g h t a p a ltry success. The first b attle, how ever,
proved to him th a t L akshm ana w as n o t an o rd in ary fighter. H e
conquered him only w ith th e divine w eapon of th e S erpent-noose.
W hen L akshm ana escaped m iraculously and stood to give fu rth e r
battle, he w ondered but did n o t despair of d efeating him . H e
m a d e m ore elab o rate p reparations, b u t his w ords to his fa th e r
i VI xxvi 164-170.

2 VI xxvi 177.

3 VI xxvi 178.

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h av e th e tru e rin g of th e w arrio r w ho believes th a t he holds the*

k e y to u ltim ate victory. B u t w hen he found th a t th is success w as
also only tem porary, an d th a t his enem ies w ere ab le to resu sc ita te
even th e dead, his hopes fell. His belief in th e sufficiency o f
th e stren g th th a t he already possessed w as gone, an d he, th erefo re,
desired to m ake new sacrifices to th e gods an d obtain th e gifts
of invincibility an d u ltim ate success in battle. The read e r h as
seen how his sacrifice w as an u tte r failure. T he only resource in
w hich he p u t his faith being gone, his th ird e n try into th e field
w as characterised by hopelessness. B u t even w hen he has lo st
h is hope, his nerves are firm, and he displays all his resources an d
a ll his skill. His w ords are still in th e high key. His w ith e rin g
ta u n t of his uncle does not lack an y th in g of his custom ary
bravado. B ut th e poet ably brings out in th a t speech th e d esp air
th a t has now en tered his h eart. His w ords a re brave, b u t h e
has begun to envisage th e defeat and d eath of him self and h is
fath er. A nd w hen he flies over to th e au d ien ce-h all of H avana,
d irect from the field of b a ttle at N ikum bhala, his looks b etra y h is
d efea t and d espair to his father.
H avana saw for th e first tim e in his life th e scared look o f
d esp air on th e face of his son. A nd he th u s addressed him :
*The barbed d arts still fixed in th y chest
A nnounce th e failu re of th y sacrifice ;
Thy m ore th an ad am an t fram e doth trem b le like
A p lan tlin g tw ig : an d th o u h ast th e strick en look
Of cobras w hen th ey sight th e eagle swoop
On them . So, son, now tell m e w h at h as passed.'1
In d ra jit replied w ith b ittern ess an d hum ility in these w ords r
4 T hy b ro th er has b etray ed m y secrets, Sire,
To th e foe who~has m y sacrifices spoiled,
A nd broke th e force of all m y d arts d iv in e. . . .
If w eapon blessed of Him who m ade th e heavens
A nd e a rth doth bow to him and tu rn aside
H arm less, w h at can our o th er arm s effect ?
O ur race has sinned, or such a subtle foe
A rises n o t for us. If L akshm an frow ns,
I fe a r he can th e th re e w prlds blow to dust.
* VI xxvii 2.

INDRAJIT

119.

T he b ro th ers from using B rah m as d a r t refrain ed

In b a ttle s past, because, I w een, th ey feared
T w ould h u r t th e peopled w orlds ; an d so I won.
B u t now th e y ve p arried clean m y h eaviest arm s,
A nd h av in g tasted o ur unconquered m ig h t
T hey stan d resolved to finish all o u r race !
T h in k n o t therefo re, m y liege, th a t I am seized
W ith fe a r : I speak for love of th ee : If th o u
W ill conquer th y desire for R am as spouse
A nd h er release, th ey w ill forgive o u r sins,
A nd go from hence. 1
I t is not a w eakling w ho spoke these w ords.
adds,

F o r K am ban

So said th e R akshasa
W hose arm s h ad to th e ir cen tre shook th e w orlds ! 2
W hen R avana h eard these words, his h e a rt brim m ed over w ith
contem pt and anger. His p rid e w as up. T he m ere th o u g h t of
som ebody forgiving him w as poison to him . A nd w ith his reason
subm erging passion for S ita still possessing his m ind, how could
he, w ith patience, listen to th e w ords asking h im to conquer his
desire for R am as spouse ? A nd so,
T he king of L an k a laughed, and w ith stinging w ords
He th u s addressed his son : T w een th o u art,
My son, now unfit grow n for w ar ; I see
Confusion in th y m ind ; fear n o t th e race
O f men, an d w o rry th o u no m ore. This d ay
I ll ta k e th e field w ith only bow in hand,
W ith none to g u ard m y side, and I ll b rin g
Thee victory ! T hink not I counted on
The R kshasas w ho are alread y fallen :
T hink not th a t I did count on those w hore y et
A live : th in k n o t I hoped th a t th o u w o u ld st b eat
My foes upon th e field : in m y sole rig h t arm
I placed m y tru st, an d I provoked th is w a r !
Thou ta lk est like k child, m y son : th is life,
T ran sien t as th e bubble in th e stream ,
I m ay e en in th e sight of b eaten gods
F o rfeit upon th e field, for th en t w ill shine
i VI xxvii 3-6.

2 VI xxvii 6.

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With glorys halo that will never dim :

B ut her, can I renounce, I tw e n ty -a rm e d ?
E en if I lose, if R am as nam e w ill stand,
My nam e, w ill n o t it also la st as long
As V eds are sung on e a rth ? We live to -d ay ,
T o-m orrow finds us not : b u t glory, doth
I t ev er die ? L et it be know n for once
T h at I have S ita sent aw ay, w ould not
The gods besiege m y L an k a ? Die, I m ay ;
B ut can I stoop to sham e and littlen ess
E en I who. am th e te rro r of the heavens
A nd e a rth ? W hat m ore ? thou m ayest go to th y hom e
And, from th y chest th e infinite barbs rem oved,
L ay dow n upon th y bed and sleep in peace !
He said, and tu rn in g on th e in stan t tow ards
T h atte n d a n t h erald s like a tig er roused,
He th u n d ered , O rder forth m y b a ttle -c a r. 1
As th e read er w ill rem em ber, In d ra jit w as cowed down. T he
days in w hich he could u p b raid his fa th e r w ere now over. H e
fell a t his feet p ath etically saying,
P ardon, m y liege, the boldness of m y w ords :
A t least w hen I am gone, m ay th in e eyes see
The good,2
and m ade his p rep aratio n s to go to th e field for th e last tim e.
He took w ith him th e g reat w eapons th a t th e gods h a d
su rren d ered to him afte r th e ir d efeat a t his hands, and a fte r
giving aw ay as gifts all th a t he h ad about him to th e poor an d
needy who desired th e sam e of him , he left th e presence of his
fath er. Even as he w as going, he w ould glance a t his fa th e r a t
every step, and tears w ould fill his eyes every tim e th a t he glanced.
A nd as he w ent th e R akshasa heroes flocked
To him , an d w eeping said, we cannot stay
W hile th u s th o u p a rtst ; w ell follow th ee and die
E en by th y side. B ut he th e ir ard o u r checked,
A nd saying, R ange yourselves around o u r king
A nd liege ; I ll b eat th em even yet, fear n o t !

He went alone.3
i VI x x v ii 7 to 12.

2 VI xxvii 13.

3 VI x x v ii 15.

INDRAJIT

121

As he passes along th e stree t tow ards w here his ch ario t w as

aw aitin g him , th e R akshasa beauties look a t him w ith v ary in g
m otions :
Some bowed to him ; some blessed him in th e ir h e a rt ;
Some trem bled for his life ; some sobbed to see
H im p a rt ; his lordly w alk did fascinate
Some fair ones ; others m elted longing for
His love and soft e m b ra c e .1
In the m eantim e L akshm ana and th e V anara heroes w ere
w ondering w here th eir foe had gone, and w hat he intended doing.
T hey had seen too m uch of his pow ers before, to leave th e field
boasting of victory. They therefore w aited. A t len g th th ey
h eard the thundering roar of th e car m ajestically m oving to w ard s
them in the distance. The sheen of its gold plates and gems an d
jingling bells pierced the gloom of night, m aking it look like a
colum n of m oving fire or some vast aurora borealis. I t w as th e
m atchless, unique car w hich had ranged th e heavens and e a rth
and brought victory afte r victory to th e R akshasa arm s. The seas
boiled ; the hills shook ; the elephants th a t bore th e heavens alo ft
fled in terro r ; th e earth w as scarred w ith deep gashes ; d u st
covered the e a rth and sky and m ade the darkness m ore d ark
such w as the force w ith w hich th a t grand chariot rolled on to w ard s
th e battle-field. B ut even th a t double darkness w as ever an d
anon pierced by th e dazzling brilliance of its gold and gems, an d
m ade the hooded snakes shrink th e ir hoods and slink back to
th e ir holes.
The rum p of the R akshasa arm y now reform ed itself an d
advanced w ith terrific w ar-shouts. In d ra jit rain ed arrow s in
show ers, and L akshm ana advanced to face him , deafening th e
w orld w ith the tw anging of his bow. The R akshasas an d th e
V anaras fled on eith er side unable to bear th e iro n -rain rain ed
o n them by th e tw o m atchless heroes even like clouds. H anum ans
w hole body w as pierced by the R akshasa's d arts w hich en tered
it like cobras entering th eir holes, and he m inded them n o t an d
fo u g h t on. L akshm ana tore off w ith a single pow erful d a rt th e
arm our of th e R akshasa. But, in spite of it In d ra jit did n o t stop
his shooting, b u t rained his d arts fiercely on his foe. A ll h is
arrow s, how ever, w ere p arried by th e superior craft of L akshm ana.
So he took a lance, th e gift of Shiva, and launched it rig h t ag ain st
1 VI x x v ii 16.

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th e neck of his enem y. B u t L akshm ana sent an arro w which:

w en t w ith th e force of curses of th e g reat Rishis, and cut th e
lance in tw o in m id -air. A gain th e R akshasa trie d his d eadly
arrow s. B u t L akshm ana aim ed a t his quivers an d destroyed his
w hole store of arrow s, and w ith an o th er sk ilfu lly aim ed d a rt
felled his ch ario teers h ill-h u g e head to th e ground.
B ut In d ra jit flinched not. He took th e reins him self. H e
d irected his horses w ith consum m ate skill w ith his le ft hand, and
holding his bow in th e sam e hand, he plucked th e arrow s stu ck
in his ow n m ighty body for his quivers w ere gone and speeding
th em back against his foe sent a shudder thro u g h th e lim bs of
a ll beholders w ith his w ar-cries. Even th e gods, his enem ies,
adm ired his skill and resource, and rained on him th e flowers of
heaven saying,
V erily this In d ra jit is the first am ong th e heroes w ho
deserve to be called th e b ravest of th e brave. T ru e v alo u r
flinches not even a t the point of d eath ! n
Even L akshm ana exclaim ed,
He flinches not : his h and is firm ; he plucks
The arro w s I have b uried in his chest
A nd aim s them back a t me, and lo, th ey come
In n u m erab le ! M ethinks p u re V alour ends
W ith h im an d Ram ! 2
Now V ibhishana said to L akshm ana th a t In d ra jit m ig h t
possibly rise w ith his car into th e sky, or, giving up norm al fight,
tr y his m agic illusions ; and suggested th at, as th e R akshasa arm
is m ore pow erful in th e n ig h t th a n during th e day, he should t r y
to prolong th e fight w ithout giving him a m om ents respite till
daybreak. B u t L akshm ana proudly replied,
*W ould n o t his car career in th e sky
W hen I m y sh atterin g arrow s fling and te a r
Its w heels ? T o-day, be sure, th e re s only one
Issue to th e fight : th is day he m eets his doom ! 3
A fter some m ore fierce fighting L akshm ana was able to sh a tte r
th e chariot of th e enem y. B ut In d ra jit stood on th e c e n tr e - p la te .
o f th e ca r and show ered his arrow s upon L akshm ana, and then*
i VI x x v ii 30.

2 VI x x v ii 31.

3 VI xxvii 33:

INDRAJIT

123

rose into th e sky. L akshm ana only h eard his th u n d erin g w ar-cries
he saw n o t his form. By the force of th e tapas th a t he h ad done
in form er days, In d ra jit unfastened th e flood-gates of heaven and
rain e d hail-stones upon his foes. The V anaras fell by the
thousand, b u t none could locate him in th e sky. So, L akshm ana
sow ed th e sky w ith his fiery arrow s and forced him to discover
him self. As soon as he saw him , L akshm ana used all his m ight
an d sent a pow erful arro w against him th a t clove his left arm
clean. It fell like a cloud bearing th e m any coloured rain -b o w
in its bosom, and in its crash-dow n it sh attered rocks and trees
an d killed innum erable V anaras also. The gods w ondered and
said,
W ed thought the moon would fall or M eru hill
W ould crum ble and roll upon th e ground, ere arm
Of In d ra jit could broken be. If this
Could from its m ighty tru n k be torn, th en life
Is b u t a m achine toy : w here is the use
In clinging fast to it ? n
B ut even th en In d ra jit w as not daunted. He took a lan ce
w hich In d ra long ago had obtained by doing g reat au sterities and
a t his defeat had surrendered to him, and h u rled it w ith a m ig h ty
force against L akshm ana. It came like a w hirlw ind m ad, like
,-the *m ale th underbolt, like fire, like D eath w hen on th e Day of
D estruction he consum es all. B ut the end of th e R akshasa w as
come. It flashed in th e m ind of L akshm ana ju st a t th a t m om ent
th a t w ithout th e g reatest tapas, a foe who could send such a lance
w ith such force even w hen his left arm w as clean cut off could
n ev er be killed. A nd w h at tapas could be g reater th an tak in g
th e nam e of R am a w ith an act of stupendous faith ? So he tu rn ed
aside to avoid th e lance, placed an arrow in th e rest saying,
4If Ram is none b u t He incarnate, w hom
T he Vedas sing and B rahm ans w orship low,
Then speed, m y faith fu l dart, and hale th e head
O f yonder In d ra jit ! 2
p u lled th e strin g w ith all his m ig h t and let it go.
It clove th e air, sham ing the Chakra of Vishnu, the th u n d e rb o lt.
of Indra, and th e deadly trid en t of the F ire-ey ed God,3 and
i VI xxvii 46.

2 VI x x v ii 51.

3 Shiva.

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KAM BA

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STUDY

b reath in g out flames all over, it stru ck In d ra jit in th e n eck and

clean carried off his h ead !
W hen In d ra jit fell dead, th e first of those
T h at w ield th e m ighty bow, th e gods fe lt sure
T h at R av an s cruel ru le could last no m ore,
A nd danced w ith joy all oe r th e fields of heaven,
U nknow ing een th e ir clothes h ad fallen off
T heir form s : so look th im ages of th e saints
W hich Ja in a s w orship in th e ir fanes.
The gods now m ade them selves m anifest on earth , and th e ir
presence resuscitated th e V anaras who had fallen on th e field.
F or had they not fought on th e side of V irtu e ?
So fell th e m ighty In d ra jit. L akshm ana, lik e A chilles, lack s
th e suprem e g ran d eu r of soul th a t refuses even to ap p e ar to
tak e revenge on th e dead w hich characterises S h ri R am a C handra.
For, he has the head of th e fallen In d ra jit carried as a tro p h y
to his cam p and displayed before his brother.
B ut th e valour of In d ra jit is not lessened by any indignities
show n to his dead body. As th e poet m akes L aksh m an a h im self
say, he is the very personification of valour equal to R am a h im self
in th a t grand m ale virtue. It is tru e th a t he w as bad, cruel, w ily.
B ut his valour and the heroism th a t he displays till th e v e ry
m om ent of his fall m ake us forget his evil qualities and rem em b er
him only as the proud defender of his fa th e rs glories. A nd th e
last scene betw een him and his fath er, th e tears th a t he sheds
for him, the appeals th a t his loyal R akshasa k nights m ake to h im
to be perm itted to die by his side, and his req u est to th em to
stand by his fath er ra th e r th an follow him , all these add to th e
tragic pathos of th e circum stances th a t m ake this once proud h ero
en ter upon his last conflict w ith the consciousness th a t, how ever
bravely he m ight fight, he could not escape his doom.

CHAPTER IX
V IB H IS H A N A A N D K U M B H A K A R N A

W e h av e seen in In d ra jit th e w arrio r whose h ea rt is w hole,

th a t is, is n o t to rn by a conflict of duties. He finds th a t his
fa th e r has provoked a w ar : he does not care to inquire w h eth er
h e is rig h t or w rong, b u t straig h tw ay resolves to fight his b attles
fo r him , and rely in g on his valour pro u d ly en ters th e field w ith
th e confidence of victory. In this ch ap ter we propose to stu d y
th e characters of th e brothers of R avana who felt th a t H avana
is heading tow ards ru in in retain in g S ita in L anka, but w ho
acted each in a different w ay in pursuance of his ow n idea of
w h a t d u ty req u ires of him.
V ibhishana is th e youngest of th e th ree R akshasa brothers.
W hile R avana an d K um bhakarna, (th e la tte r in th e in terv als of
h is deep sleep of m onths a t a tim e) w ere conquering and
oppressing th e w orlds, V ibhishana w as doing acts of righteousness
an d m ercy in L anka. The read e r w ill rem em ber In d ra jits ta u n ts
th a t he had no p a rt or lot in th e conquests m ade by his father.
The first tim e th a t we m eet him in th e epic is w hen h e
interposes in favour of H anum an w hen R avana orders th a t he
should be p u t to death. He says th a t th e envoy alw ays acts for
an o th er, and th at, therefore, he should n ev er be p u t to the sword.
We have h eard of kings p u ttin g even w om en to d eath ,
he said, b u t never yet have we heard of princes killing
am bassadors. Even th e gods w ill mock at us if we stoop to
this sacrilege. . . . Did not even th e M en desist from killing
our sister ? T hey sent h er aw ay alive a fte r only m aim ing
her . . . .
And, if this envoy is killed, how w ill th e enem ies
know and fear our pow er and stren g th ? n
H ere w e see V ibhishana using only those argum ents th a t
w ould find fav o u r w ith his brother. A nd R avana also listened
to his advice w ithout questioning any fu rth er. But, w hen a fte r
H an u m an had b u rn ed dow n L anka and it had been rebuilt, th e
w ar-co u n cil m et, he stoutly opposed the w ar and recom m ended
th a t S ita should be sent back to h er husband.
In d ra jit h ad scarcely ended his fighting sp e e c h 2 w hen
V ibhishan a in terv en ed in th e debate and began by reprim anding
h is nephew , saying,
1 V xiii 113, 116.

2 See page 102- et seq.

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Thou a rt still too young, m y boy, to join in this d ebate.

Thy m ind sees not whole ; thou dost not realise th e critical
n a tu re of th e tim es we now live in, n o r th e consequences
of the advice th a t thou givest. Thou a r t like a blind m an
who w ould foolishly attem p t to touch up a p ictu re th a t is
being p ain ted by artists. . . .
Even those who h ad in form er tim es conquered th e gods
in th e ir m ight and ru led th em in th e ir p rid e w ith an iro n
rod, have only fallen ignom inously in th e end. F or w ho a re
th e evil ones th a t ever p erm an en tly ru led th e Devas ? A
truce, therefore, to th y childish, foolish ta lk ! 11
A fter silencing In d ra jit, he began to address H avana in th ese
vw ords :
.................... 4If thou w ilt not m y w ords
Despise, m y liege, ITI tell thee w h at I judge
W ill save our state from overw helm ing ruin.
Thour t fath er, m other, b ro th er to me, and lord,
To w hom I w orship owe. I m p ained to see
Thee th reaten ed w ith the loss of sovereign pow er
More glorious fa r th an In d ra s h eavenly rule.
A nd th a t is w hy I dare to stan d fore thee
A nd w ar oppose. I boast not learning great,
O r subtle m ind th a t probes all things to th e ir root,
Or gift of tongue th a t audience compels.
Yet h ear me to the end, and th en alone
Condemn. . . O ur L anka fair and all th y w ealth
T herein is burned : b u t are they wise who say
It is a m onkey caused this ru in dire ?
No, tis th e fire of S itas chastity
T h at has, believe me, our glorious tow n consumed.
T h at m ay st recall to m ind th e oracle old
T hat said th a t through a dam sel fair
W ill w ane th e m ighty R akshas pow er. Has it,
My brother, now lost its force ? 2
Then, after saying th a t H avana, in th e days w hen he o btained
blessings and boons from th e gods for his austerities, h ad neglected
to obtain invincibility at the hands of m en an d V anaras, an d
a fte r rem inding him th a t he had been overm atched in stre n g th
by K artav iry a A rjuna, the m an, and Vali, th e V anara, he assured
1 VI ii 66, 67, 70.

2 VI 72-75, 77.

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him th a t S ita w as none else b u t th e in carn atio n of th e w om an

w ho had fallen into th e fire sw earing to destroy him in h e r n e x t
b irth as a revenge for his attem p tin g to violate h er, an d th a t
R am a and L akshm ana w ere none b u t th e S uprem e God in c arn ate d
in tw o bodies for th e salvation of th e w orld. He said also th a t
he h ad h eard th a t the g reat V ishvam itra h ad been th e ir p recep to r
in archery and m ilitary science, th a t R am a h ad broken th e bow
of Shiva, and th a t A gastya had arm ed him w ith the bow w ith
w hich V ishnu h ad destroyed the Asuras, and th e d arts and astras
w ith w hich Shiva had consum ed th e th ree flying cities. He th e n
continued :
The m ighty fram e of V ali fell transfixed
By R am a's deadly d a rt ; th e seven trees
T h at covered the ea rth and sky uprooted w ere
By th a t sam e force ; and the ro ck -lik e heads of K har,
V iradh and all w ere rolled upon th e ground
A nd w ho b u t Ram th a t did this feat achieve ?
T hen w ho could face this Man upon th e field ?
A nd saints and sages do believe th a t he
W ill end our race, and w alk erect. A nd gods
Who lived b u t in th y smiles, have fearless grow n,
A nd say th a t J a n a k is th e deadly poison
T h at is to kill th e R akshasas.......................
D ark are the omens th a t we see ab o u t :
O ur horses and our elephants trophies won
From Devas in our fights of yore now en ter
T heir stalls w ith rig h t legs to th e fore : and h a ir
Of m any a R akshas youth and m any a m aid young
Catch fire w ith o u t a cause ; and jack als huge
Do prom enade our streets in search of p rey .................
So let us not th e glory of our race
D istain w ith sham e, b u t send aw ay th e fair
Sita, eer fixed in h e r chastity.
No hig h er victory can bless our arm s
T han this su rre n d er w illing ! n
V ibhishana ended.
H e said,

B u t R avana m erely m ocked a t him laughing.

^ Thou spokst of ju d g em en t and of wisdom , b ro th er :

B ut w h at has come oer thee ? The p u n y race
i VI ii 90-92, 95, 96, 90.

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STUDY

Of m en, th o u sayst, w ill conquer R akshas m ig h t :

S it fear or love of them , I crave to know ,
T h at does possess th y m ind ? I am n o t arm ed
W ith blessings of th e gods, forsooth, to fight
W ith m en. B u t did th e gods give m e th e pow er
E xpress to b reak th e m ight of th e M am m oths huge
T h at b ea r th e e a rth aloft, or lift th e m ount,
The th ro n e of Shiv ? Thou spokest of curses b re a th e d
G ainst m e by N andidev : B ut am I n o t
The ta rg e of endless curses w hich th e w eak
H ave flung a t m e ? A nd of th e Devas, Saints,
A nd Sages, who are th ere th a t curse m e not ?
A nd y et I ru le th e heavens and th e e a rth w ithout
A peer ! W here th en are gone th e ir curses ? I know
T hy R am killed V ali g reat who conquered me.
B u t who could face th e m ighty ape and w in ?
A nd R am a am bushed him and aim ed his d a rt !
Now w ho b u t thee can sing th e pow er of him
Who broke th e crum bled bow of Shiv, and lost
His th ro n e by w om ans guile, and lost his home
By R av an s sport ? 1
B ut V ibhishana again pressed his point th a t Ram a w as th e
S uprem e God, incarnated as m an expressly to destroy th e
R akshasas who w ere oppressing the w orlds, and th at, th erefo re,
h e should not provoke him, b u t re tu rn his spouse to him and liv e
w ith him at peace. B ut R avana again spoke of his ow n m ig h t
an d p ast achievem ents, and asked,
W hen I, the king of heaven brought in chains,
O r broke th e tusks of th E lephants divine,
O r w on in every w ar th e reb el gods
Provoked, w here w as th e God S uprem e th en hid ?
L acked he his m ight those days ? ................
Seated upon th e ir E agle and th eir B ull
V ishnu an d Shiv h av e fled before m y d arts
T h at broke th e ir backs een as lig htning b reak s th e ro c k s
He ceased : and w inking to his w icked peers,
H e ta u n ted th u s his b ro th er : 4F ear not I ll call
T hee to th e field : re st thou at hom e secure ! 2

l VI u 101, 102, 100, 108,

109.

2 V I ii

113, 116, 117.

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129

v e h now V ibhishana did n o t give up his a tte m p t to cure

h is b ro th er of h is p rid e and lust. H e p ray ed to h im to listen to
th e sto ry of H iran y ak ash ip u w ho w as fa r m ore po w erfu l and
stro n g er th an him , an d w ho ru led over even o th er universes th a n
this, and y et w ho w as to rn to pieces by th e claw s of V ishnu
in c arn ate d as M an-L ion.1
T hough h ard en ed in his h e a rt against th e sending aw ay of
S ita, H avana y et listened to th e story. I t did not, how ever, m ake
a n y im pression on him and w hen V ibhishana h ad finished, he
only ta u n te d him m ore cruelly and frow ned a t him . He said,
*Thou praisedest him who w as rejoiced to see
His fa th e r claw ed to death. A nd w here shall w e
In all th e w orld his like behold, except
In th ee who ta k st th e side of th y b ro th ers foes ?
A nd lik e him dost th o u th irst to ru le th is land
W hen I have fallen upon th e field ? T h in k st* th o u
T h at F ate w ill g ra n t th y w ish ? ................
Thou b earest love to m en w hore now become
My foes : T hou dost conspire m y fall : th y h e a rt
Is set upon th e R akshas crown. W hat can
My real enem ies m ore ? The day w hen I
C om m anded th a t th e V anar should be killed
Thou savedst him from m y w rath . I knew not then,
B u t now I see, th e reason w hy. T hine eyes
Saw far, and even th en th o u didst decide
To join him. A cow ard thou, unfit
For m a rtial deeds ! Thy h e a rt is full of d ark
Designs, and thou dost love m y h ated foes,
B elying th y race : m ethinks th e cobra is
Less deadly th a n thee. Y et I k ill th ee not
F earin g reproach. B ut open n o t th y lips
Again, and leave m e straig h t ! If thou dost show
T hy face in these m y realm s, th o u diest a t once ! 2
V ibhishana a t once rose up by his R akshas pow er into the
sky, b u t even y et his h e a rt yearned for his brother. He again
spoke to him of righteousness, b u t H avana w ould not listen to
him . A nd so, saying, 41 intended nothing b u t th y good, b u t th o u
w ill not listen : forgive m y boldness, I go, he flew w ith fo u r
i
This episode is one of the most interesting in the whole Ramayana,
and we shall devote a separate chapter to it.
a VI iv 4, 0, 7-91

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STUDY

o f his councillors tow ards w here Ram a w as encam ped on th e

m ainland w ith his V anara arm y.
He saw the arm y and asked his councillors w h at they should
do. They said th a t they m ust see th e Holy One, and he accepted
th eir opinion saying,
L et us tak e refuge in Ram a's feet and then w e shall
' be freed from the cycle of b irth and d e a th .'1
' , He w aited till the day daw ned, approached th e camp, an d
standing in front of it cried aloud, 4O Raghava, I tak e refuge in
thee ! ' B ut the V anara guards mistook him and his com panions
for enem ies and w anted to fight them . The cry, how ever, h ad
fallen on the ears of Ram a and he im m ediately sent a m essenger
to ascertain who was in distress. The m essenger ordered th e
guards to desist from m olesting th e R akshasas and afte r
ascertaining from V ibhishana all th a t w as necessary to know ,
retu rn ed and told Ram a all th a t he had gathered. R am a now
called a w ar-council and asked each of his friends to give his
opinion as to w h eth er V ibhishana should be adm itted to th e ir
cam p or no. A fter m uch discussion, Rama, as th e read er w ill
rem em ber,2 accepted H anum ans opinion and desired V ibhishana
to be brought in. W hen Sugriva came and told V ibhishana th a t
Ram a had given him refuge and invited him to his presence,
Tears fell down V ibhishan's sable cheeks,
Joy filled his anxious h eart, and his h a ir stood
On end ; and thus unburdened he his m ind :
4 Did He accept m y hom age, even m ine,
Who am the b ro th er of him who p arte d Sita
From Him ? Or did He p ity feel, because
I come a refugee from R avans w rath ?
U nw orthy though I be, O sir, I am
By Ram a's ru th exalted high e'en as
The poison was w hen it was d ru n k by Shiv.
If this should be His m ercy's way, and this
The counsel of His noble heart, th en doomed,
Alas, is all our R akshas race ! . . . .
The blessed Hero, Saviour of the men
Of holy life, has pledged His w ord august
A nd has accepted me His devotee !
G reat is m y blessing, for I'm saved from cycle
Of b irth and death and aye from the burn in g p it ! ' 3
1 VI i v 20.

2 S ee

page 67.

3 V I i v 125-127, 129.

V IB H ISH A N A

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131

V ibhishana w as in due course ushered into H am as presence

a n d acepted by him as a b r o th e r .1
H am a th en solem nly crow ned him as K ing of L anka, d eclarin g
th a t th e sovereignty of L an ka w ould rest in him so long as h is
ow n nam e w ould last on earth . A nd all th e w orlds shouted f o t
joy.
V alm iki m otives R am as acceptance of th e R akshasa to a
la rg e ex ten t on th e tantra of Bhedai.e. th e policy of tak in g o v er
to his side th e person w ho has become th e enem y of ones enem y.
F o r although as V alm iki tells th e story R am a tells th e w a rcouncil th a t he w ill n ev er tu rn out any person w ho comes to h im
as a friend even though he m ay have m any faults, y et w h en
S ugriva objects to him as a tra ito r to his b ro th er, an d th e re fo re
u n w o rth y of faith, he says,
The R akshasa desires sovereignty ; and people o f th is
stam p are usually ve ry clever. . . . He fears for his fa te in
his n a tive country and th a t is w h y he ta kes refuge w ith me
giving up his brother/
A fter S ugriva has again reite ra ted his original objections
w hich app ear to be, from th e standpoint of d ram atic construction,
en tirely superfluous and untim ely because R am as decision h s
been already very clearly expressed and S ugriva brings fo rw ard
n o new argum ents Ram a gives u tteran ce to those g ran d w o rd s
w hich are so highly prized by all V aishnavas, am ong w hich occurs
th e sentence,
W h e n a m a n filled w i t h fea r
S eeks refuge at m y hands, I n ever say n a y ,
I g i v e h i m p r o t e c t i o n t h a t is m y v o w so
B rin g h im in w h e t h e r it be V ib h is h a n a or e v e n
Ravana h i m s e l f

The effect of this noble a b h a y a p r a d a n a

how ever, is alm ost
u tte rly spoiled w hen V alm iki m akes Ram a ask V ibhishana, a t
,3

1 See page 52.

2 Griffith translates thus :
Bound by a solemn vow I swear
That all m y saving help should share
Who sought me in distress and cried,
*Thou art m y hope, and none beside .*
Then go, I pray thee, Vanar King,
Vibishan to m y presence bring.
Yea, were he Ravanfs self, m y vow
Forbids me to reject him n o w
3 Offering protection from fear and danger.

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STUDY

th e v ery m om ent th a t h e falls a t his feet, to te ll him all about th e

defences of L an k a and th e arm y of th e Rakshasas.
T hat V alm iki depicts V ibhishana as p a rtly a t least attra cte d
ip th e side of R am a by his desire to usurp his b ro th ers th ro n e
w ould ap p ear from the w ords th a t he puts into his m outh w hen
h e sees R am a an d L akshm ana fallen on th e b attle-field w ounded
b y th e arrow s of In d rajit. Among o th er things V ibhishana, in
V alm iki, says,
* Those tw o warriors on whose valour I counted
So m uch for the sake o f m y advancem ent
A re now fallen on the field and are dead.
Today I live a ruined m an, w ith all
M y dream s of sovereignty gone for e v e r /1
These words, tak en along w ith R am as quoted before, m ake
of V ibhishana little m ore th an a common tra ito r who has had
th e good fortune of having foreseen in tim e th e sure ultim ate
victory of Rama. And this should explain th e bad odour th a t
surrounds the nam e of V ibhishana am ong m odern critics of the
R am ayana in Bengal. B ut in the south, w here th e cult of Ram a
as th e avatar of Vishnu, if it did not actually tak e its origin, at
least found its g reatest devotees of genius in th e early centuries
of th e Salivahana era,2 the character of V ibhishana was seen from
a standpoint w idely different from w hat w ould be justified by
th e delineation of Valmiki. He began to be looked upon as the
g reat B hakta of Rama, instead of as a selfish adventurer. And
it is as a B hakta th a t K am ban delineates him. T hat is w hy he
takes care th a t he does not anyw here p u t into his m outh such
selfish sentim ents as V alm iki does not hesitate to put. T h at is
w hy he elaborates his rem onstrations w ith R avana to such an
extent. A nd th a t is why, again, he does not allow his Ram a to
speak of V ibhishana as coveting his b ro th ers throne, or to begin
to discuss w ith him the defences of L anka a t th e very m om ent
of his giving his ahhaya.
1 Griffith translates as follows :
*1 on their might for aid relied,
And in m y cause they fought and died.
Lost is the hope that soothed each pain :
I live, hut live no more to reign,
While Lanka's lord, untouched by ill,
Exults in safe defiance still/
2 beginning from 78 A.D.

VXBHISHANA

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133

K am ban, of course, m akes Ram a obtain from V ibhishana ev ery

inform ation concerning H avana and Lanka. B ut Ram a, in
K am ban, does not attem p t to obtain such inform ation a t once
or of his own initiative. A fter V ibhishana had been ad m itted into
R am as friendship, K am ban describes Ram a as lam enting once
again over the separation of Sita. As Ram a is thus lam enting,
S ugriva comes to Ram a and lightly reprim ands him saying,
How is it th a t thou a rt thus indulging in vain lam en ts
w hen thou ought to be up and doing afte r learning all th a t
we can from him who has lately joined us as an ally ? n
It is only after this th a t Ram a invites V ibhishana to te ll him a ll
about Lanka.
By all these devices the sentim ents of th e critical read e r
are bespoke in favour of V ibhishana and V ibhishanas ch aracter
is saved from the charge of- treachery th a t the circum stances of
his position inevitably bring against it.
It is not th a t K am ban does not realise th a t V ibhishana can
be delineated as, at least in part, a self-centred adventurer. H e
has studied his Valm iki, too closely for th at. He does realise
the possibility of such a delineation and it is this realisation th a t
m akes him consciously and deliberately rem ove th e possibility o f
such an im pression being created by some of V ibhishanas actions*
So, w hen L akshm ana falls on the field bound by the cobra-noose,
K am b a n puts this lam ent in the m outh of V ibhishana :
By side of L akshm an are fallen all
Upon the field, and I alone rem ain
U ntouched : Oh, w hat w ill people say of me ?
The w orld w ill surely th in k I stood by him
Alone to have him killed by Indr a jit,
Myself a false-faced spy betraying all
To m y b ro th ers son. Me m iserable ! W ith m ace
I did not rush upon the foe and bring
Him to the ground, and prove my n ative valour.
Nor quitted I this cursed life w hen I
Beheld m y L akshm an fall : and still I weep
As if m y h e a rt is fu ll of love ! If I
H ad joined in th e fight, I could have sh attered
The R akshas force, and proved m y loyal h e a rt
To Ram. Now n eith er am I loyal and tru e
To th e lan d th a t gave me b irth , nor to th e M en
1 VI v 12.

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K'AM BA

'RA M AY A N .A M A

STUDY

W ith w hom I refuge took. I am becom e

A faggot th a t doth b u rn a t both its ends ! n
O w ing to th e delicacy of his position, V ibhishana does not.
ta k e p a rt in th e actu al fighting in an y of th e battles. I t is onljr
a fte r In d ra jit aim s a t him his lance in his th ird b a ttle th a t he
forgets him self and strikes his chariot and horses dow n w ith his
m ace. B u t it is he, as th e read er w ill rem em ber, th a t advises
L akshm an a at every critical m om ent as to w h at w eapon to use
an d generally w h at to do. T h at is w hy R am a exclaim s to
L akshm an a w hen In d ra jits head is brought before him a fte r
th e last b attle :
Tis n o t th y arm s, O lion mong m en, th a t brought
The foe of In d ra dow n ; nor owe we this
T rium ph to blessing of a god, or m ight
Of H anum an though g reat as Shesh him self :
It is V ibhishan w ith his counsel sage
T h a ts guided us to victory ! 2
In order to increase the in terest of the read er in V ibhishanar
K am ban adds some able touches to a scene suggested by V alm iki3
in th e crude, and at a single stroke raises h eav en -h ig h th e
ch aracters of V ibhishana, A ngada, H anum an, Sugriva, an d
especially of L akshm ana, and gives them th e stam p suprem e of
In d ian heroism . W hile in one p a rt of th e field R am a w as fighting
single-h an d ed th e w hole reserve force of R avana, R avana m arched
w ith a big arm y against the V anaras led by L akshm ana. W hen
every other w eapon had failed against L akshm ana, R avana took
th e M ohana-astra, th e unfailing m issile created by B rahm a w ith
w hich even Shiva w as conquered by M anm atha, and sent it against
L akshm ana. I t w ould have ended him th en and th e re had he
not, a t th e suggestion of V ibhishana, p arried it w ith th e only
w eapon th a t h ad pow er over it, nam ely, th e N arayana-astra.
Seeing his brother, w hom he reg ard ed as th e blackest tra ito r
im aginable, ru in his only chance of victory a t th e tim e w hen
it w as so n ear, R avana b u rn ed w ith an g er an d h u rled ag ain st
h im th e deadly lance called S h a k ti w hich could n o t be p arried
b y an y m issile in th e th ree w orlds. The lance cam e cleaving th e
a ir w ith a m ighty force, and V ibhishana w ho k n ew its secret toldi1
1 VI xviii 209-212.
2 Vi xxvii 7L
3 Book VI, Canto 101, Southern Recension.

7 IB H IS H A N A

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135

L ak sh m an a th a t n o th in g could w ith stan d it an d th a t th erefo re

h is end w as come.
*B u t L akshm an said, T hou k n o w st m y skill, fear not,
Be sure ITI b reak its fo rc e/ and aim ed his d arts
A gainst th e ru sh in g lance. B u t im potent
They fell, as sin n ers curses gainst the m an
Of life austere. G reat L akshm an saw, and quick
As thought, he stepped before V ibhishana
To shield him from th e deadly arm . For death
W as n o ught to him : b u t could he bear th e th o u g h t
Of seeing him destroyed before his eyes
Who fearing the vengeance of a b ro th er had ta en
R efuge w ith Ram ? And w h at is fleeting life,
T hought he, w hen w eighed gainst lasting glory earn ed .
By sacrifice of self ? B ut could th e good
Consent to save them selves at o th ers cost ?
V ibhishan rushed before : b u t A ngada
O u tstrip p ed them both, w hile H anm an and the king
Of V anaras sprang in fro n t to face th e lance.
B u t L akshm an w ould not change his first resolve
A nd rushing past them all received its point
U pon his m ighty chest. I t pierced him th ro u g h
From fro n t to back and felled him dow n.1
V ibhishana w as touched to see L akshm ana fall w hile saving
his ow n life, an d m ace in h an d he dashed ag ain st R avana and
stru ck dow n his horses and charioteer. B ut R av an a rose into th e
sky, and seeing L ak sh m an a fallen a prey to his lance, a b e tte r
re su lt th a n w h at he h ad intended to achieve, h e did n o t care to
aim a t V ibhishana w hom he despised as a cow ard ; an d p ro u d
of his victory he flew over to his palace inside th e w alls of th e
city.
To resuscitate L akshm ana, K am ban, like V alm iki, sends
H anum an again to th e S an jivi hills to bring th e h ealin g drugs.
B u t w hile V alm iki redescribes th e flight of H an u m an in th e sam e
d etailed fashion as h e h ad done th e previous one, an d m akes himj
look for th e h illhe h av in g lost his b earin g s , K am ban w ith
g re a t ta ct relieves th e read er, who is fearin g a rep etitio n of past
descriptions, by describing th e flight and re tu rn in h a lf a stanza.
W hen R am a h e a rd w h a t h ad happened, his h e a rt leaped w ith
jdy. He em braced his b ro th e r and said,
i V I x x x i 28-32.

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KAM BA

RAM A YAN AM A

STUDY

*By fearless sacrifice, w ith o u t a th o u g h t

O f self, of th y precious life for him w ho has
his safety sought w ith us, th o u hast, m y b rother,
P roved th y self w orthy child of R aghus race :
Who can th y greatness m easure ? We can b u t try
To follow thee. Thou h ast in ru th surpassed
E vn him our g reat ancestor w ho th e dove
R edeem ed w ith his ow n bleeding flesh. W hat m ore ?
Thou h ast th e saying proyed, m y child, th a t m en
W ith ru th -filled h e a rt w ould ru sh th ro u g h fire to save
T h eir ow n from grief, evn as th e cow w ould face
The tig er and th e lion to save its calf. 1
The love of L akshm ana and R am a has cast a halo ro u n d
th e nam e of V ibhishana and th e w hole of V aishnava India h as
included him in its catalogue of saints and B h a kta s. B ut th e
loyalty of K u m b h ak arn a to his nation and to his king m akes h im
ttye m ore in terestin g and th e m ore lovable of th e tw o b ro th ers
of Ravana. For, though he u pbraids R avana for his crim e in
carrying off Sita and retain in g h er in L anka, he w ould n ot leave
his side and b etray his secrets to his enem y though he comes
to know th a t enem y to be God him self in hum an form.
A t the w ar-council, in V alm iki, K u m b h ak a rn as speech is n o t
properly w orked up. T here he charges R avana w ith h aving
provoked th e w ar w ith o u t having consulted his m inisters. H e
does not a t all touch upon the m oral aspect of th e affair in his
speech w hich does not fit in eith er w ith w h at goes before or w h at
comes after. A fter saying th at, although his b ro th er h ad got
into a scrape, he w ould y et destroy his enem ies, K u m b h ak a rn a
prophesies2 th a t by a second arrow R aghava w ould kill him , th a t
is K um b h ak arn a.3 B u t in th e very n ex t sentence he continues,
1 VI xxxi 48, 49.
2 This must be due to some interpolation in the text. It is unfortunate
that the editors of the Valmiki Ramayana have not given the same atten
tion to the text in this passage as they have given generally to the whole
poem.
3 Griffith, however, renders differently :
No second dart shall Rama cast :
The first he aims shall be his last :
He falls, and these dry lips shall drain
The blood of him m y hand has slain ;
And Sita, when her champion dies,
Shall be thy undisputed p rize (P)

VIBHISHANA

Sc K U M B H A K A R N A

4 Then I shall d rin k his blood. . .

I shall k ill
Ram a and Lakshm ana and eat up the Vanara chiefs.
Therefore enjoy all luxuries, d rin k w ine, and d tten d
To th y royal duties w ith o u t any fu rth er anxiety.
W hen I send Ram a to his doom, Sita w ill become
Thine for ever.'
Havana, how ever, fights his first b attle w ith o u t K u m b h ak arn a
w ho had gone in the m eanw hile into his deep sleep of m onths.
W hen he is defeated, he w akes K u m b h ak arn a from his sleep an d
prays to him in abject tones to tak e th e field against Ram a and
L akshm ana. B ut now K u m b h ak arn a speaks in quite a different
tone altogether. He speaks now of D harm a and A dharm a an d
says th a t R avana would go to hell for his unrighteousness an d
th en m akes a long-w inded speech about th e necessity of consulting
one's m inisters and advisers before en terin g upon a big
undertaking. He w inds up, by asking R avana to follow th e advice
th a t V ibhishana had given in the beginning. W hen he ends,
R avana frow ns upon him, talks some com m onplace and th en begs
him to *rep air m y errors w ith th y valour.' W hen he hears these
words, K um bhakarna w ithout any m ore ado asks him to give u p
his fears, for he w ill fight and kill R am a and L akshm ana and
drive the V anaras out of L anka. F ear th o u R am a no m ore,' he
says w ith a patronising air, 41 shall finish Ram a, L akshm ana,
Sugriva, H anum an,' e t c .1
B ut K am ban has given quite a different ch aracter to
K um bhakarna. A t the w ar-council K am bans K u m b h ak arn a
condem ns the unrighteousness of keeping S ita in L anka, but, as
th e enem y had been provoked and w ar had become inevitable,
he proposes th a t although it was impossible to conquer him w ho
had killed K hara, they should cross the sea and attack R am a in
force on the m ainland itself. His R akshasic pride m akes him say,
4Thou h ast left th e p ath of the righteous and thou h ast
m ade us h ang down our heads : b u t if a t th is stage w e send
aw ay the fair Sita w e shall be m erely called cow ards. I t
does not m a tte r if w e die, for, then our fam e a t least w ould
rem ain unsullied.' 2
. 1 To add to the anarchy of the situation, Valmiki makes Mahodara,
*>ne of the councillors of Ravana, reprimand Kumbhakarna for opposing
Ravana like a child, and Mahodara does this after Kumbhakarna had
Changed his mind and agreed to start for the field !

2 VI ii 53.

138

KAMBA

'R A M A Y A N A M ^ A

STUDY

B ut, in K am ban also as in V alm iki,1 he does n o t go to th e

field on th e first d ay of th e w ar as an o th er spell of his long sleep
h a d come over him , and H avana believed th a t h e could w in th e
w a r w itho u t him . W hen, how ever, H avana finds his enem y's
stren g th by b itte r experience, he has K u m b h ak arn a aw ak en ed
from his sleep, an d afte r feeding him w ith cart-lo ad s of m eat
an d casksful of w ines asks him to m arch against th e V anara arm y.
T he w ords of V ibhishana w hich he had h eard a t th e tim e of th e
w ar-co u n cil m ust be supposed to have im pressed them selves upon.
K u m b h a k a rn a s m ind and en tered deeply into his soul d u rin g h is
hibernatio n , for, he addresses H avana now in quite a different
stra in altogether. He speaks in this wise :
Is w ar begun, and grief of Sita, chaste
Beyond com pare, is it unended y et ?
Is our good nam e th a t filled th e e a rth an d heaven
Become a story of th e past ? A nd day
Of our final doom foretold, has it begun
To daw n ? ...................
T hy sin has H eavens king restored to his throne
A nd b ro u g h t th e R akshas race to ru in s edge.
A nd D evas thou h ast freed from R akshas yoke !
D estruction hangs oer thee an d all th y house,
Inevitable. The D harm a th a t did build
T hy pow er has fled fore th in e eyes : now w h at
C an prop th y to tterin g th ro n e ? Thy foes are fu ll
O f ru th ; th e ir ev ery act is based on D harm ;
A nd courtesy is in th e ir speech. Can we
Who know b u t guile, u n tru th and sin, hope eer
To last ? A nd can th ey eer be overw helm ed ?
T he ape w ho sto rm -lik e could th e ocean leap
Is y et alive ; R am as quiver holdeth y et
The d a rt th a t tore g reat V alis chest. W hat m ore
W ant w e for our success ?
One final w ord
I ll say to thee. If th o u w ould hear, t ll do
Thee good. If th o u w ould not, I fear th y fate
Is doomed. So send this dam sel to h e r spouse
A nd falling a t his feet, conciliate
i But Valmiki makes Indrajits triumphs with his cobra-noose and
other weapons precede the fight with Kumbhakarna. In fact there is
much that is anticlimactic in Valmikis description of the war.

VIBHISHANA

& KUMBHAKARNA

13

T h y b ro th e r an d live in peace. If th is th o u h atest

To do, an d dost decide to fight to th end,
B a ttle a t least w ith all th y forces joined,
A nd try to overw helm th e foe. 1
B u t a ll th is advice is only gall and w orm w ood to th e p ro u d
H avana.

* Tis n o t to consult th e e / said he, th a t I

Did call thee here \ I bid th ee go an d fight
The m en : A rt thou a councillor sage, th a t thou
P resu m st to give advice ? A craven thou,
A fraid to face th e foe in b attle ! I ve filled
T hy gluttonous m aw w ith flesh and flowing w ine :
Now close com plete th y drow sy, falling lids
A nd go to sleep ! V ibhishans gone before :
Follow th o u him and fall a t th e feet of m en
A nd h u n ch -b ack ed m onkeys all. Such glory w ell
Becomes V ibhishana th y b ro th er and th ee !
He said, an d tu rn in g to th e w aitin g h erald s
B u rst fo rth , B ring now m y chariot, an d send
This challenge out by b eat of d ru m : le t e a rth
A nd h eav en com bine in aid of R am ; I am
P re p ared to m eet th em on th e gory field ! 2

So saying, R avana stood up and m ade read y to sta rt fo r th e

field, b u t K u m b h ak arn a stopped him. A nd tak in g his m ig h ty
trid e n t in his hand, he fell a t his b ro th e rs feet and th u s spoke
to h im :
*Forgive me, m y b rother, I go : b u t I hope not
F or victory against the Men. Tis fate
T h at drives m e on. This day w ill be m y last
U pon th e earth. B ut brother, at least w hen Im
No m ore, release th e hum an dam sel fair.
I see no oth er w ay .3
As he is th u s speaking, a prophetic vision comes on him a n d
h e continues,
1 VI x v 79, 83-89.

2 VI x v 90-93.

3 VI Xv 94.

140

KAMBA

HAM AYAN AM A

STUDY

O ur In d ra jit, I see, w ill fall by d a rt

Of L akshm an, b ro th er of Ram. A nd all th a t him
Survive, behold th ey re scattered lik e th e d u st
A gainst th e an g ry storm . If me th ey beat,
My b rother, tis certain th ey w ill v anquish thee.
Tis only fools rep en t w hen all is lost :
Be wise in tim e and send h er back to Ram.
A nd D harm a also points th a t way.
If from
O ur childhood up to now, m y king, I have
E ver offended thee, I p ray to thee
W ith folded hands, forgive th y errin g b ro th er !
My h e a rt doth tell me, brother, this m eeting is
O ur last. These eyes, alas, w ill look no m ore
Upon th y d ear face ! I take thy leave. 1
He left th e presence follow ed by th e tear-filled eyes of
R avana and those about him. He then ascended his car a n d
m arched at the head of a vast arm y. Ram a saw his colossal form
from fa r aw ay, and, am azed, asked V ibhishana w ho and w h at h e
was. A fter saying th a t he w as his own eld er b ro th er and th a t
h e w as th e te rro r of th e gods, V ibhishana added th a t he h ad lik e
him self advised R avana to send back Sita, b u t th at, though R av an a
h ad refused to listen to his advice, he h ad decided to fight a n d
perish on the field. Sugriva, who was by, suggested now th a t
th ey should try to separate him from R avana and w in him o v er
to th e ir side. Ram a agreed, and as th ey w ere th in k in g as to w h o
w as th e fit person to approach him, V ibhishana offered to go
him self.
The whole of this scene betw een K u m b h ak arn a a n d
V ibhishana is K am b an s own invention, and he has w orked it u p
grandly. He brings out b eau tifu lly the co n trast betw een lo y a lty
to a losing cause and loyalty to D harm a b u t w hich is coupled
w ith disloyalty to ones king an d brother.
V ibhishana passed the pickets of th e R akshasa arm y an d se n t
w ord to his b ro th er th a t he w as come to see him . K u m b h ak arn a,
w hile he was sorry, unknow ing his purpose, th a t V ibhishana h a d
le ft R am as camp, w as y et delighted to have th e o p p o rtu n ity o f
casting a last look upon his brother, and ordered him to be b ro u g h t
before him. V ibhishana cam e in and saluted his b ro th er by fellin g
a t his feet.
1 VI x v 96-98.

V 16H ISH N A

& K U M BH AK AR N A

141

H e lifted up th e b ro th er th a t clasped his feet,

A nd folding him unto his breast, he th u s
A ddressed h im : I w as glad to learn, m y b rother,
T h at thou hadst left our doom ed cam p an d ta en
R efuge w ith Ram. W hy leav st thou now his side,
Thou innocent, an d come to us th a t ru sh
H eadlong into th e jaw s of d eath ? W ilt thou
E xchange th y n ectar for our poison black ?
A lthough our glory's sun is set for ever,
I th o u g h t P u lasty as1 race w ould be redeem ed
By thee, and I w as glad. B ut thou h ast dried
M y lips and broke m y h e a rt by th y retu rn .
Thou h ast throw n th y self at th e ir feet w ho are
The props of D harm , and th ey w ill n ev er give
Thee up, e en w hen it m eans th e ir death. T hour t freed
F rom curse of d eath so long as m en praise Ram,
A nd th o u h ast scaped th e curse of R akshas b irth :
W hat fu rth e r craving th en does bring th ee here ?
By serving th One S uprem e w ith all th y soul
Thou h ast the blessing gained of holy life
A nd p u re : w ilt thou y et look on us as kin
W ho h an k e r after o th ers wives ? G reat B rahm
Has blessed thee w ith a righteous h eart, m y child,
A nd w isdom unsurpassed ; w hile R am as w ord
Has given e erlasting life. A nd still th o u rt here :
I fear th ey have not cured the cravings low
Of th y R akshas b irth ! .....................
If thou do spurn the sh elter he has given
A nd cast th y lot w ith us, p ray tell me, brother,
W hen all the R akshas race is sw ept from off
T he face of th e a rth by R am as furious darts,
W ho w ill be th ere to offer sacrifice
To our M anes ? Go back, therefore, to R aghava
A nd e n te r L anka a fte r it is purged
O f all th is sinful crew ; and, crow ned by Ram
E njoy a reign of glory unsurpassed. 2
V ibhishana h eard to th e end and told his b ro th er the purpose
of h is visit in these w ords :
The g rand-souled hero who his m ercy sweet.
1 One of the mind-born sons of Brahma, and the first ancestor of
Havana and his brothers.
3 VI x v 130-135, 137, 138.

142

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M - sA

STUDY

H as show ered on m e u n w o rth y , w ill accept

Thy hom age too, if th o u w ilt come to him ,
A nd save th ee from th e cycle of b irth an d death.
T he crow n th a t he has offered me, I ll place
A t th y feet, and serve thee as m y kin g an d lord,
F or thou a rt elder born. Thou w ilt n o t h e a r :
B u t d eath is certain if th o u stan d ag ain st
Kama. W hen he his flam ing shafts does send,
C anst th o u escape ? A nd w h ith e r canst th o u fly ?
T hrow not, therefore, th y life aw ay, m y b ro th er,
B u t base th y w ays upon th e ete rn a l Ved.
The righteous care not w h er tis fath er, m o th er,
O r child, b u t cut them selves aw ay, if th ese
P ersist in m o rtal sin ............................
F or crim e of one, shall w e th a t know no g u ilt
R uin ourselves by fighting on his side ?
A nd holy P arash u ram , did he n o t k ill
His v ery m o th er for h er sin ? Evn Shiv
C ut off g reat B rah m as h ead w hen he from rig h t
Did sw erve : th o u r t wise, learn th o u upon them . S h all we
S up p o rt a heinous crim e and choose th e w ay
T h at leads to hell ? The flesh diseased th a t grow s
Upon o ur body w e cut off and b u rn
If w e w ould keep th e body w hole : do ever
T he w ise m ix paste of sandalw ood to change
T h e stench of ocean stream ? ......................
Thou canst not hope to save th y b ro th er now .
A nd ev n if fightst w ith all th y form er stren g th
W h at w ould it all avail ? Thou m ayest th ro w
Thy life aw ay : thou m ayest m a tte r give
F or vassal gods to m ock : b u t in th e end
W ill au g h t b u t H ell receive th y p arte d soul ?
T hough g reat th y valour, thou h a st not ta sted jo y s
Of sovereign pow er, b u t w asted all th y y o u th
A nd m anhood in unbecom ing sleep. A nd now
D esirest th o u to fight for sin, and w aste
Thy life itself ? O b rother, follow m e :
The tim e itself is ripe ; and blessed by Ram
C onquer th y sleep and gain e te rn a l life
1
A nd sovereignty w hich is th y right.
P erhaps,
Thou th in k est it disgrace to owe th y crow n
To Ram. B u t know th a t He is God of gods

VIBHISHANA

& KUMBHAKARNA

143

Him self, W hos born as m an to stablish D harm . . . .

If thou w ould come to Ram a thou w ould ea rn
The friendship of th e gods and blessings choice
Of Rishis ; and none w ould d are to in ju re thee.
A nd joy w ould come to thee th a t know s no end.
Tis he th a t in the fulness of his love
A nd m ercy sent me here. Do eer the wise
Go g ath erin g flowers w hen fru its hang ripe upon
The tree ? A bandon thou th erefo re th e cam p
Of Sin and follow m e. 1
So saying, V ibhishana again fell at K u m b h ak a rn as feet.
T h e g reat h e a rt of K u m b h ak arn a w as touched, b u t th e resolution
of his m ind w as not shaken. So, tak in g up his b ro th er a n d
em bracing him once again, he thus spoke to him w hile te a rs
flowed dow n freely from his sable cheeks:

* Can I refuse to give m y life for him

Who all these years has cherished me, and now
Has sent me to the field to fight ? Is life
So dear, th a ts tran sien t as the w avelets playing
On th e flowing stream ? So if thou w a n tst to h ea l
My sorrow , brother, ta rry not, b u t do
R etu rn to Ram. By g reat devotion thou
H ast got from B rahm the blessing of a h e a rt
T h ats free from thoughts of sin : th e crow n th erefo re
Of all th e w orlds doth w ell befit th y head.
B ut I m a sinner born, and F ate is ju st
T hat dooms me to death ;and it w ill crow n
My head w ith glorys light, m y sole delight.
W hen kings do sw erve from v irtu e, tis b u t rig h t
To chide and try to tu rn th e ir h earts from sin.
B ut if th ey w ould n o t hear, can those w ho have
T heir bounties tasted see th e ir m asters ru n
To ruin, unm oved ? No, w hen th e enem ies press,
T heyll gird th e ir swords, and seek th e ir fate upon
The field before he falls foredoomed. W hen Ram
Does aim his fata l darts, and R avan falls
E m bracing th e ea rth ; surrounded by his kin
A nd loyal troops, shall he a b ro th er lack
To fall w ith him ,he who the w orlds and gods
1 VI x v 139-142, 144-150, 152, 153.

a*4

RAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

W ithout a riv al ru led ? A nd w hen h is arm s

T h at lifted sheer th e rock of Shiv a re tied
W ith cru el cords by m essengers of D eath,
S h all he w ith dow ncast eyes approach th e th ro n e
O f Yam, his vassal een today, w ith o u t
A b ro th er by his side ?
A nd can I brook
E vn I who have defeated th e God of D eath
H im self can I consent to pass m y days,
Singing w ith an aching h e a rt the praise of him
Who w ill have pierced m y b ro th ers m ighty chest ? . .
So ta rry not, m y child ; and if th o u have
R egard for me, or love, re tu rn to Ram,
A bide w ith him. T hink not I can be tu rn ed
F rom m y resolve by fu rth e r words. Now go :
A nd w hen w re dead, (th is is m y dying p ray er)
Do soothe our M anes w ith Vedic rites, and save
Us from the gates of hell. W eep not, m y b ro th er
W hen tim e doth sm ile on us, all th in g s w e touch
A re tu rn ed to gold : b u t w hen th e tid e has fled
D espite our every care w e ru sh to ru in ,
Helpless. W hat can I te ll th ee m ore w hose eyes
See straig h t and clear ? So do not p ity us
Nor w aste th y tears, b u t go from hence in peace. *1
He ended, an d em bracing V ibhishana once again he said with*
te ars flowing dow n his cheeks unchecked,
4 This d ay doth break for evr th e tie th a t bound
Us from our childhoods days ! 2
V ibhishanas tongue w as parched. T ears filled his eyes an d
his h e a rt w as big w ith unspeakable grief. B ut as K u m b h ak arn a
w as firm in his resolve, he saw th a t he could n o t do an y th in g
m ore to change his m ind, and so he fell a t his feet once ag ain
an d w itho u t a w ord tu rn e d back his step to w ard s R am as cam p.
A ll th e R akshasa soldiers a t every step joined th e ir hands in
w orship as he passed by.
K u m b h ak arn a w as glad th a t he w en t back, b u t th e actu al
fa c t of separation broke his h eart, and his eyes rain ed blood, th e
v e ry foun tain s of his tears being d ried up !
1 VI xv 155-160, 164.

2 VI x v 167.

VIBHISHANA

& K U M BH AK AR N A

145

B ut soon he recovers his poise and th e fight begins. The

fight is described in th e best style of K am ban b u t w e shall not
describe it elab o rately as we have to claim the atten tio n of th e
read e r for m any m ore single com bats and b attle-p ieces yet. S till
w e do not desire to deprive him of th e enjoym ent of some of
th e g reat challenges of th e heroes w ith w hich this canto abounds.
A nd so we shall describe this b attle as briefly as possible.
A fter th e common V anaras and R akshasas had fallen on eith er
side, and N ila th e com m ander-in-chief of the V anara forces h ad
been knocked dow n by K u m b h ak arn a w ith th e le ft-h a n d he did
n o t aim his trid e n t against him because th e V anara w as unarm ed
A ngada, th e son of Vali, came to the attack. He took up a
m ighty rock and h u rled it w ith force against th e R akshasa to th e
am azem ent of th e gods who cried, *The end of R av an as b ro th er
is come ! * B ut K u m b h ak arn a received it on his ad am an tin e
shoulders, and th e rock broke into a th o u san d fragm ents. T he
V anaras w ho saw th e stren g th of the R akshasa by th is proof fled
in terro r. B ut A ngada stood his ground and caught by th e h an d
th e huge m ace th a t his foe th rew at him , w hile th e Devas blessed
him and adm ired bis stren g th and skill. W ith th e sam e m ace in
his hand he sprang upon th e chariot of K u m b h ak arn a, in ten d in g
to pound him to d eath w ith it. B ut K u m b h ak arn a eyed h im in
w ra th , and asked him :
A rt thou th e king of V anaras flocked from fa r
To leave th e ir bones to w hiten on o u r coast ?
O r m ay st thou be his son ? O r a r t thou he
Who burned our city fa ir and triu m p h ed oer
O ur heroes bold ? D eclare a t once. 1
A ngada replied :
*K now m e to be th e son of him who caught
Thy b ro th er w ith his vice-like tail, and flew
L ightly to th oceans four to w orship Shiv,
The w hile th y b ro th er b reathless stru g g led against
His stran g lin g hold. Behold I m come to end
Thee h ere ; and w h at m y fa th e r to th y b ro th er
Did, I propose to do to thee : for I
S hall lift th y carcass w ith m y coiling ta il
A nd place it reeking at m y R am as feet. 2
i VI xv 191.

10

2 VI

XV

192.

146

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

A nd then,
Thy th o u g h t is ju st, said laughing K u m b h ak arn ,
*F or v erily th e w orld w ill laugh a t th ee
If th o u fight not for him w ho from a cover
Concealed did k ill th y p a re n t innocent
W ith a single dart. Now th a t thou fightst his w ars
For T hy fa th e rs foeth e chivalry of th e w orld
W ill sure acclaim thee b rav est of th e brav e !
B ut I believe th o u speakest not th e tru th :
Thou canst not even dream of touching me.
M uch less w ouldst hope to fly w ith m e to Ram.
I fancy tis th y w ish to taste th e point
O f m y fell trid e n t th a t has in th e p ast
The fro n t of Devas oft pierced, and fall
Supine, th y hands and feet u p throw ing w ild
E en like th y tail ! 1
A ngada did n o t care to reply, b u t stru ck a th u n d erin g blow
upon th e ro ck -lik e body of K u m b h ak arn a w ith th e cap tu red m ace.
B ut th e m ace broke into a h u n d red fragm ents, an d th e R akshasa
stood unm oved as if nothing had happened. A ngada now aim ed
a blow w ith his fist, b u t his enem y guarded him self an d knocked
him dow n senseless w ith his own fist. A ngada w as rem oved fro m
th e field by his friends, b ut H anum an appeared on th e scene ju s t
a t th a t m inute. H e lifted up a m assive rock an d aim ed it ag ain st
K u m b h ak arn as head. B ut K u m b h ak arn a caught it in his h an d s
and sent th e sam e w ith force against H anum an. The rock broke
into fragm ents w hen it stru ck th e chest of H anum an, giving o u t
sparks like th e iron ham m ered on th e blacksm iths anvil. H an u m an
now uprooted an o th er and h eav ier rock and, poising it in h is
hand, addressed his enem y th u s :*
*This rock I h u rl a t th ee : if from its shock
Thou canst escape alive, the w orld w ill count
T hy m ight invincible, and I shall deem
M yself defeated a t th y hands, and face
Thee not again in b attle ; and g reat w ill be
T hy fam e on e a rth . 2
1 VI x v 193, 194.

2 V I x v 200.

V IBH ISH ANA

& K U M BH A K A R N A

147

K u m b h ak arn a laughed and th u s rep lied :

W hat speakest thou of shock and life an d d ea th ?
I tell thee this : I ll le t it strik e m y fram e :
If w hen it strikes I move from w here I stand
The b read th of a single h air, I shall adm it
D efeat, and own m yself, a w eaker, w ight
T han thee ! 1
H anum an now th rew his rock, b u t K u m b h ak arn a did n o t
move. He received it on his m ighty shoulder and, behold, it
b ro k e into fragm ents to th e te rro r of all th e w orlds. H anum an
k ep t his w ord, and w ent aw ay crestfallen.
T he read er w ill rem em ber th a t L akshm ana now fought w ith
th e R akshasa and broke his bow and chariot and th a t th e
reinforcem ents sent by R avana sep arated them . In th e m elee,
K u m b h ak arn a found him self opposed by S ugriva, w hom he soon
overpow ered and caught in his arm s. He looked upon his cap tu re
as v ery lucky, as the V anara host w ould lose h e a rt if h e could
rem ove him from the held altogether. So he h u rrie d to w ard s
th e fo rt carrying Sugriva, who h ad alread y sw ooned in his hands.
H anum an follow ed h esitatin g to fight, as he respected his ow n
w ord th a t he w ould n o t fight w ith him again. B u t Ram a h a d
alre ad y been apprised of S ug riv as plight, and bow in h an d he'
cam e to th e rescue of his frien d and b u ilt an im passable w all,
solely w ith his fast-flying arrow s, across th e p ath of th e R akshasa.
U nable now to m ove forw ard, th e la tte r now tu rn e d round and
seeing R am a challenged him th u s :
T h in k st thou I am K avandh, or V ali th e ape
W ho lived on flowers, th a t thou dost d are to cross
My p ath and hope to th ro w m e dow n ? Comst thou
To free Sugriv ? I scorn to fight th y b ro th er
O r H anum an or V alis son : for w h eres
The glory in defeating them ? I searched
F or thee all oer th e field, b u t now here w ert
Thou found : th y forces fled, th y b ro th er deem ed
I t w ise to seek some other foes ; w hile son
Of V ayu lost his gauge and slunk aw ay.
S ugriva cam e m y way, and lo, I have
i VI x v 201.

148

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N M A

STUDY

H im in m y arm s a prisoner tight. I th a n k

The lu ck th a t brought th ee here. I m ean to send
Thee to th e doom th a t others of our foes
H ave found before, and free m y b ro th er's h e a rt
Of all anxiety. W hat m ore of w ords ?
I challenge thee in sight of gods to loose
My iron hold and free th is luckless ape
By force of thy m uch bepraised darts. If canst,
I shall agree th a t S ita too w ill be
F reed from h er bow ery p ris o n .'1
R am a laughed and thus replied :
....................4If I cannot cleave ih tw o
Those arm s th a t captured have m y frien d and brother,
I shall hold m yself beaten : I shall fight
No m ore w ith thee. 2
So saying he sent tw o arrow s w hich w ounded th e R akshasa
in his forehead. Blood gushed from his w ounds as w ater from
m ountain springs, and K u m b h ak arn a fell unconscious. The touch
of w arm blood aw akened S ugriva from his swoon, and he released
him self from th e slackened arm s of K u m b h ak arn a ; and like the
m onkey th a t he was, he bit his nose and ears and sprang back
to w here R am a was. The pain brought K u m b h ak arn a back to
consciousness, an d b itten w ith sham e and roused to w ra th he took
his sw ord and buckler and rushed against R am a and th e V anara
troops. The V anaras died or fled in thousands. Ram a disarm ed
h im w ith his arrow s but soon reinforcem ents cam e and th e b attle
w as prolonged. The R akshasa host, how ever, w as like stubble
before the fire of R am as darts, and soon Ram a w as again face
to face w ith K um bhakarna and asked w h eth er he w ould now at
le ast subm it and join him, or w h eth er he w ould flee tow ards
L anka. Though a little disfigured by fancy, an d a little w an tin g
in taste in some portions, th e sp irit of the rep ly of K u m b h ak arn a
is grand and proud. He said :
*I t needs not th a t I speak of other things :
B u t can I care to live w ith disfigured face
E 'en like m y sister, w hom th y b ro th er an d thou
A ttacked and m aim ed w hen she had none
1 VI x v 281-285.

2 VI x v 286.

'

VIBHISHANA

& K U M B H A KAR NA

149

f
To help ? . . .
The h au g h ty eyes of gods lay quenched
F o r ages by our arm s : th a t th is m ight la st
F o r evr, I p ray ed m y b ro th er to release
S ita, th y spouse : unheeded in th e council
O f th e wise, m y tongue and voice w ere quenched
F o r once and all, b u t th is I bore though grief
Did eat m y h eart. B u t can I now endure
My life, an d shall I seek m y d eath t escape
W hen quenched is m y nose by feeble foes ?
T hou counselst flight : b u t having ta en th e field
F or to d rin k th y blood, and let m y b ro th er w in
The fair he loves, now shall I move th e gods
To lau g h ter by lam entations loud addressed
E en like m y sister to m y b ro th er ? A lthough
T hou a rt th e peerless one, unique in all
The w orlds, a rt not a k n ig h t im m aculate
By instinct come of hum an b irth ? K now st not
The duties of th e knight, w h ateer his race
O r clime ? Then tell m e have I other course
T han fall on thee and ta k e th y head from off
Thy tru n k ? 1

So saying he sent a m assive rock w hirling against R am a b u t

R am as arrow s proved th e stronger. Realising now th a t he could
not prevail against Rama, K u m b h ak arn a thought th a t th e best w a y
in w hich he could serve th e cause of his b ro th er w as to d estro y
as m any V anaras as possible, and so he h u rled shields and m aces
against the V anaras and killed them by the thousand. B u t his
tim e was come, and Rama, afte r tearin g dow n his arm our, sen t a
pow erful arrow w hich brought down his rig h t arm . S ays
K am ban :
W ere heroes ever born like him ? He took
His braw n y rig h t arm severed in his left,
A nd roaring like an angry lion, he dashed
Into th e V anar host and felled them dow n
In heaps. The V anars fled : th e peopled w orlds
Now dreading m ore the severed arm th a n th a t
W hich y et rem ained, exclaim ed, 4T hough R am doth sta n d
W ith K odand bent, can our V anar cham pions bold
Escape th e ir fearfu l fat today ? 2
i VI x v 328*331.

2 VI x v 341, 342.

150

KAMBA

H k A Y A N A M A

STUDY

T he V anaras w ere flying for v ery life : th e riv e r of blood

th a t w as freely flowing from K u m b h ak a m as colossal body floated:
w ith m any a carcass dow n to th e sea : th e am azed gods fled irt
te rro r of his fu ry : b u t he rushed upon R am a w ith a force th a t
threifa dow n m an y a m ansion an d m any a h ill an d sent back th e
sea fo r m an y a mile. B ut R am a coolly b en t h is bow an d stru ck
dow n his o th er a rm also. K u m b h ak arn a, how ever, did n ot fa ll
dow n or cease his struggle even then. W ith his feet he kicked
an d tram p led and crushed dow n y et m ore thousands of th e V an ara
arm y. Soon an o th er arro w flew from th e bo w -strin g s of R am a
a n d cut off one of his feet.
B ut even then, w ith th e rem aining leg he leaped about and
sent th e V anaras to th e ir doom ! The rem aining leg also w as
severed by th e d arts of Ram a, b u t w ith his tongue th e R akshasa
lifte d up th e m assive rocks th a t w ere lying on th e field and blew
th e m all w ith all his m ight against th e enem y an d k illed m any of
th e V anaras. R am a w as stru ck w ith his in exhaustible stren g th
an d resource an d devotion to his brother. B ut th is feat was th e
la st flicker of th e dying forest-fire the last ru m b lin g of th e dying.,
volcano. E ven his m ight w as sinking and he lam ented th u s about
th e im pending fate of his b ro th er :
i A thousand R avans evn cannot suffice
To stand against m y L ord and w in : an d here
I lie, an arm less, legless tru n k , an d see
No w ay to fu rth e r aid m y brother. A life
Of endless joy an d lu x u ry w as his :
Alas, I see its end approach, brought on
By lu st u n h o ly / 1*4
K u m b h ak a rn as life of R ajasic activ ity w as now over. T he
Ineffable light of S a ttv a now lighted up his soul. W ith th e ad v en t
o f th is lig h t his h a b itu al affection for R avana sloughed off his
m in d and he addressed R am a in these w ords :

4Thou com est of th e race of him , m y Lord,

W ho w eighed his flesh to save a luckless dove :
W ouldst th o u refuse a dying p ra y e r ? My b ro th er
W ho h as found refuge from our e v i w ith thee,
M ay he, O Ram , for ev er be th y care !
T hough he is R akshas born, his h e a rt know s not.
Th* in iq u ity of R akshas b irth . He h as
N ow come to th ee w ho a r t th e A ncient One
1 VI x v 354.

V IBH ISH ANA

& K M BH A K A R N A

151

D isguised in princely w eeds : I p ra y th ee once

A gain, p ro tect him first an d last. F or R avan
W ho hopes y et to p rev ail gainst thee, does h a te
V ibhishan as a tra ito r black, an d w ill
A ttem p t to end him tho u g h a b ro th er born.
See, therefore, th a t V ibhishan does not leave
The side of L aksh m an a or H anum an,
O r th y p rotective w ings. Now for m yself
I ll m ake a last req u est to thee. L et not
The Rishis and th e gods deride me, Sire,
F or m y face deform ed : so shoot th y po w erfu l d a rt
Clean th ro u g h m y neck, and send m y severed head
To sink b en eath th e sea beyond th e k en
O f living kin d . 1
R am a took p ity on him and com plied w ith his w ish. W ith
one arrow he bro u g h t dow n his head and w ith an o th er having
th e force of a th u n d er-sto rm , he sen t th a t h ill-h u g e head flying
thro u g h th e air to sink into th e ocean.
So ended th e m ighty K um bhakarna. In stead of rem aining
v ery little m ore th an a sleepy and gluttonous g ian t as V alm iki has
le ft him, the m ighty R akshasa has become in th e han d s of K am ban
a seer and a B hakta, a te n d e r-h e a rte d brother, an d a ste rn p u rsu er
of duty. He rem inds us of B hishm a and K a m a in In d ian story,
a n d H ector of th e H om eric Epic. He sees th a t his kin g a n d
b ro th e r is fighting for injustice, an d th a t D harm a is on th e side
o f the enem y. In th e n a tu ra l conflict of duties th a t arises in th is
situation, he chooses to be tru e to th e salt he h ad eaten. He
foresees his fate, b u t w ill n o t flinch from it, tho u g h h e know s,
an d his b ro th er V ibhishana has shown, th a t he can save him self.
H e finds th a t he cannot refuse to give his life for him w ho a ll
th ese y ears has cherished him , and now has sent him to th e field
to fight. He cannot let R avana, a fte r having enjoyed p ro sp erity
th a t even th e D evas envied, lack a b ro th er to fall w ith h im upon
th e field of b attle. A nd above all, he cannot brook th e idea of
singing h allelu jah to one w ho m ust k ill his b ro th erth ough th a t
one should be God H im self incarnate. In th e end, w hen he dies,
w e h e a r th e soft ly re of friendship and b ro th erly love m ingling
its strain s w ith th e tru m p e t of battle, and w e love him both fo r
his devotion to R avana an d fo r his affection an d tenderness fo r
V ibhishana.
1 VI x v 356-360.

CHAPTER X

THE EPISODE OF HIRANYAKASHIPU

Th episode of H iran y ak ash ip u is one of th e few additions
th a t K am ban has contributed to th e sto ry of th e R am ayana.1 H is
epic im agination w as so filled w ith th e colossal figures of th e
g reat A sura and his destroyer th e M an-L ion, th a t he has allu d ed
to th em m ore th a n a dozen tim es in his g rand similes. B u t h e
w as n o t satisfied w ith these slight references an d allusions, an d
w an ted to describe th e w o rld -b estrid in g A sura and th e A v a ta r
th a t destroyed him in g reater detail. A nd w ith his finely in tu itiv e
cu ltiv ated taste w ith reg ard to ev ery th in g concerning th e
A rchitectonics of P oetry, he has placed th is episode in th e place
th a t is m ost fitted for it. F or w h at place w ould be m ore n a tu ra l
an d m ore fitting for this episode th a n th e speech of V ibhishana
in th e w ar-co u n cil in w hich he attem p ts to advise his b ro th er to
m ake peace w ith R am a ? H ere w as an A sura endow ed w ith fa r
g reater stren g th and enjoying g re a te r pow er th a n H avana, an d
y et he w as destroyed by an A va ta r of N aray an a w ho w as now
incarn ated again as R am a to destroy th e evil ones of th is
1 Indian readers of this book will, we are certain, feel proud to learn
that far-off Paris, who, like Sita in Ravanas isle, had kept her soul and
honour untarnished throughout Hitlers occupation, has so rapidly stepped
back into her unchallenged position of the Queen of Culture that once
again ambassadors of culture from all parts of the world are crowding
into her court. There, in Paris, is published an excellent quarterly
magazine, h i n d , devoted purely to the rich and varied culture of BharataKhanda called India. Monsieur S. KICHENASSAMY (S a k ti S e i.) has
contributed to the second issue of the first volume a learned article on
Le R a m a y a n a de K a m b a n the Kamba R a m a y a n a from which we quote
certain sentiments here and elsewhere which accord so perfectly with
those of Aiyar in the pages of this book. He says :

* 'E ta n t donn galem ent que le su jet m a t pos e n c e s te r m e s : le

R m yana de K am baN , je m efforcerai s u rto u t d'o p p o ser lceuvre tam oule
lceuvre sanskrite ; cela me p e rm e ttra d lu cid er un p o in t tr s im p o rta n t : la
valeur m orale de loeuvre de K am baN ."

W riting w ith special reference to the chapter on Hiranyakashipu

he voices A iyarsnay, the entire Tamil w orldspride w hen he says :
"Ira n y a p p ad a la m " la c h u te in v itab le du p u issan t Iran y a d e v an t la foi
inbranlable de son fils P rahalda. Ce ch ap itre in co n n u chez V lm iki e st
une cratio n stu p fian te d a rt e t de gnie : Pon e t consenti p red re to u t le
R am yana m ais pas ce ch ap itre, car il couronne la p lu s belle p a rtie de
loeuvre de K am baN , le Y udda K ndam .
(F)

HIHANYAKASHIPU

153

generation. Should n o t R avana le arn a lesson from th e fate o f

H ira n y a ?
This story is g ran d ly described in th e S eventh S k an d h a of
th e Bhagavata Purana and is a g reat favourite w ith all B h a kta s.
B ut K am ban as usual w ould not follow his original in all its
details, b u t w ould only rete ll the story in his ow n w ay, giving
his own touches, so th a t th e story becomes as m uch his ow n as
it is S h uk as l.
We m ust say that* his description of H iran y as physical
proportions is m arred by hyperbolic details of th e w orst ty p e
w hich defeat th e ir own purpose ; for they do not succeed in m aking
an adequate and satisfying aesthetic im pression on th e m ind. H e
jsays :
The seven oceans of the universe, w hose d epths it is
impossible to sound even w ith th e joined tru n k s of tw o of
the great m am m oths th a t support th e universe, w ould only
w et the feet of th e g reat A sura w hen he w alked in them .
W here could he bath e ? The w aters of th e riv ers w ere too
little for his colossal body : th e w aters of th e seas w ere too
b itte r : th e w aters from the clouds he w ould not touch, fo r
th ey w ere w arm : he w ould therefore pierce th e v au lt of th e
sky and bathe in the show ers descending from th e w ate rs
of the universe beyond. The hills of the rising and settin g
sun w ere th e jew els in his ear-rin g s. He trie d th e M an d h ara
m ountain w ith w hich the Devas and th e A suras had ch u rn ed
the Ocean of M ilk to see if he could use it for a w alking staff,
b u t finding it too light for him he th rew it aw ay.
He had the com bined force of all th e five elem ents of
creation. He w ould ru le the sun and the moon. He w ould
depute in his w him the god of one elem ent to perform th e
functions of another. D runk w ith pow er an d pride, som etim es
he w ould tak e the reins out of th e hands of V a ya and ru le
the w inds and storm s ; som etim es he w ould u su rp th e
functions of V aruna and direct the m ovem ents of th e oceans ;
at oth er tim es he w ould do the w ork of Indra or A g n i, Y a m a
or N airruti, and even th a t of Ishana.2 A t every trea d of
his, the heads w ould be crushed of the th o u san d -h ead ed
1 In Vyasas Bhagavata, the stories are always put into the mouth of
'Shuka who tells the stories to king Parikshit.
2 Indra, Agni, Yama, Nairruti, Varuna, Vayu, Kuber and Ishana are
the respective guardian deities of East and the rest of the eight cardinal
Doints.

154

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

A disheshath e prim eval Cobra th a t bears th e e a rth on his*

shoulders. W hen he w alked, his crow n w ould graze th e v a u lt
of th e sky. The very elem ents w ould dissolve and fly aw ay
w hen he strode along.
He ru led not this universe only th a t w e see about us.
The universe beyond also acknow ledged his sovereignty an d
only his. Devas and Y ogis, R ishis and even th e S uprem e
T hree all w ere his vassals, and w ould live only by praising
and blessing his nam e. By intense tapas he had obtained
this aw ful power, and the blessing th a t nothing th a t could
even be conceived by th e m ind should be able to k ill him .
He had placed his throne on th e M eru m ountain itself, an d
from th a t centre he was ruling ty ran n ically over th e
universes w ithout a second or a rival.
M any ages passed thus and at length a child w as born to
h im whom he nam ed P rahlada. W hile P rah lad a w as still in
th e womb, N arada the great B hakta had tau g h t his m o th er
th e tru th th a t N arayana was th e one suprem e God and th a t
love to Him w as the only tru e salvation h ere and h ereafter.
T he conscious child had stored the teaching in his heart, and
from the m om ent of his birth he became a B h a kta a devotee
of the Suprem e One. He grew in love and devotion, and
in his fifth y ear he was sent by his fa th e r to stu d y u n d er
th e royal guru.1
The guru began the teaching by asking th e boy to pronounceth e w ords W orship to H iranya , for the ty ra n t in th e p rid e
of his h ea rt had ordained th a t these w ords should be
substituted for th e words W orship to th e One Suprem e God
N arayana , w ith w hich w ords alone all studies h ad alw ays been
begun before his time. B ut th e child of w isdom closed h is
eyes, and w ith tears of joy flowing down his cheeks cried
out, A u m nam o N a ra ya n a ya 9W orship to th e Suprem e God
N arayana. How could th e cringing m aster tolerate such,
sedition ? These w ords fell like th u n d er upon his ears, an d
h e cried out :
Thou h ast brought ru in on me, O sinful w retch ! * Is
not th e thought of self and the preservation of th eir ow n
position safe from the w rath of the ty ra n t the p rim a ry
thought and concern of all slave-m inded teachers of all ages*
and climes ? O ur guru then continued,
1 Preceptor.

15S

HIRANY A K A SH IPU

*And th o u h ast dug a g rav e fo r th y ow n self.

A nd w h ere is it d id st le a rn to despise w ords
T h a t een th e gods rep ea t w ith loyalty
A nd love, an d to pronounce those cursed w ords
T h a t th o u d idst u tte r even now ? 1
P ra h la d a replied,
*I u tte re d b u t th e nam e of H im w ho is
T he root w h erefro m all V edas spring. W herein,
' O m aster, hav e I sinned ? The nam e pronounced
H ath b ro u g h t salvation to m yself an d th e e
A nd even to m y fa th e r an d k in g . 2
T he m aster trem bled, and conjured th e boy to begin w ith
blessing his fa th e rs nam e. He said,
T hy fath er, boy, is th e sovereign liege of all :
A nd ev n th ancient one w ho m ade th e gods
His hom ages pays to him. Thou m u st begin
T herefore th y studies w ith th e holy nam e
Of H iran y a on th y lips. A rt w iser th a n
T hy m aster ? Ruin m e not therefore, m y boy,
By u tte rin g once again th e nam e th a t now
Thou u tte re d est ! 3
T h e child could not to lerate th is blasphem y, and proclaim ed
th u s his faith :
I ll honour nought, m y m aster, b u t th e nam e
Of th e L ord Suprem e. He has illum ed m y m ind
A nd ta en possession of m y h e a rt : w hen He
T he Infinite O ne th u s dw ells in me, can au g h t
Be h id from m e ? If such th e re be, I ll le arn
F rom thee, so it is n o t opposed to tru th .
W ho else is w o rth y w orship b u t th e One
W hose praises fill th e B rah m an s' Ved, w hose nam e
T he know ing ones an d sages, even gods
R epeat t escape th e bonds of b irth ? I stan d
Upon th e rock to w hich the Vedas lead,
i VI iii 24.

2 VI iii 25.

3 VI iii 26.

156

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

A nd j n a n 1 and sacrifice. W hat m ore is th e re

F or m e to know or le a rn ? T h at bliss is m in e
T h a ts earn ed by those w ho m ed itate in caves
A nd forests, solitary, careless how
T hey e a t or d rin k or dress. F o r w h a t sh all I
E ndeavour m ore ? B ehold th e m en w ho serve
W ith loving h e a rt th e serv an ts een of H im
W ho m easured w ith His feet th e universe.
T hough th e y should le arn in g lack, th e ir lu m in ed soul
C an pierce th e secrets of th e V ed ; an d from
T h eir honeyed lips w ould flow am brosial v erse !
Now He has filled m y h eart, w ho is m y L ord
A nd also thine, an d L ord of all th e w orlds
A nd even of B rah m as self : all know ledge, sire,
Is th erefo re come to m e : and fo r th ee too,
0 m aster m ine, this is th e highest good :
1 p ray thee, bow to Him ! 2
The B rah m an m aster trem b led w ith th e th o u g h t th a t H iran y a
w ould a ttrib u te all these 4seditious doctrines to his ow n teach in g
an d p u t him to death. So he ru sh ed to th e A suras presence
like a scared m an and thus addressed him w ith m an y a bow :
4 T hy hum ble serv an t prays to thee, m y lord,
Give ear : th y son has u tte re d w ords th a t I
C annot pronounce, een conceive in th o u g h t
W ithout endangering all m y hope of e a rth
A nd heaven ! A nd he has refused to read th e Ved,
Saying he know s all th a t th e re is to know . 3
H iranya could not u n d erstan d w h at the teach er m eant, a n d
asked him to rep ea t th e w ords u tte re d by his son. B u t th e
terrified guru only m ystified him still fu rth e r by saying,
4 If I those w ords before thee u tte r, lord,
W ords m o rtal to th e ea r to h ea r as venom
Of cobras to th e blood, m y sinful tongue
W ould sure to ashes b u rn , and th e p it of H ell
W ould open w ide its m outh for m e. 4
i Wisdom.
3 VI iii 35.

2 VI iii 27-33.
4 VI iii 37.

HIRANY AKASHIPU

157

H iran y a th erefo re ordered his son to be b ro u g h t before him ,

an d w hen P ra h la d a stood before him saluting, he em braced h im
w ith tenderness and love and asked him w h at he h ad said to
provoke th e teach er to anger. P ra h lad a told him,
I only took th e holy nam e of H im
Of W hom th e Vedas w itness bore w hen first
W as h ea rd th e ir sacred sound : and th ereu n to
I only added this : whoso shall th in k
O r speak or h ear of Him, shall cross th e sea
Of m isery, and higher good th a n th is
T h eres none in all the w orld. 1
The w ords used by the poet to convey th e idea contained
in the first th ree verses of P ra h la d a s rep ly could also be
in te rp re te d to m ean,
I only took th e holy nam e of Him
Who stands w ithout a rival, w ith w hich nam e
T he g reat begin th e chanting of Ved ;
an d so H iranya th o u g h t th a t th ere was nothing in his sons w ords
fo r th e B rahm an to disapprove of. For it w as w ith his nam e
th a t, according to his ordinances, the chanting of th e V edas w ere
being begun in those days. Yet, th in k in g th a t it w as b e tte r to
h av e it m ade clear, he asked P ra h lad a to pronounce th e nam e
itself. T hen to his great and rising indignation he h eard these
bold w ords w hich his saintly son spoke :
W ouldst h ear the w ords th a t fill all w orldly w an ts ?
W ouldst h ea r th e w ords th a t ope th e gates of heaven ?
W ouldst h ear th e w ords th a t give to sacrifice
Its v irtu e and the pow er to g ran t our w ish ?
L ist then, th e y re A u m Namo N arayanaya
I bow m y head to N arayana, th e L ord
Suprem e.
W her B rahm a, Shiv, or m an whoso forgets
This m antra has forgot his soul. Tis h a rd
To prove by signs ; for they alone can know
W hose eyes see whole, whose h e a rt is free from likes
1 V I iii 40.

158

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STUDY

A nd dislikes both. This m antra is th e boat

T hat saves us from the eddying w hirls of life,
A nd death, an d endless pursuing deeds. I t is
A jew el dear to all th e cream of all
T here is to know in Ved. And so it is
These w ords I u tte re d loud, m y fath er, th a t
Thou m ay st be saved, and I, and all th e w orld
W ith us. 1
The am azed A sura could hold his patience no longer an d
.th u s b u rst out :
This sceptre stern, m y boy, b eneath whose sw ay
A ll w orlds have lain in d read for ages past,
W ould straig h t have b u rned th e tongue th a t spoke a n d
m in d
T h at dared conceive these w ords seditious ! Now speak :
D eclare, and quick, w hich rebel u tte re d them ,
O r ta u g h t th e same to thee ? The sages, seers,
A nd gods th a t dw ell in all th e m oving w orlds
Do w orship nought b u t these m y feet th e ir vow s
A nd p ray ers are eer addressed alone to me,
T heir lord. Who told thee he is God, who oft
Has come to try his stren g th w ith me, and who,
As oft defeated, has in panic fled,
T hanks to old G aru d as pow erful wings, and now
Lies fast asleep som ew here i th e Sea of M ilk ?
In num erable as th e ocean sands
A re those our fath ers who, before I cam e
To sovereign power, had been destroyed by him :
C an good eer come to rats, perverse, if they
Shall sing th e praises of the hooded snake ?
My brother, who could, if he did please, devour
The fourteen w orlds, th is V ishnu gored to death,
Coming on him in shape a boar. Did I
Beget thee boy, to sing w ith joy th e nam e
Of him th e enem y of our race, whose hands
A re stained w ith our own blood ? Seest th o u n o t m e
W ith pow er om nipotent endow ed ? W hence d idst
Thou learn, thou luckless w retch, w h at sight denies
A nd every other sense, th a t th ere is one
1 VI iii 44-46.

H IR A N Y A K A SH IPU

159

A bove us w ho creates, sustains, destroys ?

T here is no h ig h er tru th th a n th is as Ved
Itself w ill w itness, th a t our actions yield
T heir proper fru it th e good deeds good, an d ill
T heir ill appropriate. V ishnu, B rahm a, Shiv,
W ho rose by th e ir au sterities to th e ir
Dominions in th e ir p ro p er w orlds, have now
By g reat efflux, of tim e th e ir places lost ;
A nd by m y pro p er tapas I am raised
To sovereign pow er u n riv alled over all
The w orlds : success despaired, now none does w ish
T endeavour a fte r it, and all have sought
Refuge from ill b eneath m y aw esom e th ro n e !
Ive banished from m y re a ln ^ all sacrifice,
A nd tapas, and all h an k erin g a fte r know ledge
Forbidden. H im w hom these do falsely praise
Thou dost declare alm ighty. W ho know not
S ecurity them selves, can evr th ey save
O thers ? I pardon th ee th y childhoods p ra ttle :
B ut cease henceforth such senseless talk , an d le a rn
In all hum ility, all th a t this sage
W ill in his w isdom teach. 1
P ra h lad a h eard to the end w ith filial respect, though ev ery
w o rd of his fa th e rs speech w as a jav elin to his h eart. B u t w h en
h e had ended, he affirmed fearlessly, like A bdiel, th e fa ith th a t
w as in his h eart, and the tru th as his in tellect perceived it.
H e said,
4
The seed is th e p a re n t of th e tree. . . C an w e m easu re
His greatness who createth all things w ith in H im self, liv eth
H im self ap art, and y et im m anent shineth in all th e w o rk
of His hands ? He h ath none before Him, and none th e re
is afte r Him. D eathless is He ! . . .
The m ind cannot conceive H im for th e U panishads
declare He is beyond th e logical intellect. W ords cannot
describe His n a tu re as He is, n o rs th ere an o th er to w hom
or w hich we can com pare Him. How th en can those w ho
sense Him n o t uncover His secret ?
He is action an d h er fru it, and He is o rd ain er too
thereof. Whoso w ill know His greatness in his h eart, w ill
cross th e sea of good an d evil. . . .
1 VI iii 47-56.

160

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STUDY

The cause He is th a t produces, an d He is th e effect

also th a t is produced : b u t th e re is no organon 1 by w hich
th o u canst know w h at He is in Himself. The m any see not
H is w onderful magic.
Behold, He is th e scentless, seedless lotus, m an y -p etalled
an d unique, blossoming on th e stalk 12 studded w ith th e fifty
soundssafely lying in th e secret cave of all living k in d
from th e S uprem e B rahm a dow nw ards. . . .
He cam e as th e single sound undifferentiated, and them
evolved as sound triune, and then becam e th e W ord 3 . . .
Time He is and Space. He is Cause and In stru m en t :
He is Effect also and its E njoyer ! V irtu e He is and th e
glories th a t v irtu e brings. A nd behold His Pow er, He
contains all creation w ith in H im self as th e seed contains
th e banyan tree.
He is th e artist, and th e w orld is His Vina. W ithin
He is, and w ithout, and y et nothing touches Him. A nd it is
He th a t gives th e Vedas.
He is th e life of th e unique sound A u m . He is th e
L ight of the In n er Light. . . .
He is th e fire and th e w orlds
are the smoke.
He is th e garland, and the religions an d sects are the
flowers thereof. B ut He is beyond the grasp of th e fanatics.
F or he is th e Ocean, and th e sectarians know only th e wave.
A nd yet He is in the w ave also !
And as I feared, father, th a t th y v ast pow er, and life
itself, m ight vanish by th y contem pt for th e S uprem e Lord.
I sang His praises th a t th y days m ay be long and th y pow er
m ay be lasting.' 4
W hen P ra h la d a finished, H iran y as rising rage b u rst into
flame, throw ing th e very sun out of his sphere and the heavens
o u t of th e ir foundations. His eyes dropped blood. And, to th e
te rro r of all th e worlds, he th u n d ered out these words, fierce
as th e boiling poison of the sea :
1 Instrument.
>
2 The stalk is the spinal cord. The lotus is the brain. The fifty
primary sounds (letters) of the Samskrit alphabet are meditated on by
yogis in the brain as well as in the different plexuses of the spinal cord.
3 Nadathe mystic sound Aum. Also compare :
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God;
and the Word was God.The Gospel of S t JohnI i.
4 VI iii 58, 59, 62, 64, 69, 70, 72, 74-78.

HIRANY AKASHIPU

161

4 H ave n o t I foe enough in him w hos sp ru n g

To m y m isfo rtu n e out of m y ow n loins,
A nd pays his w orship an d his love to him
W ho is m y foe of foes ? P u t him to d eath ! 1
The m in isters of his vengeance rose a t once and, tak in g
P ra h la d a into th e open, aim ed th e ir m ost deadly w eapons against
him . B ut all of them fell pow erless to h a rm him who in th e
m idst of th a t iro n -sto rm forgot not th e loving u tte ra n ce of th e
nam e of th e Lord. W hen H iran y a w as inform ed of this, he
ordered th em to lig h t a big fire an d th ro w h im into th e flames.
T hey obeyed him , b u t
even as th e w ords of th e chaste S ita cooled th e fire to
H anum an w hen w e2 set fire to his tail, even so did th e
rep etitio n of th e holy nam e m ake th e fire feel cool to his
fa ir body up to th e v ery m arro w of his bones. 3
W hen th e executioners told H iran y a th a t fire did not b u rn
his son, he ordered th em to th ro w th e God of F ire in to a dungeon
an d th e boy into a p it containing the eig h t venom ous cobras.
The cobras w ere, therefore, set on P rah lad a, b u t in w h atev er
p a rt of th e body th ey bit him , drops of am brosia exuded from
th e b itten flesh ; and it w as the fangs of th e cobras th a t fell
off, w hile he rem ained scatheless, u n fo rg etfu l of th e holy nam e.
H iranya n ex t ordered th a t an elep h an t should be d riv en
ag ainst him and m ade to tram p le him u n d er foot.. In d ra him self,
in fear, supplied his A i r a v a t a * and th e elep h an t cam e rushing
on him in fury. As he came w ith in earshot P ra h la d a addressed
him th u s :
4 Rem em ber, fa th e r A iravat, He dw ells
W ithin th e lotus of m y h eart, w ho flew
To save th y kinsm an struggling in th e jaw s
Of th e fierce crocodile ! 5
1 VI iii 80.
2 Ravana and his minionsthe reader will recollect that Vibhishana
is relating the story.
3 VI iii 86.
4 The name of Indras state elephant.
5 VI iii 93.Allusion to the story of Gajendra, the lord of elephants,
who was saved by Vishnu when he called on His name. Vishnu hurled
His discus against the crocodile who had seized the Elephant-king by the
leg when he was bathing in a lake. The crocodile was killed and the
Elephant was released.

11

162

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

W hen A irav ata h ea rd these w ords, in stead of knocking h im

dow n and tram p lin g on him , he fell dow n on his knees a n d
w orshipped him . H iran y a ordered th e elep h an t to be p u t to d ea th
for thus slighting his orders, an d so in o rd er to save him self h e
rose re lu c tan tly and dashed against P rah lad a. B ut lo, w hen th e
tusks b u t touched his golden body th ey broke to pieces and fell
off even as if th ey w ere p lan tain stalks !
H iran y a th en tried to drow n P ra h la d a in th e sea w ith a rock
attach ed to his body, b u t th e boy did not sink : he floated even
as th e S uprem e One floats on th e b anyan leaf d u rin g the G reat
D eluge of th e universe. N either w as th e cup of poison th a t h e
gave him to d rin k able to k ill P ra h la d a w ho d ra n k it as if it w ere
v ery am rit.
As no th in g else ap p eared to have pow er over th e child,
H iranya a t last d eterm in ed to kill him w ith his ow n hands. A s
h e n eared him w ild w ith rage, th e divine child fell a t his feet
an d softly said,
4My life belongs to H im w ho m ade th e w orlds
A nd all th a t is th erein : how canst th o u hope,
My fath er, to destroy w h a ts His ? n
. We shall now continue th e story in th e w ords of the poet
w hich rise henceforth from h eight to h eig h t of sublim ity till th e
crescendo is reached in th e last defiance of H iranyakashipu.
H iran y a h ea rd ; b u t still, though fu ll of w rath ,
He did n o t strik e him , curious to see
If young P ra h lad could show his God ; and th u s
A ddressed he him : Thou talk est m uch, m y boy ;
Tell me, if canst, w ho m ade th e w orlds ? Is it
The th re e w ho live by praising loud m y nam e ?
O r else is it th e Rishis ? O r is it
The gods th a t have been crushed for once and all ?
P ra h la d rep lied : tis H ari, fath er, w ho
C reated all these w orlds. Is it th e w orlds
A lone He m ade ? Tis He th a t giveth life
O ur v ery souls are His. W hy, lik e th e scent
In flowers, and oil in sesm um seed, H e dw ells
Im m an en t everyw here. I adore, and so
H e shows H im self to me. Thou lovest not,
i V I iii 118.

H I R A N Y A K A S H I P U

163

F a th e r, a n d h en ce th o u seest n o t H im w h o k ille d
T h y g o ld e n -e y e d b ro th e r. T h re e a re H is fo rm s,
A n d th re e H is q u a litie s : H is ey es a re th re e ,
T h e su n an d th e m oon a n d th e fire. H is w o rld s a r e th re e ,
A n d triu n e t h E ffulgence of H is S elf.
A n d H e is th e w itn e ss a rg u s-e y e d , W ho sees
D elig h ted , t h 9 e te rn a l d an c e of tr a n s ie n t life.
A n d th is is th e final tr u th th a t V ed as te a c h .
*H iranya sm iled co n tem p tu o u s, a n d said,
4 T h o u sa y st, th o u g h h im s e lf o n ly one, h e d w e lls
In e v e ry o b je c t seen in a ll th is v a s t
M u ltip le u n iv e rse . W ell te s t th is first
A n d th e n d ecid e w h a ts b e st fo r us to do.
N ow show m e h im if h e is in th is p ile ?
4W h a t of th is colum n, f a th e r ? sa id P r a h la d :
4 T h o u lt find H im in a sp a n o f sp ace ; d iv id e
A n a to m in t a n h u n d re d p a rts , a n d th o u
W ilt find m y G od in e v e ry o ne of th e m :
H e is in M eru h ill ; th y v e ry w ords,
I say, a re filled w ith H im : a n d th o u w ilt find
1 F o re lo n g m y e v e ry w o rd a so lem n tr u th .
4 E no u g h of w o rd s, H ira n y a spo k e in w ra th ,
* D iscover m e h im in sid e th is p illa r h ere,
W ho, th o u d e c la rst a n d re b e l gods b eliev e,
P e rv a d e s th is u n iv e rse : if th o u d o st fa il
I ll fa ll on th e e as on th e e le p h a n t does
T h e lion, a n d te a rin g th e e to pieces, d rin k
T h y blood a n d e a t th y flesh ! T h e w ise one th u s
S o ftly re p lie d : 4 T h o u c a n st n o t k ill m e, S ire !
B u t th is I v o w : if a t a n y spot a t w h ich
T hou p la ce th y h an d s, m y b lessed L o rd do n o t
R ev eal H im self, I ll m y se lf en d m y life !
F o r e en w h e n I a d d re ss th is so lem n vow
To H im , if H e w o u ld n o t resp o n d to m y p ra y e r,
A n d ev e n a f te r th a t I clin g to m y life,
I sh o u ld n t d e se rv e to see m y God, fo r th e n
M y lo v e co u ld n o t be p e rfe c t. 4 B e it so !
H ira n y a c rie d in w r a th a n d w ith h is arm ,
T h e h o m e of v ic to ry , h e s tru c k a g a in st
T h e m a ssiv e co lu m n h ig h a th u n d e rin g blow .

164

SAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M --- A

STUDY

H e stru ck , an d lo th e h eavens opened w ide,

T he u n iv ersal globe asu n d er b u rst,
A nd ru m b lin g cam e th e lau g h of th e M an-L ion fierce,.
T rem endous, om inous ! W hen P ra h la d a h ea rd
H im lau g h W hom even B rahm a seeks in vain,
He danced for joy, his eyes w ith te ars filled,
H e ch an ted loud His holy nam e, and hands
In w orship joined above his te n d er head. . . .
H iran y a heard, an d w ild w ith rage exclaim ed,
Say, w ho a rt thou th a t d ared est laugh ? A rt th o u
T he god of w hom th is boy doth p ra te ? A nd h ast
T hou found th y ocean sm all an d refu g e sought,
T hou despicable, w ith in th is p illar h ere ?
Come fo rth if th o u w ouldst fight w ith me, Come fo rth !
The p illar b u rst, th e Lion stood self-rev ealed ;
He grew and filled this universe, and those
A round, an d w ho can know and te ll of all
His w ondrous doings in th e g reat B eyond ?
The globed v a u lt did b u rst, an d from th e depths
A bove to those below all space w as to rn
S heer ! ......................... 1
C ontinues th e poet :
H ave any th e science to count th e arm s th a t the M an-L ion
h a d ? The A sura force of ten thousand th ousand m illions
w as an n ih ilated by Him, and His terrific form confronted
ev ery single A sura sep arately w ith one h ead and tw o arm s
an d th ree fiery eyes.
B ut can evil ever come to the good ? W hile He w as
te a rin g to pieces all th e evil A suras w ith His terrific claw s,
H e protected all good souls from h arm by keeping them w ith in
H im self even as a m o th er does h er infant.
He ate up alive th e elephants and th e horses and th e
fighting A suras, and th e n d ra n k up th e oceans seven w ith all
th e ir m y riad living beings, and crunched betw een His te e th
th e very th u n d erb o lts of heaven. Seeing His u n q u en ch ab le
rag e D harm a h erself trem b led for h er safety !
N o t one A sura he l eft alive in all the three worlds ! N o t
even th e fo e tu s in the w om bs o f the A su ra w om en w ere
spared ! A n d seeing no m ore A su ra s alive in this universe>
i VI iii 119-130.

165

HIRANYAKASHIPU
,S,

k*

behold, some arm s of His w ere searching for

w orlds B eyond !

them in the

T hus before th e m ind could so m uch as realise w h a t w as

h ap pening , th e w o rld -p erv ad in g M an-L ion destroyed all th e
A suras excepting alone P ra h lad a who w as the staff of th e Gods,
and his fa th e r ; now He strode tow ards the place w here the g re a t
.Asura w as standing.
A nd th e re he stood, vast like the M eru m ount,
His d iam ond-studded sw ord u nsheathed for fight,
His buckler hiding sheer th e heavens from view.
A t his th u n d erin g shout the Devas shuddered, and
The m ountains trem bled and th e seven seas.
P ra h lad a saw his dauntless fath er stand
W ith firm -set lip p rep ared to m eet th e shock
Of the advancing Lion, and nearing him
He said, * Een after seeing th e stren g th abnorm
Of th e L ord Suprem e, O fath er, w hy w ouldst n o t
The tru th perceive ? Een now th o u canst subm it
To H im : and w hen thou fallest a t His feet,
He w ould forgive th y evil deeds of old.
H iranya frow ned, an d th u s defiance h u rled :
Listen, in g rate ! In sight of thee I w ill
C ut dow n th e M an-L ions branching arm s and feet,
A nd th en I ll give m y sw ord th y blood to d rin k !
A nd w hen it shall hav e nobly done m y hests,
Ill pay m y hom age to th a t m atchless steel.
H ast ever seen th is h ead obeisance m ake
To living b e in g ? N ot een to soften h e a rt
Of w om an has it ever y et bowed, th o u boy ! 1
So saying H iranya laughed a m ighty laugh. A sh u d d er ra n
th ro u g h th e w orlds w hen th ey h eard the lau g h w hich th ey h a d
-ever know n to be th e fo reru n n er to his te rrib le deeds of valour.
As the M an-L ion approached him , H iranya advanced to m eet H im ,
and they closed, th e M an-L ion w ith his uncountable arm s an d the
^Asura arm ed w ith his sw ord of victory. T hey rose above a ll the
w orlds into p rim eval space for freedom of m ovem ent ! A nd what
-could w e com pare th e ir form s to ? T he A sura resem bled that
w ast M eru m ountain, an d th e blessed L ord resem bled all els
* VI iii 144-146.

66

K A M BA

R A M AY AN AM A

STUDY

besides. T he L ord of Illusion, w ith his arm s rising tie r on tie r

looking like w aves on waves, an d w ith his w o rld -q u ak in g ro ar,
resem bled th e O cean of M ilk w hen it w as being churned, an d th e
A su ra resem bled th e m ountain w hich churned it.
B ut how long can a m o rtal hold against th e S uprem e L ord
in his terrific form , and fighting h an d to h an d ? W ith one m ig h ty
h an d , a t length, th e M an-L ion took hold of H iran y as feet a n d
w h irled him round and round. His crow n an d jew els stru ck
ag ain st th e circular w alls of th e universe and fell sh attered to
pieces ; his e a r-je w eis called kundalas fell one to th e east an d th e
o th e r to th e w est, and rem ain to this day as th e rocks of th e rising
a n d th e setting sun. A nd it is his jew els th a t give th e ir b rillian ce
to th e sunrise an d th e sunset even now. A t length, a t th e tim e
of th e tw ilig h t w hich is n eith er day n o r night, th e M an-L ion
sa t a t th e gate of H iran y as palace, laid him on his thighs an d
to re open his en trails w ith his sp ear-lik e claws, an d freed th e
D evas from th e ir thraldom .
H iran y ak ash ip u is th e analogue of th e M iltonic S atan in Indian,
story. A lthough in th e description of th e physical form of th e
A sura K am ban falls below M ilton, who w ith a few of his
characteristic touches gives th e im pression of hugeness w ith o u t
offending th e eye of im agination, K am ban has p erfectly succeeded
in im pressing us w ith the suprem e pride and consciousness of
illim itable pow er of th e great Asura. The gods w ere nothing to
H iranya. He alone w as the undisputed m aster of th e universe,
a n d none deserved w orship b u t him self. Even w hen he sees the*
terrific M an-Lion destroy his arm y in a trice, his h e a rt does n o t
sh rin k ; on th e co n trary his w ords assum e g reater firm ness an d
pride. A nd his end too is equally heroic, contending face to face*
w ith God, and req u irin g O m nipotence Itself to destroy him.
The story of H iranya in th e B hagavata is m ore didactic th a n
a rtistic in com position and purpose, though some of th e highest
flights of poetry are to be found in it. B ut K am ban gifted as h e
is w ith a highly d ram atic im agination, w ould introduce his ow n
changes in it in o rd er to bring th e d ram atic into full play. T hus,
w hile Shuka, th e n a rra to r of th e Bhagavata stories, m akes P ra h la d a
sp eak his m ind for th e first tim e before his fa th e r w ho is m ade
to casually ask him w h at he h ad learned, K am ban m akes h im
re p e a t th e holy nam e of N aray an a before his m aster a t th e v ery
com m encem ent of th e instruction. This gives our poet th e
o p p o rtu n ity of m aking th e teach er trem ble for his safety a t h earin g
th e banned w ords, an d of ex tractin g th e fu ll poetic value out o t

HIRAN YAKASHIPU

167

th is circum stance. A gain, according to th e original, a fte r th is

incident, th e boy is sent aw ay by th e fath er, a fte r a slight
reprim and , to th e m asters to learn th e pro p er doctrines. W hen,
a fte r som etim e h ad elapsed, H iran y a calls for him an d again
questions him , P ra h la d a replies in th e sam e strain, an d in his
w ra th H iran y a orders him to be to rtu re d and killed. P ra h lad a ,
how ever, as in our story, escapes m iraculously from all th e cru el
to rtu re s to w hich he is subjected. A fter this, a t th e req u est of th e
teachers, H iran y a again sends th e boy to th em to learn th e
orthodox doctrines. T his is clearly ag ain st all poetic probability,
for how could H iran y a or th e teachers believe th a t P ra h la d a could
be converted a fte r all these cruelties and m iraculous escapes ?
T here a t th e school, instead of being converted to his fa th e rs view
of the universe, him self converts his classm ates to th e love of H ari.
T he teachers, therefore, b rin g him back to H iran y a saying th a t
his conversion is hopeless. The last scene before th e strik in g a t
th e p illa r too, is not so w ell developed by S h u k a as by K am ban
w ho brings out th e co n trast betw een th e w ra th fu l an d p roud
A sura and his calm an d devotion-filled son in a few b u t in ten sely
w orked up stanzas. K am ban again w ould m ak e th e M an-L ion
finish the A sura arm y before coming to th e le ad er H iran y ak ash ip u ,
an d thus keep th e clim ax to the v ery end. T he challenge of
H iran y a to the M an-L ion in K am ban is, again, m ore in ch a ra cte r
th a n th e last w ords th a t S huka puts into his m outh. T he w ords
th a t fall from th e lips of H iranya in th e B hagavata a fte r th e
appearance of th e M an-L ion are only these :
W hat ? Most probably this H ari, w ith his g reat
cunning has assum ed this pow erful body w ith th e in ten tio n
of destroying m e.
A nd how feeble these w ords read w hen com pared w ith th e
first challenge of the A sura in K am ban !
The last req u est of K am b an s P ra h la d a to his fa th e r to subm it
to th e God m akes him m ore loveable th an S h u k as P ra h la d a w ho
does not speak to his fa th e r after th e M an-L ion h ad ap p eared ;
w hile th e last rep ly of K am b an s H iranya to his son m akes him
look g ran d er th a n th e A sura in th e B hagavata.
P o tan n a in his Prahlada Charitra, as p erh ap s every w h ere in
his g rand redaction of th e B hagavata, has not m ade any changes
in th e story as told by Shuka. His version is a close p arap h rase
in T elugu of th e original B hagavata, ex panding certain leading
ideas and im ages in th e n arratio n , b u t all-relig io u sly keeping to
th e v ery ord er in th e developm ent of th e story. H e h as ad d ed

16 8

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

no new tra it or colour to th e original sketch. B u t K am b an s

im perial im agination m u st needs rem e lt even th e best m in ted coin
of th e oth er sovereigns in th e realm of poetry, an d p u t its ow n
im press an d superscription on th e rem in ted gold. A nd so w e h a v e
in th is episode, H iran y a ex p an d ed to even m ore colossal
proportions, an d a P ra h la d a m ore te n d er th a n th e creations of
V yasa an d S h u k a.1

* See foot-note 1 on page 163

CHAPTER X I
V A LI AND SUGRIVA
In the ch aracter of H iranyakashipu K am ban has show n to u s
unequalled prow ess and valour com bined w ith extrem e p rid e
refusing to acknow ledge th e suprem acy of A lm ighty Pow er till
destroyed by It in Its terrib le aspects. In this ch ap ter w e shall
see his presentation of valour and pow ers of th e sam e degree b u t
com bined w ith m any generous and noble qualities, an d y et w hich
was extinguished by Shri Ram a for a single delinquency. We
shall devote the g reater p a rt of the ch ap ter to K am bans Vali.
A fter R avana h ad carried off Sita, Ram a and L akshm ana, as
the read er knows, w ent southw ards an d searched for h e r
everyw here in th e im penetrable forests of D andaka. A t len g th
a great ta p a sv in i1 nam ed S haphari told them th a t a V anara called
Sugriva who w as residing on th e R ishyam uka h ill w ould be of
great help to them in th eir search, and th ey accordingly sought
him on the hill. A lthough Vali w as th e king of th e V anaras,
and the m ore pow erful of the tw o brothers, and Sugriva w as in
hiding for fear of Vali, th e saintly w om an considered th a t V ali
who had u n ju stly driven Sugriva out of his kingdom and deprived
him of his wife, and w as even afte r his life, w as undeserving of
R am as friendship ; and th a t w as w hy she sent him to S ugriva
in preference to Vali.
A fter m uch trav el Ram a and L akshm ana came to th e hill.
S ugriva cam e to see them afte r ascertaining th ro u g h H an u m an
th a t they w ere not m en sent by V ali to k ill him . A fter
prelim inaries w ere over, R am a told S ugriva th a t he sought h is
help in his g reat difficulty.2 On the other side S ugriva rep lied
th a t he w as being pursued and h u n ted by Vali, his b rother, an d
th a t it w as R am a th a t m ust protect him from th e la tte r. R am a
pitied his helpless condition, and im pressed w ith his generous
n a tu re sw ore etern al friendship w ith him.
A fter this, V alm iki m akes Ram a and L akshm ana go to
S u g riv as hom e of th e ir own accord, and Sugriva to casually
1 feminine of tapasvione who performs spiritual austerities.
2 Valmiki would make Lakshmana tell Sugriva that Rama had come
*to take refuge under himSharanam gatah.

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m ention th a t h e h ad been even robbed of h is w ife by Vali. B u t

K am b an w ith his g reater d ram atic skill rep resen ts S ugriva a s
in v itin g Ram a a fte r th e sw earing of friendship to his cottage onth e hill, and R am a as asking him w h eth er he also h ad lost his
w ife like him self, seeing th a t th ere w as no V an arin i in th e cottage
to serve th e guests. H ere too he takes care th a t S ugriva does
n o t tell his story him self in rep ly to R am a as in V alm iki, b u t
m akes H anum an as his chief councillor to te ll it for him an d
th u s saves S ugriva from personally referrin g to his m isfo rtu n e
as hrita bharyah one w ho has been robbed of his wife. H an u m an
describes in d etail V alis exploits and stren g th and ends by saying
th a t V ali had tak en aw ay S ug riv as wife.
The m om ent th a t he h eard th e last words, R am as eyes g rew
red w ith rage, for
Could he w ho gave aw ay a crow n th a t w as
By rig h t his ow n to a b ro th er to enjoy
Could he forgive an elder brother, who
H ad robbed th e younger of his w ife by force,
A nd now w as h u n tin g him unto d eath ? 1
So R am a sw ore to S ugriva th a t he w ould k ill Vali w ith h is
bow and restore his w ife to him and m ake him king of K ishkindha.
In order to give S ugriva confidence in his stren g th , R am a destroyed
w ith one arrow of his the seven sala trees th a t could n ev er be
cu t dow n by an y living being, and cleared th e ground of th e
colossal skeleton of D undubhi the A sura, who had fought w ith
an d been defeated by Vali. Sugriva w as now convinced of R am as
capacity to destroy Vali. He th erefo re agreed to go and challenge
V ali on his hill, the arran g em en t being th a t w hile th ey w ere
engaging each o th er Ram a should send his arro w and despatch
Vali.
W hen the challenge of S ugriva reached his ear, Vali rose from
h is bed and frow ning listened again. W hen he understood th a t
it w as his b ro th er th a t w as calling him to fight he laughed a
lau g h th a t th rew th e fourteen w orlds off th eir foundations and
sen t them w hirling into outer space. His usual anger against his
b ro th er soon took possession of his heart, and he now appeared
lik e the ocean boiling for th e final deluge on the Day o f
D issolution. The m ountain on w hich he stood' sank u n d er h is
i IV ii 112.

VALI

& SUGRIVA

171

w eight. His eyes glistened w ith th e fire of his h atred , sham ing
th e au ro ra of th e north. W hen he sm acked his arm s w ith his
palm , as w restlers do, th e th u n d erb o lts of heaven dropped dow n,
a n d th e v ery h ill on w hich he stood sp lit to pieces. Even th e God
of D eath w as terrified a t his aspect, for he looked a t th a t m om ent
like th e Tim e S p irit brooding over an d d irecting th e d estru ctio n
of all creation on the final day, or like th e boiling mass of poison
th a t rose from th e ocean w hen he helped in churning it for th e
gods.
He w as ju st sta rtin g to go to answ er th e challenge of his
b ro th e r w hen T ara his w ife cam e in his w ay an d tried to dissuade
h im from going.
* Stop m e not, he said, checking h er : * stop me not,
O w ife, fair even as th e m ountain peacock of th e noblest
breed ! I w ill answ er his challenge and re tu rn to thee a fte r
d rin k in g his life, even as I chu rn ed th e ocean and got a m rit
in olden days ! 51
B u t she persisted saying,
* S ugriva know s th y stren g th by proof, m y lord,
A nd n eer can stan d against th y iron fists.
He is not born again to hope afresh,
N or has he g reater stren g th acquired to -d ay
By blessing of th e Gods ; if now he dares
To challenge thee, it is because he has
A n ally strong enough to give him hopes
Of easy victory. 2
V ali only laughed at h e r fears and said,
Even if all th e th re e w orlds, T ara, stood
Com bined against m e th ey are bound to fail !
C anst thou forget th e day w hen A suras
A nd Devas sought to ch u rn th e Sea of M ilk ?
T he M andhra m ountain w as th e ch u rn in g rod,
A nd V asuki th e m ighty cobra w as
T he strin g ! T hey pulled, b u t had not stren g th e n o u g h .
To tu rn th e aw fu l m ount. I saw th e ir p lig h t
A nd m oved w ith p ity helped, an d lo ! th e sea
D id yield his glories to m y m ighty arm .
l IV v 14.

2 IV v 15

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RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

T hough countless are th e foes b o th A suras

A nd Gods, w ho trie d th e ir stren g th w ith m e, h a s one
Till now prev ailed gainst m e ? E ven th e God of D e a th
D oth trem b le at m y nam e : Who th e n could com e
To help Sugriv ? Should th e re be such a fool
As loves to call on his ow n head his doom,
T hen know th a t whoso faces me in w ar,
One h alf his force, and blessings earn ed by h im
F rom Gods do pass to m e sheer : such th e pow er
T h at S hiv has blessed m e w ith. F ear not, th erefo re,
My T ara, give m e leave ! 1
B u t T aras fears w ere n o t dispelled. She h ad h ea rd too m uch
from h er servants to be satisfied w ith V alis assurances. S he
therefore begins,
My lord, I learn from tru sty servants sh rew d
T h at he has found a g reat ally in Ram
W ho for his sake has sw orn to end th y life
T o -d ay . 2
V ali had h eard so m uch of R am as nobility an d ch iv alry an d
b ro th erly and filial love th a t he h ad come to look upon h im a s
th e ideal hero. So w hen T ara spoke of him as conspiring w ith
S ugriva to k ill Vali, V ali could not a t all believe it. N ot m erely
th at. He could n o t brook to h ea r th e ideal of his h e a rt vilified,
as he th o u g h t he w as, by these w ords of T ara. H ence, before she
could say all th a t she h ad heard, he cu t h er speech sh o rt a n d
spoke to h e r these an g ry w ords :
W hat h ast thou said, w ith th a t blasphem ing tongue
Of thine, T ara ? K now st thou n o t R am is born
To show th e w ay of v irtu e to th e w orld
T h at has forgotten D harm , and crying loud
F or a saviour in vain, has helpless sunk
In d a rk despair ? B ut th a t thou a r t a w om an
A nd h ast in ignorance erred, thou shouldst have d ied
F or this blasphem y ! How w ill he th in k on this,
W hose eye can see beyond this tra n sie n t life ?
Can D harm a falsify itself, th a ts born
To save all living k in d ? T hough all th e w orld
L ay a t his feet, he gave his crow n aw ay
^ I V v 20.

2 IV v 21.

VALI

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173

Sm iling to his b ro th er a t th e bidding cruel

O f his step -m o th er. In lieu of blessing him
F o r th e g ran d eu r of his soul, do I now h ea r
T hee slan d er R am a ? Een should all th e w orlds
Come thronging on and ru sh on him at once,
Does he an ally need beside his bow
To b a ttle by his side ? T hen th in k est thou
T h at he w ould h an k er afte r alliance
W ith a w orthless ape ? He does his b ro th ers love
E vn as his life : w ould he then aim his d arts
A t me, w hen I and m y b ro th er are engaged
In com bat to decide on rights upon
The sw ard ? K now h es a sea of m ercy sw eet !
Rest h ere a w hile therefore ; w ithin a trice
Ill beat Sugriv, and send him to his doom,
A nd scatterin g all who come to his aid
Ill join thee : dispel th y fears ! 1
T ara feared to say more, and V ali dashed dow n th e h ill to
accept the challenge of his brother. W hen he stood before Sugriva
w ith the h ill behind his back, he looked like th e M an-lion who
cam e out of the m assive colum n w hen it was stru ck by the great
an d terrific Asura. They did not w aste tim e in m ere words, b u t
sta rte d to w restle w ith each other w ith m any a w ar-sh o u t.
R am a w ho w as am bushed behind a clum p of trees close by
w ith L akshm ana, w as am azed a t th e ir size and force, and said to
his brother,
W hat oceans can we liken to th e ir fram es ?
W hat clouds ? W hat storm s ? O r W hat deluging 2 fire ?
A nd can one universe hold tw o such clouds,
Deluges, storm s, or frow ning seas ? 3
B ut L akshm ana w as th en thinking of som ething else.

He

said,
.............................. 4S ugriva has
A Y am a brought to end his b ro th er : though
T h eir fight is w o rth y praise, m y h e a rt is pained
To see th is fratricid al fight, and so
I cannot judge in calmness, b ro th er !
1 V v 22-27.

2 The Fire of Hindu mythology which consumes the world during

the Deluge. (P)
3 IV v 31.

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RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

He ceased.
B ut still his h ea rt retu rn ed upon its them e,
A nd th u s u n b u rdened he his m ind : 4T hey say
It is unw ise to p u t our faith in those
T h at are u n n atu ra l : w hen he can h ard en
His h e a rt against a brother, and fall on him
As on a foe, w hat can his loyalty
Be w o rth to strangers, b ro th er ? 1
F or this once even K am bans R am a talks lik e a cynic.
>began by asking,

He

4Can we expect ideal m orals am ong

These foolish apes ? 2
B ut as L ak sh m an as reference to b ro th erly love b ro u g h t th e
m em ory of B h arata, the ideal brother, to his m ind, h e added,
n o t w ith o u t intending a slight h it a t L akshm ana w ho in th e
p rid e of his loyalty to Ram a w as u n ju st to B h arata,
4A nd then, m y child, if all
W ere like in th e ir devotions to th e ir brothers,
How can m y B h arata be placed th e first
I th list of loyal b rothers ? 3
A nd then he continued th u s :
4And
O hero of the w ell-developed arm s
W hich show like rocks arm ed w ith the banded bow ,4
W herever thou go, th e lovers of v irtu e are
B ut few ; th e m any love h er not. We have
To tak e m en as th ey are : and, b ro th er, is th ere
A m an of w hom w e can say, 4lo, h ere is
A m an w ith o u t a single flaw ? 5
1 IV v 32, 33.
2 i v v 34.
3 IV v 34.
4 By this flattering epithet, Rama intends to heal the wound that
his previous words must have inflicted on the heart of Lakshmana.
5 IV v 35. Rama here hints that they themselves are engaged in a
questionable transaction at this very time, though he would not withdraw
.from it now.

VALI

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175

In th e m eantim e V ali and S ugriva h ad w ell w arm ed to th e ir

ifight. The poet describes the com bat grandly, an d w e shall tr y
io give some p arts of th a t description to th e read e r :
They looked like tw o m am m oths w restling, like tw o rocks
dashing against each other, like tw o lions try in g to te a r each
other to pieces. Some tim e they stood facing each o th er w ith
steady feet, some tim e they w hirled round and ro u n d each
other like a p o tte rs wheel. The e a rth could not b ear th e ir
pressure w hen arm pressed against arm ; fire sparks w ere
throw n out w hen foot knocked against foot. T h eir quick
blow s and guards and locks recalled th e sheen of th e lig h tn in g
in heaven. A nd th ey w ere like planets colliding w ith each
mother in th e sky.
We have not seen sea fronting sea, or m ountain p it itself
against m ountain, or W rath tak in g shape and boiling, dividing
itself in two. T hen w h at else can w e com pare th e ir w restlin g
to ?
The fire b u rn in g in and dropping from th e ir eyes b u rn e d
th e clouds and reduced rocks to a m ass of ashes. T he
.m am m oths of th e cardinal points trem b led for th e ir lives,
th e gods who had come to w itness th e fight fled aw ay in
te rro r ......................
Seeing them knock each other dow n u n m in d fu l of th e
blood th a t w as pouring from th e ir bruises an d w ounds, th e
bystanders w ondered and asked each other, A re th e y
struggling in the sky or are th ey on th e peak of th e h ill ?
A re th ey on th e e a rth or are th ey gone beyond th e universe ?
O r are th ey w ith in our ow n eyes ?
The sm ack of th e ir arm s cleaving th e a ir lik e th e tid a l
w aves on th e storm y sea, w as h eard to th e v ery ends of
the universe : th e resonance of th e ir fists strik in g a t each
o th e rs arm s an d chests resem bled th e fu ll-m o u th ed th u n d e r
of th e D ay of Dissolution.
W hen th ey stru ck w ith th e ir fists on each o th e rs chests,
it w as like th e ham m er of th e m ig h ty -arm ed sm ith fallin g
on a m assive piece of heated iron on th e anvil. V eritab le
sparks flew from th e ir iron chests th u s struck.
T hey w ould press each o th er w ith th e ir chests, aim kicks
a t each o th er w ith th e ir m ighty legs, th ro w each other dow n
w ith force w ith th e ir hands ; they w ould jo in each o th er an d
knock each o th er dow n w ith fists, an d uprooted tru n k s of
trees, and rocks. They w ould ro ar w ith w ra th and glare a t
ach other.

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T hey w ould lift each o th er w ith th e ir arm s an d th ro w

each o th er dow n, th ey w ould w et th e ir han d s in th e blood
rushin g from th e ir blows, th ey w ould w h irl round each o th e r
like m ighty k ites flown in th e w ind, th ey w ould k n it th e ir
arm s an d body round each other, th ey w ould hug each o th er
an d fall.
T hey w ould tw ist th e ir tails round each o th e rs bodies,
an d d raw th em tig h t till th e bones cracked and broke, th e y
w ould lock each o th er w ith th e ir legs an d slip from each
o th e rs locks, th ey w ould pierce each o th ers bodies w ith th e ir
lan ce-lik e claws, and leave cave-deep w ounds upon each
o th e rs m o u n tain -h u g e b o d ie s.1
A t len g th V ali h ad th e u p p er hand, and w ith all his force
aim ed a blow ag ain st S ugriva w hich sent him flying into th e air.
As V ali also had been te rrib ly ex h au sted by th e stru g g le he did
not pu rsu e him , b u t stopped th e re an d rested on th e ground tak in g
b reath . Sugriva lim ped on to w here R am a w as hiding and fell
a t his feet. No w ords w ere needed from S ugriva to te ll R am a
of his condition. R am a told him th a t he did n o t aim his arro w
d u rin g th e late struggle as he could not distinguish b etw een them
both, an d asked him to w ear a g arlan d of flowers an d resum e th e
fight, w hen, he said, distinguishing betw een th e tw o he w ould
aim a t V ali and brin g him down.
So again S ugriva cam e and engaged w ith V ali w ho w ith a
superior sm ilew hich b u t lig h tly concealed his frow n terrify in g
to th e very God of D eath stru ck at his b ro th e rs life-spots w ith
all his m ight. S ugriva vom ited blood, and blood flowed in to rren ts
from his eyes and nose and ears also. U nable to bear th e
punishm ent, he looked tow ards the spot w here R am a stood
concealed. B ut Vali, w ith th e consciousness of certain victory
filling his h eart, h eartlessly follow ed up his success w ith fu rth e r
k n ock-out blows. A nd th en he gripped firm ly S u g riv as neck
w ith one h an d an d his hip w ith th e other, and liftin g him sheer
poised him self to dash him w ith a terrific force upon th e rock.
J u s t a t th a t m inute Ram a, who was w atching his o p p ortunity
w ith his b en t K odanda, placed an arrow on th e rest, drew back
th e string and sent the d a rt flying w ith a m ighty force. Says,
th e poet,
Who can conceive th e force of th a t fiery d a rt ?
G reat V alis fram e w hich h ad the stren g th com bined
1 IV v 36-38, 40-43, 45-48.

VALI

177

& SUGRIVA

O f e a rth and w ater, fire an d w ind, w as pierced

B y it evn as is pierced a p la n tain rip e
By a sh arp n eed le ! 1
V alis stren g th failed. A nd he fell even as th e M eru m o u n tain
w ould fall uprooted on th e Day of Dissolution by th e w h irlw in d .
A nd as he fell, th e grip of his hands loosened releasing S u g riv a ;
b u t im m ediately he caught th e feath er side of th e m o rtal arro w
w ith his hands an d struggled w ith th e added m ight of his hin d
paw s and tail in o rd er to stop it from boring its w ay th ro u g h his
adam an tin e fram e. The very God of D eath bow ed his head in
adm iratio n w hen he saw th e force of his w ill and th e m ight of
his lim bs even a t th a t m om ent. In his w ra th a t being th u s
am bushed and shot at, he w ould w ish to dem olish th e v ery v a u lt
of th e heaven, an d a ttem p t to rise in order to strik e a t it ; h e
w ould th in k of destroying the w orld to its very bounds ; he w ould
plough th e ground w ith his iron lim bs and desire to bore th e
e a rth dow n to its v ery root.
As th e arro w w as still boring into his body he w ould w o n d er
w ho could hav e sent th a t w eapon against him . M ay it be th
Gods, he w ould th in k to him self. B ut soon h e w ould give u p
th a t tho u g h t asking him self, *have th ey th e force to h an d le such
a m issile ? A gain he w ould ask him self w ho could it be ? A nd
sm ile a t his in ab ility to fix upon his assailant. A nd th e n he
w ould declare it m u st be th e deed of one w ho has th e pow er of
th e S uprem e Three. A gain he w ould w onder,
Is it th e disc of V ishnu or th e lance
Of blu e-n eck ed D h u rjati 2 ? E vn th u n d e rb o lt
Of Indra, and th e lance of K artik ey
W hose point has bored th ro u g h rocks, do lack th e force
To pierce m y chest ! W hat can it be, O w h a t ?
A gain he struggled to p u ll it out saying to him self,
T here stands no bow th a t can this fell m issile
Propel. Or, did a Rishi send it w inged
W ith his curse ? 3
So saying he b en t fo rw ard and th en h elping his paw s and ta il
w ith his jaw , d rew it out sufficiently to see th a t it w as only an
arrow . As soon as he saw it, h e d eterm in ed to d raw it o u t
com pletely an d see w ho aim ed it against him , for all g reat w arrio rs
carv e th e ir nam es upon th e ir arrow s in o rd er to give th e ir enem ies
1 IV v 57.

12

2 Siva.

3 IV v 64, 65.

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the chance of knowing by whom they were attacked and

challenging them if they so desire.
A t le n g th th e hero o f th e d au n tless h eart
D rew out th e arrow ; G ods and A suras
W ho sa w th at w ondrous fe a t fe lt n e w force th rill
In their lim bs : for w h o can h elp adm iring stren gth ?

O ut rushed th e blood resounding even like

The sea in flood-tide ; and it flowed p ast rocks
A nd woods as if it w ished to seek th e sea.
S ugriva saw th e blood o u t-ru sh in g like
A m ountain geyser from th e rock-like chest
Of V ali : and he w as m uch m oved despite him self :
The tie of b irth was stronger th a n his h ate
Im placable, and so w ith scalding tears
Cascading from his eyes he fell upon
The ground sen seless.1
In his w ra th V ali forgot his first thought and tried to b re a k
th e arrow , th e head of w hich was still sticking in his body, b u t
it w ould not b reak even to his m ighty hands. He now rem em bered
again his original intentions, and tu rn ed th e portion th a t h ad
been draw n out tow ards his eyes in order to see whose nam e w as
engraved upon its stem. A nd w hat did he see ?
He saw the nam e w hich is th e Word, the seed
From w hich sprang all the w orlds : the glory w hich gives
Its own self as the highest m eed to those
Who m editate thereon : the healing d rug
To th ills incurable called earth ly life :
He saw w ith 'is eyes the sacred m antra Ram
Sw eet to the eyes to see and ears to h ea r
C arved on th e dread fu l dart. He saw and laughed
A nd blushed as thus he spoke : By b irth of Ram
Who has disgraced th e nam e of soldier and
His bow, g reat S u ry as race, alas, has lost
Its nam e for D harm w hich eer w as know n to be
Its shield ! Is it for this he left his hom e
A nd took like saint or sage to forest life ? 2
M eantim e his pain becam e m ore and m ore intense. Now his
head w ould fall lim p on the ground. Now he w ould laugh an
explosive laugh. He w ould again fall to m using and say, perhaps
i I V v 67-69.

2 IV v 71, 72.

V A L I

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179

this also may be an act of v irile, who knows ? Now he would

roll in pain *even as the elephant fallen into the trap-pit prepared
b y the hunter, with the spear still sticking in his gigantic fram e/
And he asked himself,
'If he swerves from the right what cart we say of the
common run of men ? Verily he has acted worse than
m yself/ 1
B ut w hile he was saying these w ords aloud, He appeared,
w hose nam e is always- m entioned th e first in th e list of righteous
m e n and kings and who incarnated him self as m an in order to
estab lish righteousness on earth. V ali saw th a t form, looking as
if a blue cloud laden w ith rain had descended from th e sky,
ado rn ed w ith m any a fresh-blow n lotus, and w ith th e rainbow
.gracing its body. And as he came n ear he looked him stra ig h t
in the face and addressed him these w ords frow ning :
O Rama, F ate indeed has blindly m ade
Thee son of him who th rew aw ay his life
For honours sake and tru th s ; b u t shouldst thou too
Have seen the light before the saintly B h arat ?
Thou punishest evil deeds : b u t do th ey cease
To be ill deeds w hen thou a rt thyself doer ? . . .
Can any count th y blessings ? L earning, birth,
Beauty, and valour are all th in e ; and thou
A rt heir to a sceptre w ielding pow er oer all
The w orlds ! A nd thou hast shown the stren g th and skill
Of th in e arm even now : w ere all these given
To thee alone to bring etern al sham e
Upon the nam e of K night ? and thou a rt wise,
Ive h eard it said !
' A ll highly v irtu es come
By instinct to the children of th y race :
How th en couldst thou this deed of sham e com m it ?
I fear th y m ind has lost its balance, since
Thou didst from J a n k a s sw an-like d au g h ter part,
Who was as life to thee and very soul !
4Now tell me, Ram, has M anu anyw here
O rdained th a t if a R akshas p arts th y w ife
From thee, thou m ust a t once destroy th e king
Of apes ? W heres gone th y tenderness, O m an ?
^ IV v 74.

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ST U D Y

A n d h o w h a v e I offended* th e e ? I f th o u
S h o u ld r u n th u s a fte r in fa m y , on w h o m
S h o u ld G lo ry sh e d h e r ra y s ?
*I n a ll th is w id e
W o rld o c e a n -g irt, sh o u ld t h A ge of Iro n d a w n
A lo n e u p o n a n ap e ? A re e q u ity
A n d r ig h t re se rv e d alo n e fo r feeb le ones ?
I d id fo rg e t ; w h e n M ig h t c o m m itte th sin
D o th n o t th e w o rld b esto w on it a c ro w n ?
4A n d w h o can b e a t th y g lo ry ? F o r th o u g a v e st
A k in g d o m to th y b ro th e r a t A y o d h !
A n d h e re in ju n g le s w ild , to b a la n c e th a t
T h o u h a s t m y k in g d o m on m y b r o th e r h e re
A s g ift b esto w ed !
* T h o u h a s t n o w th y s e lf sh o w n , O R am , th a t p o w e r
C a n w o rk its w ill, u n ju s t o r ju s t, se cu re :
B u t say, if th o u a r t r ig h t in k illin g m e,
B eca u se th o u c o u ld st th y a rro w a im u n seen ,
C a n st th o u a t a ll th e R a k sh a s k in g accuse
O f c a rry in g o ff th y sp o u se b y fo rc e o r g u ile ?
4 W hen tw o in d u e l sta n d e n g a g e d , th e ju s t
R e g a rd th e m b o th w ith e q u a l e y e : b u t i f
A m a n is m o v ed to w a rd s one, a n d h id b eh in d
A bush, does sh o o t th e o th e r d o w n w ith s h a rp
A n d p o in te d a rro w s aim in g a t th e h e a rt,
Is it an a c t of D h a rm ? o r so m e th in g else ?
4 I t is n o t v a lo u r th o u h a s t sho w n , o r love
O f e q u ity ; th e re is no fe u d b e tw ix t
T h y h o u se a n d m in e ; m y b o d y d id n o t p ress
T h y e a rth w ith its in to le ra b le w e ig h t ; a n d su re
T h o u w o u ld st n o t call th y sin fu l d ee d a d eed
O f m e rc y : w h a t th e n w as in th y m in d , O R am ?
If th o u d id st h a n k e r a f te r a n a lly
T o fig h t th e w a r a g a in s t th e R a k sh a s k in g ,
W h a t w isd o m le d th e e tu r n th y b a c k u p o n
T h e tu s k e r ro a m in g fe a rle ss oe r th e w ild s
A n d k n e e l th e e d o w n b efo re a p u n y h a r e ?
I t is th e m oon alo n e th a t h a d a sp o t
T ill n o w u p o n h e r face : th e su n re m a in e d
A sta in le ss globe of lig h t. B u t th o u h a s t t a e n

VALI

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181

'T h y b irth in his th rie glorious house, an d lo,

He beats th e m oon in, th e blackness of his spot !
A re n o t asham ed to show th y face as m an
A nd w arrio r, w ho h ast laid a tra p for me,
A nd lying concealed behind a bush, h ast aim ed
A m o rtal d a rt against m y chest, w hen I
B u t cam e to m eet a foe th a t challenged me ?
T hy conduct gives th e lie to th e le arn in g w hich
T hey say thou dost possess : th y deed has b ro u g h t
D isgrace upon th y g reat forbears ! for, M an !
T hou h ast not killed Vali, b u t h ast destroyed
The fence th a t shields th e seedling D harm from ill !
O fie on thee ! A foe has carried off
T hy spouse, w hile on th y idle shoulder lies
T h at bow m ocking th y valour. Ist only good
In u n fair fight concealed for shooting dow n
An u n arm ed foe ? 1
Thus did V ali address his b itte r reproaches to R am a w ho w as
standing before him calm and u n p ertu rb ed th e w hile V alis w o rd s
w ere coming on like sh arp -p o in ted arrow s. W hen V ali h a d
exhausted all his sarcasm s an d invectives, R am a justified h im self
as follows :
*W hen thou h ad st gone a fte r th y foe, O Vali, inside th e
m ountain cave, and days in n u m erab le passed w ith o u t a n y
trace of thee, S ugriva desired to follow th y footsteps and look
for thee ; b u t th e councillors of th y state p rev en ted h im a n d
desired him to assum e th e crown. He p ro tested th a t h e m u st
fight an d die ending th e enem y th a t m u st hav e k illed th ee,
his brother, an d th a t he w ould n o t th in k of ascending th e
V anara throne. B ut th y sage m in isters an d generals, a n d
ancients w ould not allow him to have his w ay, an d crow ned
him kin g of K ishkindha. W hen thou re tu rn e d e st victorious,
he w as glad, an d h e exp lain ed to th ee how he cam e to s it
upon th e throne. B u t th o u gotst enraged an d desiredst to
k ill him tho u g h he p ray ed to th ee as a su p p lian t to sp are him .
A lthough he fled to countries fa r and w ide, th o u d id st n o t ta k e
p ity on him w ho is th y ow n m o th ers son. I t is only th e
curse of th e Rishi M atanga th a t checked th ee from seeking
him on yonder hills w here he had a t len g th sought refuge.
1 I V v 76-84, 86-90.

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. . . . Thou ta lk est of m ercy an d gentle b irth an d eq u ity

an d valo u r : depriving an o th er of his w ife is it m ercy ? O r
nobility of b irth ? or ju stice ? o r v alo u r ? T he a rro g a n t
ty ra n n y th a t fights w ith o u t cause, an d pitiless cru elty to w ard s
th e w eak are th e chief unpard o n ab le crim es against th e law s
of chivalry. A nd lust tow ards th e w ife of an o th er is th e
highest crim e against D harm a. This is th e conclusion of th e
wise. Thou know est th e D harm a and u n d ersta n d eth w h a t is
rig h t and w h at is w rong. A nd still thou d id st not care fo r
D harm a or th e right. F o r if th o u h ad st cared, w ouldst th o u
have desired th e d ear w if e . of th y b ro th er ? Because of all
this, and because th y b ro th er has come to m e a friend, d e a r
as life, I shot m y d a rt a t thee \ *F or, concluded Ram a,
It is m y ev er-p ressin g vow to help
T h oppressed, th e poor, and those fo rlo rn . 1
A gainst this elaborate co u n ter-a ttac k V ali defended him self
th u s :
B rahm a, O sire, has n o t ordained fo r us V anaras th e
sam e law s of m arriag e th a t he has established for you m en,
am ongst w hom th e ch astity of w om en is a m ost cherished
possession. He has m ade us to m ate as w e please. T h ere
is no m arriag e am ongst us, n o r conduct based on th e Vedas>
b u t w h at comes out of our ow n inclination of th e m om ent.
W here th en have I offended against D harm a, O R am a ? 2
R am a now clinched his argum ent, rep u d iatin g th e self
justification of V ali in this w ise :
Thou callst thyself a b ru te ; b u t as th o u a rt
The son of In d ra, king of gods, and canst
D istinguish rig h t from w rong, who can accept
T hy specious w ords, u n w o rth y of a kin g ?
Tis not th e body b u t th e m ind th a t rules
The m oral life. C anst th o u be called a b ru te
Ignoring rig h t and w rong, w ho know st th e w ays
W ell-tro d d en by th e w ise of au sterities ?
Can w e th a t tu sk e r class w ith brutes, w ho w hen
The savage crocodile did grip his leg
C alled on th e L ord Suprem e, and fo r his tru st
A nd love w as blest w ith ev e r-la stin g life ?
1 I V v 92-102.

2 IV v 104, 105.

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183

A nd he, m y noble fath er, w ho did fight,

M oved by his love of D harm , to save m y spouse
L am enting in th e enem ys chariot,
A nd falling has attain ed th e hero s heaven,
W as not he b o m a v u ltu re in form and shape ?
4They alone are b ru tes w ho know not rig h t from w rong.
H ast thou not show n by w ords th a t hav e een now
F a lln from th y m outh, th a t th e re is not a tru th
In all th e m oral codes th a t thou ignorst ?
If one cannot th e rig h t from w rong discern,
He is a b ru te though b earing h u m an form .
B u t even b ru tes th e w ise look on as gods
W hen th ey do shape th e ir life on M anus law s.
By g reat devotion to th e God 1 w hose lance
Did quench th e m ight of Yam, thou h ast been blessed
W ith stren g th com bined of all th e elem ents four.
B ut m any by th e ir la te r sins do fall
F rom heights th a t good deeds once h ad earn ed fo r them :
W hile not a few th e re a re w ho have retraced
T h eir steps from sin, and have becom e g reat saints
A nd even gods. So beings rise or fall
By th e ir ow n deeds, or good or ill : th o u know st
This tru th , and y et thou h ast th y b ro th e rs house
To ru in b ro u g h t and h ast destroyed his peace ! 2
V ali w as now convinced th a t he deserved to die for th e g reat
a n d unpardonable w rong th a t he h ad done to his brother. B u t
being b rav e him self, and know ing R am a to be th e v e ry
em bodim ent of valour, he could not u n d erstan d w hy R am a took
th e cow ardly ex pedient of shooting him unaw ares. So he asked
Ham a,
O thou of perfect rectitude, I g ran t all th a t th o u h a st
said : b u t w hy h ast th o u shot me, concealed b eh in d a bush,
like a base and cruel h u n te r shooting dow n a b east ? 3
R am a h ad no real reply to this p e rtin e n t question. His action
could be explained to V ali only by a specious reason.4 So K am ban
tak es care th a t R am a does not answ er this question him self, and
1 Shiva.
2 i v v 111-115.
3 IV v 116.
4 The real reason is that if Rama faced Vali, half his strength would
go over to Vali in accordance with the blessing he had received from
Shiva. So Rama could not use all his normal strength while Vali w ill
get a new accession of strength which would have successfully
prevented Ramas arrow from entering his body and killing him.

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m akes L akshm ana tak e it upon him self to rep ly to it.

said,

L ak sh m an a

*W hen first th y b ro th er refuge sought w ith us

F rom th y unrighteous rage, m y b ro th er swore
T h at he w ould send thee to th e halls of Yam.
He feared th a t thou too, should he show his face
To thee, m ight haply w ish to save thyself
A nd fall a su p p lian t a t his feet ; 1 and so
I t is th a t he concealed him self to aim
His d a rt at thee.' 2
The g en ero u s-h earted and, therefore, sim ple-m inded V ali
questioned no fu rth er. He saw th a t Ram a w as the L ord of th e
e a rth and heaven and felt th a t he could never do an un rig h teo u s
act. So he bow ed to Ram a and thus addressed him :
0 thou w ho a rt th em bodim ent of rig h t !
From een th e w ay th a t thou h ast d ea lt w ith us
1 clearly see th y justice stern and love
To living kind as deep as is a m o th ers.
Forgive m y sins, O Lord, and counting me
A m ere ape, tak e not to h e a rt th e w ords
W ith w hich I thee reproached. O giver of good,
Who a rt th e m edicine ra re th a t cures th e ills
O f b irth and d eath ! Thou h ast th y arro w aim ed
A gainst m y chest, and a t th e point of d eath
Has given m e jnan. Thou a rt th e One Suprem e,
Thou a rt T hree in One, th o u a rt th e A ll :
W hat else th e re is, een a rt th o u ! B oth Sin
Thou a rt an d D harm , and foe thou a rt, and frien d !
Is th e re a D harm a o th er th a n th y d a rt
W hich has destroyed th e blessings given by Shiv
A nd o th er gods, an d pierced from fro n t to back
My po w erfu l chest ? G reat S hiva blesses all
By pow er acquired by only saying th y nam e.
Now w h a t is h a rd fo r m e to get, w h en I
B ehold th y holy self in flesh an d blood ?
Sages h av e said th a t th o u a r t ev ery th in g
1
The reader w ill remember Ramas sentim ents as regards suppliants
expressed in his speech in the Vanara council when Vibhishana came to
seek refuge. Lakshmanas idea is that if Vali should have fallen at
Ramas feet he would have been in a dilemmawhether to k ill Vali and
Jiutka good his solemn oath to Sugriva or to save Vali and falsify i t
* IV v 117.

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A n d all, a n d T im e, a n d fru it th a t T im e ev o lv es :
T he w o rld s th e flow er, a n d th o u th e scen t th e re o f.
C an h ea v en escape m e n o w th a t I h av e seen
T h y self w ith fleshly eyes ? T h ee I h av e seen
W ho a r t b u t D h arm a in h u m a n shape : w h a t m o re
Is th e re fo r m e to see ? A n d a ll th e sins
T h a t I h a v e done fro m a n c ien t d ay s u p to
T his m o m en t a ll a re b u rn t aw a y to d a y !
Is th e re a b e tte r good th a t b ro th e r can
To b ro th e r do ? S u g riv h as b ro u g h t th e e h e re
To k ill m e w ith th y d a rt, w h ich s tra ig h t does ta k e
Me to th e re a lm s of h eav en , le av in g h im
T he tasteless, em p ty crow n of an e a rth ly realm .
P e rm it m e now , O R am , to m a k e to th e e
A d y ing p ra y e r : if he, m y b ro th e r, errs,
His m in d confused by d rin k , aim n o t a t him ,
I p ra y w ith jo in e d h an d s, th e d e a th th a ts n a m e d
T h y d a r t th a t th o u h a s t aim ed a t me. A nd see
T h a t th y ow n b ro th e rs p o in t n o t th e fnger of scorn
A g ain st S u g riv fo r h a v in g b ro u g h t ab o u t
M y d e a th : for th o u h a d st th y se lf sw o rn to rig h t
H is w rongs ; an d how could he be ch arg ed fo r d eed s
T h a t flow th e re fro m as effects fro m th e ir cause ?
4F o r o th e r things, O v icto r, th o u g h unb lessed ,
T h a t fo rtu n e m ig h t y e t h a v e been m in e to p lace
B efore th e e R av an tie d u n to m y tail,
A nd show th e e a ll m y little m onkey trick s.
A las, een th is h as b een d en ied to m e.
B u t w h a t av a ils it no w to th in k of all
T h a t m ig h t h a v e b een ? L e ts th in k alo n e of th a t
W hich m ig h t y e t be : if th o u d esire th e k in g
O f L a n k a to be b ro u g h t to th e e oe r h e re
In ch ain s tie d h a n d a n d foot, or a n y th in g
Im p o ssib le fo r o th e rs to a tte m p t,
B ehold th is H an u m an , h e w ill fulfil
T h y e v e ry h est. L ook on th is hero , L ord,
A s a bow re a d y b e n t in th y ow n h an d .
L ook on m y b ro th e r as th in e ; n o w h e re c a n st find
A llies lik e u n to th ese. P u rsu e , th e re fo re ,
O R am , th y se arch fo r S ita fa ir, th y q u ee n . 1
a IV v 119-130.

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He ceased ; an d th en calling Sugriva to his side he advised

h im th u s :
R em em ber, and doubt not, Sugriva, th a t th e S uprem e
O ne declared by th e Vedas, Rishis, B rah m a him self and
th e Shastras, has in carn ated Itself and w alk s th e e a rth as
R am a in o rd er to re-estab lish Righteousness h ere below.
I t is on his nam e th a t those m editate w ho desire lastin g
good. If proof th o u w antest, is not th e fact th a t h e has
been able to w ound m e m o rtally itself sufficient proof ?
W hen even those w ho die by his d a rt a tta in th e highest
heaven, though th ey m ight have been com m itting all th e
deadly sins, and all th e days of th e ir lives, how can w e
m easure th e good th a t w ill be th e portion of those w ho
serve him w ith love ? . . .
Y ield not to th e tem p tatio n s
n a tu ra l to o ur kind, b u t rem em ber w ith g ratitu d e th e h elp
th a t he has given thee, and help him in th y tu rn even to
th e e x ten t of th y life. O bey his every com m and im plicitly,
an d a tta in E tern al Life. F orget not th y self in th e pleasures
of th y palace, b u t rem em ber th a t kings are like fire : th in k
not th ey w ould forgive one w hen one sins ag ain st th em . 1
A fter th u s adm onishing Sugriva, V ali tu rn e d to R am a and*
said,
O son of th e king of kings, I h ere consign
To th y protection and p a te rn a l care
S ugriva h ere and all his kin ! *
A ngada, th e son of Vali, th e n cam e from his h ill sent for
by S ugriva a t V alis request. W hen he saw his fa th e r lying in
th e sea of his ow n blood, he fell on his body, even as a sta r
of tin y m agnitude falling upon th e fu ll-o rb ed m oon/ and
lam en ted loud. B ut Vali em braced and consoled him saying,
I t is fo r m y ow n good, child, th a t R am a has done this
to me. B irth and d ea th come inevitable to all w ho live
in th e th ree w orlds. I t is because I have earn ed g reat m erit
by m y au sterities th a t this end has come to me, and R am a
w ho stands as the E tern al W itness in th e h ea rts of all has
come to m e in person and given me salvation.
Now give
up th y childhood thoughts, m y boy, and if thou w ouldst
learn, behold, th e One T ru th th an w hich no h ig h er does
l IV v 132-134, 136, 137.

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exist has come dow n to e a rth in flesh and blood for our
eyes to see, an d stands before us, Its feet touching th e ground.
W orship th o u th erefo re Him, m y child, as th e m edicine to
th e Illu sio n -b red disease of b irth ! T hink not ever th a t He
has w rought m y death, b u t w ork for th y salvation by serving
Him, and if he has w ars to wage, aid him w ith all th y m ight
and fight his b attles for him . 1
He finished, and* em bracing him once again, he addressed
H am a and said,
4Behold this only child of
He loveth D harm , b u t is a
To th e stubble called the
I leave him to th y ten d er

mine, O L ord !
consum ing fire
black -sk in n ed R akshas race.
care, O Ram ! 2

A ngada th en fell at R am a's feet, and R am a as a token of

his accepting th e pledge handed to him his sword. Seeing th at,
th e seven w orlds shouted for joy.
Vali was now perfectly happy. He saw his boy accepted by
Hama, and him self, as having fallen by R am a's hand, w as sure
of salvation. He had th erefo re nothing m ore to desire or say.
A nd so, even w ith th e sight of Ram a blessing A ngada, his soul
passed aw ay in peace.
Vali is a g ran d creation of Valm iki. His stren g th and
sta tu re, valour and self-confidence, love and hate, and last g reat
repentance, have been d raw n by V alm iki in firm outline. His
reproof of Ram a is scathing and tru e to life. B ut Ram a being
nothing m ore th a n a g reat king to V alm iki, he has not hesitated
to p u t specious argum ents and cruel and unfeeling expressions ~
In th e m outh of R am a w hen replying to the invectives of Vali.
B haskara, the T elugu poet, has closely follow ed V alm iki in th e
relatio n of the incidents as w ell as in th e speeches of Vali and
Ram a. As this is one of th e finest of g h a tta s3 in both V alm iki
an d K am ban, each poet endeavouring to give th e read er th e best
th a t he is capable of, we e x tra ct in A ppendix I I 4 th e v ital
1 IV v 146-149.
2 IV v 151.
3 Episodes.
4 Aiyar had not provided the extracts, or at least the manuscripts
which have come to us do not contain them. We have done our best
in the circumstances and have provided in the Appendix as copious
extracts as may be necessary. Aiyar appears to have contemplated a
comparison between Kamban and Tulsidas as well, for we find in his
rough manuscripts translations of extracts from Tulsidass Ramayana

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portions of this episode in V alm ikis Ram ayana, so th a t th e

read er m ig h t see for him self in d etail w h at K am ban tak es fro m
his original, and w h at he m akes of it. W e shall, th erefo re,
content ourselves h ere w ith pointing out an d com paring only th e
salient featu res of th e episodes in the tw o authors.
In th e first place V alm iki h as m ade a com paratively long
tim e to elapse betw een the first an d second engagem ents of th e
brothers. In V alm iki, afte r th e first engagem ent, S ugriva flies
far into th e h ill of refuge, w h ith e r R am a and others follow him .
This compels V alm iki to p u t piteous w ords in th e m outh of
S ugriva from th e effect of w hich even th e genius of K am ban h as
not been able to rescue his character. Griffith th u s tra n sla te s
S ugrivas condition and w ords as given by V alm iki:
T h en , for intolerable sham e,
N ot daring y e t to lift his eyes,
Sugriva spoke w ith burning sighs :
T h y m atchless strength I first beheld,
A n d dared m y foe, by thee im p elled :
W h y hast thou tried m e w ith deceit
A n d urged m e to a sure d efeat ?
Thou shouldst have said, I w ill n o t slay
T h y foem an in the com ing fr a y /
For had I th en th y purpose kn o w n
I had n o t w aged the fight alone/
The V ariar sovereign lo fty-so u led ,
In p la in tive voice his sorrows told . . . .
The read er w ill rem em ber K am bans description of
S ug riv as d efeat afte r show ing equal valour and alm ost eq u al
strength. C ontriving the situation in the fashion th a t he h as
under the heading Appendix \ But as Aiyar had not in his final manu
scripts made any reference to Tulsidas anent this episode we refrain from
publishing that Appendix.
The appendix begins :
This episode of Vali has not been well handled by Tulsidas.
The reader has seen how much poetry Valmiki has introduced into
this episode and how much of heroism and pathos and other rasas
Kamban has embellished it with. By the side of these, Tulsidass Vali
vadha upakhyana looks callow indeed. We shall give hereunder the
vital portions of it in order to satisfy the curiosity of the reader :
After comparing extensively with the supreme Valmiki it appears
pointless to compare again with Tulsidas, which may be why Aiyar finally
discarded the appendix. (P)

VALI

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done, he has avoided th e necessity of p u ttin g any w ords, w hich

m u st necessarily be w eak and feeble, in th e m outh of th e fu tu re
king of th e V anaras. It is Rama, in his story, th a t explains to
him on seeing him in his exhausted condition, w hy he did not
aim his arro w against Vali. So also in the second fight a fte r
th e interval, S ugriva in K am ban only looks in th e direction w h ere
R am a w as standing.
W hen S ugriva challenges V ali for th e fight, and T ara trie s
to dissuade Vali from accepting th e challenge, V alm iki m akes
V ali h ear h er w ords to th e very end. A nd he dism isses h er
reference to R am a only w ith these w ords :
Nor, O m y love, be thou dism ayed
Though Ram a lend Sugriva aid ;
For one so pure and duteous, one
W ho loves the right, all sin w ill sh u n /
B ut see how K am bans keen sense of th e d ram atic m akes
V ali in te rru p t T ara as soon as she says th a t S ugriva has got an
ally who w ould conquer V ali for him . A nd how cleverly again
K am ban m akes his V ali cut short h er w ords a t h er m ere m ention
of the nam e of R am a as the ally she spoke of in th e beginning !
T he zealous and passionate defence of Ram a by V ali to his w ife
a t once increases V alis m oral statu re and intensifies th e trag ed y
of the situation. For w hile on the one hand V ali adm ires R am as
g ran d eu r of soul in p artin g w ith his crow n to B h arata, looks
upon him as the m ighty hero who req u ires none to help him ,
an d enthusiastically declares him to be the very A va ta r of
D harm a and a sea of m ercy, on th e o th er h an d R am a is fu ll of
rancour and h a tre d against Vali and stands read y am bushed to
k ill him by treachery.
Again, ju st 'hs a g reat m usician conscious of his pow ers
w ould keep his h earers in suspense by interposing betw een th em
an d the clim ax th a t th ey are expecting, a su rp rise a vritta , 1
p erfect in itself and satisfying to the ear in spite of th e delay
in th e expected crescendo, so K am ban introduces an aside
betw een R am a an d L akshm ana before he w ould allow th e read e r
to see th e fight of Vali and S ugriva and h e a r V alis reproof an d
subsequent exoneration of Rama. In th a t little conversation of
the brothers, K am ban displays all th e a rt an d sk ill of th e H oysala
i a musical paragraph.

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.scu lp to r in th e carving of th e tin y elep h an t in th e H oysalesvara

tem ple a t H a le b id .1
The w restling of V ali and S ugriva is m ore elab o rately
described in K am ban th an in Valm iki. The read e rs in te re st
is k ep t keyed up to th e highest pitch from beginning to en d
of the w hole fight, and though he expects R am a to shoot V ali
down, the description of the last grip of Vali m akes him alm ost
, believe th a t soon all w ill be over w ith Sugriva. C om pare
V alm ikis description,
Then R am a saw Sugriva quail,
M arked his w orn strength grow w ea k and fail,
Saw how he turned his w istfu l eye
To every quarter of th e s k y .
H is friend*s defeat he could not brook,
B en t on his sh a ft an eager look,
Then burned to slay the conquering fo e ,
A n d laid his arrow on the bow ......................
w ith K anjbans description of th e final step of th e fight w h e re
he presents th e read e r w ith th e p ictu re of V ali liftin g S u g riv a
bodily up, and poising him self to dash him upon th e rock.
K am ban takes care to avoid th e im pression of slow ness in th e
. action w hich the last four lines of the above quotation give.
The struggle of V ali w ith the arrow , in K am ban, culm inating
w ith the line for who can help adm iring stren g th 2 is one
of the finest w o rd -p ain tin g s ever p ainted in lite ra tu re of sheer
physical force and m ight. A nd note his a rt w hich by delaying
th e appearance of Ram a sharpens the curiosity of th e read er as
to w h at V ali w ill say to him w hen he sees him , w hile a t th e
sam e tim e delighting the read er to the fu ll w ith his m ajestic,
slow -m oving, cinem atograph-like p ictu re of V alis struggle w ith
R am as dart. This is higher a rt th an th a t of V alm iki w ho
interposes no action, let alone action th a t captures all th e
atten tio n of the reader, betw een V alis fa ll and R am as
appearance, and satisfies him self m erely w ith a description of
th e ornam ents and physical appearance of th e g reat V anara.
Even R am as appearance before Vali, how finely K am ban
1 The elephant is carved in perfect proportions, though a bean will
cover the whole carving. It will be found in the southern face of the
temple. Halebid is in Hassan district in Mysore State.
2 IV v 67 ; see page 178.

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stag e-m an ag es it, introducing it first w ith th e read in g of th e

nam e by Vali, an d th en w ith his* soliloquy over th e tre a c h e ry
of Ram a, an d lastly com pleting th e p ictu re by again rem in d in g
th e read er of V alis condition w hich w as *even as an elep h an t
fallen into th e tra p -p it p rep ared by th e h u n ter, w ith th e sp e a r
s till sticking in his gigantic fra m e / 1 We shall also bring to th e
notice of th e read er, an o th er m aster-stro k e of th e poet d elib erately
introduced w ith a deep u n d erlying purpose, b u t w hich looks a s
if it w as m erely flourished into th e canvas by a lucky accident
o r as th e resu lt of an o v er-ex u b eran t fancy. We refer to th e
sw ooning aw ay of Sugriva a t th e sight of th e blood flowing fro m
V alis w ound. B y th is one little stroke K am ban has to a la rg e
e x te n t redeem ed th e blackness o f4 S ug riv as trea ch ery to h is
b rother.
F or he desires th a t Sugriva, th e sw orn ally an d b ro th e r
and constant com panion of R am a in th e fu tu re, should b e a r
as w hite a ch aracter as can possibly be given to him w ith o u t
doing violence to th e m ain incidents of th e story as given
by Valm iki.
V alis speech attack in g R am a is so ex h au stiv e in V alm iki
t h a t K am ban finds him self obliged to use m ost of th e arg u m en ts
and tu rn s out of it. The ideas in th e verses from line 14 of V alis
first speech up to line 42 alone 2* seem to be his original co n tri
butions to the argum ents and attack s of Vali. B ut th e re a d e r
w ill notice th a t w hile, in V alm iki, V alis speech is ram b lin g a n d
lacking in order, in K am ban it is certain ly m ore cogent, an d rises
in in tensity g ath erin g new force to itself as it unrolls itself u n til
th e final ta u n t is delivered.
B ut w h at is m ost w o rth y of rem a rk in th e colloquy in K am b an
is the g reater d ram atic skill displayed by th e poet from beginning
to end, and th e high m oral tone th a t pervades th e replies of R am a.
In V alm iki, as w e have rem ark ed before, R am as arg u m en ts a re
specious. He declares him self to be th e D eputy of B h arata, a n d
th e executor of his orders. He says,
' W e now , as B harat had decreed,
Toil each sinner to repress . . . .
N ow B harat rules w ith sovereign sw ay,
A n d w e his royal w ord obey . . . .
1 IV v 73.
2 See pages 179, 180lines beginning I fear thy mind has lost *
t o And kneel thee down before a puny h are.

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A n d w e, chastising those w ho err

His righteous doom adm inister . . . .
................................................. We
O bey our king and are n o t f r e e * . . . .
The second and final arg u m en t of V alm ikis R am ath a t he,,
as a k sh attriy a, w as quite at lib erty to kill, in w h atev er m a n n e r
h e pleased, V aliwho w as no m ore th a n a m onkey lacks
te n d ern ess and tru th , and is un w o rth y of th e ch aracter of Ram a.
B ut in K am ban, th e arg u m en t is based on ind isp u tab le grounds
of m orality. V ali in th e p rid e of his stren g th and pow er w a s
pursuing his innocent b ro th er w ith th e object of killing him an d
besides had deprived him of his wife. *T herefore says Ram a,
* I shot m y d a rt a t thee. For,
It is m y ever-p ressin g vow to help
T h oppressed, th e poor, and those forlorn. 1
V alis defence of his conduct w ith reg ard to his b ro th ers wife*
and R am as rep ly th ereto are K am bans contributions to th e story.
R am as rep ly is grandly conceived. In his allusion to Jatay u s,
th e poet gives us an exquisite blend of th e Vira and Karuna
rasas.2
V ali now adm its th a t R am a is justified in punishing him w ith
death. B ut w hy is it th a t he, a w arrio r and lover of D harm a, did
ta k e to th e cow ardly expedient of am bushing him and th en aim ing
his d a rt a t him ? As we have rem ark ed before, th ere is no real
justification for it except expediency. Vali is blessed w ith th e
m agic capacity of draw ing to him self one h alf of th e force and
pow ers of any opponent th a t w ould face him, and God him self
m ay not tak e aw ay the fru its of austerities earn ed by an y being
virtu o u s or vicious. A nd hence Ram a circum vents th e boon
conferred upon V ali by Shiva by shooting him w ith o u t com ing
before him. So by m aking L akshm ana reply to V alis question,
K am ban has saved Ram a from th e dilem m a of eith er speaking an
u n tru th or ad m ittin g a lim itation to his powers. 3
1 IV v 102. Also s e e pages 181 and
2 T h e h ero ic a n d p a th e tic em otions.

182.

3 Monsieur KICHENASSAMY, writing in the Hind (s e e page 152),

also alludes to the Vali Episode ; and we quote certain extracts below~

which accord surprisingly closely with Aiyars sentiments :

Si j ai pu faire raliser mes au d iteu rs la co n cep tio n relle de Rma.

selon K am baN , je pourrai m a in te n an t ab o rd er, avec fruir, Kune des questions-

VALI

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T he conversation betw een T a ra an d Vali, b eau tifu l as it is

rnv th e point of view of d ram atic construction, serves a s u b tle r
purpose in th e hands of K am ban. As w e hav e alread y rem ark ed
above, it im presses th e read e r w ith th e su p er-n o rm al physical
prow ess of th e V an ara king and th e g ran d eu r of his soul in
defending a g reat m an from th e slan d er of his ow n wife. B u t
K am ban in th e sam e conversation and th e subsequent m arch of
th e episode is also slow ly p rep arin g a justification for R am as
action. The reference by V ali to his im m ense prow ess and m agical
capacity 1 m entioned by us above aim s a t m aking th e read e r th in k
th a t perhap s even R am a could not have killed Vali if he should
have faced him. A nd if Vali m ust be killed for his crim es against
Sugriva, as th e read e r like V ali him self m ust agree a fte r R am as
justification, w h at has R am a to do except shoot a t him fro m
behind a cover w ith o u t facing him ? B u t a t th e sam e tim e, see
how K am ban takes care th a t V ali does n o t say th a t th is m agical
pow er w ould w ork against R am a also. It is a fte r his reference
to his m agical pow er th a t T ara m entions R am as nam e, an d
n a tu ra lly one w ould expect V ali to say th a t th a t m agic w ould
cover R am as case as well. B u t th e careful K am ban does n o t
p u t these w ords into his m outh. For he w an ts to leave th e
capacity of R am a to fight face to face w ith Vali an open question,
les plus dlicates du R m yana, le m e u rtre de V li, e t c o n f r o n t en to u te
o b je ctiv it les argum ents fo u rn is p a r V lm iki e t K anrbaN .
V li qui ne sa tte n d a it pas c e tte agression re c o n n u t l la fiche de
Rm a e t dans Tagonie se m it profrer de violentes in ju res.

Ce quoi le Rm a de V lm iki rpond en ces te rm e s:< i J e vous a i tu

a in s i parce que vous n a vez p a s respeet le D a rm a de vos anctres ; la partition quo
j e vous a i in flig e est quitable tout point de im e ; les hom tnes em p lo ien t d iv e rs
e n g in s p o u r a ttr a p e r le s a n im a u x et comme vous tes un s in g e . j e p e u x vus tu e r
n im port e com m ent . n O r, ces argum ents ne tie n n e n t pas tacilem en t d e b o u t
d a u ta n t plus q u il e st assez difficile de d term tn er de V li e t de Sukrtva
lequel a vraim ent to rt. P o u rra it-o n v raim en t so u ten ir que le cad et n*a p o in t
voulu usurper le tr n e de son frre, car, c o m m e le fait rem arq u er Subram aniya
M oudalir, il e t t plus logique de sa p a rt de faire co u ro n n er roi le fils de
V li p lu t t que soi-m m e lors de la d isp aritio n de ce dern ier.
M ais chez K arabaN la rponse est n e tte : c*est Sukriva q u i d abord
im plora le secours de Rma e t une fois la prom esse faite il sagissait av an t to u t
de la te n ir. O r, si Rma se p r se n ta it en personne d e v an t V li ce d e rn ie r
p o u rra it son to u r se rfugier ses pieds e t R m a, de p ar son p rin c ip e , se
v e rra it c o n tra in t de m anquer sa p ro m esse.

* In Vlmiki, as the reader w ill see in the Appendix, Vali makes no

such reference to it in his speech to Tra.
13

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being satisfied w ith th e im pression in th e m ind of his read e r th a t

possibly th e V a r a 1 of V ali w ould have enabled him to w ith stan d
th e force of R am as d a rt if R am a h ad appeared before him.
T he last w ords of V ali in K am ban, again, convert th e o rd in ary
hero of V alm iki into a being endow ed w ith suprem e m o ral
grandeur. In V alm iki, V alis w ords on b ehalf of A ngada and T ara
crow d out his generous gift of his m ight-bestow ing g arlan d to
Sugriva, and th e read er does n ot get poetically im pressed w ith
V alis g ran d eu r of soul in bestow ing th e gift on his la te enem y
instead of on his ow n son. B ut in K am ban, every w ord of V ali
afte r his acknow ledgem ent of his sins is calculated to increase
his m oral statu re. V alis addresses to S ugriva an d A ngada an d
R am a are a m asterly study of how th e clarified soul w ill look
upon th e affairs of th e w orld afte r attain in g jnana. He n o t only
exonerates his b ro th er of his m u rd er, b u t looks upon him as one
who helped him to a tta in th e highest salvation. He recom m ends
him ten d erly to Ram a. The m anly pathos of his reference to th e
help th a t he could and w ould have ren d ered to R am a had fate
been k ind to h im is a b eau tifu l touch of the poet. A nd th en it
is a grand stroke to m ake Vali recom m end H anum an to Ram a.
W hile on th e one h and it raises th e ch aracter of V ali in pardoning
H anum an for his disloyalty against him self,2 on th e o th er h an d
it m akes us th in k highly of, and sta rt w ith a decided p artia lity
for the V anara w hom V ali reg ard s as his own equal in stren g th
and valour. This reference is a fitting introduction to H anum ans
g rand exploits in th e F ifth and S ix th Books of th e Poem , and it
is in th e fitness of things th a t V ali is m ade to extol his g reat
pow ers.
The read e r m ay have noticed th a t K am b an s V ali does not,
as V alm ikis V ali does, recom m end T ara to R am a or Sugriva. He
does not even see and console T ara who comes on th e scene only
afte r his death. B u t the ending of V ali in K am ban is so d ram atic
and satisfying to th e poetic sense th a t th e m ind does n o t in q u ire
w hy K am ban did not m ake V ali see and speak to T ara before he
passed aw ay.

1 The blessing given by gods to beings with whose devotions and

austerities they are pleased.
2 i.e., by joining Sugriva in his exile and aiding and abetting him in
the bringing about of Vali's death.

CHA PTER X II

HANUMAN
Today H anum an holds a unique place am ong H indu gods a n d
heroes. Tem ples dedicated to his godhead are scattered all ov er
In d ia. M iracles are perform ed in his nam e. Scholars m ed itate
on his pow ers for years, and as a resu lt of th a t m editation a tta in
in te lle ctu a l pow ers unim aginable by people belonging to th e
y o u n g er civilization of th e West. 1 R am adas, th e G uru of S hivaji,
im agined him self to be an in carn atio n of H anum an an d d o tte d
th e w hole of M a h arash tra w ith tem ples b u ilt to his divinity. T h e
orthodox H indu still believes th a t H anum an is even today liv in g
in his ow n identical body, an d th a t w hen th is K alpa 2 ends an d
a n o th e r K alpa begins, he w ill be appointed by th e S uprem e as
th e regen t of th e B rahm aloka and creator of th e universe. W e
sh a ll in this ch ap ter stu d y th e c h a ra c te r and exploits of th is
g re a t hero of the R am ayana as our poet has developed them .
The m ost o u tstanding featu re of H anum ans ch aracter is his
devotion to Rama. A t the very first sight of R am a and L ak sh m an a
at the tim e th a t he comes to find out w ho th ey m ight be as
th e y w ere w andering on the slopes of th e R ishyam uka hill, his
h e a rt m elts w ith love for them . He feels as one w ho u n expectedly
falls in w ith friends from w hom he had p arte d long before.
How even tigers and p ard s, he th o u g h t w ith in him self,
look on them w ith tenderness, even as th ey w ould on th e ir
ow n cubs ! Peacocks and o th er birds fly in groups and shade
th e delicate bodies of these stran g ers from th e hot rays of
th e sun w ith th e ir g reat w ings : clouds cool them w ith th e ir
little rain drops, m arching over th em as th ey w alk on. T he
b u rn in g stones on th e ir w ay become soft and cool as h o n ey
dripping flowers to th e ir feet at every step. Even trees an d
p lan ts w orship them , bending dow n th e ir heads w hen th ey
come near. A re th e y D h arm as self ? A re these beings gods
indeed w ho w ipe off th e sorrow s of living k in d and give th em
1 The late Tiruppati Kavi, the great Shatavadhani * and poet of
Andhradesha, is said to have attained his phenomenal memory and
poetic gifts by meditating on this great servant of Rama.
(* Shatavadhani-one who could concentrate his mind on a
hundred topics at the same time.)
j

a &-

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salvation, b u rn in g aw ay th e inevitable fru its of th e ir deeds ?

My very bones m elt, the flood-gates of love are opened w ith in
m y heart, an d I see no lim it or end to th e affection th a t surges,
w ith in me tow ards them ! 1
He nears Ram a and L akshm ana, disguised as a B rahm an
youth, and im presses Ram a greatly w ith his m odest bearing and
his replies to his questions. A fter listening to b u t a few w ords
of his, Ram a says to L akshm ana,
It appears th a t th ere is no know ledge, brother, th a t this
young m an has not acquired. He looks a v ery ocean of Vedi
lore. Who can he be, this childe of th e eloquent tongue ?
M ay he be B rahm a or m ay he be Shiva ? 2
As he took leave of Ram a after this short interview , prom ising
to bring Sugriva to him, H anum an fell at his feet. R am a
p rotested th a t being a B rahm an he should not have fallen dow n
a t his feet. B ut H anum an, *who w as born to save D harm a from
h e r loneliness, told him th a t he w as only a V anara ; and intending
to show Ram a his capacity to serve him, he stood assum ing his
ow n proper shape. Even the M eru m ountain appeared too sm all
to be com pared to his high and m ighty shoulders. Seeing his vast
size and superhum an strength, Ram a spoke to his b ro th er these
w ords about H anum an :
Even th a t perfection w hich cannot be expressed by th e
Vedas, or even perceived by th e uncorrupted jnana, has
descended to this earth , brother, tak in g the shape of a V anara.
We have won this grand hero for a friend, and the omens are
good : vanished now are all our sufferings, and days of
happiness are daw ning for us. And th in k of the greatness
of the king of the V anaras who has such a hero to obey his
every hest. 3
As H anum an is on his w ay to S ugriva afte r seeing them , his
m ind is incessantly dw elling on th e ir noble featu res and nobler
virtues. A nd w hen he sees his m aster, he cannot contain him self,
b u t says to him,
O sire, We are blessed indeed, beyond m easure, both
m yself and th y race ! F or th e Yam a is come who has th e
force to destroy Vali : we have crossed th e sea of m isery ! 94
a n d h e dances for joy, *even like th e God who d rah k th e pdison *
to save m a n k in d /
1 IV ii 12-15.
4 IV ii 40.

2 IV 20.

3 Shiva.

3 IV 3, 37.

t A ' N M A 1ST

197

W ith every m inute, how ever, his love and adm iration fo r
R am a go on differentiating them selves from his love an d
adm iratio n for L akshm ana, and he adds to th e form er an o th er
em otion, nam ely th a t of B h a k ti. 1 His attractio n to Ram a finally
becomes as inevitable as th e attractio n of iron to th e m agnet.
His w hole h e a rt fills itself quickly w ith th e im age of R am a to th e
exclusion of alm ost any other. He can n ever from now on speak
of Ram a in th e language of m oderation. F or he has come to
believe Rama to be g reater th a n the T rin ity he believes him to
be the U ltim ate B rahm an Itself. So in the course of th e sam e
account to S ugriva of his m eeting w ith th e Men, he says,
Ram a is V ishnu him self w orshipped by th e Devas : fo r
w h at m an could have killed M aricha who cam e disguised as
a m agic deer ? 2
H anum ans belief in the divinity of R am a w as fu rth e r
confirm ed by the incident of S am pati w hich we shall relate here.
A fter the death of Vali and th e ending of th e rain y season, S ugriva
assem bled his V anara forces and sent th em all over th e e a rth to
search for Sita. H anum an m arched south u n d er the com m and
of A ngada, the son of Vali.
A fter a g reat m any ad v en tu res his
p a rty reached th e prom ontory of M ahendra ab u ttin g itself in to
the channel betw een India and L anka. S ita had not been
discovered so far, and now th e ocean b arred th e ir fu rth e r advance.
T he tim e of one m onth fixed by S ugriva for th em to re tu rn w ith
th e ir task accom plished was fast d raw ing to a close, and th e y
w ere filled w ith despair and sorrow at not having discovered her.
W hile they stood on th e hill discussing w h eth er they should ta k e
th e ir lives th ere on account of th e ir failu re or should re tu rn to
K ishkindha and rep o rt th e ir ill-success to th e ir king, H anum an
said, we m ust ra th e r pursue our search and fall like Ja ta y u s w ho
gave up his life in defence of S ita ! Sam pati, w ho w as a b ro th e r
of Jatay u s, w as living on th a t h ill w ith his w ings b u rn t out. in
th e hope th a t somebody m ight come th e re and rep eat th e n am e
of Ram a, w hen alone, th e Sun-G od had told him , his w ings w ould
grow again for flight. W hen he h eard H anum an speak of Ja ta y u s
as dead, he w alked to w here th e V anaras w ere holding th e ir
council and full of g rief asked them how Ja ta y u s h ad died. W hen
H anum an told him th a t he h ad died by th e sw ord of H avana, th e
g reat v u ltu re kin g w ept p ath etically an d asked h im w hy th e y
Jhad fought w ith each other. B u t w hen H anum an replied th a t h e
i Devotion.

2 IV ii 49.

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STUDY

fe ll w hile try in g to rescue S ita w hile she w as being carried off

fcy R avana, th e g rief of S am pati w as tu rn e d to joy, and her
exclaim ed,
T hrice blessed is m y brother, O son of T ruth,
W ho gave his life in cause of holy R am !
If in defence of R am as spouse m y b ro th er
W as killed, how can w e say, he died ? He has
A ttain ed im m ortal fam e, and life th a t know s
No death. W hen he did earn th e love of Ram,
W hos g reat as Righteousness itself, he earn ed
A glory th a t does ra re ly come to m en,
O r gods. W hat m a tte rs now if he is dead ?
W hat joy is g reater th a n w h at is now his ? 1
He th en desired th e V anara heroes to rep ea t in chorus w ith
devotion th e nam e of Rama. They rep eated ; w hen lo, his wings>
grew to th e ir original size an d strength. He told them th e
D aed alu s-Icaru s-lik e story of him self and his b ro th er, how in th e
p rid e of th e ir youth and stren g th th ey rose sheer into th e sky to.
explore th e Svarga, how th e Sun-G od grew w ro th a t th e ir
presum ption and concentrated his rays upon them , how in o rd er
to save his younger b ro th er Ja ta y u s he, Sam pati, flew over a n d
p rotected him from th e burning rays w hile his own w ings w e re
being singed and b u rn t, and how th e Sun-G od at length took p ity
on him and blessed him saying th a t his w ings w ould grow w h en
th e V anaras, who w ould in due course of ages come in search of
S ita, w ould rep eat th e holy nam e of Ram a in his hearing. A fte r
th u s detailing to th em th e story o f h im se lf and Ja ta y u s, S am p ati
told them th a t he h ad actu ally seen R avana carry in g aw ay Sita in
his chariot, and th a t she w as at th e m om ent actu ally in L a n k a
beyond th e sea. He th en spoke to them of th e dangers of th e
deep and th e prow ess of R avana, and suggested to them th a t one.
of them m ig h t try, if possible, to cross over to L an k a and ascertain
every th in g ; and if th a t should not be possible th ey should r e tu r n
to give the inform ation to Rama. So saying, he spread his w ings
fo r flight and flew aw ay to assum e th e g u ardianship of th e
V ultu res now left w ith o u t a king by th e d eath of Jatay u s.
W hen H anum an saw the V u ltu res wings, singed ages before,
grow by th e m ere h earin g of R am as nam e, H an u m an s belief in
R am as div in ity increased a hundredfold, an d req u ired only th e
i I V x iii 43-45.

H A N U M AN

199

sig h t of S ita a t h e r bow ery prison to becom e absolute. So m uch

so th a t w hen a fte r seeing S ita, and a fte r destroying th e R akshasas
w hom he h ad provoked, he w as cap tu red by In d ra jit an d w as
b ro u g h t before R avana, and R avana asked him ,
A rt th o u N arayana, or w ield er fierce
O f th e th u n d e rb o lt,1 or he of th e trip le lance ? 2
O r B rah m a ? O r th e cobra bearin g high 3
T he e a rth ? .......................................
Thou m u st be one of them in disguise come ! *4
H an u m an replied w ith o u t h esitatin g :
Im none of those th a t thou h ast nam ed e en now :
N or do I serve such p u n y beings as these.
K now m e as m essenger of H im w hose eyes
A re even as th e blood-red lotus, who
S tands pledged to save from bonds of ill an d good
Ristiis and Gods, and een th e T h ree S uprem e . . .
He is th e God Suprem e, th em bodim ent
Of D harm Itself, w hose n a tu re absolute
Even the V edas have not pow er to sound ;
Who in th e hoary ages p ast cam e dow n
To save th e elep h an t w ho called aloud
O L ord Suprem e, I tru s t m yself to th ee !
K now th a t th e U ltim ate Cause th a t has no first
Or last or m iddle, or tim e or m easure th a t bounds,
Has th ro w n aw ay the lance and disk and pot
A nd arm ed Itself w ith bow and m u rd rous d art,
A nd leaving sea and flower, and S ilver Hill
Has come to show itself in fair A yodh. 5
W hat w onder is th e re th at, believing as he does R am a to be
th e S uprem e God, H anum an should love and serve him as a
devoted serv an t ? F rom th e m om ent th a t he has decided for
him self th a t R am a is God, H anum an lives for him and him alone.
H e has no o th er in te re st in th e w orld except th e service of Ram a.
R am as friends an d relatio n s are his ow n frien d s and relations,
an d R am as enem ies are his ow n foes.
A nd w hen R am a blessed him w ith his love and affection, an d
i Indra.
4 V xiii 70.

2 Shiva.

3 Adishesh.
5 V xiii 74, 75, 79, 80.

200

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STUDY

m ad e it know n to him , am ong other ways, by tak in g him a p a rt

(w hen th e V anaras w ere being commissioned to go in different
directions in search of S ita) and en tru stin g to him his m ost
intim ate m essage to Sita, H anum ans enthusiasm for R am ad
service knew no bounds. So, as th e read er w ill rem em ber, h e
joyfully accom panied A ngada to the Southern Ocean.
The V anaras w ere glad th a t they had obtained some reliable
inform ation from Sam pati about the w hereabouts of Sita. B ut
*who could cross th e sea and en ter L anka ? N ila and other leaders
* said th a t they had not the strength to attem p t th e feat. A ngada
said th a t he could by a suprem e effort cross over to L anka, b u t
th a t he could not afte r th a t tru st him self to recross the ocean
back to th e m ainland. Jam b h av an the N estor of the R am ayana
both in years and wisdom, excused him self saying th a t his feet
had become too delicate for such superhum an efforts ever since
they stum bled against the M eru m ountain, the w hile he w alked
round the e a rth announcing by beat of drum the glories of th e
L ord on th e day, ages before, th a t He m easured the earth and
heaven as T rivikram a. But he addressed H anum an and rem inded
him thus of his prow ess and his great qualities :
O thou whose days w ill longer last th a n life
Of B rahm him self ! Thou a rt a scholar subtle
And wise, of unsurpassed eloquence.
The v e ry God of D eath doth trem ble w hen
Thy w ra th is roused : such is th y stren g th renow ned !
N or fire, n or air, nor w ater can destroy,
Nor w eapons scathe th y m ighty fram e. A nd who
Is th ere we can com pare to thee ? F or thou
Alone can riv al thyself. If thou spring
From here, thou canst w ith ease alight upon
The o u ter u n iv e r s e .......................
Thou canst expand and equal M eru m ount
In size : if thou desire, thou canst en ter
W ithin th e space m in u te th a t doth divide
One line of falling rain from its fellow . . . .
Even if all th e w orlds do stand opposed
Thou canst w ith stan d th e ir m ight, unknow ing fear . . .
Thou stan d st firm -based on justice, chastity,
A nd tru th th y h e a rt un ag itated stands
F or ever free from thoughts of s e x ...............
So cross th e sea (th o u h ast th e p roper stren g th

H A N U M AN

201

And force t achieve th a t dreaded task ), and give

Us back our lives, and earn for thyself fame,
And for th y king the joy of pleasing Ham ! 1
Here, in the words of Jam bhavan, we have all the noble tra its
of the V anara enum erated by the poet. H anum ans m ight and
physical prowess are unequalled. The reader w ill call to m ind
his fights w ith Indr a jit and K um bhakarna which we have
described in the chapters dealing w ith these Rakshasas and th eir
battles. He will not also have forgotten how H anum an flies over
to Mount M eru from Lanka in order to bring the Sanjivi plant,
and how he plucks the hill itself by the roots and carries it in his
hand. The Hindu w restler and gymnast even today m editates
on him and his prowess, and sings his praises before he begins
his daily exercises. Hanuman, again, is the eternal bachelor,
preserving the strength of his body and the purity of his h ea rt
and chastity of mind for noble achievements and fame, and th e
service of his divine master.
Hanum an did not speak about his prowesshe was, as it
were, unconscious of ittill Jam bhavan suggested to him th a t
he was the only fit person to cross to Lanka and retu rn w ith new s
of Sita. But when he heard the words of Jam bhavan, already
filled as he was w ith his unbounded enthusiasm for the service
of Rama, he became conscious of his powers and thus proclaim ed
his determ ination and his confidence :

'

Do you command me to uproot the isle

Of Lanka yonder, and place it fore you here ?
Do you command me to destroy the brood
Of sinful Rakshasas and fly to Ram
W ith Sita freed ? Behold I will obey
Your every hest. Ill cross the ocean stream
Of a hundred yojans 2 w ith a single step,
Evn as the Lord Trivikram strode the worlds !
And I will tame the wicked Rakshasas
Though gods should fight upon their side. Each one
Of you has got the force, w ithin a trice
To leap the oceans seven, subdue the worlds,
And Sita lead to Ram, w hereer she is
K ept imprisoned. So who is blessed like me
1 IV xvi 9-12, 14, 15, 19.

2 One yojan 36 miles 3

202

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STUDY

W ho am com m issioned by such w o rth y heroes

To do th is ta sk an d show m y sk ill to them .
E vn if th e ocean b u rst its bounds an d strid e
A long w ith terrific ro ar t engulf th e w orlds,
Een then, your blessings and m y R am s com m ands
W ould lift m e up as w ings on eith er flank,
A nd I could fly across like G arud g reat !
So give m e leave, O friends, and w ait for m e
Upon th is h ill till I re tu rn , m y task
In yonder isle fulfilled. 1
In V alm iki also H anum an speaks of his ow n prow ess a fte r
Ja m b h a v a n s encom ium of him self. Griffith tran slate s his speech^
th u s :
* The W ing-G od, Fires eternal friend,
W hose blasts th e m ountain su m m its rend,
W ith boundless force th a t none m a y stay,
T akes w here he lists his view less w a y .
Sprung fro m th a t glorious father, I
In pow er and speed w ith h im m a y vie,
A thousand tim es w ith airy leap
Can circle loftiest M erus steep :
W ith m y fierce arm s can stir the sea,
T ill from th eir beds th e w aters flee
A n d rush at m y com m and to drow n
T his land w ith grove and tow er and tow n.
I through the fields of air can spring
Far sw ifte r than the fea th ered K ing,
A n d leap before him as he flies
On sounding pinions through the skies.
I can pursue th e L ord o f L ig h t
Uprising fro m th e eastern height,
A n d reach h im ere his course be sped
W ith burning beam s engarlanded.
I w ill d ry up th e m ig h ty m ain,
S h a tter th e rocks and rend th e plain.
Oer earth and ocean w ill 1 bound ;
A n d every flow er th a t grow s on ground,
A n d bloom o f clim bing plants shall show
1 I V xi v 21-25.

H A N U M AN

20a

S tre w n on th e ground, th e w a y I go,

B rig h t as th e lustrous path th a t lies
A th w a rt th e region o f th e skies.
The M aithil lady w ill I find
T hus speaks m ine ow n prophetic m in d
A n d cast in hideous ruin dow n
The shattered w alls of L a n ka to w n /
Com pare this speech w ith th e w ords th a t K am ban has put.
in th e m outh of H anum an. J u s t one or tw o strokes of th e brush,
a softening of th e colour here, a slig h t change of th e colour
th e re and behold H anum an is changed in th e hands of K am ban
from a boasting V an ara into a hero, conscious of his stren g th of
course, bu t free from th e sp irit of bravado.
As H anum ans search for S ita and his ad v en tu res in L anka
d u rin g and afte r th e search show some of th e best tra its of his
ch aracter, and are also th e best and oftenest rem em bered of his
exploits, we shall give K am b an s description of th e sam e in som e
detail.
A fter taking leave of his com panions, H anum an clim bed u p to
th e highest peak of the M ahendra prom ontory, and stood lik e a
p illa r supporting th e v au lt of th e sky. T hen poising him self for
flight, w ith hands and tail o u tstretch ed in air, his neck d raw n
in, his legs bent, and his chest contracted, he pressed dow n his
feet and rose sheer into th e sky and clove th ro u g h th e air tow ards
L anka. A fter su n d ry ad v en tu res during th e course of his flight,
he sprang on th e fu rth e r shore and began to reconnoitre th e
environs of the c a p ita l.1
There, in L anka, he saw every m agnificence th a t could be
im agined by m an or god. The sk y -reach in g tu rre ts of its very
p riv a te houses, th e h eig h t of its fo rt w alls, th e d ep th of its m oat,
its gold-p lated chariots, and bejew elled elephants, its h ig h -b re d
horses and proud w arriors, its lancers an d b ow -m en an d k n ig h ts
of heavy arm our, im pressed H anum an w ith th e stren g th and pow er
an d p rosp erity of the Rakshasas. He saw th e w ondrous trees
of heaven grow ing in th e pleasu re p ark s of th e R akshasas and th e
riv e r of Svarga flowing by th e ir house-gardens. H e saw th e co u rtb eauties of In d ra s A m a ra v a ti2 serving as h andm aids to the
1 Kambans description of the flight of Hanuman across the sea is

full of fancy, and lacks the grand simplicity and naturalness of Valmikis*
description of the same. But still it is rich with fine similes and is doner

In le grand style.

2 Capital of Indras celestial empire.

.2 0 4

KAMBA

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STUDY

Rakshasis, an d god w aitin g upon th e Rakshasas. A nd h e sa w

th e dancing an d th e singing, th e playing an d th e sp orting of
R akshasa beauties an d Devadasis 1 to th e d elig h t of th e R akshasas
in th e ir homes and public halls. Seeing th e m agnificence of th e
m ere outer city H anum an exclaim ed to him self :
If archers h ere are strong, th e dancers seem
More dangerous ; th e pugilists surpass
Them both, w hile sw ordsm en seem invincible.
A nd w hen I see my Ram, w h at shall I say
Of K arpanas and D ands and B hindipals 2 ? 3
His capacity to assum e w h atev er shape he pleased stood
H anum an in good stead here. He contracted him self in size an d
approached th e gatew ay of th e fort. The sun h ad set, an d
R akshasas w ere m ounting guard arm ed w ith spear and lance, ax e
an d pestle and bow, karpana and m usundi, steel discus and clubs,
, slings and noose and other weapons.

*W here are the gods/ he said, 4or A suras

. Who have the stren g th to force these gates ? If such
Should be our foes, an d such th e ir g ran d defence,
C an we for v ictry hope w hen w ar begins ?
It is not h a rd to cross th e roaring sea :
B u t sea of R akshas arm s to cross is not,
I fear an easy task. If I relax
E ver so little m y w ariness, I cant
R etu rn w ith task accom plished to m y lord.
A nd it w ill be a terrific w ar, w hen w ar
B reaks out. 4

A voiding th e gatew ay, H anum an jum ped over th e b attle m en ts

and en tered th e city. H ere he h ad need of all his coolness a n d
resolution and stren g th , for th e A rg u s-ey ed G u a rd ia n -S p irit o f
L anka, unconquered ever since th foundation of th e state, opposed
his fu rth e r m arch, an d advanced against h im w ith fierce m ie n .
Seeing how ever th a t he w as a V anara, she -called o u t to him to
leap back and fly from h ere \ B u t cogitatng w ith in h im self
w h eth er it w ould be pro p er to kill a being w hich appeared to b e
fem ale, he said to her,
i Celestial maidens.
2
Most probably battering rams and other artillery of ancient and
medieval times.
4 V ii 72, 73.
3 V ii 41.

H A N U M A N

205

W hat h a rm is th e re if I ju st look "round th e city and

satisfy m y curiosity ? Thou seest I am b u t a poor m onkey. 1
T h e sp irit grew enraged at his w an t of p ro m p t obedience
a n d addressed him th u s :
Say w ho a rt thou th a t d a rst to slight m y w ord ?
Even he who burned the flying tow ns of yore 2
W ould fear to tem p t m y anger thus. T h in k st thou
T h at L an k a is a place for curious m ites
To peep into a n explore ? So spoke th e form
A nd laughed. H an m an echoed th e laugh, and fanned
H er anger more. Who then a rt thou ? she roared ;
A nd say, for w hom dost spy ? Thou w ouldst not stir,
It seems, till all th y life is shaken out
Of thee. G reat H anm an sm iled and quietly said,
I go n o t hence before I take a round
In L an k a fo rt. 3
Seeing his nonchalance th e sp irit ran sack ed h er bt&ins to
guess w ho h e m ight be. She th o u g h t w ith in herself,
He comes not on an honest errand. S ure
A V anar he is not : Even God of D eath
W ould sink to earth w hen he encounters me.
Who can he be ? He sm iles as He w ho d ran k
The ocean poisonT h ree-ey ed M ahadev ! 4
A nd fearing d an g er for L an k a if he w ere not ended, she
aim ed a t him h er th ree -p o in ted lance, w hich cam e on him like a
thu n d erb o lt. B ut he caught it ad ro itly w ith his te eth as if in
sport, and broke it into tw o as G aruda w ould b reak a cobra in
m id -air. The S p irit w as tak en aback a t seeing his force an d skill,
an d then recovering h erself ru sh ed at him w ith o th er divine
w eapons. B u t H anum an closed w ith h er and w rested all of th em
from out of h e r hands before she could h u rl them . So she stru ck
h im w ith h er fists w ith such force th a t sp ark s of fire flew about
a t th e stroke. H anum an desired m erely to pu n ish her, w h ile
sp a rin g h er life as she bore a w om ans form , an d so h e stru c k At
h e r w ith b u t h a lf his force. B u t she fell dow n vom iting blood.
1 V ii 83.
3 V n 85.

2 Shiva.
4 V 86.

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A nd then, behold, from th e p ro strate form arose a S p irit divine

and fell a t H anum ans feet. She told him th a t she w as an inm ate
of Svarga, w ho had been cursed by B rahm a for m isbehaviour an d
sent dow n to e a rth to guard the city and site of L anka, and th a t
B rahm a had prom ised to h er at th e m om ent of cursing h er th a t
th e day th a t a m onkey should knock h er dow n here th e curse
w ould expire. And,
W hat was foretold in ages p a s t/ she said,
Has come to be, for V irtue does trium ph
A nd sin does fail, w hen all is said and done.
E nter therefore and do th y w ork : thou canst
Achieve th y w ish w hat canst thou not achieve ? 1
So saying she rose into the sky and sought h er hom e in
Svarga, w hile H anum an entered the city w ithout fu rth e r tro u b le
even like a drop of acid for th e m ilk of R akshas pow er \
And w hat lu x u ry did he not see in th a t island city w hich
was adorned w ith the p lu n d er of a h u n d red realm s ? The gems
inlaid on the tu rre ts of the palaces converted n ig h t into very day.
The Rakshasis could see th eir faces m irrored upon th e crystal
w alls and the golden pavem ents of th eir p alatial homes. The
flooring of the stages in th eir th eatres was m ade of burnished
gold. It was th e Deva dam sels th a t danced and acted for th e
R akshasas pleasure. Rakshasis moved from place to place in
vim anas canopied over w ith pearls. The daughters of Svarga
sang for the Rakshasis, played on th eir divine instrum ents and
delighted the Rakshasa couples w ith th eir soul-capturing music.
Some Rakshasas and th eir wives w ere revelling in the lu x u ries
of w ine and love and delicate sensual delights. Even Devas an d
Rishis w ere singing the praises of the R akshasas and blessing
them such w as th e ir fear for the nam e of Rakshasa.
H anum an w ent on searching everyw here for Sita, en tering
through chinks and key-holes and w indow s and tak in g every shape
convenient for the tim e being. A fter long searching w ith o u t
encountering any notability, he entered a huge hall adorned w ith
tjl& frophies taken from the realm s of In d raIn d ra s own lu stro u sjew elled crown, inlaid in th e vast canopy, scattering th e dark n ess
of the nig h t to th e very ends of the earth. He saw the gigantic
1 V ii 95.

H A N U M AN

207

fo rm of a R akshasa sleeping th ere like A d ish e sh 1 or like a

v erita b le heaving ocean.
The form w as d a rk even as if all th e darkness of th e w orld
h ad been concentrated in one place, and as if all th a t th e re is of
sin in th e universe had tak en fleshly shape. The Devadasis
m aids of heaven w ere pressing his feet. His b reath in g w as lik e
th e w hirlw ind aw aiting the Day of Dissolution to blow ev ery th in g
into atoms. A nd he looked in his sleep like a huge cobra
m esm erized by th e w izards spell, or like th e ocean reserving its
all-destroy in g force for th e Day of F inal Dissolution. It w as only
from the single head of the R akshasa th a t H anum an corrected
h is first im pression th a t he m ight be R avana him self, and in ferred
th a t he m ight be his fam ous b ro th er K u m b h ak arn a ; and so h e
subdued his rising w rath and passed on.
A fter en terin g and searching several other palaces, he saw
V ibhishana sleeping on his bed in his home. He saw his noble
face, and th o u g h t th a t D harm a itself had ta k en shape an d w as
living in a R akshasa body in order to escape detection an d
destruction at the hands of th e w icked R akshasas of L anka. H e
did not see S ita th ere and passed on. A fter some m ore searchings
h e came before th e citadel w ithin w hich In d ra h ad been k e p t
im prisoned. He en tered and saw R akshasas w ith fierce w eapons
an d fiercer aspect guarding th e gates and courts. He w ho could
by his magic pass through even chinks w hich sm oke cannot en ter,
w ent in and saw In d ra jit reposing in sleep like a lion. Seeing
th e heroism and valour shining in his m anly face, he th o u g h t
w ithin him self,
*Is he th e R akshas king or K artik ey , 2
The son of M ahadeva, God of gods ?
He looks a lion sleeping in his den.
A terrific fight I see in th e days to come
W hen L akshm ana and Ram encounter him.
W ith such a hero to conduct his w ars,
W here is the w onder th a t V isravas s o n 3
I& m aster of th e universe ? Except
V ishnu o r B rahm or Shiv, can any face
This R akshasa upon th e field ? 4
1 The huge thousand-hooded divine cobra bearing the earth on its
heads.
2 Son of Shiva, so called because six heavenly maidens from the
constellation Kartik (Pleiades) were his nursemaids.
3 Ravana.
4 v ii 141, 142.

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

So sayihg he passed, und crossing an o th er m ot he w s before

another citadel. He jum ped over its walls, and there, behold,
a m ore m agnificent sight th a n had h ith erto a ttra cte d his eyes
unrolled itself before his vision. Every building w as like a palace
of W onderland, Diamonds an d em eralds, sapphires an d rubies,
m oonstones andfaeats-eyes, m ade th e n ight shine w ith tenfold m ore
brilliance th an day. Women of perfect beauty w ere in all stages
an d postures of sleep and repose, and dalliance and sport, M any
w e re pining for the love of R avana who had forgotten all his
dam es after he had conceived his passion for Sita. Vina 1 and
m ridanga2, and the sw eet voices of th e beauties of heaven
entranced some, inflam ed th e passions in th e h earts of others, an d
saddened yet others by calling up mem ories of th e ir absent lovers.
T here w ere dicers playing on golden boards, betting garlands of
pearls and the crow n jew els of conquered kings. T here w ere
R akshasa beauties dancing and singing sensual songs forgetting
sleep.
B ut in none of these palaces did he find th e object of his
search. A t length he entered th e superb palace w hich belonged
to M andodari, th e w ife of R avana. T here she lay a queen am ong
beauties, h er feet pressed by M enaka and Ram bha, T illottam a
and U rvasi,3 the d ee r-ta il fans softly w aving over h er reposing
form , the god of soft breezes him self regulating to a nicety th e
am ount of cool a ir th a t m ust be allow ed to touch h er delicate
body. Seeing h er glorious form, unequalled by any th a t he h a d
anyw here seen, throw ing into the shade by th e brilliance of its
beauty even the dazzling gems th a t adorned h er apartm ents,
There crossed a thought in H anm an s m ind th a t she
M ight be his R am as spouse. The th o u g h t consumed
Like flaming fire his lim bs and h ea rt and soul,
A nd thus he spoke w ithin him self : *Ah me,
In vain has been m y huge gigantic size
A nd m ore th an m ortal power. B ut die th a t thought !
If she who sleeps oer there should hap to be
Sitah er v irtu e trodden underfoot
A nd bond of love and chastity undone
W ith th is day ends th unsullied honour of Ram.
1 The most melodious of Indian musical instrumehts. It has four
or seven strings and countless stops.
* The soft-sounding drum.
'
3
Famed beauties1and danseuses of the court of Indra, the king of
the Devas.

209

H A N U M AN

B u t shall it en d alone ? No, no !

S hall end this tow n w ith all h e r
A nd a fte r I have killed them all,
My ow n accursed life straig h tw ay

w ith it
R akshasas,
I w ill
destroy ! 1

So saying he looked at h er once again, an d seeing th a t h er

lineam ents w ere not h u m an he said to him self,
She looks not hum an, b u t seems a D anava 2
O r Y aksha 3 dam e. Ah woe is m e th a t I
Could en tertain this sinful th o u g h t ! F or can
A w om an who has looked on R am as Lord
Eer cast h er eyes upon another being
Though he w ere M anm atha him self ? 4
A nd now taking a n ea re r view of the Asum , th e g reat V anara,
w ho w as an ex p ert also in th e science of face-reading, concluded
th u s :
Though on h er person are not w anting signs
Of luck, I find h er days of prosperity
A re oer. She looks as if she is alarm ed
In dream : she stu tters forth some w ords in fear :
This doth forebode h er widow hood ; and ruin,
I see, doth hang oer this extensive fo rt. 5
So saying he left the abode of M andodari and en tered th e
m agnificent palace of Ravana. As he entered, the earth trem bled,
th e rig h t eye and brow s and lim bs of the R akshasis sleeping or
serving th erein quivered ; a shudder passed thro u g h th e firm am ent
to th e farth est bounds of the e a rth ; the clouds th u n d ered w ith o u t
lightning ; and th e pots containing sacrificial w ater b u rst.
H anum an s prophetic eyes saw th e im pending fate of all this
splendour, and
His h e a rt was moved, and he exclaim ed, Alas,
A few days m ore, and th e re ll be nothing left
Of all this m atchless splendour ! F or be he
Who he m ay, every one m ust reap or good
O r ill, as he has sown ! A nd w ho can scape
The rigour of this law ? e
i V ii 199, 200.
4 v 201.
14

5 V ii 202.

2 & 3 Clans of Asuras.

6 V ii 205.

 iO

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

Inside th e palace h saw R avana sleeping on a faultlessly

w hite silver bed of vast expanse. W ith his huge body of m any
heads and hands he looked like a black ocean scattering gems
and gold, w ith its innum erable w aves reposing on another sea,
the Sea of Milk ; or like the great M an-Lion w ith his innum erable
heads and hands and su n -b rig h t crowns reposing in the cave of
th e golden M eru after destroying H iranyakashipu. Though a
thousand m aids of heaven w ere w aving th eir golden-handled
fans of deer-tail, and the coolest of cool breezes was playing over
him, the thought of Sita disturbing his h ea rt even in sleep w as
w earing his life aw ay inch by inch. The breeze th a t was w aving
over the sandal paste on his body, instead of cooling him, served
only to fan the flame of his passion. His very soul having fled to
w here Sita was kept im prisoned, his dark and em pty h ea rt was
even lijke an earth -h o le w hich its cobra inm ate had abandoned,
jjis bed of silver w as w hite-hot, and the flowers over his person
burned to ashes even w ith the bees inside them such was the
burning h eat of the passion in his heart.
A b rillian t sm ile was now stealing over R avanas face as he
w as dream ing th a t Sita had entered his cham ber. W hen H anum an
saw the R akshasa thus reposing w ithout repose, his h ea rt w as
agitated w ith a volcanic rage, eyes shot fire, and heaven and
earth split to pieces at his frown. A nd he cogitated w ithin
him self :
Of w hat avail is all m y strength, and w h at
W ill people say of me, if th e jew elled crowns
Of him who stole th e lovely spouse of Ram
I kick not down, nor b reak his serried heads ?
And w h at w ill be m y service w orth if, him
Encountered, I m y valour fail to show ?
My service should be realnot vain pretence.
Shall he w ith life escape een w hen I ve seen
Him here ? L et m e b u t kick his crow ned heads
And break his branching arm s, and end this tow n ;
I care not, w h at befalleth m e th e re after ! 1
So saying he ground his teeth and clenched his fists for action.
B ut im m ediately he began to reason w ithin him self w h eth er th is
w as th e rig h t th in g to do ; and after considering m ore coolly, h e
1 V ii 219, 220.

211

H A N U M A N
It

d ecid ed th a t it w as n o t proper for him to use force a t th a t

m om ent. He said to him self :
I have not executed y et m y lo rd s
Com m ands : it is not wise to tu rn aside
F rom p resen t w ork unfinished and to ru n
A fter en terp rises new and strange. A nd now,
To th in k of it, if I had acted rash
Oh th im pulse, grievous w ould have been th e fa u lt ! 1
K am ban m oralises in a grand stanza on th e self-co n tro l of
.H anum an. He says,
Though m ighty as th e S hulin 2 who could d rin k
The boiling ocean poison at a draught,
W ill evr the w ise launch on an en terp rise
Difficult w ith o u t deliberation due ?
H anum an stayed his hand, een as the deep,
W hich, though it can oerw helm th e earth , y et bides
Its tim e and keeps itself w ithin its bounds. 3
A deeper reason also p revented H anum an from th en and th e re
w ak in g H avana and fighting him. He thought,
L et me restrain th is rage, for overshadow ed
W ill be th e fam e of Ham, if a V anar low
Should end th e w icked one who stole his spouse
A nd keeps h er in cap tiv ity .4
R av an as featu res and condition relieved him com pletely w ith
respect to one m atter. The read er w ill rem em ber th e suspicion
th a t rose in his m in d w hen he saw M andodari. Now th a t h e
h ad seen H avana ex h ib itin g all th e signs of u n req u ited passion,
th e burden w as lifted from off his h e a rt com pletely, and h e
carried him self out from th e presence of R avana on th e w ings of
th e happy th o u g h t th a t S ita w as safe from his sacrilegious touch.
B ut as he cam e out of R av an as palace he saw th a t all lik ely
.and u nlik ely places in L an k a had been searched by him and y e t
1 V ii 221.
2 He of the thre pronged lanceShiva.
3 V ii ,222.
4 v 223.

2X2

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

h e h ad no t seen Sita.

STUDY

So he fell into a despairing m ood and.

soliloquised th u s :
4 Alas, th a t jew elled one is n o t in this
E xtensive fort. Has he, perchance, k illed h er
Because she w ould not yield h er charm s to him ?
O r has he e a t h er in his w icked rage ?
O r h ap ly does he hold h er captive close
In an o th er w orld ? I know not w h at to th in k
O r w here to search for her ? W hat shall I say
To Ram w hen I re tu rn from h ere ? I fear
My sorrow s w ill not end unless w ith life.
4 K ak u tsth a 1 w ould be th in k in g I w ould bring
A m essage from his S ita : w hile m y lord
S ugriv w ould evn expect th a t Id re tu rn
A ccom panied by S ita freed : and this
Is w h at Ive done : Can I a t all re tu rn
To Ram, success achieved i th ta sk th a t I
H ave undertook ? O r shall I have to end
My life w ith those th a t I have left upon
The continent to w ait for m y re tu rn ? . . . .
4Oer all these seven h u n d red yojanas 2
Of land, th e re s not a living thing th a t I
H ave missed, and yet I have not seen th e spouse
Of R am a : having crossed th e ocean stream ,
A m I to sink ben eath this sea of grief ?
S hall I yon R avan ply w ith blows, and force
H im to discover Sita ? Or shall I
B urn dow n this city w ith its w icked king ?
I m ay the Devas ask : b u t how can th ey
Reply, w hen they w ith te rro r die a t sight
Of R akshas arm s ? Who else w ill m e d irect ? . . .
'

4 Sam pati, king of V ultures said he saw

T h at lovely one in L an k a ; een his w ords
A re falsified ! S hall I n o t even now
D estroy m yself ? B ut shall I die w ith o u t
Even revenge ? For th ere is not a doubt
T h at R avana did steal our S ita fa ir ;
I m ay not die therefore, before I lift
This citadel and cast it in th e sea. 3

l Rama.
* V ii 225-227, 229-233.

2 36 miles 3 furlongs.

H A N U M AN

213

B u t he still w alked on to see if he had by chance m issed

seeing any spot, an d as luck w ould have it, h e espied a grove
of A shoka trees w hich he h ad n o t visited so far. A nd d eterm in in g
w ith in him self th a t if he should not see S ita th e re he w ould
destroy L anka, he en tered it. As he entered, th e gods ra in e d
show ers of flowery rain over him , for Sita w as placed by th e
R akshasa in th a t lovely garden.
T here in th e m idst of b lack -sk in n ed Rakshasis,
Seated as a flash of lightning in the bosom
Of a sable cloud, he saw the sun-flow er b rig h t
T h at smiles alone to th e lig h t of K au stu b h a
The b rillian t su n -lik e gem on R am as b r e a s t.1
He doubted not b u t th a t she m ust be S ita she w as lik e a
sw an floating on the stream of tears flooding dow n h er cheeks.
He becam e intoxicated w ith joy a t sight of h er holy grief, a n d
exclaim ed,
D harm a y et lives, and I w ill seek no m ore
My d eath ! For I have searched, and lo, th e L ord
Has blest these eyes w ith sight of Holy S ita . . . .
The w icked ty ra n t of th e universe
Has w ro u g h t this guile for his own destined doom ;
F or Ram is none b u t V ishnu come to earth ,
A nd Sita, L akshm i of th e lotus th ro n e !4
4 She looks a gem laid oer v n th d irt ; shes lik e
The moon, h er rays by su nlight d ulled ; h er h a ir
H as lost its gloss. B ut lo, (th e L ord be blest !)
H er v irtu e stands in tact : who can set bounds
To stren g th th a t D harm a gives to m o rtal life ?
W hom shall I praise for this grand conquest oer
Such g reat tem p tatio n ? Shall I praise th e v alo u r
Of Ram ? Or th e g ran d eu r of h er h ero -so u l ?
The gods are free from blam e, and B rahm ans tru e,
A nd D harm a firm -established stands ; hence, w h a t
Is th ere im possible for m e ? A nd I
H ave not in vain the ocean crossed fo r Ram.
If S ita should from highest self-co n tro l
i

V iii 63.

214

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

H ave fallen even by th e b read th of an hair,

I feared R am s w ra th w ould clean deluge th e w orld.
T h at fe a r now is gone, an d e a rth is now
F or ev r im m une from ill. For w h a t are th ey
W ho live m id fire or k ill th e ir ap p etites
O r practise o th er au sterities besides,
W hen placed beside th e fire of S itas soul ?
Sita, behold, has given a lu stre new
To w om anhood and ch astity by th e life
T h at she is leading in this L anka proud. 1
The th o u g h t of R am a suddenly comes to him and he pities
h im for not having th e good fo rtu n e to see how S ita is living in
th e m idst of so m uch allu rem en t and force and fear. He says,
W hat pity, tis not given to Ram to see
W ith his own eyes this holy one, as she
Does lead h er life au stere in L an k a's grove ! 2
A nd then he continues and concludes thus his soliloquy :
4W as it th e sp irit of D harm protected h er T
O r w as it J a n k as v irtu o u s deeds did fence
H er body round from touch of ill ? O r does
She owe h er chastity and life to h er
Own steadfast soul ? Can m y w onder ever cease ?
A nd who has fought tem p tatio n like to h er ?
A nd w hen I speak of h er to com rades m ine
Can ev er I tire of praising h er holy life ?
A nd w h at tem ptation ? A ll th e dazzling splendours
Of R akshas pow er w ere th e re to tem p t h er h eart,
W hile R av an s law less m ig h t w as th ere to force
H er body : and gods are serving him both n ig h t
A nd day. Who could w ith stan d such snares ? A nd y e t
She won. Now vanished are all obstacles !
In sooth, can Sin oer V irtu e eer p rev ail ? 3
The read er w ill agree afte r reading th e above th a t K am ban
h as risen to th e highest ideals of loyalty to a heroic m aster an d
o f love of D harm a in this soliloquy of H anum an. How en th u siastic1 V iii 65, 67-71, 73.

2 V iii 73.

3 V iu 75, 76.

H A N U M AN

215

H anum an becomes w hen h e sees th e perfect v irtu e of S ita ! He

cannot tire of h er praises or of the enum eration of th e tem ptations
th a t she has overcome. A new stren g th has now filled his h e a rt
th e streng th th a t comes to m an w hen he sees a grand soul th a t
had opportunities of falling b ut stands serene and triu m p h a n t
and he exclaim s, w h at is there impossible for me now ?
As he w as in the m idst of these reflections, R avana who had
aw akened from his disturbed sleep cam e in state to see Sita, and,
in spite of the fruitlssness of his previous attem pts, to again try
to persuade h er to accept him self as h er lover.
As we propose to give large ex tracts from this interview in
th e chapters dealing w ith R avana and Sita we pass it over here.
As R avana w ent aw ay spurned by Sita, he ordered the
R akshasi guards of h er prison to th reaten h er in every m an n er
possible and m ake h er yield herself early. They abused her,
therefore, and tau n ted her, and th reaten ed her w ith th e ir cruel
weapons. B ut T rijata, the d au g h ter of V ibhishana, checked them
and consoled Sita. The Rakshasis held th e ir tongue ; and
thinking th a t this was the proper tim e to m ake him self know n to
Sita, H anum an pronounced some spells w hich m ade th em go to
sleep on the instant. As he w as thinking, how ever, as to how he
should approach h er and w h at he should speak to her, th e th rea ts
and tau n ts of the Rakshasis w hich had b u rn ed into h er h e a rt
drove h er to despair, and seeing the Rakshasis sinking to sleep
S ita began to lam en t h er fate. W hat w ith th e R akshasas w ords
and the th rea ts of th e Rakshasis, h er despair had become so
intense th a t she doubted the very love of h er husband. H er
lam entations w ere in this strain :
I have been living all these days upon
The hope of seeing my Lord, and so Ive been
B earing w ith patience all the ills th a t came
On me. But, sooth, w ill he adm it again,
One who has lived so long in this sinful land ?
I see a stran g er look w ith lu st on me,
I sw allow every w ord w ith w hich he fills
My ears, and y et I choose not death : is th ere
A R akshasi m ore w icked th an m yself ?
D ishonour now has lighted on m y nam e
A nd cant be w arded off : w here is th e chaste
In story or in life who has loved h er life '
W hen forced aw ay from hom e by lu stfu l men ?

216

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

Is not m y honour great, an d m odesty,

W ho cling e'en now to life ? . . . .
I m ust have sought m y d eath th e m om ent w hen
D isgrace did come on m e : do I expect
To open a p ath for m e to heaven, th a t I
E xtinguish n o t m y life though stained w ith sham e ?
I sent m y L ord to h u n t for me th e deer
T h at cam e as bait, and on his trace I forced
My L akshm an good, w ith m any an insult heaped,
A gainst his w ill ; and lo, th e R akshasa
Has p arte d m e from Ram and brought m e here
To th is accursed tow n. Can eer th e e a rth
Hold m e if even afte r this m y life
I do n o t end ? .......................................
A nd shall I live to have th e finger of scorn
P ointed a t m e by w om en chaste and p u re
As one w ho p arte d from h er L ord and lived
In R akshas lands ? A nd then, ah w retched m e !
W hen Ram shall have destroyed this race for ee r
And freed m e from m y prison, how shall I prove
My v irtu e un co rru p t, if he should say,
Away, thou a rt now w o rth y of m y love ? 1
W hat hope w ill th e re be le ft except d eath for a w om an w ho
has w orked h erself up to th in k like this ? So she concluded :
* So death alone is D h arm as w ay for me.
And lo, th e little m erit I h av e earn ed
Has sent th e g uardians of m y body fast
Asleep. A nd w here can I a b e tte r place
D iscover to cast m y life aw ay ? 2
So saying, she stepped tow ards a bow er of jasm in e creepers.
B u t before she h ad w alked m any steps H anum an p resen ted him self
before her, his h e a rt ag itated w ith grief and jo y ; an d salu tin g
h e r w ith joined hands, he addressed h er saying,
Behold me, m other, I am th e m essenger of th y R am a.
N um berless are th e V anaras scattered th e w orld over to look
fo r thee, b u t as a resu lt of m y au sterities in th e p ast I h av e
th e u n iq u e fo rtu n e of settin g m y eyes upon th y feet. T hough
lam en tin g deep th y loss, R am a know s n o t w h ere th o u art, fo r
l V v 11-13, 15, 17, 19, 20.

2 V v 21.

HAN U M AN

217

if he knew th in k est th o u th a t th e R akshasa race w ould n o t

have been uprooted till now ? D oubt me not, O th o u w ho
a r t p u re as th e sacrificial lam p, for I shall tell thee ab o u t
m a tte rs th a t R am a alone can k n o w .'1
A fter some h esitation Sita decided th a t he could n ot be a
R akshasa in disguise, and th a t he m ight be a R ishi or a god as his
th o u g h ts and w ords looked pure. A nd th en saying to herself,
4W hat m a tte rs it if he a R akshasa be
O r god, or V anar king ? A nd let him come
W ith violence in his thoughts or ru th ; he m elts
My h e a rt pronouncing soft m y lord his nam e,
A nd sheds a ray of lig h t in th u tte r d a rk
Of my soul ; is life a d earer gift ? My h e a rt
Goes out to him : his w ords are choice, and free
From guile : and tears flow free from his love-filled eyes
W hile he does sob aloud : I ll th erefo re speak
To him , 2
she asked him who he was.
These w ords of Sita im press upon th e im agination of th e
read e r the devotion of H anum an for R am a and all th a t belong
to him , and his tenderness tow ards th e helpless. By these few
words, again th e poet introduces to us as if w ith o u t an y art, th e
beginnings of th e devotion of H anum an for S ita and th e g ra te fu l
and ten d er affection of S ita for H anum an w hich ch aracterise
th e ir feelings tow ards each o th er in th e fu tu re as th e events u n ro ll
them selves.
H anum an gave h er his nam e and told h er th e story of th e
death of Vali and the coronation of Sugriva, and of th e sending
of m illions of V anaras all over th e e a rth to look for her. Look
a t his generous praise of his fellow s of w hom he says,
4 Each one of th em can lift th e e a rth on high
A nd cross the ocean stream . 3
A nd now he speaks of R am a !
4A nd from th e spot a t w hich, th y jew els b rig h t
W ere found by us, th y L ord w ist th o u
i V v 22-25.
3 V v 32.

2 V v 27, 28.

218

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

M ust h av e been carried tow ards th e s o u th ; an d so

He took m e p art, and did e n tru st me, m other,
W ith a m essage for th in e ea r : his love, can it
E er go in vain ? 12
He continued,
A nd then, w h at can I say
Of how he felt w hen he w as show n those jew els ?
W erent th ey giver of life to him ? Believe
My w ord, O m other, it w as those jew els thou
H adst th ro w n behind thee saved th y m angal 2 string
In ta c t ! 3
H anum an th en concluded saying th a t A ngada had come toth e fu rth e r shore at the com m and of Rama, and th a t he him self
h ad crossed th e sea at the bidding of A ngada to look for h er in
L anka.
The stanza in w hich K am ban describes th e feelings of S ita
w hen H anum an finished his story is full of th e highest pathos,
b u t is v ery difficult of com plete ren d erin g into English. He says,
He ended : joy ineffable did fill
H er b reasth er dried up lim bs did sw ell w ith life
N ew found ; and as the te ars flowed freely from
H er eyes, from h er reviving lips a cry
Escaped, Is life, in sooth, come back to me ?
A nd th en she said to H anum an, O Sire,
W ouldst thou describe to m e m y L ord his form ? 4
H anu m an s description of R am as person is done only in the
conventional style.
B ut if K am ban now and th en subm its to th e
conventions of th e rhetoricians of his tim e, it is only for a tim e.
F o r before he goes very far, he spreads his w ings for ig h t and
rises again to th e highest regions of poetry. Thus a fte r H an u m an s
1 V v 34.
2 The mangal string is the string on which the sacremental jewel
called mangalya is strung. It is tied round the neck of the bride at the
time of the marriage. It is only at the death of the husband that the
string can be untied or cut. Hanuman means that but for the sight of
her jewels Rama would have died of his grief for Sita, and that Rama's*
seeing them alone saved her from widowhood.
3 V v 35.
4 V v 37.

m
description of R am as physical appearance, th e poet describes
S ita s condition an d H an u m an s fu rth e r speech in these w ords :
E vn as a piece of w ax w hen p u t in fire,
The h e a rt of S ita m elted aw ay as he
D escribed to h e r R am as m anly form. He fell
A gain at h er feet, and said, O m other, deign
To list to w ords th a t R am a bid me say
To m ake thee- tru s t in m e : Recall to h er
Said he, th a t w hen I pray ed h e r to rem ain
A t hom e and serve m y m others, as fo rest p ath s
W ere thorny, w ild, and steep, h er eyes grew red,
A nd w ith a cloth of b ark p u t on, she cam e
A nd stood beside me. Tell h e r on th e day
T h at we for the ju n g le started , h ard ly had
We passed the city -g ates w hen she did ask,
W here is the forest, d ear ? A gain rem ind
H er, said th y Ram, th a t w hen S u m an tra 1 left
Us on th e forest bounds, she clean forgot
H er grief and sent a m essage to h er birds
A nd p arro ts left a t hom e ! He ceased, and th en
T hinking th a t he had said enough, he show ed
To h er th e ring on w hich h er R am as nam e
W as carved. 2
We shall refer the read e r to ch ap ter XV for a description of
th e effect th a t th e sight an d touch of th e rin g w ro u g h t upon Sita.
T he ring finally dispelled all h er doubts and suspicions and a new
hope now en tered h er h eart. She blessed H anum an for th u s
saving h er life w ith the m essage of Ram a. She th en learn ed from
h im all th a t had tak en place a fte r she w as p arte d from Ram a.
W hen H anum an, how ever, said th a t he crossed th e ocean from th e
m ainland to L anka, she found it h ard to believe it. She, therefore,
asked him how he could cross th e sea w ith o u t a boat. He said :
J u s t as those, m other, who m ed itate on th e holy feet
of thy L ord cross th e endless ocean of Illusion, even so I
crossed th e black ocean stream w ith m y feet. 3
B ut as this did not satisfy her, he show ed to h er his V ishvarupa
th e gigantic, w orld-filling form in w hich he flew across th e sea.
S ays th e poet :
1 the charioteer.
2 V v 59-62.

3 V v 97.

.2 2 0

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

S aluting h e r still w ith his joined hands, he grew in size

till his head alm ost touched th e roof of h eav en an d he b e n t
him self for fear lest his head should actu ally strik e ag ain st
it. The gods w ondered w hen th ey saw th a t u n iv e rse pervading form , w h eth er absolute pow er belongs to elem ents
five th a t compose th e w orld or to H anum an alone. The sta rs
in th e heaven looked like fire-flies hanging to his h airs
so high he stood and so huge he looked ! Eyes could n o t
take in his size n or the m ind conceive his form ; one could
not ascertain w hich w ere th e sun and th e moon and w hich
the ea r-rin g s shining in his ears................ A nd in th a t form
he could see w ith his own lotus eyes th e eyes of gods and
m en looking to him for th e ir protection and safety from
R akshasa v io le n ce .1
W hen Sita saw th e V ishvarupa of H anum an she felt th a t,
w ith such an ally as he, Ram a could destroy th e R akshasas w ith
ease. B ut w hile on th e one h an d she w as satisfied w ith th e
exhibition of H an u m an s stren g th and m ight, on th e o th er h an d
she could not bear w ithout a sense of fear th e sight of th a t
w o rld-perv ad in g form ; and so she pray ed him to resum e his
original shape. H anum an obeyed her, and w hen he stood before
h er as an o rdinary norm al V anara, she sang his praises thus :
*T w ere little if I say thou canst th e e a rth
Uproot, and lift h er w ith h er stable hill,
Or tak e th e hooded snake th a t bears the w orld
A loft and m ake of it a p laything light
In th y hand ! Thou hast th e stren g th of th e raging storm :
Is it a praise indeed to say th at thou
Didst cross the sea th a t does n o t hide its head
In sham e ? Thy single prow ess w ill suffice,
0 long-arm ed hero, to extend th e fam e
Of Ram a and his grace, and m ake th em live
F or untold ages green in th e m inds of men.
W hat p ity L an k as isle is not beyond
The oceans seven, for to dem and of th ee
The exercise in full of all th y m ight ! . . .
W henevr I th o u g h t of R akshas m ig h t an d pow er
1 used to fear th a t Ram had none besides
To help him b u t his b ro th er : b u t now th a t fear
- V v 100-102, 104.

H A N U M A N

221

H as le ft m e quite, for w h at is R akshas m ight

W hen he has such a hero for ally ? 1
All trace of h er despair and grief had now left h er soul. She
felt herself free of all care and even full of joy. She th erefo re
continued,
4Even if death does come to me, I can
Now pass aw ay in peace, for even now
I feel as if I m from this loathsom e prison
Released. And lo, I shall be soon avenged
Upon th e cruel R akshas who m ust fall
W ith all his race destroyed. A nd w h at do I
Desire now m ore ? My Lord his holy feet
H ave now adorned my head and G lory gins
To shed h er light on me, and no disgrace
W ill evr attach itself to S itas nam e ! 2
Th? large soul of H anum an, how ever, is n o t elated a t h er
praises. His reply is full of m odesty and th e praise of his
com panions and his leader. He says,
4O thou, chaste as A ru n d h ati,3* m ore num erous th a n the
sands of the sea are the V anara leaders who serve Rama. I
am but a hum ble servant of those m ighty chiefs, obeying th e
com m ands th a t they lay upon me. Seventy V a h i n i s 4 is the
total of our V anar force. Is this ocean large enough for them
even if they set them selves to d rin k each b u t one han d fu l
of w ater from it ? It is because he did not know the
w hereabouts of this L anka th a t it is still undestroyed. Can
it long rem ain on its foundations now th a t w e have seen it ?
V alis b rother is th ere and V alis son, and M ainda and T um ind
and the fierce K um uda. 5
H anum an gives an im pressive list of the V anara leaders and
concludes,
They can lift this earth and even the o th er w orlds from
th e ir foundations. A nd they are as obedient to R am as w ill
as his very arrow s. W hat are these R akshasas to them ? 6
1 V v 109, 110, 112.
2 V v 113.
3 The wife of Vashistha and the ideal of chastity.
4 Armies. In the latter-day world of mere men, this term meant a
detachment of an army consisting of 81 elephants, as many chariots, 248
horse and 405 foot. Some put it at three times this figure. But herq
the term obviously stands for very very much more.
5 V v 114-116.
6 V v 117.

*222

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

A fter saying everything calculated to give h er hope an d

courage, H anum an told h er th a t he w ould like to carry h er on
his shoulders and place h er at the feet of Rama. B ut h er in n a te
sense of delicacy w ould not let her consent to it and she only sen t
instead a path etic m essage to Ram a through him. She accom
panied the m essage w ith h er h ead -o rn am en t w hich she desired
him to give to Ram a as a pledge of her affection and h er tru s t
in him.
A t last w alking round h er in devotional hom age H anum an
took leave of h er and w alked aw ay. B ut once again alone, he
w anted to leave a m em orial of his visit to L anka, and a fte r some
th o u g h t he decided to destroy the grove and provoke a q u arrel
w ith the R akshasas and p u t his prow ess to th e best use in R am as
cause. Things happened as he w ished, for th e m ischief th a t he
com m itted in the grove w as b ru ited abroad an d R akshasa a fte r
R akshasa, and arm y afte r arm y w ere despatched against him by
R avana. B ut not one R akshasa retu rn ed alive even to te ll th e
story of th e fate of th e arm ies. A t length even A ksha, th e son of
R avana, w as crushed to death by th e m ighty paw of H anum an.
The read er w ill rem em ber how In d ra jit chid his fath e r for n o t
m easuring earlier th e stren g th of the V anara and th u s having been
th e cause of the death of his ow n son.
W hen at length In d ra jit came w ith his big arm y against him ,
H anum an w as n o t terrified, bu t on th e co n trary w as glad to m eet
such a fam ous foe. He thought w ithin him self in this w ise w hen
. he came in sight :
The prow ess I have show n in killing some
Of these heroic R akshasas has had
Its quick effect ; for here I see th e foe
Of In d ra coming on. It m atters not
If now I fall or conquer him, for g reat
W ill be the fam e in eith er case. If I
Succeeded in killing him , tw ill be as if
R avan him self has fallen crushed b en eath
My arm . A nd he w ould know his end is come,
And send our Sita back ; w hile R akshas pride
W ould lick the dust, and In d ra d come again
Into his own. 1
H anum an scattered and destroyed In d ra jits forces, and a t
len g th engaged w ith In d ra jit him self. H anum an fought w ith th e
i V xii 25-27.

H A N U M AN

22

branches of trees w hile the Rakshas assaulted him w ith his arrow s.
The fight continued for long and In d raj it's bow itself w as broken
by H anum an. A t last seeing no other w ay to end H anum an,
Indra jit sent the Brahm astra against him, and it bound his lim bs
and m ade him prisoner. A lthough the B rahm astra is th e m ost
shattering w eapon know n to the heroic arm oury, H anum an h ad
been granted the blessing of invulnerability against it by B rah m a
him self in form er tim es, and so he was m erely overpow ered by
the w eapon and not killed.1
He was dragged by the Rakshasas and Rakshasis in h is
tem porarily helpless state and placed before R avana by In d ra jit.
R avana w as sitting in state surrounded by his m inisters an d
courtiers and m usicians and dancers, and w hen H anum an w as
brought before him his very sight angered H anum an as th e sig h t
of the cobra w ould rouse the w ra th of the eagle. His first im pulse
w as to break asunder th e noose th a t was still holding him in its
bonds and spring upon R avana. He thus revolved th e m a tte r in
h is m ind :
W hen on his bed I saw him sleep, I th o u g h t
It w as n o t ju st to kill him unaw ares :
Now th a t m y luck had m ade him sit upon
His throne, I shall not fu rth e r think, b u t shall
Now fall on him , and felling dow n his heads
Shall free our Sita, and tak e h er back to Ram.
If in the presence of Gods and D anavas,
Who guard in te rro r S itas bow ery prison,
I do not clip his crow ned heads, w hatT l be
The w o rth of all m y courage and m y m ight ? . . .
T w ill be a sham e if after seeing him
The chance of a full life-tim e I do re tu rn
W ith only w ords exchanged w ith the R akshas king.
I need not even conquer him : Ill have
Renow n if ev n I die in fight engaged
W ith him . 2
B ut presen tly he grew m ore collected and looked at th e
situ atio n in a different light. Now he argued w ith in him self in
this wise :
1 Brahmas blessing also limited the bondage te an hour and a half.
2 V xiii 56, 57, 59.

?24

KAMB

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

He looks too strong for m e to k illhis pow er i

,
Does forbid hopes of easy victory.
^ >s
A nd can a m ortal triu m p h over him
B ut Ram ? He cannot conquer m e if fight
Begins, n o r can I hope to bring him down.
A nd days unending w ill elapse w ith o u t
Success : so w isdom rules against a fight.
A nd has not Ram a sw orn th a t he w ould lop
H im self th e serried heads an d branching arm s
Of R avana and free th e w orld of fear ?
A nd S itas oath does stand th a t she w ould end
H er life, if Ram does not w ithin a m onth
Invade these realm s in force : I shouldnt therefore
Engage in doubtful fight, and w aste m y time.
So I shall stand before the R akshasa
As ca rrie r of th e m essage of m y K ing. 1
So H anum an took upon him self the job of am bassador and
w aited to be questioned by th e R akshasa. We have ex tracted
H avanas questions and H an u m an s answ er in th e first pages of
th is chapter. A fter saying th a t he w as serving Ram a, H anum an
assum ed to speak on behalf of his ow n king S u g riv a an d advised
R avana to send back S ita to R am a and save him self. R avana
only grew in d ig n an t at his presum ption and o rdered his atten d a n ts
to kill him. B ut V ibhishana in terfered and dissuaded R avana
from p u ttin g him to d eath saying th a t a m essenger sent by a
king should n ev er be killed. R avana agreed n o t to k ill him but
desired to give him some punishm ent, and so he directed th a t
his tail should be tied round w ith cloth an d all sorts of
com bustibles, and set on fire.
S ita w hen she h eard of it trem b led for H an u m an s safety and
pray ed to th e God of F ire not to b u rn him, and lo, though th e
fire played all about him , enveloping him in flames, H anum an
felt cool upto th e very m arro w of his bones !
W hen R avana desired to punish H anum an, he counted w ithout
his host. F or as soon as his ta il w as on fire, H an u m an freed
him self by force from th e guards th a t w ere holding him on eith er
side, and ju m p ed about th e w hole city flourishing his tail in every
direction. The w hole of L anka w as soon in flames. A ll th a t was
m ade of silver and gold in th e city erected by th e h an d of th e
h eav en ly arch itect m elted in th e flames. G roves and p ark s and
1 V xiii 61-65.

HA N U M A N

225

th e a tre s an d palaces caught fire an d crashed down. E lephants

an d horses died, an d chariots w ere b u rn ed to ashes. R akshasas
an d R akshasis ra n for th e ir lives all over th e city. T he cries of
w om en an d children an d dum b suffering anim als filled th e sky.
In a few hours th e w hole of L an k a so fair to look onth e cynosure
of all eyes in th e universe becam e a m ass of cinder and ashes.
As soon as R avana saw H anum an jum ping about, he
com m anded his guards to recap tu re him , b u t th a t w as impossible.
H anum an seeing th e m iraculous escape of S itas grove alone from
th e general conflagration, a ttrib u te d it as w ell as his ow n im m unity
from fire to S itas unique chastity, and m aking a last salu te to h er
and receiving h e r last m essage he got upon a rock, and p u ttin g
out the fire in his ta il sprang across th e seas an d rejoined his
com panions.
They w ere delighted to see him back in th e ir m idst from his
g re a t adventure, an d w ept, an d danced, an d ju m p ed about in
joy. Some em braced him , some d ra n k him w ith th e ir eyes, some
lifted and carried him on th e ir shoulders. Som e b ro u g h t honey
an d fru its and roots, and placed them before him saying th a t his
v ery face show ed to th em th a t he h ad come back w ith success
in his u n d ertak in g . Some looked on his w ounds th e w ounds
caused by In d ra jit an d o th er R akshasas in his fights and w ep t
te ars of grief. A t len g th afte r salu tin g A ngada an d Ja m b h av an
an d each of th e rest according to his dignity an d w orth, H anum an
told them th a t S ita w as safe and h ad sen t a glorious m essage
th ro u g h him to Ram a. Then, says th e poet :
T he V anars joined th e ir hands in w orship, an d
T h eir h earts w ith joy u n speakable filled, p ray ed him
To te ll th e story of his flight an d back
In full. So he described th e holy life
O f S ita an d h e r g reat au sterities
A nd how she gave and how he b ro u g h t th e gem
T h at w ould, as sign th a t she did live, d elight
The h e a rt of Ram. B ut th e sto ry of his fights
W ith R akshasas, or of his settin g fire
To L an k a tow n, h e passed in silence oer,
F o r h e w as lo th his ow n exploits to t e l l . 1
Such w as th e m odesty of th is g reat an d m ig h ty hero.
th e y in ferre d all th a t he h esitated to say, fo r th e y said,
i V xv 9.

15

But

226

KAMBA

HAMAYANAM A

STUDY

*The w ounds announce th y struggles w ith th y foes,

W hile th y re tu rn proclaim s th y victory.
The colum ns d a rk of smoke, th a t y o nder rise
In to th e sky b etray th e ru in thou
H ast b ro u g h t upon th y enem ies ! W hat need,
Alas, of w ords ab o u t th e stren g th of foes
W hen b ro u g h t is n o t th e queen w ith thee ? 1
B u t all th e sam e glad th a t th e ir p a rty w as able to trace o u t
<the w hereabouts of Sita, th ey retu rn ed to K ish k in d h a to place
before Hama th e h ap p y resu lts of th e ir w anderings. H an u m an s
account of his w ork to R am a occupies a v ery high ra n k in
lite ra tu re for the g ran d eu r of its sentim ents, b u t we shall reserv e
it for the ch ap ter on S ita as it deals chiefly w ith her. S ugriva
Avould not w aste even a single m inute even to th a n k H anum an
fo r his g reat w orkafte r receiving new s of Sita, and so th e w hole
arm y began to m arch southw ards.
H anum an now prays Ram a to honour him by rid in g upon his
shoulders, and R am a graciously complies w ith his request. In
V alm iki th e position is reversed. It is Ram a th a t proposes th a t
he w ould ride upon H anum ans shoulders. It is w onderful how
K am ban attends even to such m inute m atters and invests his
characters w ith g reater delicacy and sw eetness. De m in im is non
curat poeta, 2 says th e critic. B ut K am bans chisel can carve a bee
on a lotus w ith th e sam e ease w ith w hich it can shape a giant
or cut a battle-piece.
We have h ad occasion in previous chapters to speak of
H anum ans valour and physical strength, and so w e need n o t dw ell
m uch upon them here. In fact, is not th e w hole R am ayana in a
w ay the story of H anum ans valour and m ight ? T here is n o t
one opponent of his w ho does not a t once recognise his stren g th
an d heroism . We have seen In d ra jit classing him w ith th e
Suprem e T hree even before seeing him 3 ; and w hen he sees him
he is glad th a t he has such a foe to engage w ith. R avana refers
to the p a rt played by our hero in the first d ay s b attle in these
words :
4My foe upon th e m onkey rode : (b u t w ho
Can say h e only w as a m onkey tailed ? )
The w hile he fought I w ondered w h eth e r it be
i V xv 10.
* Poets do not care to bother about trifles.

3 See page 101 and 103.

HANUMAN

227

The w h irlw in d th a t he rode, or leaping Fire

O r D eath him self. Can even G aru d a
T he heav en ly E agle b ear th e fierceness
Of th a t fight so lig h tly as th a t H anum an. 1
W hen K u m b h ak arn a aim s his te rrib le lance a t Sugriva, an d
.all beholders are every m om ent helplessly fearin g th a t he cannot
'escape its force, it is H anum an th a t leaps into th e air and cleverly
catches it and snaps it into two. A nd th e sound of th e snapping
w as as deep as w hen the bow of Shiva w as broken by Ram a fo r
th e sake of th e fa ir h and of S ita !
K u m b h ak a rn a w onders at his stren g th and says,
*The m ind cannot conceive nor tongue can praise
The m ight uncom m on of th y arm ! W hom can
I couple w ith thee, who sta n d st alone t achieve
The im possible ? Engage w ith me, and I
Shall even now abide by w h at I said
Before. 2
B ut H anum an had alread y m ade and lost his bet ag ain st
K um bhakarna. So his code of honour prev en ted him from again
engaging him , and he w ent his way, satisfied only w ith saving
th e life of Sugriva.
W hen M alyavan, the g ran d fath er of R avana, hears that th e
H ill of D rugs had been brought from the n o rth to raise th e dead
in the V anara arm y, he at once thinks of H anum an as th e only
person who had th e stren g th to achieve such a gigantic task. A nd
-so he says to Ravana, 4
4Who has the stren g th b u t H anum an to fly
From hence and cross the M eru m ount w ithin
A trice, and bring the h ill of drugs oer here ?
For he it is who has into the deep
Of things w ith solemn thought explored.
W ho can w ith life escape if h e uproot
T his rock of L an k a and dash it against
The e a rth ? How can we w ar w ith h im ? If he
Should b rin g th e M eru m ount an d drop it plum b
On th is isle, hav e w e th e stren g th to b re a k its force ?
1 VI x v 29.

2 VI xv 262, 263:

228

K A M B A

HAM AYA N A M A

STUDY

If on d estruction he is bent, th ere's nought

To stop him from th e attem p t ! I say tis fools
A lone w ho say th a t T hey of w hom th e Veds
Do speak a re only T hree : I do declare
T h at w ith th is H anum an, th e Gods S uprem e
A re F o u r ! 91
In th e V an ara arm y also, w h erev er th e re is a difficult task
to p erform a ta sk th a t cannot be done by o rd in ary V anaras'
i t is H anum an th a t is th o u g h t of by th e leaders as th e p ro p er
person to be en tru sted w ith th e same. W e hav e seen in this
ch a p ter how Jam b h av an praised him on th e sea-shore, an d pointed
to him as th e only V anara w ho could cross th e sea an d re tu rn
w ith success achieved from L anka. We have seen how in th e
different b attles he aided th e o th er heroes a t critical m om ents,
a n d how often he saved th e situation for th e V an ara arm y from
th e m ortal onslaughts of K u m b h ak arn a and A tik ay a and In d ra jit.
We have referred m ore th an once to H anum an having brought
th e Hill of D rugs in order to save the V anara arm y from th e effects
of the Brahm astra. The read er w ill rem em ber th a t V ibhishana
brings back H anum an from the unconsciousness into w hich
In d ra jits w eapon had stu n n ed him. He takes him to w here
Jam b h av an , th e w isest of th e V anaras, was lying overpow ered by
th e sam e astra. As soon as Jam b h av an hears H anum ans voice
h e exclaim s in joy,
Now all is not lost : we shall conquer yet :
We shall even now rise from this fallwe shall ! 2
Such is his faith in H anum an.
He th en asks H anum an to save L akshm ana and Ram a and
th e seventy V ahinis of V anaras by bringing th e H ill of Drugs from
th e north. The rolling stanzas w hich K am ban p u ts into th e
m o u th of Jam b h av an , describing the route w hich H anum an ought
to take, and those in w hich th e poet describes the flight of
H an u m an are a tre a t to th e lover of Tam il poetry, and w ill call
to th e m ind of th e English scholar the sonorous stanzas of B yron
on th e O cean , both in the b eau ty of rh y th m an d th e g ra n d e u r
of th e im ages th a t th ey suggest to th e im agination.
i VI x x v 3-5.

* VI x x iii 20.

229

H A N U M AN

W hen th e H ill of D rugs w akes up L aksh jn an a an d th e V an ara

-;army as if from sleep, R am a em braces H anum an an d w ith te a rs
in his eyes th a n k s him in these w ords :
*Once w e w ere b o rn of D asharath, O friend,
B ut those our bodies now are dead w hich took
T heir b irth from him . A nd now w ere b orn again,
A nd thou it is to w hom w e owe th is b irth !
O thou th a t savedst us from oerw helm ing ruin,
Thou h ast enabled us to fight again
O ur foe, and saved our vows and honour d ea r
As life, o u r ancient line and Ved itself !
A nd as thou didst m y b ro th er save, an d all
This host from th e jaw s of death, m ay n ev er D eath
A pproach th y fram e : live thou for ev r and evr ! 1
W hen once again H anum an saves L akshm ana, R am as w ords
to him though few are full of tenderness and soul. Says R am a,
O g reat one, F o rtu n e has blessed m e w ith th y love
and friendship : w hat can I lack in life ? 2
H anum ans te n d er reg ard for Sita is one of th e finest tra its in
his character. In this chapter itself, th e conversation b etw een
S ita and H anum an, and H anum ans soliloquies th a t we h av e
tran slated would show his chivalry and devotion to th a t p arag o n
of women. And can th e read er have fo rgotten H anum ans
behaviour and w ords w hen In d ra jit cut off th e head of th e
autom aton m ade to look lik e S ita ? 3
We th in k we have spoken of H anum an both in th is ch a p ter
and elsew here sufficiently to give a tolerably living conception
of the hero whom not only K am ban b u t all lovers of R am a love
as th eir very G uru and God. B ut as we have said before, fro m
th e m om ent th a t he en ters on the scene, H anum an absorbs to
him self an in terest equal to th a t of R am a or Sita, an d th e th re e
last books of the Ram ayana m ust be studied from beginning to
end in order to obtain a full and ad equate m en tal p ictu re of th e
g reat V anara hero who came into the w orld 4to rem ove th e
helplessness of D harm a . The p artin g w ords w hich K am ban p u ts
in th e m outh of R am a w hen afte r his h appy coronation he sends
H anum an back from A yodhya to his ow n K ish k in d h a are v e ry
beautiful, and are a m easure of H anum ans place in th e story.
'.Says the poet :
1 VI x x iii 111-114.
3 S e e page 105 e t s e q .

2 VI xxxi 46.
r,

230

KAMBA

BAMYANAM A

STUDY

A nd tu rn in g fu ll on him h is eyes th a t rain ed

A ffection an d love, h e said, *T h eres n o n e like thee,.
W hen dangers hedge us round, to free us from
T heir fangs an d lead us to sh elter safe !
W hat guerdon can I give th ee for th e help
In v alu ab le th a t thou h ast ren d ered m e
I* th p ast ? E m brace me, O m y hero brav e ! 1
W hat rew ard indeed can be g reater th a n em bracing the sacred"
body of R am a w hose beau ty p ain ters could not p ain t or scu lp to rs
chisel, an d w hich none b u t Sita, n o t even th e Rishis, w ere given
to touch in th a t incarnation.
B ut H an u m an s m odesty and devotion w ould not allow h im
to p u t him self on a plane of eq u ality w ith his m aster. He ju s t
h u n g dow n his head and stood aside th u s show ing to th e w o rld
ho w tru e m erit alw ays effaces itself avoiding public recognition.
W e shall also leave our hero in th is sam e attitu d e , only pointing
to him as a beacon lig h t to those w ho desire to achieve greatness*
in this w orld and th e next.

> VI xxxix 2a

CHA PTER X III

RAVANA
In this ch ap ter w e ta k e up th e stu d y o f th e ch aracter an d
exploits of H avana, th e g reat enem y of R am a, as depicted by
our poet. H avanas, chief ch aracteristic in our story is his unholy
passion for women. B ut he is m uch else besides. He is a
R akshasa learn ed in th e Vedas, handsom e w ith th e handsom eness
th a t stren g th an d th e consciousness of v alo u r give, w ho by g reat
austerities has acquired im m ense stren g th an d invincibility
and victory in w ar. He has conquered th e D evas an d th e A suras
and th e Y akshas and th e Nagas, and exercises sw ay over th e
T hree W orlds. In form er days he h ad fought w ith ev ery being
considered pow erful and h ad alw ays eith er conquered th em or
m ade friends w ith them . The very m am m oths th a t b ea r th e
universe on high from th e eight ex trem ities th ereo f h ad ow ned
him victor a fte r having h ad th e ir tusks broken, w hile charging
a t his breast. Even th e S uprem e T rin ity desisted from in te rferin g
w ith him , for au sterities m ust alw ays have th e ir fu ll effect till
th e ir stren g th w as exhausted, and his au sterities w ere not
ordinary. He h ad been defeated only tw ice and th a t only in
single com bat once by V ali and an o th er tim e by K a rta v iry a
A rjuna, b u t in spite of these defeats he continued as ev er before
to be th e m aster of th e universe, these enem ies n ev er th in k in g
it possible to rem ove him from his throne.
These are th e antecedents th a t V alm iki him self gives to
R avana. G enerally speaking, his delineation of R avana is w o rth y
of the antecedents th a t he presupposes for him. He depicts him
as a hero proud and fierce and full of the au th o rity th a t comes
of suprem e pow er. E verybody obeys R av an as slightest word.
N one d are question his acts or even his orders. W here anybody
has to differ from him , he expresses his opinion w ith due
deference and a fte r profuse apologies. B ut in one o r tw o places
V alm iki has forg o tten him self and h as low ered th e d ig n ity of
R avana. W hen, a fte r being m aim ed by L akshm ana, S h u rp a n ak h a
re tu rn s to L anka, V alm iki m akes h e r address R avana th u s :*
* W ilt th o u absorbed in pleasure, still
P ursue u n checked th y selfish w ill ;
Nor tu rn th y heedless eyes to see

232

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

T he com ing fa te th a t threatens thee ?

T he kin g w ho days and hours em ploys
In base p u rsu it o f vulgar jo ys
M ust in his people's sight be vile,
A s fire th a t sm okes on fu n era l pile,
, * * * , * * * . *, *

>

H ow, heedless, w icked , w ea k, and vain,

W ilt thou th y kin g ly state m aintain ?
Thou, lord of giants, void of sense,
S la ve o f each changing influence. . . .
T h y counsellors are blind and w eak,
Or. thou fro m these hadst surely kn o w n
T h y legions and th y realm s overthrow n.
E nslaved and dull, of blinded sight,
In to xica te w ith vain delight,
Thou closest still th y heedless eyes
To dangers in th y realm th a t rise.
A king besotted, m ean, u n kin d ,
O f niggard, hard, and slavish m ind,
W ill find no fa ith fu l follow ers heed
Their m aster in his hour of need.
O w ea k o f m ind, w ith o u t a trace
O f virtu es th a t a kin g should grace,
W ho hast not learnt fro m w a tch fu l spy
That low in death the giants lie.
Scorner of others, but enchained
B y every base desire,
B y thee each d u ty is disdained
W hich tim e and place re q u ire .9
And how does H avana receive this g ratu ito u s and m eaningless
in su lt from a w om an ?
A s th u s she ceased n o t to upbraid
The K in g w ith cu ttin g speech,
A n d every fa u lt to view displayed,
N am ing and m a rkin g each,
T he m onarch of th e sons o f night,
O f w ea lth and p ow er possessed,
A n d proud of his im perial m ig h t,
Long pondered in his breast.

R A V A N A

233

B haskara, th e T elugu poet, ju s t follow s th e lead of V alm iki

a n d m akes S h u rp an ak h a rep rim an d R avana w ith b itte r w ords
ih u s :
*G lorious indeed is th e m an n er in w hich th o u and th y
favourites are ru lin g th e realm s u n d er your sw ay ! Ye a re
perfectly satisfied w ith your low pleasures. T hy p o w erfu l
arm s th a t lifted high th e K ailas m ount, now hang useless
by th y side ; th e glory of th y a u th o rity th a t ex tended ov er
th e th ree worlds* has now lost its lu stre : th y arm s h a v e
been victorious all over the w orlds as far as space extends,
b u t th e lig h t of th y victories has now grow n dim : th y fam e
th a t has been flourishing up to now has now begun to fad e
aw ay.
4For w hen I gave out th a t I am th y sister, it only
provoked m y in ju rers th e m ore, and this is th e w ay th e y
have d ealt w ith m e innocent ! A nd still th ey live ! V erily
I cannot find w ords b itte r enough to address thee, O h ero
of the serried heads, v alian t in b attle as R u d ra him self ! *
T ulsidas too rep eats the sam e scene of S h u rp a n ak h a
reprim anding R avana in his audience-hall, as if R avana, th o u g h
h er brother, w as not th e proud and h ith e rto u n d isp u ted ru le r of
th e universe. He puts such w ords into h e r m outh as,
Thou spendest th y tim e in revelries and sleepest b o th
day and n ig h t etc.
C ontrast these w ith th e w ay th a t K am ban rep resen ts th e m eeting
of the m aim ed sister w ith h er b ro th er :
She en tered th e n o rth ern gate of th e city w ith h er h an d s
joined over h e r head as a suppliant. . . . The R akshasas
th a t looked on h er grew red w ith rag e ; some spoke w ords
like th u n d e r ; some' could not speak a t all ; th e ir eyes ra in e d
fire and th ey b it th e ir lips ; some w ere h eard to say, could
In d ra have been g u ilty of this sacrilege ? or could it b e
B rahm a ? or m ay it be Shiva ? O thers w ould answ er,
w here are th e foes th a t we can point to in this univ erse ?
It is impossibe th a t any in this trip le universe should h av e
attem p ted this deed : it m ust be th e doing of some from
th e W orlds b ey o n d /
The m usic of th e V ina and th e M ridanga, of th e Y a l
and th e flute, of th e S h a n kh a and th e horn, all w ere h u sh ed
th a t day in L an k a and only lam en tatio n s w ere h eard fo r
1he fate of S h u rp an ak h a.

234

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

W hile all L an k a w as th u s im m ersed in grief as sh e

w alked along, she reached th e au d ien ce-h all of H avana an d
fell a t his feet as a cloud settling a t th e foot of a hilL
D arkness fell over th e universe as pall. A dishesha, w ho
is bearing th e e a rth on his shoulders, w as terrified as tow h at w ould happen w hen H avanas anger w as roused, an d
bent dow n his head. The m ountains of th e e a rth shook.
The Sun w as beside him self w ith fear. The m am m oths th a t
bear aloft th e universe fled, and th e Devas concealed
them selves in nooks and corners.
W ith sm oke rushing through his m ouths even as he b it
his lips w ith his teeth, his very m oustaches trem bling an d
sm elling w ith th e fire of his breath, w ith his te eth giving
out th e sheen of lightning w hile he ground th em in his an g er,
he th u n d ered out, 4whose deed is th is ? *
She replied, There are tw o m en who are like him w hose
stan d ard is th e fish.1 They are protecting th e e a rth from
ills and live in th e forest ; th ere is none th a t can com pare
w ith them in beauty of form ; it is they th a t cut a t m e w ith
th e ir sw ords !
W hen she said it w as m en th a t did this in ju ry to h er,
he laughed a laugh th a t resounded to the very ends of th e
earth, his eyes rad iated fire, and he asked, Is this all th a t
these feeble herm its have done ; or have th ey done an y th in g
m ore ? F ear not thou and speak thou w ith o u t concealing
all th a t befell. 2
K am ban represents S h u rp an ak h a as still u n d er th e
in fatu atio n of h er passion for R am a and L akshm ana, and m akes
h e r describe th e ir beauty and prow ess w ith ex trem e w arm th ,
a t the end of w hich description she gives out th a t th e ir nam es
a re Ram a and L akshm ana and th a t they are the sons of
D asharatha.
W hen he had heard to th e end, R avana b roke out thus :
Tis m en th a tve m aim ed m y sister d ear as life,
A nd having m aim ed h er th e y re y et alive ? A nd still.
His sw ord in h an d and b itten not w ith sham e,
Lives R avan yet, n o t even hanging dow n
His eyes or heads ! ....................
Behold th ey live w ho have offended me :
1 Manmathathe Indian Cupid.

2 III vii 24-29, 36, 45, 46, 49-51.

H A V A N A

235

A n d lo, m y sw ord is by m y side ; m y arm s

U nparalysed do hang ; th e y ears th a t Shiv
H as blessed m e w ith are ru n n in g onI live !
A rt th o u asham ed, O h e a rt ? and fearest thou
To b ear th e d ire disgrace n eer felt before ?
T h in k n o t th y self too w eak : th y heads are ten,
A nd tw en ty are th y arm s, fu ll strong enough
To b ea r th is w eight of sham e ! 1
So saying, an d w ith his eyes flashing fire, he asked, *A nd
w h a t w ere K ara and th e R akshasas doing w ith o u t killing these
feeble m en ?
As soon as he asked this question, tears gushed from h er eyes
a s if from a fountain. She stru ck h er b reast an d fell dow n upon
th e ground. A gain joining h er hands she began, 4th y k in d red
a ll a re dead, O S ire ! , and continued th u s :
4As soon as th ey h eard m y com plaint, K ara an d th e *
r e s t . of th e b u ll-lik e heroes rose w ith th e ir troops an d
m arched ag ain st them , b u t all of th em fell w ith in a space
of four hours, stru ck by th e arrow s of th e lo tu s-faced p rin ce
called R am a.
W hen he h ea rd th a t his b reth ren h ad died a t th e h an d s of
a m an, and w ho fought only singly, g rief an d in d ig n a tio n .
stru g g led in his h eart, and tears flowed and lights flashed from
h is eyes as rain and lig h tn in g play about a storm -cloud. T he
g rie f th a t w as subm erged u n d er th e fire of his anger now acted
lik e ghee 2 and roused it into a flame ; an d he asked her, 4W hat
is it th a t thou h ad st done them , th a t th ey laid violent handson thee and chopped th y lips and nose ?
4My fau lt, she began, 4 it related to a w om an w hose
w aist is like th e lightning, w hose ten d er arm s are lik e th e
bam boo stem , and whose colour is th a t of p u re gold. I
im agine she is L akshm i herself who has left h er lotus hom e
and lives w ith R am a ! 3
4A nd who is She ? asked R avana, w hen she began th u s :
4H er nam e
T h at bears
H er bosom
The m usic

is S ita : blessed is th e e a rth

h e r te n d er feet upon h e r lap.
shines like cups of b u rn ish ed gold :
of h er voice recalls th e sounds

1 III vii 58, 60, 61.

3 m vii 67.

clarified butter.

KAMBA

1286

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

Of woods, an d groves, an d honey tender-sweet.

H er tresses rich adorned w ith flowers, she is
A queen am ong th e fa ir of heav en s ! If she
W ho dw ells i th e lotus is n o t w o rth y ev n
To be h e r m aid, how can I m ake th ee feel
H er b eau ty ? L ike a d eep -b lack cloud do show
H er tresses fair, and also fallin g rain.
H er feet are cotton-soft, h e r fingers show
As corals te n d er-red . A m brosia she
H as robbed, an d lo, h e r rav ish in g speech d o th flow
T herew ith. A nd though h er face is n o t la rg e r th a n
T he lotus, h e r eyes are d eep er th a n th e sea !
T h ey re fools w ho say th a t M anm atha w as b u rn t
By fire of S h iv as eyes. This is th e tr u th :
He saw th is dam sel and sm itten w as w ith love
F or h e r form ; b u t being spu rn ed by h er,
He w asted sheer aw ay and a m a rty r died
To love such is th e b eau ty of h er form ! . . . .
S hall I h er arm s describe, or th e sw ords 1 th a t ro v e
Upon h er g o ld -b rig h t face ? O r shall I praise
H er o th er charm s ? I am confused fo r I
H ave not the skill to p ain t h er lovely lim bs
In w ords ! B ut thou w ilt surely see th y self
T om orrow : w hy should I th y tim e consum e ?
If once h e r charm s are thine, O Sire, th y h e a rt
Can n ev er rove again and all th y w ealth
T hoult place at S itas feet : and m a rk m y w ords :
T hoult bless me for m y pains w hen once th o u lookst
On h er : b u t all th y queens w ill v en t th e ir h a te
On m e for verily I bring them n o u g h t
B ut ru in . 2
A fter rousing R av an as passion for this unseen b eau ty ,
S h u rp an ak h a now reveals the m otive w hich induced h er to do so.
She tells him :
.....................4Possess her, im m erse th y soul
In love, w hile all th e w orld shall sing in joy
T hy m arriag e song : a guerdon now I claim :
P u t fo rth th y v alo u r and, defeatin g Ram ,
l eyes.

2 III vii 68-71, 73, 77.

R A V A N A

23?

W ed m e to him , for, him I love as life.

Though g reat th e m erit earned by austerities,
As destiny doth rule us all, no good
Can come to us except in its own time.
For, Sire, tis only now th a t thou a rt given
T enjoy th advantage of thy tw enty eyes
And arm s ! Tis such a fair th a t I did try
To bring for thee, w hen L akshm an b rother of Ram,
A ttacked and w ounded me. I hurried here
To tell thee this, and afte r telling all,
To go and end my life disgraced for ever ! 1
H ere in this conversation we see how K am ban keeps high
th e prestige and dignity of Ravana. His sister talks to him as
a suppliant and not as a virago who is used to tre a t h er b ro th er
w ith scant courtesy. See also how our poet exploits to th e full
th e dram atic possibility of the situation. S hurpanakha coming
as an injured suppliant w ith hands over h er head, th e rem arks
of the R akshasa people at the unheard of insult to th e ir pow er
and prestige, R avanas indignation at the sight of th e w rong to
w hich his sister had been subjected, his self-deprecation th a t
in any p a rt of his dominion such an ignominious insult should
be offered to his sister, the bringing in of the reference to K har
a t the psychological m om entall these are contrived and
arranged w ith the justesse of the trained m aster-artist.
H ere also we m ay note, in passing, K am bans ju st taste in
th e m atter of the architecture of the epic. Those who have
finally arranged and revised the Benares and S outhern Recensions
w hich agree w ith each other very closelyof V alm ikis
Ram ayana have not exhibited in this p a rt of the story th a t >
apprehension of bhavika w hich they so generally exhibit in th eir
recensions. In Canto XX XI of the Forest Book in these recensions,
a R akshasa nam ed A kam pana, after acquainting R avana of the
prow ess of Ram a continues thus :
' B u t guile m ay kill the wondrous m an :
A tte n d w hile I disclose the plan.
His w ife, above all w om en graced,
Is Sita of the dainty w aist,
W ith lim bs to fair proportion true,
A n d a soft skin of lustrous hue.
l HI vii 79-81.

-?38

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

R ound n eck and arm s rich gem s are tw in ed :

Sh e is th e gem o f w o m a n kin d .
W ith her no bright G andharvi vies,
No n y m p h or goddess in the skies ;
A n d none to rival her w ould dare
'M id dam es who part the long black hair.
That hero in the wood beguile,
A n d steal his lovely spouse the while.
'R e ft o f his darling w ife, be sure,
B rief days the m ourner w ill endure.'
This plan pleases H avana and he goes to M aricha and tells
him :
M y guards, the bravest of m y band,
A re slain by Ram a's vigorous hand ;
A n d Janasthan, that feared no hate
O f foes, is rendered desolate.
Come, aid m e in the plan I lay
To steal the conquerers wi f e aw ay
M aricha, how ever, speaks of the g reat prow ess of R am a an d
.advises H avana to give up his dangerous ideas. He says,
' A n d pacified and self-possessed,
To L anka's tow n return.
R est thou in her im perial bowers
W ith thine ow n w ives content.
A n d in the wood let Ram a's hoxtrs
W ith S ita still be spent.'
R avana takes the advice and retu rn s to L anka. T h en
S h u rpanak h a comes to R avanas court and afte r rep rim an d in g
him, gives an account of K h aras fall, R am as beauty and prow ess,
and S itas charm s and advises him she also as A kam pana to
steal aw ay Sita. R avana again flies to M aricha, to dem and his
help. This conversation betw een M aricha an d R avana, th o u g h
m uch m ore elaborate, is constructed as if th e first visit an d
conversation h ad not tak en place a t all.
This is such an obviously fau lty bhavika th a t we cannot
u nderstan d how th e com m entators like G ovindaraja and others
did not correct th e erro r and rem ove th e incident of A k am p an a
and the first m eeting w ith M aricha from th e story. I t is a s t ill

RAVANA

239

.greater w onder th a t B haskara copies even these re-d u p licatio n s in

his renderin g of th e Ram ayana. K am ban, as th e read e r w ould
have noticed, has cu t aw ay th e A kam pana incident alto g eth er an d
concentrates all his poetry and a rt in the elaborations w ith
H avana.
The Passion of R avana for Sita, being th e bija the seed
iro m w hich grow all th e subsequent incidents of th e story, w e
should have expected V alm iki to have em phasised and elaborated
it at the end of th e conversation betw een S h u rp an ak h a an d
Ravana. B ut n eith er in Canto XXXVI w here R avana tried to
persuade M aricha to disguise him self as a deer in order to inveigle
Ram a and L akshm ana from th e side of Sita, n o r in C anto X L
w here he th reaten s M aricha w ith d eath if he does n o t obey his
direction, does th e S am skrit poet lay em phasis on R avanas passion
fo r Sita.
We shall see how K am ban sows th e bija and develops it.
W hen S hu rp an ak h a had finished the description of S itas person,
says the poet :
all his anger and valour and sense of sham e now le ft his
heart, even as all good em otions leave th e soul into w hich
sin has gained entrance. Now lu st an d the pangs th a t
accom pany lu st becam e like tw o fires and m ingled w ith his
soul. S tru ck by the arrow s of M anm atha,1 he forgot K h ara,
he forgot the stren g th of his arm w ho m aim ed his sister, h e
forgot th e disgrace th a t had befallen him , he forgot th e lim its
of the blessings received by him , b u t he forgot n o t th e fa ir of
w hom his sister spoke.
His thoughts and th e nam e of Sita of th e slender w aist
had ceased to be tw o an d h ad become b u t one single c u rre n t :
had he now an o th er m ind to leave off one of them an d to
tak e only th e other ? How else could he forget h e r ? C an
even th e learn ed conquer lu st unless th ey have acquired
wisdom.
Even before he bro u g h t aw ay th e fair one w hose fo rm
w as like unto th e peacock, th e L ord of L an k a im prisoned h e r
w ithin th e dungeons of his h e a rt ! A nd th e re b y his h e a rt
began to slow ly m elt aw ay even as b u tte r w hen placed in th e
sun.
Because his own destiny egged him on from behind, an d
because his actions and thoughts of th e p ast w ere m a tu rin g
i The Indian Cupid.

1- -

40

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A STUDY

in 9 rd er to b ear th eir ap p ro p riate fruit, and also because th e

days of his prosperity w ere fast approaching th e ir appointed
end, th e pangs of his passion grew m ore and m ore intense
even as th e seed of evil secretly sown by an ignorant fool.
A nd M anm atha acquired th e stren g th to h it th e Eakshasa,
for in passion lies the force th a t can w ear aw ay s tre n g th .1
K am ban th en describes the pangs of the R akshasa filled w ith
his lustfu l thoughts. The whole description am ounting to eighty
stanzas is an extravaganza in w hich K am ban subm its to, or rath er,
he joyously and riotously follows the exam ples set by earlier
epic-poets and by his period. Thus he depicts R avana as feeling
a burning sensation all over his bodythe result of his passion for
Sita. The cool breeze th a t blows from th e sea only roasts his
limbs. He goes into a grove w ith spreading and shady trees and
tries to rest in a sum m er-house or a bed of new -plucked flowers.
B ut though it is m id -w in ter he cannot bear th e heat. He roars,
*1 hate this season, change it. A t once w in ter disappears and
spring takes its place. B ut w hat can cure those men who have
d ru n k the poison of love ? So, displeased w ith it, he calls for
th e autum n. T h at season too does not suit him, L et th ere be
no seasons ! he commands, and th en all th e seasons disappear
and L anka shines like heaven itself w here th e re are no seasons,
b u t one uniform and entrancing flow of time. B ut even then
th e body of the R akshasa continues to burn, for, w h at is th ere
in tim es and seasons ? Unless one conquers passion w ith
se lf-re stra in t one can n ever escape its stings.
Then he calls for the moon, and th en the sun, and finally
th e night, and each one of them comes trem bling at his bidding.
The darkness is palpable , visible , 4thick , black like a h e a rt
w ithout ru th . In th e night R avana sees the form of Sita floating
before him in th e form of a coral creeper. He raves about h er
an d a t length calls S h u rp an ak h a and asks h er to tell him w h eth er
th e form before him is th e very w om an th a t she h ad described
in the m orning. B ut she on h er p a rt raves in h e r passion.
She says :
The figure th a t stands over th ere is th a t of R am a of th e
strong bow, w ith his lotus-eyes and lips like red fru it, w ith
his broad chest and strong arm s and long b eau tifu l flower
garlands. Behold h e stands like a blue hillock. 2
B u t w hen he says that the figure th a t h e sees is fem ale in
shape, she replies th a t m en in love are used to see th e form s o f
i IH vii 82-87.

8 HI v 149.

RAVANA

241

th e ir loved ones projected before th e ir m inds eye as if th ey are

re a l persons. To th e question how it is th a t she saw th e form of
Ram a, she satisfies him by saying th a t ever since he m aim ed h er
she could n o t forget him. He asks h er again w h at w ill becom e
of m e w ho am suffering these to rtu res on account of h er ! She
th e n gives out th e suggestion w hich is th e seed of all th e subsequent
action of th e Ram ayana :
*Thou a r t th e undisputed m aster of th e universe. W hy
a rt thou th en hesitating to act ? Go to the place w here she
is and cap tu re h er for thyself !
It is afte r this th a t R avana consults his councillors and then
h u rries to w here M aricha was leading a retired life, to persuade
him to help him by his wiles to cap tu re Sita.
We have given a resum e of this e x tra v ag an t scene, in order
th a t the read er m ight see K am ban as he is, both in his stren g th as
w ell as in his w eakness. A lthough P an d its of th e old school w ill
go into ecstasies over these verses, critics whose taste is corrected
by a com parative study of the W estern as w ell as E astern poetry
cannot b u t condem n the extravagances in w hich K am ban indulges
in these verses. But the beauty and m erit of our poet is th a t
th e re are few occasions in w hich he offends th e taste of even th e
m ost exacting of critics. On th e other hand, th e richness of his
poetry, and the general justness of his taste, and his architectonic
skill are so conspicuous th a t these defects look only lik e th e d a rk
spots in the sun.
B ut even this extravagance, fau lty as it is w hen ta k en by itself,
serves a very necessary purpose in the schem e of the story. For,
w h at but such an intense and unreasoning passion could m ake
R avana cling to S ita to th e last, in spite of his ow n te rrib le defeats*
an d th e loss of K um bhakarna, A tikaya, In d ra jit, an d even his
reserve force ? So although w e should like th a t this passion h ad
been described in a m ore n a tu ra l m anner, w e cannot b u t adm ire
K am bans instinct in deciding th a t it ought to be described very
elaborately in th is p a rt of th e story. This passion of R avana fo r
S ita is not, how ever, th e v u lg ar lust of a depraved h eart, b u t
th e ten d er and delicate desire of a h e a rt th a t desires reciprocal
affection. He w an ts to conquer S itas h e a rt and w in h er w illing
love. He does n o t desire to force h er hand. T here is indeed
th e story and K am ban speaks of it in m ore th an one place, th a t
th e re is a curse on him that, the m om ent he tries to u nite w ith
a w om an against h e r will, his head w ould burst into a h u n d red
16

242

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

fragm ents. B ut our poet depicts R avana as if he genuinely, an d

n o t for fe a r of th e curse, desired1 th e w illing affection of Sita.
A nd so th e w ords he addresses to Sita are alw ays fu ll of a ra re
delicacy, tak in g ev ery circum stance into consideration. A t th e
first m eeting With Sita in the forest of D andaka, V alm iki m akes
R avana speak b lu n tly to h er like a v u lg ar w ooer of h er beauty.
T hough coming disguised as a sanyasin, V alm ikis R avana tells
her, am ong other things,
f T h y charms of sm ile and teeth and hair
A n d w inning eyes, O thou m ost fair,
Steal all m y spirit, as the flow
O f rivers m ines the hank below.9
His speech also lacks consistency w ith itself. F or w hile v ery
soon, w ith o u t any fu rth e r ado, he is going to announce him self
as Ravana, th e words,
f Leave, lady, leave this lone retreat
In forest w ilds for thee unm eet,
Where giants fierce and strong assume
All shapes and wander In the gloom .
Here giants roam a savage race,
What led thee to so dire a place ? '

a re m ore calculated to in ju re th an help his cause.

Sita is not in d ig n an t a t this v u lg ar an d alm ost lascivious
adm iration, b u t tells h er story at his request, and in th e end asks
him as to who he is. His rep ly can h ard ly be called delicate.
H e says,
Lord of th e giant legions, . . . .
R avan th e R akshas king arw I :
N ow w h en th y g o ld -like fo rm I view ,
M y love, O thou of p erfect m ould,
For all m y dam es is dead and cold.
A thousand fairest w om en, to m
F rom m a n y a land m y hom e adorn.
B u t come, loveliest lady, be
T he queen o f every dam e and m e.9

RAVANA

24S

We shall see how K am ban presents th e first m eeting of R avana

a n d Sita.
As soon as L akshm ana left th e cottage, R avana disguised
him self as a h erm it w ith a trip le staff in hand, in o rd er th e
b e tte r to deceive his victim . His body w as now th in as if
he had w orn it aw ay in fasts. He w ore a tired look as if
he had been w alking a long distance. He chanted th e V edas
tb th e accom panim ent of the Vina on w hich he w as p laying
him self. He stepped w ith th e softness of flowers falling on
th e ground he could not have been m ore circum spect if th e
ea rth he w alked on w as spread over w ith fire. S ita took
him for a h erm it of p u re thought and welcom ed him.
The flood-tide of passion was ag itatin g th e sea of his
h e a rt and his fram e w as suffused w ith sw eat as he saw w ith his
eyesh er who was the crow n of beaut}', th e hom e of honour,
and the queen of chastity. A t h er sight his strong shoulders
sw elled and shrank. It is little if we say th a t his eyes w ere
intoxicated w ith the sight of h er beau ty even as bees get
d ru n k w ith th e dripping honey of the flowers ; th e intoxication
of his h ea rt alone could com pare w ith th a t of his eyes. He
thought to him self, Can these tw en ty eyes be sufficient to
drin k in the beau ty of this fair one who has le ft h er lotus
hom e and come to live h ere below ? W hat p ity I have not,
a thousand unw inking eyes ? It is to enjoy th e ocean of
this dam sels charm s th a t I have been blessed w ith th re e
crore years and a half of m ortal life and all th e other blessings
th a t m y austerities have earned.
A gain he thought, I shall m ake h er queen of all th e th ree
w orlds and appoint all th e A suras and Devas w ith th e ir w ives
to obey h er every com m and, and I shall m yself obey h e r
slig h test w ish. A nother mood cam e on and now he said to
him self, If this is th e loveliness of h er face, w hen she is
u n d er a cloud of grief, w h at m ust be th e charm of h e r
heavenly sm ile ? I shall give aw ay m y th ro n e to m y sister
w ho discovered this b eau ty to me . W hile he w as th in k in g
on these things in his passion-inflam ed breast, Sita w iped
aw ay a falling te a r from h e r eyes and offered him th e m at
m ade of rushes to seat him self. He took his seat placing the
trip le staff beside th e m a t.1
A lthough K am ban fills in h ere th e p ic tu re qu ite differently
from V alm iki, h e does not hesitate to tak e a h in t from V alm iki
1 III viii 20-22, 26-34.

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KAMBA

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STUDY

fo r som e sublim e im ages w hich he im ports in to this scene* So

before h e takes up th e conversation betw een S ita an d H avana, h e
p rep ares a g rand background by saying th a t w h en th e R akshasa
sa t th e re revolving his nefarious purpose in his head,
The m ountains trem b led a t th e R akshas sight,
A nd trees a trem o r felt from low est root
Up to th e ir topm ost height. The birds grew dum b,
W hile beasts in te rro r crouched, and cobras stole
A w ay w ith sh ru n k en hoods ! 1
T he stu d en t of
lines in the N inth
m akes N atu re feel
ab o u t to befall th e

M ilton w ill here recall to m ind those sublim e

Book of the Paradise L ost w h erein th e poet
responsible for th e huge m isfortune th a t w as
hum an race th ro u g h the act of Eve :

So saying, h er rash hand in evil hour

F o rth reaching to the fru it, she plucked, she ate !
E arth felt the w ound and N atu re from h er seat
Sighing thro u g h all h er w orks gave signs of woe
T h at all w as lo st/'
T he conversation betw een R avana and Sita in K am ban begins
in th is w ise :

,
!

He sat an d sitting asked, w ho is the sage

T h at liv eth here ? A nd tell me, lady, who
A rt thou ? * W hen larg e-ey ed S ita th u s replied :
The chief of D ash arath a's royal race does live
In this re tre a t w ith his devoted b ro th er :
A nd he has tak en to th is forest life
In obedience to his h ig h -b o rn m o th er's com m ands ;
Thou m ust have h eard his nam e, O holy Sire !
*I ve h eard of him , he said, 1 b u t know him not,
Though once I w andered by th e realm s th a t re lav ed
By G anges holy stream . B ut who a rt thou,
A nd w hos th y sire, O dam e of large b rig h t eyes ? *
I am th e d au g h ter, S ita said, of sage
Ja n a k a who honours holy m en like th ee
As Gods. My nam e th erefo re is Ja n ak i,
A nd I m th e w ife of R am a of th e race

i in v iii 35.

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RAVANA

Of K ak u tsth a. Now holy sir, thou seem st

To h ail fro m fa r off lands, for tired is
Thy look. I p ray thee tell me, w hence dost thou
Thy holy person brin g ? *1
In reply to this question, th e preten d ed holy person fell to
-praising H avana and his glories. A fter giving a glowing account
of his sovereignty, beauty, and pow er and valour, he continued
th u s :
Though countless are the beauteous dam sels who
D esire to call him Lord, he hasnt given
His h e a rt to one of them : he is searching earth
And heaven for one who could delight his h eart.
I passed these days in L anka w here he reigns :
B ut as a longing came on me to join
My friends in holy endeavour, I left
His realm s and am come back to Jan asth an .* 2
The read er w ill notice the a rt w ith w hich th e conversation is
pushed on and th e dexterous m anner in w hich H avana is m ad e
to lay siege to S itas heart. No expression escapes th e lips of
H avana, w hich is indelicate, rough, or rude. R avana w orks only
b y suggestion, and very rem ote suggestion a t th at. The suggestion
is so rem ote th a t Sita does not notice it a t all a t th is stage a n d
only asks him,
O sir th a t shouldst reg ard the body ev n
As w eight unbearable, how didst thou choose
To dw ell in th e city of th e sinful beings
W ho honour not th e Veds or B rahm anas
A nd who do eat th e flesh of living kin d ?
Thou le ftst th e fo rest-lan d w here sages live,
Nor didst thou care for th e fertile realm s w here m en
Of holiness do congregate, b u t livedst
A m idst those H akshasas of w icked life.
W hat h ast thou done, O Sire of holy vows ? 3
.A nd then th e colloquy continues th u s :
The H akshas th u s replied : *O lad y fa ir
We w ho have conquered evil, how can w e fear
The H akshasas as cruel beings ! A nd if
t

1 III viii 36-40.

2 m vili 49, 50.

3 III viii 51, 52.

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KAMBA

H A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

Thou w an t th e tru th , I tro w th ey are n o t w orse

T han gods. In sooth, I find th e R akshasas
A frien d invaluable to m en lik e m e.
W hen S ita h eard his w ords sh e th o u g h t w ithin
H er h eart, 4he is no holy m an who th u s
Associates w ith evil oneshe is
Of those who follow w ith th e ir lips alone
The p a th of holiness.' She did not know ,
Poor innocent, th a t th e w ily R akshasas
Could a t th e ir w ill assum e w h atev er shape
O r form th ey pleased ; an d so she d id n 't suspect
A w orser g u ile .1 .............................................
The w ily R akshas felt a t once th a t he
H ad raised suspicions in fa ir S itas breast,
A nd th u s attem p ted he to sm ooth th em down.
A nd th o u m ust call to m ind, Q Ja n a k i,'
He said, th a t w hen th e R akshasas do ru le
The w orlds w ith o u t a peer, w h at can w e do
Of holy endeavour unless w e w alk
T heir w ay and earn th e ir friendship an d th eir love ? ' 2
The substance of the subsequent portion of this in terv iew till
H avana reveals him self as he is, has been given a t page 15 e t seq.,34
a n d so we shall not tran slate it here. We have, how ever, w e hope,
placed sufficient m aterial before th e read er to enable him to ju d g ^
fo r him self th e difference betw een V alm iki and K am ban in th e
description of R av an as courting, and consequently in th e
delineation of R avana's love for Sita.
In the second interview also betw een R avana and Sita, w hich
tak es place in th e A shoka grove, w hen H anum an sits concealed
in th e foliage of a tree close by, K am ban preserves th is sam e
delicacy on th e p a rt of R avana very carefully. V alm iki on th e
o th e r h an d m akes R avana b lu n t and rough in this in terv iew also.4'
H e m akes him begin his speech thus :
1 III viii 53, 54. The reader will recognise a flavour in these lines
similar to that in the lines in the Third Book of the Iliad, where Homer
speaks of Helen's ignorance of the fate of her brothers :
So spake the fair, nor knew her brothers doom,
Wrapt in the cold embrace of the tomb.
2 III viii 55.
3 At page 15 et seq. a bare outline only has been given ; for a fuller
account see the Chapter on Sita.
t
4 This interview is really the third in Valmiki. For he intervenes*
unnecessarily another interview between Ravana and Sita as taking,
place immediately after they reach Lanka.

HAVANA

247

* W h y dost th o u cover th y breasts and body a t sig h t o f

m e, O thou w hose thighs are like th e tru n k o f an elephant ?
I desire thee O S ita ; look upon m e w ith fa v o u r ! 9
O bserve th e enorm ous difference of tone in K am ban.
says :
W hat w as to him a poison m ortal, he
T h irsted to taste, as if it w as th e d rin k
Im m ortal, and his speech he th u s began :
4O K oil sw eet of th e slender w aist, w hen w ilt
Thou look on m e w ith ru th ? ......................
The days are passing one by one aw ay,
A nd th is is all th e kindness thou h ast show n
To me ! M eanst thou t accept m e w h en I m dead
Aye, m u rd ered by th y cru elty ? ........................
O th o u w hor t lovely like a te n d ril of gold,
Thou dost despise m y throne of high renow n !
B ut g ran tin g th a t th y husband liv eth yet,
A nd th o u canst see again A yodhya tow n,
W ouldst n o t thou find th e joys b u t h u m an joys ?
A nd w h a ts th e highest blessing tapasvins
D esire ? It is th e joyous life of those
T h at do m y favours w in by service leal !
O Sita, life and y o uth are tran sien t,
Thou canst not youth enjoy for long : if all
T hy days of youth are w asted thus, w h en dost
Thou hope to reap th e fru its of life ? Tis n o t
F or me, I grieve : I shall die w illingly,
If th a ts th y w ish : b ut if th y h e a rt is tu rn e d
To bitterness, show me an o th er one
Beside th y self for charm th a t n ev er cloys,
A nd love and b e a u ty s perfect shape.
S hall J a n a k s race in fem ale loveliness,
A nd stren g th of m ind and o th er noble charm s
Alone be rich, and w ilt thou m ake m en say,
T h at it does lack in tenderness an d ru th
A nd has a niggard h e a rt ? ...................
W hen all th y good deeds of th e past, betim es
M atured, are come to yield thee golden fru it,
W ilt thou for spite despise th e fru it an d su lk
A w ay ? ......................................................
Thou canst, if thou ,my p ray er g ran t, acquire

He

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KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

W ith ease a glorious nam e as saviour p ro u d

O f th e R akshas race : dost th o u th e sham e p refer,
To be pointed a t as its d estro y er fell ?
F o rtu n e h as placed w ith in th y reach, unasked,
T h im p erial crow n of all th e w orlds, and w ives
Of gods w ill be m aids to w ait on th ee ;
A nd thou dost scorn th e g ift ! W as ev er fool
Like thee ? O scorn it not b u t do accept
Me as th y slave, w ho ru le th e trip le w orlds
W ithout a riv al or a peer ! He ended :
A nd raising his hands above his serried heads,
He fell p ro stratin g at h er feet.1
If the love of H avana for Sita is of a h ig h er ty p e in K am ban,
it is, as th e read e r w ill have seen h ere and elsew here, n o t th e less
deep or less passionate or less absorbing. No defeat, no d eath
d eath even of his n earest and d earest w ill induce him to p a r t
w ith h er or give up th e hope of m aking h er his own. It is only
w hen In d ra jit had fallen on th e field th a t in a paroxysm of grief,
he rushes sw ord in hand to k ill her, b u t th e w ords of M ahodara
cool him and he becomes him self again. In a fancy of M andodari,
w hen she lam en ts for h er fallen lord, our poet has co ncentrated
all th a t can be said of th e depth of R av an as love for Sita, an d
w ith th a t w e shall close this phase of R av an as ch aracter. K am ban
m akes h er say th u s :
*The noble fram e th a t lifted high th e h ill
O f Shiv is pierced th ro u g h and th ro u g h by d arts :
T here is not even space for a sesm um seed
To rest oer all its v ast expanse ! Did Ram
D esire to sound and see th e exact spot
W here did reside m y R av an s m ighty sp irit ?
O r did th a t heros conscious d arts believe
T h at love for Ja n a k i m ight y et rem ain
Concealed w ith in th a t handsom e fram e, and did
T hey probe for it, oe r every n eed le-p o in t
Of space th erein ? 2
I t is n o t alw ays, how ever, th a t R avanas h e a rt w as so fu lly
engrossed by passion for wom en. I t is only a fte r h earin g ab o u t
S ita th a t passion fo r w om en becam e th e p red o m in an t note of hi3
1 V i v 24, 26-29, 31-37.

2 VI x x x v i 239.

RAVANA

24

character. B ut before th a t, love of pow er, love of w arlik e

enterprises and love of glory w ere th e chief characteristics of th e
g reat R akshasa. Even afte r the en try into his soul of th is
inordinate passion for Sita, glory and love of m ilitary achievem ent
occupy a very high place in his heart. So, w hen M aricha tries to
dissuade him from his nefarious attem p t to steal Sita aw ay,
H avana replied to one of his argum ents in these w ords :
4My sw ay is undisputed oer the w orlds :
If new foes rise w h at can delight my h e a rt
B etter ? 1
Thus again during the first interview w ith Sita, he cannot
bear her rem arks against his prowess, although she is speaking
to him not know ing who he is, he being still disguised as a
w andering herm it. So,
W hen she these stinging w ords did speak, his eyes
Flashed fire : he ground his lig h tn in g -lad en teeth
W hich crashed out th u n d er : and his false form burst,
Revealing all his branching arm s and crow ns
U preaching to the sky. 2
It is this sense of honour th a t m akes him feel acutely th e
ignom iny of th e m aim ing of S h u rp an ak h a by R am a an d
L akshm ana. W hen H anum an had b u rn t th e city of L an k a and
escaped alive, he feels the sham e of it m ore keenly th a n th e loss
of his im m ense treasu res or even the destruction of his capital.
He says in his council afte r the rebuilding of the city by th e
^architects of the heaven :
4The w orld resounds w ith b ru it of our disgrace,
And y et I am not dead, b u t sit w ith pride
Upon this t h r o n e .........................................
The air of L anka smells w ith tresses singed
Of R akshas dam es, and yet we sit in peace
As if enjoying th o d o u r ........................................
If the V anara at least had fallen killed
By R akshas swords, our honour m ight have been
Redeem ed : b u t now w ere drow ned in ignom iny. 3
i III vii 199.
3 VI ii 12-14.

2 III viii 64.

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Again, w hen S ugriva leaps on him , th e w hile he w as observing,

th e enem ys arm y a t th e com m encem ent of th e hostilities, a n d
a fte r a h an d to h an d struggle w ith him plucks aw ay th e gem s
on his crowns, he feels acutely th e sham e of such a d efeat an d
says to him self ; It w ere b e tte r if I h ad died.
A nd w here except p erhaps in M iltons S atan, can w e find
g re a te r prid e or d eterm ination th an exhibited by H avana in th e
course of th e w ar ? H avanas au th o rity is g reater th an S ata n s :
none dares question his au th o rity , none dares even to presum e
to advise him except K um bhakarna. A nd see how he tre a ts
K u m b h ak arn a w hen he advises him, and how K u m b h ak arn a
subm its to his w ill th e m om ent he sees th a t R avana is th reaten ed .
I t is tru e th a t In d ra jit uses b itte r w ords to R avana, and D anam ala
is even h ard er as h er w ords are m ore taunting. B ut in both th ese
cases it is in the paroxysm of th e ir grief th a t these w ords escape
th e ir lips. A nd on both these occasions, R avana him self w as
grieving along w ith them for the loss of his v alien t sons on th e
field.
Note, how ever, In d ra jits concern for th e honour of his fath e r,
even a t th e m om ent th a t he reprim ands him for sending A ksha
against H anum an a fte r he had shown such prowess. F or w h en
h e sees A kshas body on the ground he says :
Alas tis not my b ro th er lying dead
It is m y fa th e rs glory faded lies
Upon th e ground. 1
And, afte r the th ird b attle w ith L akshm ana, w hen he advises
R avana to send Sita aw ay, see how subm issive In d ra jits tone has
become. He is afraid even to say th a t it is th ro u g h R avanas
passion for Sita th a t all these m isfortunes have befallen them .
H e m erely says,
O ur race h ath sinned or such a pow erful foe
Arises not for us. 2
Such is the aw e w ith w hich In d ra jit regarded his father. A nd
need w e recall to th e read e r th e reply of R avana to this suggestion
o f hi son, to th e sublim e sentim ents and h au g h ty tone of w hich
v ery few passages in W orld lite ra tu re can afford a p arallel ? In
i V xii 5.

2 VI x x v ii 4.

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251

how m any epics can we find sentim ents and language 1 like th e
follow ing ?
.................... T hink not th a t I did count
On those m y m en who are alread y fallen :
T hink n o t I counted on th e crew th a ts yet
Alive. T hink not I hoped th a t thou w ouldst beat
My foes upon th e field : in m y sole rig h t arm
I placed my. tru st and I provoked this w ar !
Evn if I lose, if R am as nam e w ill stand,
My nam e, w ill not it also stand as long
As Veds are sung on e a rth ? A nd w ho canst d eath
Escape th a t comes to all ? We live to -d ay ,
T o-m orrow finds us not : b u t glory, doth
It ever die ? .....................................................
.............................................................. Die I m ay
B ut can I stoop to sham e and littleness ? 2
A nd in th e m outh of how m any of the creations of poetic
genius w ill such w ords ap p ear as n a tu ra l as these do in th e m outh
of R avana ? In fact, K am ban has carved his R avana in such
proportions th a t no w ords th a t m ay be p u t into his m outh can
b e too brave or too ex alted for his m oral statu re.
Now, w hile R avana is proud and exacting w hen w h at he
th in k s to be his honour is concerned, he is not w ith o u t deep
affection for his b ro th er and sons. In fact his love for th em falls
sh o rt only ju st a little of his love of glory and honour. We have
seen how he m elts into tears w hen K u m b h ak arn a starts for the
field. W hen m essengers come and tell him th a t K u m b h ak arn a
h as fallen in th e field, he falls dow n unconscious like an uprooted
sal tree. Says th e poet :
F rom childhoods days they had not lived a p a rt :
Though tw o th e ir bodies, th e ir life w as only one.
W hen such a b ro th er died, and for his sake,
T he h e a rt of R avan broke in two, he swooned ;
A nd th u s lam ented he his fate aloud :
1 We always refer to the words of Kamban and not to our transla-1tion, the inadequacy of which, we realise more keenly than the hardest
of critics.
2 VI xxvii 8, 10, 11.

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4 O brother, who h ast destroyed th e D anav hosts,

As a tu sk e r does the oer-g ro w n lotus pond !
O hero, w ho erasedst g reat In d ra s nam e
F rom th e list of kings ! O first of R akshasas !
Lived I so long alone to h ear these w ords ?
0 thou of the flashing lance, th y d ear face
Is hid from me : I speak these w ords an d y e t
1 cling to life ! If thou h ast gone, O b ro th er,
In the hardness of th y h e a rt abandoning me,
Who w ill believe again in brotherhoods love ?
If thou a rt fallen th u s upon th e field,
W ould not yon In d ra go in triu m p h back
To his celestial realm ? A nd D anavas
Who live in te rro r of our eye, w ouldnt th ey
O ur valour mock and try to w alk erect ?
O thou, to w hom th e M eru hill w as b u t
A scrubbing stone at bathing tim e ! The w ord
T h at thou a rt killed by th arrow of a m an
T hat w ord doth b u rn me to th e quick and doth
Consume m y h e a rt w ith sham e.........................
The trip le lance of Shiva b lu n t fell,
A nd disk of Vishnu, and the th u n d erb o lt
Of Indra, K ing of H eaven lost th e ir force,
The m om ent they did touch th y ad am an t chest !
A nd do I h ear it said the feeble d arts
Of yonder m en had pow er to pierce th y fram e ?
A nd so I hear it said th e y re stru ttin g oer
The field in glee, proud of this victory ?
W hile thou w ert m arching proud in victory
To victory, I had m y fill of the joy
Of life, b u t now th a t thou a rt dead, m y brother,
I do not care to live. I cannot live
Alone, nor shall I let thee go alone :
I come, m y elephant proud, I cme, I come ! 1
Sim ilarly, w hen A tik ay as death w as announced to him , te a rs
gushed forth from his eyes : he sobbed and stood like a sea
agitated by the changing em otions dashing one against an o th er
of grief and sham e, and p ity and indignation, and heroic
determ ination. Now he w ould look in th e direction of th e b a ttle
field ; now he w ould look at th e Devas standing aro u n d : n o w
1 VI xvi 83, 86.

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253

h e w ould th in k on th e u n b earab le sham e of his sons d efeat and

d e a th ; now he w ould look a t his sw ord th a t had earn ed for h im
so m any triu m p h s ; now he w ould w ring his hands in despair.
Now like a m ad m an he w ould in tu rn s sm ile and weep, fro w n
an d crouch in sham e. Now he w ould th in k of dem olishing th e
v a u lt of heaven ; now he w ould th in k of lifting th e e a rth ; now
h e w ould th in k of destroying all life in one fell swoop. T hen he
w ould th in k of cleaving in tw o th e bodies of all w ho bore th e
n am e of w om an. B u t w hen this th o u g h t w ould cross his m ind,
h e w ould feel th e p ang as of a w ound th a t is seared by fire. None
aro u n d him did open his m outh. None even d ared to breathe.
Those w ho stood by him suppressed th e ir v ery thoughts. Such
w as th e ir te rro r w hen his h e a rt w as th u s to rn w ith grief. B ut
it is the new s of In d ra j i t s d eath th a t causes him th e g reatest
grief. For, u n iq u e w as th e love th a t he h ad for th is son : and
unique th e p rid e th a t he felt in his prow ess and achievem ents.
P eople knew th e in ten sity of his love so w ell th a t those w ho
bro u g h t th e new s from th e field trem b led an d shook 4to th e v ery
root of th e ir te e th , and ju st stu tte re d out th e w ords 4T hy son
has fallen today . The tapasvins and th e D evas an d th e
D evadasis and others who stood by his side vanished from th ere,
fearin g th a t in th e first paroxysm of grief and an g er H avana
w ould surely end th e w orld. W hen he h eard th e w ords, his eyes
flashed fire, and he drew his sw ord and w ith one fell sweep he
beheaded th e m essengers who brought him th e new s. Such was
th e m adness of his w ra th and grief.
He th en fell dow n on the ground, and 4boiling like th e churned
ocean w hen it vom itted fo rth the poison, he bew ailed the loss
of his son th u s :
He w ould cry out 4O m y child ! ; he w ould call out 4O
m y g re a t son ! Now again he w ould cry, 4O m y life, do
I yet live w hen thou a rt dead ? He w ould ask, 4 Has In d ra
been avenged ? and again, 4did the doom ed Devas shout
in triu m p h a t his fall ? and once again, 4are S hiva and th e
th ief w ho has tak en refuge in the Sea of M ilk now freed for
ever of th e ir te rro r ? 1 ..........................................
The poet th en p u ts one lam ent each into each of th e ten
m ouths of H avana. Though this looks ra th e r too artificial, th e re
are some fine thoughts in these stanzas w hich are w orth being,
placed before th e read e r :
i VI x x v iii 7, 10, 11.

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STUDY

W ith one m outh he w ould call out O child ! W ith

an o th er he w ould ask, Shall I y et sit on th e th ro n e an d ru le ? *
W ith th e th ird m outh he w ould accuse him self saying, O
thou of pow erful arm s, can I continue to live w ho h a v e
delivered th ee over to the foe ?
A nother m outh w ould lam ent, Thou h ast not em braced
me, O son, w ith th y pow erful and b eau tifu l arm s ; w hile
anoth er w ould cry aloud, shall a deer eat up a tig er cub ?
W ith an o th er m outh he w ould exclaim , A rt thou really
dead, my son ? I have lost in thee the best of friends. Is it
guile or treach ery th a t overcam e thee ? A nd th en he w ould
say, W ilt th o u not come to m e ? A nd th en again, I h av e
become alone, all alone ! My h e a rt b reak s and fear h as seized
on m e !
W ith an o th er he lam ented, 4D eath m u st hav e lacked
courage to face thee and tak e th y life aw ay, O son of
m easureless valour ! To w h at other w orld th en h ast th o u
gone unknow n even to me ? 1
A fter bew ailing thus at his palace, R avana rose and w en t
to the battle-field to search for the body of his son.
He searched th e heaps of the slain for th e body of his
son. A fter a long search he found his m ighty arm , its g rip
of th e bow not loosened, though it w as severed from th e tru n k .
T ears fell dow n his cheeks and his h e a rt m elted a t th e sight
as th e ghee in fire. . . . He took th e arm long and b eau tifu l
like th e body of a cobrajingling w ith th e sounds of arm lets
and bangles, and quivers and d arts infixed in it, and nlaced
it like a holy relic on his head. He w ould em brace it w ith
his arm s ; he w ould p u t it ro und his neck ; he w ould touch
his eyes w ith it w ith g reat devotion ; he w ould p u t it again
on his head ; he w ould swoon aw ay ; he w ould sob again.
A t last he saw the body like a vast ocean and he fell on it
and w ept. He took th e body, and w ith tears w elling up from
his eyes, pressed it to his bosom and groaned. Who has ev er
fe lt th e pangs th a t he did feel a t th a t tim e ?
He w ould pluck th e d arts from th e body one by one,
and even b reak to pieces th e d arts th u s plucked ; he w ould
su dden ly fall into a swoon ; he w ould kiss the body a n d
em brace it ; he w ould desire in his w ra th to crunch w ith h is
te eth th e sun and all th e seven w orlds.2
1 VI x x v iii 16, 17, 19, 22.

2 VI xxviii 26-32.

HAVANA

255

He th en searched for th e head, b u t could n o t find it an y w h ere

upon the field. So he concluded th a t th e m en m ust have carried
i t aw ay ; and the th o u g h t pierced his h e a rt as a w ound reopened.
A n d he once again b u rst fo rth in lam entations in this w ise :
I could th e m am m oths tam e th a t b ear the ea rth
A loft ; I could the hill uproot and lift,
On w hich the g reat God th ree-ey ed sits enth ro n ed ;
A ll these w ere feeble foes enough. A re m en
Alone to be too strong for me ? O fie
On me th a t bear this load of sham eless life,
A nd see them live unscathed, w hove killed m y son
A nd carried off his head ! A nd I have b u rn t
F air A laka 1, and In d ra s spacious realm s
As food to fire consigned, and have I ru led
The w orlds w ithout a riv al all these days,
O nly w ith these m y eyes to see m y childs
F air lim bs devoured by greedy jackals vile ?
0 b itte r is m y food th a n food of dogs !
Of those who proudly m arched to w ar w ith him ,
1 see not one alive ; all, all are fallen,
W hile, of the foes, the m en are y et alive !
Nor is th a t m onkey killed ; and m any stan d
U nharm ed : Is not the valour of R avan g reat ?
If th y K handarpa, Y aksha, Siddha w ives
The fairest of th e fair, w hose very speech
Is music soft if they, O son, should come
A nd falling a t m y feet should cry, O give
Us back our lord ! shall I m y tears join
W ith th eirs and w eep w ith them , ev n I who have
V anquished th e God of D eath him self in w ar ?
In days gone by I ve carried fire and sw ord
To In d ra s realm s, and h ad th em b ro u g h t b en eath
My sceptre strong ; b u t now to passion fallen
A slave, th e fu n eral sacrifices, w hich
I th course of n a tu re thou shouldst offer me,
I hav e to offer th ee w ith m ingled tears
A nd sighs ! W hos th e re like m e in all th e w orlds ? *2
I t now rem ains for us to consider th e v alo u r an d exploits
o f H avana. In fact, it is his valour an d g reat prow ess a n d
1 The capital of Kuberas kingdom.
2 VI xxviii 35-39.

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KAM BA

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STUDY

invincibility on w hich th e w hole story of th e epic is based. F o rr

it w as because th e gods could n o t them selves d estroy his
ty ran n ical pow er th a t they w ent to V ishnu and prayed to him to
come dow n and destroy him , and th a t He consented to in carn ate
H im self as 4th e em perors holy son \ The pow er and th e
unriv alled conquests of the R akshasa loom larg e over th e w hole
background of th e Ram ayana. W hen Ram a en ters th e Corest,
A gastya and th e other Rishis come and p ray to him to free the
w orld from R av an as ty ran n y saying :
4For untold years w e have been suffering from th e
tyrannous ru le of R avana, w ho has acquired th e sovereignty
of th e th ree w orlds by his endless tapas. W ho can overpow er
th e m ighty R avana, w ho m akes th e D evas flee before him
and carries aw ay th e ir wives, w ho m akes th e very confines
of th e universe resound w ith th e cry of his enem ies and
plunders all th e ir w ealth ? . . .
We see th e R akshasas spread
them selves up to th e farth est w orlds, b u t now here can v/e
find th e holy Devas. Shiva has loaded th e R akshasas w ith all
his blessings and sw orn th a t he w ould n o t raise his h an d
against them , w hile V ishnu has been often defeated by them .
B rahm a is able to get on w ith his w ork only by flattering
them , an d th e sun and other planets are only lately released
from th e ir prisons in th e land of th e R akshasas. 12
It is w ith these and sim ilar exploits behind him th a t R avana
comes before us in th e Ram ayana. A nd so it is th a t the hyperbolic
language, w hich K am ban puts into R av an as m ouths and of others
concerning his prow ess and exploits, does not sound incongruous
o r ab su rd b u t quite consistent w ith his ch aracter and statu re.
W e shall tak e one case as an instance. In his in terv iew in
Ja n asth a n , ju st before revealing him self, R avana says to S ita :
4Dost th o u w an t th e M eru H ill to be uprooted, or th e
v au lt of heaven to be broken, or th e ocean to be stirred to
its depths, or th e fire in its bosom to be extinguished, or even
th e earth to be lifted on high ? W hich of these is im possible
to R avana, w hose w ords are few b u t deeds are m ighty and
m any. Who dost thou tak e R avana to be, O innocent one ? 92
T hough o rd in arily speaking, this is th e language of w ild
exaggeration, we feel no incongruity even as w e find none in th e
1 These are six poems which are to be found in some editions of'
Kam ba Ramayana between the 14th and 15th poems in Book III
padalam iii.
2 III viii 62.

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R A V A N A

b attles of th e A ngels in the Paradise Lost, w here

M illions of fierce encountering angels fought
On eith er side, the least of w hom could w ield
These elem ents and arm him w ith th e force
Of all th e ir regions.
And our poet has, by his grand style as w ell as by the a ttitu d e
he gives to other ch aracters in th e presence of R avana, succeeded
in giving the im pression of reality to these hyperbolic descriptions
of the valour and pow er and physical stren g th of th e R akshasa.
T he read er w ill rem em ber readily th e contrivances th a t K am oan
m akes in order to create this im pression. We shall, therefore,
give here th e tran slatio n of b u t one passage o u t of th e m any
scattered in all p arts of the Ram ayana and especially th e Y u d d h a
K anda, th e cum ulative effect of all w hich passages is to m ake
m ore distinct and to intensify th e im pression.
A fter th e V anara arm y had crossed over to L anka, R am a
sends an u ltim atu m to R avana asking him eith er to deliver Sita or
come out and fight. It is A ngada, th e son of Vali, th a t was
selected to go and deliver the u ltim atu m personally to R avana,
for Ram a said :
If this tim e too we send our H anum an,
O ur foes w ill th in k th ere's none besides him here
In all our host to dare th e R akshas pow er,
A nd fearless en ter L anka tow n. I w ish
T h at An gad go today ; for, even if forced
To fight, he has th e valour, force to force
To meet, and safely to our side re tu rn . 1
A ngada m ade his respects, and springing into th e air like a
lion, he flew into L anka w ith th e sw iftness of R am as arrow ,
brim m ing w ith joy w ith the thought,
Now who of all th e V anaras are like
To me, for w ith his holy lips m y Ram
Has said, If H anum an is not to go,
Whom can we send b u t A ngada ? 2
W hen A ngada dashed thro u g h th e streets of L anka, the
R akshasas fled in terro r, believing him to be H anum an come back
to desolate th e ir city once again. Such was th e appearance and
i VI xiii 9.

17

* VI x iii 13.

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STUDY

pow erful aspect of th e m ighty son of Vali. B ut this hero, w hen

he sees H avana seated, listening to th e accounts received of h is
foes and inspecting w ith pride his arm y as it w as m arching to
th e field, w onders at his stren g th and th in k s w ith in him self in
this wise :
4We p rid e ourselves upon our having crossed
Yon p uny strait, and w h at have w e b u t stones
A nd trees w ith w hich to fight ? Has een th e God
O f D eath th e force to vanquish him ? Then who
Can m eet th e R akshasa of the shining arm s
Upon th e field on equal term s ? I see
A feeble ray of hope in R am as bow.
B ut th a t I see th a t he has come to b attle
In person, who did w ith a single d a rt
My fa th e rs chest pierce through m y fath e r g reat
Who trium phed oer this R avana him self
Can I believe th ere lives a living m an
O r God w ho can defeat this m ighty giant ? 1
A nd th en A ngada im presses on us th e sam e idea by an o th er
tu rn of thought. He continues :
4Who has the m ight to k ill this Rakshasa,
Though broken by his unrequited passion ?
And so I th in k th a t none is stronger th an
My uncle brave, who yesterday did spring
On him and tore from off his crown the gem s,2
As G arud tears its gem from the cobras hood ! 3
We have now described the m ain traits of R avanas character,
so far as is possible w ithin the lim its of space we have fixed
ourselves. We shall close the study of the great enem y of R am a
w ith a short description of the tw o g reat b attles w hich he fights
w ith him.
W hen A ngada retu rn ed from the palace of R avana he told
Ram a, in reply to his inquiry about the success of his em bassy,
th a t
4His passion wil not bate till all his heads
Do roll upon the ground. 4
and so Ram a gave his final orders for the battle.
1 VI xiii 16, 17.
3 VI xiii 13.

2 See page 250.

4 VI xiii 43.

HAVANA

25

Rocks and tre e -tru n k s w ere, in accordance w ith his

instructions, th ro w n in th e m oat surrounding L an k a tow n, an d
.a bridge m ade for the V anara arm y to m arch up to and escalade
th e w alls of the city. They w ere divided into four divisions,
each of w hich m arched and established th eir line at th e four gates
of th e city. The scouts of each of these divisions sprang u p o n
th e w alls and attack ed w ith roots and tru n k s of trees th e divisions
of the enem y as th ey w ere m arching out. T he enem ys soldiers
dislodged these scouts from th e w alls w ith g reat difficulty, and
a t length found them selves face to face w ith th e divisions of R am a
in th e great plains outside th e ir city.
The fight began on all sides in rig h t earnest. Rocks and
stones and trees w ere flung fiercely by th e V anara heroes against
th e R akshasas, w hile th e R akshasas used th e ir bows and sw ords,
m aces and lances, w ith terrific effect against th e V anaras.
E lephants and horses rolled dow n on the ground, th e ir blood
ru n n in g in stream s to th e ocean, chariots w ere broken to pieces,
a n d R akshasa heads w ere piled one over an o th er like m o u n tain
boulders. The V anaras fell in thousands and tens of thousands,
an d th eir bodies floated dow n to th e sea in th e v ery stream form ed
of th e ir blood. A ngada and Sugriva, Nila an d Jam b h av an , an d
H anum an fought fiercely, and th e V anaras u n d er th e ir com m ands
annih ilated the R akshasa arm ies on all the four fronts.
The R akshasa m essengers brought to R avana th e new s of th e
failu re of the arm ies u nder D urm ukha, Suparsu, V ajram ushti, an d
P rah asta. R avana was stung w ith sham e to h ear th a t the despised
m onkeys w ere able to destroy th e w arriors th a t had conquered
w orlds after w orlds in the past. He exclaim ed :
Did m onkeys b eat the veteran R akshasa troops
Who brought dow n In d ra s flag ? The w ord does b urn
My h e a rt like ghee-fed fire ! The V anar m ites
To beat the R akshasas of the ro ck -lik e arm s !
W ell have the wise declared, T hink n ot th a t fire
Or foes are weak, b u t ever keep them dow n. 1
So saying, he ordered reinforcem ents to m arch out im m ediately
to th e support of his broken arm ies, and him self m ade p rep aratio n s
to ta k e th e field in person.
He did th e b a ttle -c a r ascend to w hich
W ere yoked one thousand stallions fleetr

i VI xiv 1, 92.

It w as
)

260

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N M ---- A

STUDY

The car th a t In d ra le ft as prize, w hen he

Did flee before th e R akshas arm s, and w hich
H ad flown over heaven, a sym bol of R av an s pride
A nd sovereignty unrivalled. O cean-like
W as its g ran d rev erb eratin g roll. His bow
W as by his side, th e bow w hich he, before
He took, had w orshipped w ith devotion deep.
Can w e a t all describe in w ords its force,
W hen th e God of D eath him self w ith te rro r dies,
W henever he hears its tw ang ? ...............
A lthough the tuneful V ina w as th e sign
Upon his b an n er bright, his stan d ard did
Oershadow all th e universe and seem ed
To lick th e heaven and earth like Y am as tongue.1
He took all th e divine w eapons th a t p ast austerities hacL
arm ed him w ith, and m arched to th e n o rth ern front. W hen R am a
w as inform ed th a t R avana had come to the field, he also p u t on
his arm ou r and girded his sword, and bow in hand, he left th e
cam p from w here he was w atching the fight, and approached
th e fighting line w ith the choicest of his troops.
In the m eantim e, th e fight betw een th e reinforcem ents of
R avana and the V anara troops w as fierce and aw ful. T here w as
g reat carnage on both sides. W hen R avana a t length arriv ed on
th e field and tw anged his m ighty bow, even the R akshasas
trem b led a t th a t resonant tw ang ; w h at th en of th e V anaras ?
E ven th e Devas w ere filled w ith terro r, as if th ey h eard th e
th u n d e r of th e Day of Deluge. The V anaras tu rn ed an d fled. B ut
S ugriva who w as th ere lifted a big boulder and aim ed it straig h t
a t th e R akshasa. It came w hirling thro u g h th e air giving out
sp ark s of fire, b u t one arrow from R avanas bow broke it into
fragm ents and it fell harm less. Seeing th a t, S ugriva tore a tre e
by th e roots, as if tearin g th e very bowels of th e E arth-G oddess,
bu t, before he could aim it, th e enem y sent an arrow w hich cut
it into a thousand pieces, even in th e hands of Sugriva. The la tte r
th e n lifted a huge rock and h u rled it on the foe, b u t even th a t
m e t the same fate as th e previous one. B efore he could do
an y th in g fu rth er, R avana sent a show er of arrow s and buried, th em
in to his m ighty fram e, and he fell exhausted.
B ut ju st a t th a t tim e, H anum an, who h a d been fighting on
th e w estern front, cam e to know of S u g riv as condition, even as if
h e had been all th e w hile by his side, an d ru sh ed to his help*
1 VI xi v 95, 96, 101.

JR A V A N A

261

in a trice. A nd then, saying :

. 4W ouldst thou show th y skill and b attle w ith me, O
H akshasa, th e w hile S ugriva gets read y to resum e th e fight ? ' 1
h e lifted bodily a huge hillock and h u rled it against H avana w ith
his arm , tru e like V edas self. H avana looked fiercely on him ,
an d saying, 4Come on for th y share , sent sim ultaneously ag ain st
it th e arrow s w hich blew it into atoms. H anum an broke an o th er
m ountain peak an d aim ed against one of R avanas arm s w ith all
h is force. It stru ck th e arm tru e, b u t broke to pieces th e m om ent
it touched it.
Such w as th e stren g th of R avanas arm . In d ig n an t
a t his failu re to m ake an im pression on th e R akshasas body,
H anum an w as tak in g a larg er rock, b u t R avana sent his terrific
d a rts and pierced H anum ans body w ith them .
H anum an, how ever, stood his ground firm, and w hile th e .
Devas w ere w ondering w h eth er any m ortal being could have such
endurance, he tore up a tree by its roots and sent it w h irlin g
against R avana. The tree stru ck the charioteer and felled h im
dow n, and ricochetted and killed other R akshasas besides.
A nother charioteer took the place of th e fallen R akshasa ; R avana
sen t a heavier rain of arrow s w hich buried them selves all over
H an u m an s body and p u t him out of action for a tim e, w hile blood
flowed in to rren ts from his wounds. As H anum an sank on th e
ground, R avana exclaim ed :
4T hink ye w ith stones and trees, and h airy arm s
A nd fists, and shining teeth and em pty words,
To vanquish R akshas m ight ? W hen I have come,
(Though tarnished is m y glory w hen I face
Such puny foes) and send my iron hail
A gainst ye, can ye hope t escape w ith life ? 2
But, not desiring to aim a t a foe already stricken dow n,
R a v an a aim ed m illions of d arts against the V an ara troops w hich
h ad reform ed in the rear. The troops w ere ag itated terrib ly , even
as a sea th a t is agitated by storms. Now L akshm ana, who w as
in the rear, advanced to m eet Ravana, like a M eru H ill arm ed w ith
a bow. A t the sound of his bow -string, the R akshasa arm y fled
as h erd of elephants at the ro ar of a lion. He sent his arro w s
against Ravana, but the veteran troops of R avana form ed
them selves as a guard before him and gave b attle to L akshm ana.
T hey w ere, how ever, destro y ed by the unceasing rain of arro w s
l VI xiv 133.

2 VI x iv 139.

262

KAMBA

R A M A Y N A M A. S T U D Y

fro m th e bow of L akshm ana. C hariots and elephants, horses a n #

ftakshasas rolled one upon another, stricken by his c o b ra -lik e
d arts. Even th e Devas could n o t say w h eth er he w as still aim ing
o r w h eth er he w as discharging th e arrow s from his bow. T h e
lances and m aces and o th er arm s aim ed against him by th*
R akshasas w ere all broken to pieces by his arrow s.
Down fell th e R akshas heroes bold upon
The field, some stru ck by L ak sh m an as fiery darts,
A nd some by th e severed heads of th e ir ow n friends.
The bow of L akshm ana won its la u re l crow n
On th a t day of days, w hile fiercely b u rn ed th e fire,
N am ed R avanas h eart, a t triu m p h of his f o e .1
So R avana faced L akshm ana and em ployed all his bow m ans
sk ill against him , b u t could m ake no im pression on him .
L akshm ana w as able to p a rry all his w eapons, o rd in ary and divine.
W hile th ey w ere still engaged, H anum an recovered from his swoon,
a n d striding up betw een th e tw o com batants addressed Ravana*
th u s :
I

Tis tru e thou, vanquished hast the trip le w orlds

By th y m ight th a t knew no w aning ; an d thou hast
D estroyed the glory of th e K ing of H eaven,
A nd spread th y ru le to th ends of th universe !
B ut this day, R akshasa, w ill be th y last ! 2
So saying, he took th e gigantic shape w hich he show ed to*
S ita, and challenged R avana again in this wise :
*Thou a rt a skilful w ielder of th e bow,
A nd sw ord and mace, and every w eapon of war.
Thou a rt a m aster of th e w a rrio rs art,
A nd g re a ts th y fam e for valo u r and for strength.
B ut if thou d are to fight w ith me w ith fists,
W ith one blow of m y fist I w ill destroy
Thy stren g th and skill and fame, and v alo u r high
R enow ned ! W hy w aste m ore w ords ? A lthough thy*
fram er
Could n o t be shaken by th e m am m oths eight,
O r S hivas hill, canst thou forsooth, escape
A live w hen thou m y m atchless V anar blows
i VI xi v 155.

2 VI xiv 161.

RAVANA

263

R eceivest ? If th o u die n o t w hen I m y blow s

D eliver, th o u m ay st, O thou of th e ro ck -lik e arm s,
. R e tu rn m y blow w ith all th y m ight, an d then,
If I rem ain alive, I shall no m ore
C hallenge th ee on th e field / 1
T his w as th e first tim e, a fte r H anum an h ad b u rn ed L anka, th a t
H avana saw him face to face and w ith in ear-sh o t. W hile he w as
filled w ith an g er for th e in ju ries th a t he h ad done to L an k a as
w ell as to R akshasa prestige, R avana adm ired his courage, and
cleverness, and prow ess, an d so he addressed him in these w ords :
Thou speakest lik e a hero, O m ighty ape !
W ho else b u t th ee can fearless stan d before
My presence stern ? T hy glory is as g reat
As th universe itself : Can au g h t besides
C ontain th y fam e ? Though thou h ast k illed m y kin,
A nd I do sit upon m y chariot, bow
In hand, su rro u n d ed by m y arm y vast,
U narm ed th o u sta n d st defying m e ! W here is
T hy peer in all th e w orlds, O hero g re a t ?
W hat god or D anava or m o rtal m an
W ill d are to challenge me, unless th ey re seized
W ith m adness ? E en th e T hree S uprem e hav e n o t
The n erv e to face m e thus. A nd th o u dost stan d
R ock-like, and dost invite upon th y chest
My sh a tterin g blow : Can I th y praises sing
Enough ? 2
So saying, R avana descended from his car and called on
H anum an to use all his force and knock him on th e chest. W hen
H anum an clenched his fist and stru ck on his chest a m ig h ty blow,
th e hills crum bled into th e ir com ponent sand ; sparks
cam e out of th e eyes of the R akshasas ; th e b rain s of o th er
R akshasas cam e out of th e ir heads by the shock of th e blow ;
some others fell dow n dead ; th e teeth of some of th e V an aras
fell out the very roots of th e ir h a ir felt th e shock. The
string s broke in th e bows of th e R akshasas ; th e sea dashed
upon th e shore causing deep breaches ; th e eight ro y al
m ountains w ere split and boulders fell from th e ir sides , th e
sun gave out sparks ; th e tusks of th e elep h an ts fell dow n ; th e
i VI xiv 163-166.

2 VI xi v 167, 169.

264

KAMBA

BAMAYANAM A

STUDY

w eapons fell out of th e hands of th e opposing heroes ; a n d

spark s and jew els fell dow n from H avanas chest.1
E ven R avana felt th e blow and shook like th e M eru h ill w hen
th e Storm -G od attem p ted to uproot it. The gods w ere glad a n d
rained flowers on H anum an, b u t R avana soon cam e to him self an d
praised H anum ans physical stren g th in these w ords :
I see th ere is some stren g th ev n outside me,
A nd th a t I find in thee, O m ighty one !
A ll else b u t thee I class eunuchs weak.
W hat ! even B rahm a cannot shake me, though
He sends his curse w ith all his sp irits force !
I own thou h ast defeated m e ! T here is
B ut one test more. If th o u canst b ear m y blow
The blow w hich on th y chest like a th u n d erb o lt
W ill falling strik e and after th a t rem ain
Alive, th en thou canst say th a t th ere is none
In all th e w orld to equal th ee ; no foe
W ould d are to challenge thee and thou w ouldst live
For ever and for ev er. 2
B ut H anum an said :
4H ast thou not conquered me w hen th o u a rt y et
A live unscathed ? I do com m end th y stren g th !
Now tak e thy even chance. 3
and bared his chest to the R akshasa. R avana clenched his teeth ,
m ade firm his m ouths and pressed his lips, and, w ith eyes dropping
fire, clenched his fists and struck a blow on H an u m an s b ro ad
expansive chest from w hich at once flew sparks of fire. H anum an
reeled at th e blow.
A nd w hen he reeled, th e gods in heaven reeled,
And D harm a, T ru th and Nobleness did reel,
A nd reeled th e Vedas, Justice, Fam e, an d R uth ! 4
B u t ju s t a t th a t m inute, th e V an ara heroes cam e on w ith rocks
an d rain ed them on R avana. The v ery sun w as concealed from
sight and darkness set in so thick w as th e show er of th e stones
1 VI xiv 174, 175.
3 VI xiv 185.

2 VI xiv 181, 182.

4 VI xiv 185.

HAVANA

265

w h ich th e V anaras aim ed a t th e ir foe. The Devas believed th a t

th e R akshasas w ould be ended th a t v ery m om ent. B u t R av an a
b en t his bow and, quick as thought, aim ed m illions of d a rts ag ain st
th em and broke th e ir force and saved him self and his arm y. He
rested not there. S w earing th a t he w ould end th e V anara crew
and th e m en th a t day, he sent an endless show er of iron rain
w hich w ro u g h t d ire destruction in th e V an ara arm y. N aia,
G avaya, A ngada, Ja m b h av a n all fell pierced by th e lan ce-lik e
d a rts of Ravana.
L akshm ana saw th e plig h t of his arm y and its leaders, and
faced R avana in rig h t earnest. He p arried th e d arts of R avana
w ithout m issing even one, and th u s saved th e rem n an ts of his
arm y. He th en sent ten pow erful arrow s and cut dow n th e te n
bows in the ten hands of his foe. T he Devas w ere glad. D harm a
burst forth into songs of triu m p h and even R avana adm ired th e
skill of L akshm ana. He said addressing him :
G rand is th y prowess, grand th y skill in w ar,
A nd grand th y valour, and th e lightning quickness
Of th in e arm ! I do com m end th y aspect stern,
And m astery of the bow m ans art. And who
Is th ere to equal thee b u t he, th y b rother,
Who brought the R akshasas w ith K h ara dow n
In D handak forest the other day, or he
My son, who w ith his single bow could b reak
D evendras m ight, or I m yself th y foe ? 1
A nd then, th in k in g th a t it w ould be im possible to d efeat
L akshm ana w ith an y w eapon th a t could be propelled by th e bow,
R avana took th e lance th a t B rahm a had given him in th e days
gone by, and h u rled it w ith all his force against L akshm ana. B u t
before L akshm ana could th in k of any w eapon th a t could overpow er
it, it stru ck him in th e chest and laid him low on th e field, to
the te rro r of th e Devas and th e Rishis and to th e joy of th e
R akshasas. Seeing, how ever, th a t L akshm ana w as not killed,
R avana desired to capture him prisoner. So he descended from
th e chariot and attem p ted to lift him w ith all his tw en ty arm s.
B u t L akshm ana, w ho w as conscious, realised his oneness w ith th e
Infinite One, and th en even th e arm s th a t lifted Shiva w ith h is
K ailas M ount w ere pow erless to move him ! E x h au sted by his
fruitless endeavour, R avana ju st m oved from th e place in o rd er
i VI xi v 203, 204.

266

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

to re st his hands a little. A t once H anum an, who was w a tc h in g

everything, sprang to w here L akshm ana was, an d arm ed w ith th e
pow er of love, lifted him up as if he w ere a child, and dashed
aw ay to th e rear.
Ram a now cam e to th e fro n t and engaged w ith his mortaL
foe. B ut H anum an safely deposited L akshm ana in th e rear, an d
ra n to R am a and begged him to ride upon his shoulders th o u g h
th ey are not w orthy . Seeing the ease w ith w hich H anum an w as
bearing Him, who in th ree steps m easured th e w orlds, *evqn
G aru d a hung dow n his head :
H anum an w as th e Sea of Milk, and R am
Was V ishnu riding oer its w aves, The son
Of V ayu w as th e etern al Ved, and Ram
Was jn a n th a t eer resides upon th e crow n
Of Ved ! 1
The tw anging of R am as bow w as like th e attahasa 2 of R udra,.
w hen on the Day of Dissolution He devours th e e a rth and the
sea, and the sky w ith all th a t exists. The R akshasas w ere stunned,
unable to move from th eir places. T heir tongues w ere parched
and they trem bled, and then they fled. The m arshalled w orlds
shook in terro r, and even B rahm a and Shiva w ere afraid.
M eantim e, R avana sent against Ram a seven darts, fierce as
th e fire of the Day of D estruction, w hose force w as enough to
d rin k the ocean dry, break the earth and pierce the v au lt of
heaven. Ram a p arried them w ith an equal num b er of arrow s,
an d aim ed five d arts against R avana w hich gave out sparks
m aking asham ed even the K alagni the fire of th e F inal Day,
T he b attle then engaged in rig h t earnest. The R akshasas around
R avana also aim ed th eir arrow s and lances and stones against
R am a, but he p arried them all and destroyed th e R akshasas
arm y wholesale. H anum an kept pace w ith the enem ys chariot
w ith ease and did not give any advantage to the enem y even for
a mom ent.
Before one could say, he is on th e ground, he w ould
be high up in th e air ; w herever R avana or his soldiers
tu rn ed th eir eyes, th ere they w ould see H anum an sure and
certain carrying Ram a upon his shoulders. For he w as
sw ifter even th an R am as thoughts th a t flew in advance of
his d arts.3
1 VI xi v 221.

2 roar.

VI xiv 232.

HAVANA

267

T he b attle-field becam e v eritab le sham bles ; th e spirits w ho

liv e on corpses danced for joy ; riv ers of blood w ere flowing
inexhaustible, carry in g th e severed heads, tru n k s and bodies o f
elep h an ts and horses an d men. The R akshasa w om en w ere
lam enting for th e ir dead husbands, and em bracing th e dead
bodies, them selves died as satis upon th e b attle-field itself.
A t length, D eath m asquerading as R am as d arts h ad destroyed
a ll th e R akshasas upon th e field excepting alone R avana. R avana
boiled w ith rage and draw ing th e bow string w ith all his force
buried tw o terrific d arts in R am as arm s. B ut Ram a only
sm iled, and aim ed a t his enem ys bow an d broke it into two.
R avana took an o th er bow, b u t before he could bend it, R am a
again sent a show er of arrow s w hich cut off th e heads of his
horses, brought dow n his U m brella of V ictory, and tore open his
arm our. A nother chariot drew up behind him , b u t he w as not
destined to ascend it. R am as fiery arrow s tore it to pieces, an d
R avana could only view him w ith concentrated fury. B u t Y am a
him self trem bled at his scowl.
Then Ram a w ith his invincible arrow s broke th e diadem s
on R av an as heads, w ho now looked like th e n ig h t w ith o u t th e
m oon or th e day w ith o u t the sun.
He also looked like kings who though th ey stan d
U nrivalled in th e ir w ealth and sovereign pow er,
S traig h tw ay th e ir honour and th e ir nam e do lose,.
The m om ent noble poets send th e ir shafts
Of stinging sa tire.1
A nd as he stood unarm ed, his arm s hanging loose like th e
shoots of a banyan tree, his toes scratching th e ground, his faces
an d heads shorn of th e ir lu stre as of th e ir ornam ents, his eyes
looking dow n upon th e ground, w hile all th e w orlds w ere
ex u ltin g ly saying 4 this is th e fate of those w ho go ag ain st
D harm a , R am a took p ity on his p lig h t and desisted from killing
him , b u t a t th e sam e tim e he addressed him th e stinging w ords
th a t w e have tra n sla te d in an o th er connection. 2
So ended th e opening b a ttle of th e w ar in w hich R avana
in ten d ed to p u t an end to his foe.
A fter this b attle, as th e read e r w ill rem em ber, R avana did
n o t come to th e b attle-field for m any days. He h ad
K u m b h ak a rn a w aked up, and sent him to th e field. W hen he
died, A tik ay a offered to lead th e arm y him self, and w hen h e
i VI xi v 249.

2 S ee page 64.

,2{x8

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

also fell, In d ra jit chid E avana for not sending him earlier, a n d
took the responsibility of th e com m and and led his g reat attack s
on th e V anara arm y. On his fall, R avana sent w ord to all th e
R akshasa colonies all over the universe and assem bled a big
arm yrhis w hole reserve force and dashed it against th e enem y
and him self took the field. Ram a opposed the reserve forces
single-handed, detailing L akshm ana and his arm y to face R avana.
The read er w ill rem em ber how R avana sent his lance ag ain st
V ibhishana, and how L akshm ana bared his b reast to it. W hen
L akshm ana fell pierced by the lance, R avana re tu rn e d
triu m p h an tly to the city believing L akshm ana to be dead. He
also expected th a t his im m ense reserve w ould bring him an easy
victory.
B ut the reserve was destroyed by the w onderful bow >craft of Rama, w hile L akshm ana and th e fallen arm y w ere
resuscitated by the drugs brought for a second tim e by
H anum an. K am ban describes the b attles w ith th e reserve forces
in 235 stanzas w ith his usual pow er and verve, b u t space forbids
us to even sum m arise th a t description to our reader. A t length
there was nothing left for R avana b u t his guard, and he
determ ined to lead them in person.
B ut if nothing rem ained in L anka except th e guard, th e
guard w ere an im m ense and most pow erful force, and it w as
R avana in his fu ry th a t now led them .
He p u t on the golden arm our th a t B rahm a had created a t
a great sacrifice, and w hich had been a trophy won by him self
from Indra. He wore the anklets round his left ankle, a t w hose
sound the w orlds trem bled as at the sound of th u n d er. He girded
on his tru sty sw ord and th rew over his back th e inex h au stib le
quiver of arrow s to which the w aters and sands, and fish of th e
sea and even science 1 w ere too sm all for com parison. He p u t.
on his pearl and diam ond garlands, and w alking out of h is
palace under the shade of his pearl-u m b rella, he ascended his
w ar-chariot. The thousand horses yoked to th e chariot w ere of
the highest breedbeing descended, some from U chchaishvanas,
*the divine-horse th a t came along w ith am brosia at th e chu rn in g
of the ocean of .milk, some from the horses draw ing th e chariot
of the sun, and some born to the Storm -G od in the womb of th e
<Ocean Fire. D raw n by such horses,
The car could run upon the land or sail
The sea ; it could ascend the sky and fly*
* Knowledge.

269

HAVANA

T th a ir ; it could th e fire cross unscathed ;

A nd in a trice it could ascend to the w orld
Of B rah m as self ! .................................... and,
It w as th e hom e of Victory. ! 1
He blessed th e car w ith m any a flower throw n, m ade gifts
to innum erable brahm ans, generous beyond the dream of avarice,
a n d ascended th e car exclaim ing :
*O r Ja n a k i shall beat h er breasts today
A nd m ourn h er Ram w ith dishevelled hair, or poor
M andodari shall fall upon m y corpse
A nd ren d her b reast in unconsolable grief !
So fierce shall be m y fight if R am a cross
My p a th today ! 2
He th en sm acked his arm s in th e m anner of w restlers, and
a t th e th u n d erin g sound th e v au lt of the sky clove into two, th e
m ountains split, th e e a rth felt as if a w ound w as opened in h er
side, and even th e sun fled from his golden car.
He tw anged
his bow in high joy a t the coming final fight, and a t th e te rrib le
tw ang the hills b u rst to pieces and th e D anava and D eva w om en
touched th e ir M angal3 strings fearing d an g er for th e ir lords.
A nd th en pro u d ly bearing him self like the th o u san d -h ead ed
A dishesha, to the te rro r of all beholders, he drove his chariot to
th e b attle-field surro u n d ed by his troops. T he S uprem e One
an d all th e im m ortals saw the ocean agitated, th e Devas filled
w ith terro r, an d every living thing shaken w ith dread a t th e
furious aspect of th e R akshasa.
V ibhishana inform ed R am a of R av an as appearance in th e
c a r a t th e head of a v ast arm y, an d of th e flight of th e V anaras
a t his approach, and R am a a t once m ade p rep aratio n s him self
to go to th e front. He d eterm ined not to spare R avana today.
H e p u t on his arm s an d girded on his sw ord, an d saying :
This d ay shall bring an end to Sita s grief
A nd suffering of th e Gods for once and all. 4
h e took his bow an d q u iv er of arrow s.

As he w as about to sta rt,

i VI xxxiv 20, 23.

2 VI xxxiv 26.
3 Symbol of the m arried state fo r women among Hindus, like the*
w edding ring.

4 VI xxxv 2.

:270

KAMBA

BAMAYANAM A

STUDY

M atali th e charioteer of In d ra b rought him th e car of In d ra a t

th e com m and of S hiva and th e Devas.
Is it th e chariot of th e Sun ? Is it
The overpow ering lig h t th a t is to shine
On D issolutions Day or can it be
The M eru hill ? This car is larg er far,
More brilliant. May this be the peerless car
W hich in its bosom bears the T hree S uprem e ? 1
Its inside was filled w ith innum erable divine drugs th a t could
heal any w ound or cut, and its roll w as like th a t of th e sea w hen
th e storm beats on, and tides on tides drive one against an o th er
upon its bosom.
In answ er to R am as enquiry, M atali told him th a t th e D evas
sent him the chariot of In d ra in order th a t he m ight fight on
equal term s w ith H avana who was riding his m iraculous car. A
su spicion. rose in th e m ind of Ram a th a t this m ight be a tric k
of R avana, b u t th e conscious horses yoked to th e car ch an ted
th e Vedas in order to dispel the suspicions of Rama. R am a
looked at L akshm ana and H anum an, and asked th em w h a t th e y
thought of it. A nd w hen they said th a t M atalis w ords could be
believed, he ascended the car and steered against the Rakshasa.
R avana bit his lips w hen he saw th a t the Devas had sen t
In d ra s car to his enemy, and determ ining to ta k e his revenge
on them after finishing Rama, he ordered his charioteer to d irect
his car straig h t on him. The V anara arm y th a t had fled at th e
sight of Ravana, now reform ed and advanced w ith o u t fear w hen
they saw the m iraculous car of In d ra come to Ram a, and believed
th a t now th a t Ram a was equally equipped and arm ed, R avana
w as sure to be defeated at his hands. The V anaras began th eir
b a ttle w ith th e ir usual weapons. B u t M ahodara p ray ed to
R avana to perm it him to engage Rama, and asked him to contain
Lakshm ana and his troops on the other side. R avana agreed
and turned tow ards L ak sh m an as front. B ut M ahodara could
not long stan d against Ram a and soon fell stru ck by a single
arrow of R am a.1 R avana, therefore, h asten ed tow ards R am a w ho
destroyed the R akshasas in th e ir m illions. Of th e others, those
th a t did not fly aw ay stood ap art, and R am a and R avana faced
each other at length, even as W isdom and Evil Deeds, as
K now ledge and Ignorance, as Righteousness and Sin in th e ir final
i VI xxxv 17.

RAVANA

271

conflict.
T hey looked as G aruda, th e K ing of eagles, a n d
A dishesha of th e th ousand hoods engaged in m o rtal cam bat ; a n d
like tw o of th e m am m oths bearing th e universe read y to dash
against each o th er ; and even as V ishnu and S hiva fighting as
to who is m ore pow erful.
R avana blew his conch th a t w as ev er used, by th e th u n d e r
of its resonance, to create trep id atio n and te rro r in th e h ea rts of
gods. B ut then, w ith o u t R am as know ing it, his five divine
w eapons had tak en th e ir place by his side in th e car, and his
P anchajanya 1 n o w sounded of its own accord, feeling jealous of
R av an as conch.
M atali also sounded th e conch of Indra, m aking th e heaven,
and sea, and th e m ountains trem ble. The sound of P anchajanya
and In d ra s conch delighted th e h ea rts of th e D evis of h eav en
and they tu rn ed on R am a th e arrow s nam ed th e ir glances, ev en
before R avanas d arts began to show er on him.
The tw an g of R avans bow w as like th e ro ar
Of all th e oceans seven h ea rd at once :
W hile tw ang of K odanda2 w as like th e chant
Of Ved E tern al on the F in al Day.3
Even H anum an and the other leaders w ere te rro r-stric k e n
a t the sight of R avana and his host. They w ere filled w ith
despair not know ing w h at to do or w here to tu rn . R av an as
w a r-sh o u t and th e sounding of his bow w ere u n b earab ly terrific.
The roar of the sea and the th u n d e r of the clouds th a t are h ea rd
even now are only th e rev erb eratio n s of th a t w a r-sh o u t an d
tw ang ! He shouted, I shall eith er lift up Ram a w ith h is
divine chariot an d dash him to the earth, or destroy his chariot
w ith my arrow s, pow erful as the th u n d erb o lt, and cap tu re him
prisoner w ith his bow ! So shouting he aim ed his arrow s in
v eritab le showers. They came like th u n d e rb o lts and like fire,
like death and like rain, and they w ere longer th a n th e cobra
th a t was tied round th e M andara m ountain to ch u rn th e ocean.
R am a p arried th em w ith a sim ilar show er of arro w s aim ed w ith
e q u a l force. T he com bined show er
Did cover th e e a rth and sky, an d hills and seas ;
The eyes of even gods could see in all
1 Vishnus divine conch is called Panchajanya.
2 Ramas bow.
3 VI xxxvi 35.

272

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

The w orld n au g h t b u t these iron-shafts. Can ev n

Men of W isdom ever count them ? D arkness spread
All oer the universe and th e re w as fire
B urning all living kind such w as th e fight
Of R avana and Ram. A nd even Shiv
W ondering, did exclaim , Was ever fight
Like this ? 1
As Ram a p arried and destroyed w ith his arrow s all th e
d a rts th a t R avana aim ed against him, the la tte r th o u g h t he should
tr y other weapons, and so he h u rled lances and axes and m aces
against Rama. B ut they too w ere cut into pieces by R am as
sh arp -p o in ted arrow s. Ram a now buried ten d arts into th e body
of R avana, who, furious like the elep h an t goaded by th e steelgoad, rose into the sky w ith his chariot. F rom th e sky h e
show ered a h ail-sto rm of arrow s against R am a and th e V an ara
arm y, and so R am a ordered M atali also to rise up into th e sky
w ith his car. A nd lo, it cam e over th a t of R avana even as th e
globe of the sun over th a t of moon. The chariots now m ade
th e ir evolutions in the air, each w arrio r try in g to tak e th e o th er
a t a disadvantage. The evolutions w ere so rap id th a t even th e
gods could not tell w hich was R am as car, and w hich th e
R akshasas. M eteors fell down, dashed against by th e w heels of
th e chariots. T here w as no hill whose sum m it w as not broken,
no direction th a t escaped from th e conflagration set in by the
arrow s and astras of the com batants, no living being th a t did
n o t vom it blood in terror.
The chariots steered over the seven oceans an d the continents
seven, over the seven royal m ountain ranges, and over th e seven
w orlds. The w alls of th e universe w ere th e only lim it th ey
respected. They pursued each other like th e w hirlw ind
a n d the thunderstorm , and y et th e horses w ere not tired on
each side.
R avana at length saw his opportunity an d sent a crescent
shaped arrow , which, how ever, only succeeded in carrying aw ay
th e thun d erb o lt w hich was the stan d ard flying on In d ra s car.
W ith the same breath, he buried his d arts in th e h e a rt of M atali
an d on the bodies of his horses, and aim ed a terrib le flight of
arrow s against Ram a himself. Ram a w as qu ite invisible to th e
eyes of the Devas, so innum erable w ere th e arrow s th a t R avana
aim ed at him. The Devas w ept saying, 4A las ! R am a is.
1 VT x x x v i 50.

273

HAVANA

conquered ! T he R akshasas shouted for joy, an d th e u n iv erse

trem bled.
The God of fire his lu stre lost and h e a t ;
T he Sea unm oving stood w ith o u t a w ave ;
T he sun his ch ario t stopped in heaven ; th e moon
M oved n o t ; an d even rain -clo u d s w ere dried up
F th s k y .1
Even V anara leaders and L akshm ana trem b led for th e fa te
of Ram a. B ut R am a w as n o t in ju red ; he only show ed his
nonchalance by his leisureliness. A t length, he su rp rised bo th
friends and foes by th e rap id ity w ith w hich he broke up th e
screen of arrow s w hich ap p eared to hav e all b u t destroyed him .
A nd th e Devas recovered from th e ir despair. As th e sta n d ard
fell from R am as car, Garuda him self fit v and settled on th e
staff as th e living sta n d ard of Rama.
R avana th en sent against R am a th e astra called Tamasa,
w hich cam e in th e shape
Of arrow s tipped w ith fire and blood, of d arts
W ith face of A suras and gods and spirits,
A nd cobras of th e crooked fangs. T hey cam e
As dark n ess black, an d eye-dazzling light, as rain
A nd th u n d er, and a v eritab le show er
Of iron h ail.2
B ut w hen R am a sent th e astra nam ed of Shiva, th e p o w er
of the Tamasa failed. R avana th e n sent
The A stra nam ed th e A sura w hich h ad
In form er days th e nam e of gods destroyed,
A nd m aw of Y am a su rfeited w ith lives.
I t w as th e arm fore w hich th e king of h eav n
H ad fled in te rro r.3
B ut th e A g n i-a stra the w eapon nam ed of fire aim ed b y
R am a burn ed it before it could reach him . A fter try in g th e
w eapon forged by M aya w hich also failed, broken by th e
G andharva-astra of Ram a, R avana
1 VI xxxvi 80.

18

2 VI xxxvi 90, 92.

3 VI xxxvi 97.

$74

KAM BA

R A M AY A N A M A

STUDY

Now th rew th e m ace on R am w ith w hich in days

Of yore g reat D aru k a h ad felled th e gods :
(T he fo u r-faced god h ad forged it by his a rt ;
The A suras, fierce H iran y a an d M adku,
H ad tam ed th e ir foes w ith its alm ig h ty force.) 1
E verybody th o u g h t th a t R am as end had come. The m ace
carne w ith a force th a t m ade th e very M eru Hill trem ble,
destroying all th a t crossed its w ay in space. B ut one d a rt from
R am as bow w as able to b reak th a t divine m ace into fragm ents.
R avana now sent th e M aya-astra, th e w eapon of illusion,
against Rama. A nd behold, all th e R akshasas dead in previous
b attles appeared to hav e come back to life an d to be advancing
on Ram a and th e V anara forces w ith terrific w ar-sh o u ts. T here
w as In d ra jit and A tikaya and th e oth er com m anders of th e
R akshasa arm ies up to th e very reserve forces th a t fell only th e
previous day, all rushing w ith arm s and shouting :
4H ast thou forsooth defeated us ? A nd dost
Believe th a t w e could die ? Thoult see our fight
This day ! A dvance, A dvance ! 2
The gods and rishis believed th e illusion tru e and w ere
th u n d e rstru c k to see alive th e R akshasas w ho had been destroyed
by th eir defenders. Ram a w as also p u t out and asked M atali
w hat he could do. M atali told him th a t it w as illusion and w ould
be destroyed th e m om ent he sent a d a rt pronouncing th e S uprem e
Nam e of him self. Rama, therefore, pronounced his own nam e
and sent a d a rt presided over by the S pirit of W isdom and
behold, th e M aya of R avana w as broken.
The trip le lance of Shiva w as th en h u rled by R avana, w hich
came flaming th ro u g h th e air, spreading a w eird light over all
things and terrify in g th e gods. The arrow s th a t Ram a aim ed
against it, all fell pow erless to h u rl it, and it came on and on,
and n ea re r and n ea re r Ram a. W hen even divine w eapons could
not prevail against it, R am a stood m otionless. The Devas
trem bled to see R am a standing inactive, a ta rg e t to the terrib le
w eapon of Shiva h u rled by th e foe. D harm a itself w as te rro rstruck. B u t as it stru ck his chest R am a pronounced th e sym bolic
m a n tra of H um and lo, th e Shula of Shiva broke into fragm ents !
Seeing th e exhibition of this divine pow er of Rama, R av an a
exclaim ed :
1 VI x x x vi 105, 106.

2 VI x x x v i 115.

275

HAVANA

W ho can th is H am a be ? H e is n o t Shiv,
Nor V ishnu, n o r th e F o u r-faced O ne divine.
As for au sterities, he looks n o t strong
Enough to m o rtify .his flesh. Is he,
P erchance, th e U niversal Cause, of w hom
The V edas speak ? 1
(
B ut his v alo u r checks him from considering fu rth e r as to
w ho he m ig h t be. L ike R ustom of th e Shah N am ah h e disdains,
in spite of suspicious appearances, to in q u ire into th e tru e
^character of his enem y.
He, therefore, form ed his resolution saying,
,

B ut be he who he m ay,
I w ill not sw erve from w a rs straig h t p ath : I w ont
W ithdraw from m y w a rrio rs d u ty plain. I w ill
Y et conquer him. Een should I fall by is darts,
My nam e for v alour undism ayed w ill last
For ever ! let th e re be victory or d eath :
I tu rn n o t back ! 2
So he fought w ith u n ab ated fury. His N airriti-astra cam e
like m illions of cobras sp ittin g venom all over, b u t th e G arudastra
of Ram a tu rn e d itself into eagles w hich b it th e cobras to pieces
and m ade th e venom harm less. A fter m any m ore astras h ad
been aim ed and parried, R avana began to show signs of
exhaustion, b u t Ram a, w ho h ad n o t p u t fo rth h a lf his stre n g th
up to now , w as as fresh as ever, an d now began to ta k e th e
offensive. He aim ed a t one of th e necks of R avana a crescent shaped arrow . It flew w ith a terrific force an d cut and carried
off a head of his an d su n k it into th e sea. B ut behold,
Ee n as th e v irtu o u s soul th a t a fte r d eath
D oth ta k e its b irth again in a b e tte r fram e,
E vn so, upon th e tru n k an o th er head
Arose, its fu ry unforgot : is th e re
A m ong endeavours yielding golden fru it
A h ig h er one th a n tapas ? 3
The new h ead defied R am a in tones of th u n d er, w h ile th a t
w hich w as th ro w n into th e sea w as also ro arin g no less loudly.
1 VI xxxvi 135.

2 v i xxxvi 136.

3 y i xxxvi 152.

276

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

F ille d w ith fresh an g er against R am a for hav in g sham ed him:,

b y cuttin g off on e of his heads, R avana b u ried in to R am as chest
a flight of fo u rteen of his sh arp est arrow s. B u t R am a did not
m in d his w ounds and sent an arro w w hich cu t off an arm of
R av an a w hich fell dow n, b u t w ith its grip on th e bow unloosened.
R avana took th a t fallen arm and dashed it ag ain st Ram a, b u t it
stru c k only Ma tali, w ho vom itted blood a t th e shock. A nd again
h e aim ed a tom ara against M atali, th in k in g to destroy him and
disable R am a from using th e car. B u t R am as arrow s broke it
on its w ay and saved th e life of his charioteer.
R avana now h u rled his lance, and mace, and b a ttle -a x e
a g a in st th e foe. Rama, how ever, broke or p arried them , and
aim ed arrow s afte r arrow s against him , w hich en tered his tru n k
a n d lim bs and eyes. R avana sank exhausted in his chariot. His
ch ario teer saw the plight of his m aster and steered his car back
to w ard s th e rear. M atali advised R am a to k ill R avana even as
his car w as retreatin g , but Ram a w ith the tru e chivalry of th e
In d ia n w arrio r said,
4Do not the law s of w ar, O M atali,
Forbid th e tak in g of an enem ys life
W hen he has th ro w n aw ay his w eapons of w ar
A nd ag itated flees for life ? The fight
D oth en d today ! n
B efore th e car had re tre a te d far, how ever, R avana recovered
from his swoon, b u t he did n o t see R am a in his front. He tu rn ed
back, an d found R am a standing in his place lik e a victorious
hero. A t once he tu rn ed furiously on his charioteer, and saying,
4Thou hast, O villain, tu rn ed m y chariot back
A nd m ade yon R am a mock m y valour fore
The v ery gods ! T hou h ast enjoyed m y bounties,
A nd yet, though I did p u t m y tru st in thee,
Thou h ast by tu rn in g back th e car, m ade me
A ppear a coward. T h in k st thou Ill spare th y life ? 2
R av an a drew his sword. B u t th e charioteer rem o n strated w ith
hikn saying, th a t he had fallen on his seat exhausted, an d th a t if he
h a d stayed longer he w ould have been killed w ith th e d arts of
R am a. He concluded :
i VI xxxvi 175.

a VI xxxvi 178.

RAVAN A

27t

T he ch ario teer m u st ju d g e th e condition

O f h im w ho fights from on his car : w h en sinks
The hero pow erless to continue
The fight, tis th e d u ty of th e charioteer
To save his m a s te rs life by w ise r e t r e a t .'1
R avan a's an g er cooled a t these words. He th erefo re p u t
back his sw ord into th e scabbard an d ordered his ch ario teer to
retrac e his steps and d riv e th e car back to th e front. He f e lt
indeed th a t his en d -w as come, b u t he w ould n o t yield in v alo u r
to Rama. On th e contrary, he fought w ith th e stren g th of
despair. The b y stan d ers th o u g h t th a t it w as an o th er an d a
stronger R avana th a t w as fighting now , an d trem bled. Such w as
h is new fury.
B ut R am a's blood too w as up, and he determ ined, finally,
to p u t an end to the R akshasa. He aim ed an arro w a t his bow
w hich had been given by B rahm a, an d broke it to pieces in h is
hands. A nd as R avana took an o th er bow an d show ed all h is
usual skill, an d v aried his a tta c k w ith lances an d m aces a n d
spears and kappanas, R am a th o u g h t th a t B rahm astra alone could
end him . So, p arry in g th e enem y's show er of w eapons, he took
th e astra, pronounced th e ap p ro p riate spells, an d sent it te a rin g
against th e chest of R avana. I t flew w ith a ferocious speed,
illum ining th e v ery ends of th e universe, and sham ing even th e
Sun of th e F in al D ay by its dazzling light. T he C h a k ra of
V ishnu, w hich had also, as th e read e r w ill rem em ber, ta k e n its
place on R am a's car, now joined its force to th a t of th e
B rahm astra, an d im preg n ated w ith th is tw ofold force, R am a's
.arrow stru ck and en tered th e m ighty chest of R avana.
A nd R avana fell m o rtally w ounded !
The holy d a rt of R aghava did d rin k
His th re e crore y ears of m o rtal life, an d all
. T he stren g th of his au sterities ; it quenched
The blessing B rahm a h ad bestow ed on him
T h at none should have th e pow er to conquer him ;
I t did th e m ig h t ex tin g u ish w hich h ad b ro u g h t
The universe b en eath his aw fu l sw ay ;
A nd piercing clean his chest, it d ra n k th e blood
A nd straig h tw ay flashed th ro u g h th ' a ir w ith lig h tn in g

speed.
-i VI xxxvi 182.

278

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

Rejoicing in th e g ratefu l blessings b re a th 'd

By Gods and B rahm ans tru e, and follow ed close
By th e rain of flowers th a t th ey did show er all th ro u g h
Its path, th e d a rt pursu ed its w ay to th Sea
O f M ilk ; it w ashed th erein its bloody stains,
A nd tu rn ed , and flying over th e w aves th a t played
On th e sea of R avana's blood, it en tered quick
And hid itself w ith in th e qu iv er of Ram,
Its eerie h o m e .1
So ended th e hero of a thousand battles, th e m ost v alian t
h ero excepting R am a th a t epic poetry has ever created or sung.
A chilles and H ector, a n d even A rju n a and B him a look like m ere
pigm ies w hen placed beside this g ian t-k in g of L anka. We do
n o t speak only of the physical sta tu re th a t th e poet attrib u te s
to him . His passions and his pow er, his v alour and his pride,
h is prow ess and his au th o rity are on th e sam e gigantic scale
a s his vast physical proportions. M iltons S atan is gran d indeed
in his rebellious pride and am bition, in his pow er an d th e
d eterm in atio n of his indom itable will. B ut all his achievem ents
a n d valou r are reserved only for heaven. On earth , he is n o t
m ore th an a w ily old serpent. A nd com pare S ata n s end in H ell
w ith R av an as. M ilton describes th e end of S atan th u s :
His visage d raw n he felt too sharp and spare ;
His arm s clung to his ribs, his legs entw ining
Each other, till su p p lan ted dow n he fell
A m onstrous serp en t on his belly prone,
R eluctant, b u t in v a i n ......................................
..................................... He w ould have spoke,
B ut hiss for hiss re tu rn e d w ith forked tongue
To forked tongue.
H ow different is th e end of R avana ! His v alo u r shihes to th e
v e ry last, and th e crescendo is com pleted in his short b u t sublime*
address to th e charioteer. A nd even afte r he has fallen th e
p o et w ould say.
.................................. b u t th e h ero s face
Even at th a t aw fu l m om ent w ore a look
Of m ajesty, surpassing fa r th e splendour
Even of days w hen saints and Rishis h ad
To flee for safety from his oppressive rule. 2
*

1 VI x x x vi 198, 199.

2 VI xxxvi 201.

CH A PTER X IV
BHARATA
We have, so far, studied all th e m ain ch aracters excepting
Sita th a t are d irectly connected w ith th e d estru ctio n of H avana,
w hich is the one auction of our epic. We h av e also seen an d
discussed K am b an s delineation of th e heroes of tw o of his
grandest episodes, nam ely V ali an d H iranyakashipu. Exigencies
of space p rev en t us from stu d y in g th e o th er ch aracters of th e
story, in terestin g as th ey are, except in th e m an n er th a t w e h av e
done hitherto, nam ely by bringing in th e ir tra its an d doings as
m uch as possible in the studies of our m ain characters. W e sh a ll
close our exam ination of the ch aracters of th e R am ayana by
discussing B h a ra ta and S ita in this ch ap ter and th e nex t.
B h arata is, as w ell as is not, in tim ately connected w ith th e
story of th e epic. He is connected in tim ately w ith o u r sto ry
in th a t his love for R am a gives rise to some of th e m ost touching
episodes in th e epic, and also, chiefly, in th a t it is fo r his sak e
th a t K aikeyi forces D ash arath a to send Ram a to th e forest. He
is not intim ately connected w ith th e story in th a t h e is n o t
associated w ith R am a in th e d estru ctio n of R av an a and h is forces.
B ut the read er th a t know s not B h arata m isses m ore th a n h a lf
the beau ty of th e R am ayana, an d know s n o t one of th e m ost ju st
and te n d e r-h e a rte d and m ost touching ch aracters know n to sto ry
or history.
B harata, like L akshm ana, does n o t ap p ear m uch in th e
Balakanda. T here w e only h ea r th a t he loves R am a w ith a
ten d er love, and th a t he m arries one of th e d au g h ters of J a n a k a s
brother. It is in th e Second Book of th e R am ayana th a t w e see
the w hole evolution of his character, w hile th e flnal touch is
reserved for th e end of th e sto ry in th e Book of B attles.
It is th e cruel conduct of his m other, K aikeyi, th a t brings
B h a ra ta to prom inence in th e story, and it is th e rem em b ran ce
of th a t sam e cru elty th a t ev er a fte r presses h eav ily upon his
te n d e r an d noble h eart. Hence, th e read e r m u st know som ething
m ore th a n w h at w e h av e given in th e second ch a p ter ab o u t
K aikeyi an d h e r h eartless b eh av io u r to w ard s D ash arath a an d
R am a.
K aikeyi w as not alw ays cruel. In fact, she loved R am a

280

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v ery ostentatiously, if n o t deeply. She w as th e w ife to w hom

D ash arath a w as m ost attached. She, therefore, n a tu ra lly an d
as a m a tte r of h ab it, ten d ed an d n u rsed th e child on w hom w as
set th e w hole soul of h e r lord. T he b eau ty an d noble qualities
of R am a m u st h av e m ade K aik ey i ta k e p rid e in loving, w hich
w as th e only w ay of owning, such a child. R am a on his p a rt
loved h e r deeply. He n ev er m ade an y difference betw een his
ow n m other K ausalya and her.
So w hen M anthara, h er fav o u rite m aid, tried to poison h er
m ind against th e coronation of Ram a, K aikeyi reprim an d ed h er
and even grew indignant.
W hen M anthara, filled w ith jealousy against R am as and th e
w orlds happiness, ran to announce to K aikeyi the sudden new s
of R am as im pending coronation and to rouse h er to. oppose it,
K aikeyi was half-asleep. So she pressed h er feet to rouse h e r
from her drow siness, an d w hen K aikeyi did not even then rise
from her bed, she exclaim ed :
*E vn as th e moon w ill not abate h er lig h t
Effulgent, up to th e very m om ent w hen
The dragon stealeth over to eclipse
H er face, thou dost, O lovely m istress mine,
S lum ber secure een w hen disaster hangs
H eavy upon th y head ! *1
K aikeyi h eard th e w ords of M an th ara and replied,
...................... W hen all m y brave and w orthy sons
A re h ale in body and sw erve n o t from th e p ath
Of righteousness, can eer disaster come
On m e ? T hey say, th a t joy ineffable
Belongs to them w hore blessed w ith children w hom
The w orld can n ev er enough com m end : can harm ,
O M anthara, approach m e ev r, who have
Good R am a for a son ? 2
/
Seeing h e r w anderings in th e realm s of im p artial love,
M anthara tried to aw aken in h e r th e jealousy n a tu ra l to a w om an
for h er co-w ife, and p a rtly succeeded in h e r attem p t. For, w hen
she shed crocodile tears saying,
i il ii 45.T

2 I I 47.

BHARATA

2a i

4Woe unto thee ! thy days of joy are oer :

T or, d eep K au saly a has ascended now
To th e topm ost ru n g of fo rtu n es lad d er. 12
K aikeyi replied w ith h au teu r,
4If th e K ing of kings is still m y lord, and if
B h arat of unsurpassed fam e is y et
My son, w herein is she, K ausalya, b e tte r
T han m e ? ?
P leased w ith th e effect of h er first assault, and believing
th a t she h ad broken th e defences of h e r m istresss h e a rt sufficiently
well, in order to ensure a victory by a sim ple w alk -o v er,
M anthara aim ed a d a rt ju st tipped w ith a little venom . She said,
*Thou askest w herein is K ausalya b e tte r :
O nly th ere is a young m an w ho has sham ed
M anhood and earn ed th e la u g h ter of th e w ise
By bending gainst a w om an T adaka
His w ell-carv ed bow. Tom orrow he is to be
As king of A yodh crow ned ! 3
B u t the d a rt fell blunted, for,
.............................. W hen she announced
The h ap p y new s, K aikeyis h e a rt w as glad
E vn as K au saly as m otherly h e a rt : she felt
No jealousy w ith in h e r h e a rt ; m ay t be
Because sw eet H am as fa th e r lived w ith in
The palace of h er h e a rt ? A v ery sea
Of joy arose w ith in h er soul, a lig h t
As of th e fu ll-o rb ed moon shone on h er face ;
1 II ii 48.
2 II ii 49. In consonance with the noble sentiment Kaikeyi utters in
the earlier poem, where she exclaims, can harm, O Manthara, approach
me evr, who have good Hama for a son ? * this poem is rendered by some
commentators as follows :
4If the King of kings is still her lord, and son,
Bharat of unsurpassed fame is hers,
Than this, what greater fortune here is yet
For her to reach ? '
Thus, the peace and unity which prevails among the queens, and which
Manthara is now to destroy, is painted vividly in the surrender to Kausalya
of the king whose favourite is Kaikeyi and of her own Bharata too. (P)
3 II ii 50.

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A nd she took o u t a g arlan d m ade of gems,

The b rig h test o f th e ir kind, an d th re w it round
M an th aras neck.1
M an th ara h ad n o t n egotiated for th is to h er m ind
u n n a tu ra l joy. She h ad th o u g h t th a t th e announcem ent of
K am as coronation coupled w ith a slight reference to K au saly a
as th e person w ho w ould m ost profit by it w ould be sufficient
to w ake up th e d o rm an t feelings of riv a lry in th e h e a rt of
K aikeyi. B ut in stead of burn in g w ith jealousy th a t th e son o f
an o th er w ife w as crow ned w hile h er own son w as aw ay a t his
g ra n d fa th e rs home, here was K aikeyi so overjoyed a t th e new s
th a t she p resen ted a garlan d of gems h erself to M an th ara for
bringing th e tidings. So she th o u g h t th a t she should set about
to lay siege to h er h e a rt in a m ore m ethodical m anner, an d
accordingly p u t h er plan into execution. She, therefore, w ept
a n d m oaned, and w ailed, and being a fav o u rite m aid, frow ned
a t and even abused h er loudly and dashed th e g arlan d on the
ground. A nd then, eying h e r in w rath , she b u rst fo rth in th e se
w ords :
O fool, thou m ayst if thou desire, expose
T hyself along w ith B h arata, th y child,
To sufferings of every kind ; b u t I
C annot en d u re to be th e slave of those
T h at serve K ausalya, th y cunning co-w ife proud.
If Ram is crow ned, th y son w ill have to sit
As a common m an upon th e floor, th e w hile
His b ro th er w ith S ita seats him self upon
T h Im p erial th ro n e ; how comes th y h e a rt to be
In ecstasies oer this im pending fate !
K ausalya has not been unm indful, sure,
Of h er in terest and lo, h er son w ill w ear
The crow n im perial. Poor B h a ra ta !
He is not even dead, he lives ! How can
He bear th e sight ? For th e sin of being born
Thy child, alas, his royal b irth has gone
In vain ! If R am a and his L akshm ana
Alone w ill sh are th e glories of th e crow n,
T w ere b e tte r far, for B h arata and his b ro th er
T exile them selves to forests d a rk th a n d w ell
a II ii 52.

BHARATA

283

In fa ir Ayodh. O ur luckless B h a ra tas nam e,

If n o t d estin ed to shine in th e proud list
O f m onarchs of th e earth , is it n o t b e tte r
If he is dead ? I could n o t th en divine,
B u t now I see too clearly, w hy th e king
Did send th y son by long and w eary roads
To fa r off K ekay. Alas, u n fo rtu n ate child !
My luckless B h arata ! T hy fath e r is tu rn e d
Thy foe, for he is p a rtia l to th y b ro th er ;
A nd now th y m other too is tu rn e d gainst thee !
W hat w ill become of thee ? Of w h at avail
To thee are now th y valour, learning, youth,
Thy beauty, and th y skill in w ar, and all
Thy noble tra its ? They are like n ec tar fallen
Upon th e grass : th ey are a sheer w aste . . . .
*A d au g h ter of a glorious line of kings
Thou g rew st in palaces and w edded a rt
To th e descendant of far-fam ed line
Of em perors, thyself a queen from head
To foot : and y et thou plungest in a sea
Of m isery despite th e w arnings wise
Of a friend. Is th e re a g reater fool th a n thee ? *1
K aikeyis affection for R am a and h er sense of rig h t w ere too
stro n g to yield to this sapping and m ining operation of M anthara,
elab o rate as it was. So she replied to M an th ara w ith indignation
flashing in h er eyes, th u s :
*The righteous kings of S u ry a s holy race,
O evil one, do n ev er b reak th e w ord
Even to save th e ir life ; and ev n as mong
The crested peacocks,2 tis th e eldest son
. 1 II ii 54-62.
2 Manu is the first king of the Solar-race to which Rama belonged.
It is a common belief among Indian poets that the first born chick of
peahens, and if alone, is born with a crest on the head to mark it off
from the rest of the young chickens. Kaikeyi says that Hama alone, as
the first-born of Dasharatha is fit to succeed his father on the throne of
Ayodhya.
[The above note of Aiyar follows the common interpretation by com
mentators who had only known books, and had not known Nature as
knew the poet of the Thanikai Puranam, who made the first reference
to this trait of die peacocks which has come down to us.
We now know that it was not merely to a common belief that
Kamban was referring to. but it was a fact in Nature. We are indebted,

:284

KAM BA

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T h a ts m a rk e d as h e ir in M enus ro y al house.
W hat did th y to n g u e suggest, d eg rad ed w re tc h ?
T hou a r t no frie n d to m e n o r to m y son,
Nor, if w e look to D harm a, to th y self !
To evil d ra w n by ill deeds done by th e e
I th past, th o u speakest thoughtless one, w h atee r
T hy ill-reg u lated , lo w -b o rn m ind suggests !
I f all th a tre born m u st die, and w h at is left
On e a rth by m en as gain or lost for ev r
Is only glory unsullied, th en w h a te er
Is lost w h er life, or justice, or een rig h t
A nd holy vows and w orks can w e give up
T raditions th a t descend from ancient S ire
To son ? If others should suspect w h at passed
B etw een us tw o b u t be thou gone fro m fore
My face ! Bless thou th y stars, O sin fu l w retch,
T h at I re fra in from cu tting thy tongue.
A vaunt, thou fool, and open not th y lips. 1
In spite of these h arsh w ords, M an th ara did n o t ow n d efeat.
On th e contrary, she determ in ed to carry by storm w h a t w o u ld
not yield to th e m ore feeble operation of sapping an d m ining.
So, like th e poison th a t w ould not ab ate in v iru lan ce even a fte r
incantations are pronounced, b u t continues to a tta c k th e system,*
she did n o t cease h er attem p t. She fell a t K aik ey is feet, an d
for this information to the Poet-laureate of Madras, Shri V. Ramai in gam
Pillai,popularly known as the Namakkal Kavingar (poet of Namaklcal)
whose article on this simile appears in the October 1949 issue of the
Kalai-Magal, Madras. He says:
It was in 1915 that I saw an article by an eminent American
Ornithologist in the Scientific American. He had bred peacocks in
captivity, and had marked with rings the chicks of one brood in the
order of their hatching out of the eggs. Later, he continued to note
their life day to day, and one of bis observations was that the peahen
always goes about with all its family along with it, and that, when
ever an occasion arose for the peacocks to spread their tails and
dance about, the order of precedence of fanning out the wings was
invariably in the order of their emergence from the eggs/
The ancient Tamil poets, who had lived close to Nature, had noted
this interesting phenomenon ages ago, and had effectively used it in
poetry.
We would be failing in our duty if we did not add that the Namakkal
Kavingar, in his youth, used to pose these verses to Tamil scholars and
crow over their discomfiture, but once he met his match in a very old
man in a remote township who pricked our poet-laureates bubble w ith
a bland statement of this life-habit of the peacock. (P )l
1 II ii 64-67.

BHARATA

285

saying, O m y love, I w o n 't refra in from tellin g th ee w h at is

fo r th in e ow n good, she pressed h e r assault on th e h e a rt of h e r
m istress in th e follow ing w ords :
1 If th eldest of th y race alone can sit
U pon th e th ro n e as thou declarest, I ask
O princess m ine, how can th e sea-h u ed Ram
Be crow ned w hile th e K ing of kings is yet alive ?
If he the younger did consent to w ear
The crown, canst say th a t trad itio n stops th y son
A lone from claim ing w h at is b u t his rig h t ?
A nd th in k of this : een those w hose h e a rt is filled.
W ith righteous thoughts and ru th do a lte r w hen
U nrivalled pow er and w ealth do come to them .
So, though th y foes m ay n ev er in ju re thee
A nd th in e by open force, th ey w ill attem p t,
I m sure, to b reak th y h e a rt w ith m ean affronts..
If h er son rules as king, K au saly as h e a rt
W ould be inflated, h er am bitious m ind
W ould n ev er een w ith ow ning th e e a rth en tire
Be satisfied. W hat w ill be left for thee
B u t w h at she gives to thee of h er ow n grace ?
W hen thou w ilt be in gruesom e poverty
Im m ersed, if people come to thee for help,
W ouldst thou beg of h er th e w h erew ith al to do
T hy daily charities ? O r w ouldst th o u bend dow n
T hine eyes in sham e ? O r w ouldst th o u ea t th y h e a rt ^
In grief ? O r w ouldst thou close th y door against
T h eir face ? Thou a rt w ith m adness seized, m y love :
For, tell me, if th y fa th e r or his kin
Should come t A yodh to sh elter seek w ith thee
F rom cruel foes, desirest th o u th ey should
Be balked of all th e ir hopes, an d see instead
W ith hungering eyes th y co-w ifes opulence ?
A nd th in k : th e fear of th y lord alone
P rev en ts king Ja n a k a from falling on
T hy fa th e rs realm s ; if Ram ascends th e th ro n e
O f O udh, w ould th e fa th e r of his wife, th e king.
O f M ithila w ithhold his greedy hands
F ro m K ekaya ? A nd ev n if h e forbears,
A re th e re n o t foes on foes conspiring gainst
T h y fa th e r ? If th ey fall on him , th in k st thou:

286

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STUDY

T hat R am w ould give him help ? A nd helpless, how

Can he against his num erous enem ies hold ?
Alas, th y k in d red w ill be ruined, an d thou
T hyself w ilt sink in a sea of m isery ?
W hat m ore ? Thou h ast by th y neglect b ro u g h t ru in
Upon th y son, for, be thou sure, if R am
Is crow ned, it w ill be he alone and his
Beloved L akshm ana th a t w ill en jo y
T he sovereign pow er : th in k sfc thou th a t others w ill h av e
A share ? 1
W hen M an th ara finished, she had conquered. F or K aik ey i
altered at once, and looking sw eetly on h er said, O g reat is th y
love for m e and m y son ; now advise me, dear, as to how I can
obtain the crow n for B h a ra ta.
M anthara now rem inded h er th a t D ash arath a h ad in g rate fu l
recognition of h er services as charioteer in olden tim es, prom ised
to g ran t h er any tw o requests, w h atev er th ey m ight be th a t
she m ight at any tim e m ake to him , and th a t she should no w
dem and the banishm ent of Rama and th e coronation of B h a ra ta
as h er tw o boons. K aikeyi em braced h er h ea rtily for this tim ely
advice and said,
Thou h ast now given the se a-g irt e a rth en tire
To m y son B h arata : tis thou th a t a rt
H enceforth th e m other of the K ing to be,
Not I ! W ell h ast thou said : My B h a ra t shall
Be crow ned today and Ram fo rth w ith exiled
To the forests : if m y lord w ould n o t consent
To this, I ll tak e m y life at his very feet ! 2
So she rem oved h er ornam ents and flowers, rem oved th e
tilak a 3 on h er forehead, and laid herself on th e ground aw aitin g
th e coming of D asharatha. W hen he saw h er in th a t condition,
he sw ore in the nam e of R am a him self th a t he w ould do h er
pleasure if she w ould only m ention it. She now rem inded him
of the old prom ise m ade before the gods and asked th a t he should
g ran t h er the tw o requests th a t she w ould p resen tly ask of him .
Ignorant of h er guile, he said, 4 Name them im m ediately so th a t
I m ay g ran t th em at once and tak e th e w eight off m y m ind.
B ut w hen she nam ed h er h eartless requests, he fell lik e an
1 II ii 67-76.
* II ii 83, 84.
3 Vermilion mark, a sign of married state.

BHARATA

287

elep h an t b itten by a snake. He sobbed an d m oaned ; his lip s

w ere p arch ed up ; he swooned. B ut h er h e a rt rem ain ed as
before she did n o t relen t. A t length, he cam e to, an d ask ed
h er 4A rt th o u tu rn e d m ad or a rt th o u tu to re d by designing
persons ? Speak ! B u t she coolly answ ered, 4 N either am I
m ad, nor am I tu to red by evil persons ; if th o u g ran t m y tw o
requests I shall accept th em ; if ihou refuse, I shall tak e m y life
here a t th y feet to th y ete rn a l dishonour.' These w ords to rtu re d
him to the quick and even m ade him curse D harm a and T ruth.
A fter th in k in g of a . h u n d red things even p u ttin g h er to th e
sw ord he, a t length, fell a t h er feet an d appealed to h e r b e tte r
nature. He said,
4
Thy son w ill n o t accept th e throne, and even if he
should accept, m y subjects w ould oppose th e idea. Do not,
therefore, K aikeyi, ru n afte r disgrace, b u t earn etern al glory
by w ith d raw in g your requests. N either gods nor m an w ill
approve of this. W ith whose good-w ill, then, canst thou
rule th e e a rth ? Ram a is not greedy he him self consented
to the coronation only in response lo m y insistent req u est
and he w ill certain ly apportion a p a rt of m y vast te rrito ry
to th y son. 1*
Seeing th a t she show ed no signs of w ith d raw in g h er dem and,
he continued :
4
Even if thou dem and my eyes, I w ould yield th em to
thee ; should th o u ask for m y life, even now it is thine. A nd,
O w om an, O fair one of K ek ay as generous race, if th o u
desire, ta k e th o u th e crow n, b u t insist not on th y o th er
prayer. My w ord once given, I w ill n ev er b reak it ; b u t
even a dem on w ould re le n t if anybody begs of it a s -I beg
of thee ! So to rtu re me not by a refusal, O K aikeyi ! *2
B ut she did not yield. 4Thou thyself has prom ised , she
said, 4to g ran t m e m y requests, and I insist on them . If, now ,
thou hesitate, w ho else is th e re in th e w orld to stan d for tru th ? 9
D ash arath a pleaded m ore pitifully. He said :

4L et th y son reign, and thou thyself m ay 'st ru le

The e a rth w ith him. I g ran t thee this, and I
Shall not go back upon m y word. I p ray
B u t this, insist n o t th a t m y son w ho is
M ine eye, m y life, th e beloved of all th e w orld,
Should leave th is land. My h e a rt-strin g s b reak to see
i II iii 26, 27.

2 II iii 28, 29.

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STUDY

T h at T ru th itself doth tear m e by th e roots.

If he w hose hands are like the lotus fair,
Should go from me, O noble one, m y life
W ill ebb aw ay. I p ray thee save my life ! 1
B ut even these piteous w ords did not m ove her. H er h e a rt
w as m ade of wood. N either did she care for honour. S h e
th erefore heartlessly replied :
When thou dost seek to go back on th y word,
O w arrior-king, canst call it righteousness ?
Is it not braving sin ? ' 2
D asharatha now lost all hopes of touching h er heart, and
rolled on the ground like a rock struck by the thunderbolt. He
could not see a shore to the sea of grief in w hich he w as getting
drow ned, and bew ailed his fate and cursed K aikeyis hardness
of heart. These w ords only m ade h er m ore cruel, and she
th reaten ed him th a t if he would not g ran t h er requests
im m ediately she w ould die by h er own h an d at his feet. *Once
upon a tim e / she concluded, a king cut his very body to pieces
in order to honour his pledged word. Of w h at use are thy reg rets
now, after having prom ised once to g ran t m y desire ?
W hen she stabbed him thus, w ithout th e slightest com punc
tion, w ith h er tongue, he gave up every hope, and crying out,
*I g ran t thee even this request ; let Ram
To the jungles be exiled, I shall to heaven
D epart, and sw im yeB h arata and thou
D ishonour's perennial stream for evr and evr. 3
h e fell into a swoon. So K aikeyi h ad h er h e a rts desire fulfilled
an d w ent to sleep th e sleep of the just, unm indful of the suffering
an d the to rtu re of h er husband.
W hen m orning daw ned, th e princes and people, ignorant of
w h at had happened the previous night, assem bled in th e
coronation hall w ith expectant h ea rt to w itness the coronation
of th e ir beloved prince. Not seeing th e King, V ashistha sent
S u m an tra to K aikeyis palace to ask the K ing to come to th e
hall. B ut K aikeyi, on h er part, ordered S um antra to bring R am a
1 II iii 32, 33.

2 II iii 34.

3 II iii 44.

HARAT

to her. S u h iah tra w eh t w ith a joyous h e a rt a n d b ro u g h t R am a

from h is hom e to th e palace of K aikyi. Says th e pet :
K aikeyi th o u g h t th a t D ashra th w ould n o t speak
T he cru el w ords him self, an d so, w hen Ram
E ntered h e r audience hall, fore him w ho looked
On h er as m o th er she cam e alone, een as
The sp irit of D eath ! His h e a rt did leap for joy
A t sight of h e r as th e calf w hen it sees
The m othef-cow . He fell p ro strate a t h e r feet
A nd stood in silence respectful B ut she
H ardened h er iro n -h e art, m ore h a rd th a n h e a rt
O f D eath him self, and said, th ere is a th in g
I hav e to tell thee, son, and if thou ask
W hether th y fa th e r sanctioned it, I do
A ssure thee, F ve th e sanction of the king
To tell it th e e / To w hich R am th u s replied,
If fa th e r deigns to give m e a com m and,
A nd th o u com m unicatst th e sam e to me,
I look on m yself as th e h ap p iest son
On e a rth is th e re a h ap p ier son th a n m e ?
Could all m y holy endeavours give to m e
A b e tte r blessing th a n to h e a r and
Obey such p aren ts as you are. A nd th o u
T hyself a r t fa th e r as w ell as m o th er to me.
I w ait his d ear com m ands : speak th em to m e / 1
It w as to such a son an d such a m an th a t K aik ey i spoke
those cruel w ords w hich w e h av e tra n sla te d elsew here.2
So R am a w en t aw ay w ith L ak sh m an a an d S ita to th e forests
w hile D ash arath a died w ith th e n am e of R am a u p o n h is lips,
V ashistha sent m essengers to K ek ay a to brin g Bharata b u t h e
in stru c ted th em n o t to in fo rm B h a ra ta of th e d ea th of D ash arath a
or of th e exile of S h ri Ram a. The m essengers reached K ek ay a
in due course, and w hen th e y gave B h a ra ta th e note w h ich ' safd
th a t he m ust im m ediately s ta rt for A yodhya,

He w as in ecstasies, his h a ir did stand

On end, for y earn ed his loving h e a rt to see
His b ro th er and elasp his feet in loving w ofship. 3

1 II ili 103-106
19

!
2 S e e page 9.

S II ix ^ .

9B0

KAMBA

R A M AY AN A M A

STUDY

- , S e ,, th erefo re, s ta rte d im m ediately w ith his b ro th e r an d

retin u e an d h u rrie d on to A yodhya. A s he en tered th e lim its
of his ow n country, how ever, he w as shocked a t th e stran g e
sight th a t g reeted his eyes. No plough w as seen plying on th e
fields. No g arlan d s w ere seen on th e necks of th e m en. T h e
fields w ere n o t w atered. L akshm i h erself seem ed to h av e left
th e earth . T here w as no sm ile on th e faces of th e passers-by. No
m usic w as h eard in th e streets. The th eatres an d d an cin g -h alls
w ere deserted. W om ens h a ir w as unadorned w ith flowers. T he
w hole country looked like a body from w hich th e soul h ad fled
aw ay.
B h a ra tas h e a rt w as pained beyond description. He th o u g h t
some g reat evil m u st h av e happened a t home, a n d sighed, and
h u rrie d on w ith redoubled pace. As he en tered th e city, th e
sights w ere still m ore h eart-ren d in g . He saw n o t th e flags flying
th a t used to look as if shading th e w hole city from th e h e a t of
the sun. He h ea rd n o t th e sound of th e d ru m w hich used to
sound every day as if in v itin g th e needy to come and receive th e
bounty of th e em peror. He saw not th e B rahm anas leaving th e
palaces w ith presents of cows and horses and elephants an d gold.
No m usicians played on th e ir Vina. No chariots or palanquins
plied on th e streets. No horses or elephants carried m en and
women, and the streets looked deserted even as a riv er dried up.
He en tered th e palace of his fath e r b u t saw him now here.
W hile he w as still looking for him (and none w ould speak to
him , as all suspected him to be in conspiracy w ith his m o th er)
m essengers came to him from his m other desiring his presence
before her. He w ent to h e r and p ro strated a t h er feet, w hen
she, Selfish w om an th a t she was, asked w h eth er h er fa th e r and
m other and sisters w ere well. He said th a t th ey w ere all w ell
an d in th e sam e b reath asked h e r w here his fa th e r was. W hen
she replied th a t h e h ad died, he fell dow n like a sal tree stru ck
by th e th u n d erb o lt. H e slow ly recovered an d lam en ted for his
fa th e rs d eath in p ath etic w ords. T he poet indicates his a ttitu d e
tow ards R am a in th e follow ing w ords th a t h e p u ts in his m outh
in th e m idst of his lam en tatio n :4
4D idst g rieve th a t R am as h an d w as bare, and didst
Thou leave th is e a rth desiring th y sceptre,
W hich h a d n ever le ft th y hands, should now adorn
T h e h an d of th e blessed one. B ut, sooth, if th o u
H adst loved th e son th a t th y au sterities
Did bless thee with^ w ouldst thou have left him th u s ?

B H A R A T Ai -

N or alas, a rt th o u given to see w ith th in e eyes

The C oronation of th y Ram ! ? 1

S h atru g h n a consoled B harata, and w hen he ha,d recovered

from th e first paroxysm of grief, he said,
*As Ram alone is father, m other, and lord
To me, unless I bow m y head a t his feet
My h e a rt cannot recover from this shock. 2
It is V alm iki th a t has b u ilt up this situ atio n w ith g reat
artistic skill and K am ban adopts his arran g em en ts of th is scene
w ithout m uch alteration. B ut th e stu d en t of V alm iki w ill see
th at, as an a rtist of equally rich im agination, K am ban does n o t
tran slate V alm iki even h ere b u t carries on th e conversation in
his ow n w ay, w hile w ith his g reater d ram atic skill he avoids th e
slowness of V alm iki and m akes th e scene u nroll itself w ith g reater
rapidity. We shall see how K am ban handles th e situation.
W hen K aikeyi heard th e w ords of B h a ra ta th a t w e h av e
given above, she coolly replied and w ith o u t an y com m ent, th a t
Ram a had gone aw ay to the w ilderness w ith his b ro th er an d
Sita. At these w ords B h arata felt as if he h ad sw allow ed living
fire, and asked betw een m any a sob and sigh :
Can fate bring fo rth a g reater ill ? A nd w h at m ore
ill new s are th e re for m e to h e a r ? Is it as p u n ish m en t fo r
any ill deed done by him th a t R am a has been sent to th e
forests ? Or is it th e w ra th of th e gods or F ate th a t has
sent h im in exile ? If R am a h ad done an ill deed, m en
w ould have looked on it as th ey w ould have on any deed
done by th e ir m other herself w ho th en could h av e punished
him ? Oh, te ll me, is it afte r fa th e rs d eath th a t h e left
or before ? 3
A fter some m ore filigree w ork, K am ban m akes K aikeyi a t
la st come out w ith th e tru th . She said :
I m ade th y fa th e r g ran t m e tw o of m y w ishes, by one
of Which I sen t aw ay R am a to th e w ilds, and by th e other
I got th e th ro n e fo r thee. Thy fath e r could not b ear th is
and th erefo re it is h e died.
soon as h e h ad h ea rd these w ords, his hands th a t w ere
jo in e d in reverence flew to close his e a rs against any fu rth e r
i II ix 55, 56.

2 II ix 5.

,3 II jx 60-62.

282

KAM BA

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STUDY

blasphem y. His brow s m et to g eth er in a terrific frow n; His>

eyes becam e blo o d -red and his cheeks trem b led ; his body w a s .
lik e a m ass of fire ; he b it his lips and stru ck th e ground to th e
te rro r of th e v ery th underbolt. As he strode th e h all unable
to stan d still th e e a rth w ith M eru H ill to ttered even lik e a boat
tossed by storm s in th e open sea. The Devas an d th e A suras
trem b led a t his passion, an d how m any died n o t w ith sheer
f rig h t! The m am m oths holding up th e e a rth qu ak ed w ith fear*
an d th e God of D eath sh u t his eyes. C ontinues th e poet :
The lio n -lik e B h a ra ta boiling w ith w ra th
H esitated not to strik e because she w as
His m o th er : he feared th e an g er of Ram , and s o ,
I t is, he le ft K aikey unharm ed. B u t he
His w ra th did not conceal and th u s b u rs t fo rth :
I h ea r thee say th a t th ro u g h th y p lo t m y fa th e r .
Is dead and m y b ro th er gone to th e w ilderness :
A nd if I have n o t plucked th y sinful tongue
By th e roots till now , do th it n o t m ean th a t I
H ave in m y greed begun to ru le th e e a rth ?
T hou liv est y e t ; an d still my sp ell-b o u n d h a n d
L eap eth n o t fo rth to finish th ee ! D id n o t
I fear th a t R am m y m aster w ould resen t
T he deed, sh all even th e nam e of m o th er stay
My arm from slaying th ee ? 1
B h a ra ta s filial affection, tenderness, sw eetness, joy in life,,
a ll h av e now gone to th e winds. A fter th is rev elatio n of*
K aikeyi he cannot look a t th e w orld except in term s of h er
double guilt. A nd he cannot forget th a t h e is th e son of K aikeyi
a n d th a t it is fo r his sake th a t she executed h e r cruel plot. He
begins to be obsessed w ith th e idea th a t none w ould believe th a t
h e h a d no h an d in his m o th er's conspiracy, an d th e idea oppresses
h is h e a rt ev ery m in u te w ith a n increasing in ten sity . So selfrep ro ach an d self-condem nation becom e his n o rm al state of m ind.
A nd K am ban p ain ts th is state of m in d in all its aspects w ith th e
sam e victorious ease w ith w hich h e p ain ts o th er feelings. T he
follow ing are e x tra cts from th e continuation of B h a ra ta s address
to K aikey i :
W e h av e a k in g w ho g ives up his life to k e e p h is w ord ;
w e h a ve a hero w ho g ives up th e crow n in obedience to
4

1 n ix 70, 71, 74.

BK ARAXA

293

c ru e l w ords ; and, if th e re is a B h a ra ta to w e a r th e crow n

in his place, w ill n o t th e cycle of th e righteous be com plete ?
*C an th e re be a g reater renow n to m e th a n to m ak e
p o sterity p o in t o u t to m e as h av in g d estroyed th e fam ily
trad itio n , help ed b y th e plot of his m o th er an d b ro u g h t
dishonour upon th e race ?
*T hy h e a rt is n o t h eav y though th o u h ast k illed th y
lord ! A h, devil in h u m an shape, how th y life p ersists !
T hou w ill n o t even now end th y se lf ! T hou g avest m e th e
m ilk of th y b reasts w h en I w as a child, an d now th o u h a st
b ro u g h t on m e e te rn a l disgrace. W hat m ore are th e gifts
th a t th o u a rt going to bestow on me, m o th er ?
*W ith th y tongue h a st th o u slain a k in g w ho w ould
n ev er u tte r an u n tru th , an d acq u ired dishonour th a t w ill
n ev er end, an d th o u d esirest to enjoy sovereignty an d p o w er
for ever. Fie on th ee th a t even w h en th o u saw est th e v e ry
-cows an d calves follow h im to th e forest, th o u d id st n o t find
it in th y h e a rt to p u t an end to th y life !
*A h ! R am believes th a t I am p riv y to m y m o th ers
conspiracy, for, otherw ise, know ing th a t fa th e r w ould die fo r
not seeing him , w ould he n o t h av e re tu rn e d a t le a st to save
his life ? H as he not left for th e forest w ilds v erily in th e
belief th a t I w ould not h esitate to sit on th e th ro n e ?
A nd y et I live ! W ill n o t th w orld p o in t o u t to m e
as th e w retch w ho consents to eat sw eet w h ite rice in p lates
w hile m y eld er b ro th er is eatin g leaves in cups, them selves
m ade of those v ery leaves ?
T he good king died th e v ery in sta n t h e h ea rd th e n ew s
th a t R am h ad left for th e forest, w hile I k ill n o t th e w om an
w ho is cruel as v ery poison, n o r w ill I die. A m I n o t indeed,
rich in dishonour ? A nd y et I w eep as if I h av e a loving
h e a rt! 1
A nd th en , a fte r tellin g his m o th er th a t th e re w as n o th in g
for h er now b u t to ta k e h e r life an d w ipe o u t th e dishonour th a t
she h ad b ro u g h t on herself, B h a ra ta w en t to K ausalya, an d
.clasping h e r feet w ep t for long.
W here is m y fath er, h e cried, an d w h ere m y b ro th er ?
Cam e I to.A yodhya only to see th is m isery ? S how m e a,b a lm
1 II ix 73, 74, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82.

94

K A M BA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

to my* b leed in g h eart, O m oth er ! T he race w h o se g lo ry w as

b rig h ter th an th e sun h as n o w b ecom e b lack en ed b y th e
b irth o f B h a ra ta / 1

Wheri K auslya saw his rnding grief, h er n a tu ra l anger

d isappeared and she felt th a t he w as p erfctly innocent and th a t
h e w ould not assum e the crown. A nd she said :
Ah ! child, perhaps thou knew est not th e plot
T hat K ek ay s princess planned.* 2
H ere we should rem ark th at, by stopping short w ith these
w ords, K am ban m akes K ausalya m ore dignified in ch aracter th a n
V alrhiki does w ith the ta u n tin g speech he p u ts into h er m outh.
A t th e sam e tim e, by m aking B h arata eat his own h e rt an d
p ro test his innocence by m any a te rrib le oath th e m om ent he h eard
eveii these w ords, K am ban m akes his B h arata also seem m ore
sensitive th an th e sam e hero in Valm iki.
T ortu red by the words, though th ere w as no m ore th a n the*
m erest shadow of suspicion in them , B h arata took a te rrib le
o ath w hich is given in tw en ty stanzas, b u t from w hich we shall
give only a few sentences. He said :
If I h ad know n th e evil planned by th a t evil one, m ay I
fall into th e h ell reserved for m en th a t show not m ercy, for
those w ho endeavour to destroy charities, for those w ho
co rru p t th e w ife of an o th er m an, and for those who destroy
life in w anton cruelty !
M ay I suffer th e torm ents reserved for those w ho do h arm
to the holy ones who have renounced ev ery th in g and do tapas,
for those who flee from before th e ir enem ies in w ar, an d for
those who rob th e poor !
M ay I be roasted in hell even as he w ho fills his m aw
w hile his m o th er suffers from h u n g er in d ire indigence, as th e
follow er who flees from his m aster w hen he is attack ed by
foes, as he who betrays to his foes the m an who has tak en
refuge w ith him I
M ay I suffer the punishm ents inflicted in hell on the false
w itness, on him who is afraid of w ar, on him w ho eats aw ay
tru s t property, on him who draw s all th e m ilk w ith o u t leaving
enough for th e calf, on th e m an who is u n g ratefu l to his
benefactor, on th e m an who Would n o t defend w om en w ho are1 II ix 90, 93.

2 I I ix 96.

B H A R A T A*

assaulted in M s presence, an d on him w ho aa When his

neig h b o u r is h u n g ry !
M ay I w rith e in h ell as h e w ho ru n s away fro m th e
battle-field fearin g fo r h is life, an d as th e k in g w h o robs th e
ch aritab le foundations of his realm s !
If I had desired th e crow n th a t R am a w as to h av e w orn,
m ay I th ro w aw ay m y sk ill w ith th e bow an d th e sw ord,
and m ay I lose m y valour, an d fo r th e sake of p reserv in g
th e w orthless body, m ay I live, a beggar in th e p lace given
to m e by m y enem ies !
M ay I place m y sw ord a t th e feet of m y enem ies an d
su rre n d er m y honour to them to be m ocked a t b y w om en !
M ay I lose th e independence of m y co u n try an d live a chained
prisoner in th e sight of m y enem ies ! 1
W hen B h a ra ta w as tak in g th e oath,
K ausalya felt as if she saw h e r R am
H im self re tu rn e d from his exile cruel. H er h e a rt
Did fill w ith joy and n e w -re tu rn e d love.2
She em braced him h e a rtily and th en sobbed w ith g rief fo r th e
suspicions th a t she herself h ad e n tertain e d ag ain st him , th ough
only for a very short tim e. A nd th en she said to him u n ab le to
contain h er adm iration of his no b ility
O p rince of princes, O m y B h a ra ta l
Of all th e kings th a t h av e adorned th y House
F rom tim es beyond o ur m em ory, w hom can
I nam e along w ith th ee for p u rity
Of h e a rt ? 3
A nd th e m ore she th o u g h t of h is cry stal p u rity an d of th e
u n ju st suspicion th a t h ad come on him , th e m ore d eeply she
grieved and the m ore freely flowed h e r tears. W hile b o th w ere
m ingling th e ir tears thus, th e fam ily p riest V ash isth a cam e and
a fte r condolences asked him to look to th e p erform ance o f th e
obsequies of his fath er. So th e enbalm ed body of D ash arath a w as
tak en to th e b u rn in g ground an d placed on th e fu n e ra l pyre. B ut
w hen a fte r th e m a n tra s w ere pronounced, B h a ra ta rose to lig h t
th e fire, V ashistha interposed an d said :
i n ix 98-117.

II ix 118.

3 ii

ix m

KAMBA

m
(f a

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

A la s, m y B h arata, th ou m a y s ! n o t lig h t
T h e fu n er a l fire n o r jo in in th e r ite s : .
F o r D ash arath h a s rep u d ia ted th ee
A lso in th e a n g u ish o f h is h ea rt, b efo re
H is d ea th .9 1

*
These w ords w en t like a cru el poisoned d a r t into th e a lre a d y
to rtu re d h e a rt of B h arata, and h e fell dow n like a cobra stru ck by
th e th u n d erb o lt and th u s lam ented his fate :
4Of all th e princes of m y race who can
C om pare w ith m e ? I am unfit to perfo rm
My fa th e r's fu n eral rites ; is it to seat
M yself upon th e v acan t th ro n e alone
T h at I am born ? . . . . Alas, I am become

<

The so litary sapless, fleshless n u t

A m idst th e fru itfu l bunch luxurious
G row ing on th e p alm tre e called th e S olar-race.
Ah, how m y m other has em blazed m y nam e
I' th e book of fam e ! 2

rThe fu n eral rites w ere perform ed by S h atru g h n a, B h a ra ta

only looking on w ith m any a sigh and w ith a to rtu re d h eart.
A fter ev ery th in g w as over V ashistha called th e G eneral Council
of P rinces an d th e People, and these called on B h a ra ta to assum e
th e crown. B ut,
W hen h e h eard th e R ishis w ords, he trem b led
Een m ore th a n m en to w hom th e poison cup
Is offered ; te ars flowed dow n his cheeks ; his tongue
W as p arch ed ; his eyes began to roll ; his h e a rt
M elted ev n as a w om ans h eart. A nd th en
C hecking th e feelings of his h e a rt h e spoke
Thus to th e assem bled elders : w hen tis not
A gainst th e A ncient D harm for righteous m en
T invite m e to assum e th e crow n, w hen lives
My eld er b ro th er w ho peerless stan d s in all
T he Worlds, w ho can m y m o th er charge w ith g u ilt ?
H as th e A g e o f th e K a li d aw n ed , O m en o f red e,

i n& m

* II ix 136, 138.

BHARAT^

297

T h at y e approve m y m o th ers cruel plot ?

From B rah m a dow nw ards, on th e ancient e a rth
Can ye p o in t out to m e a prince w ho w ore
The crow n w hen th elder b ro th er w as y e t alive ?
E vn if it should be D harm , I cannot b ear
The b u rd en of this crow n ! B ring him th erefo re
F rom exile arid crow n him as king of Oudh.
If he refuse I ll go and live w ith him
The h e rm its life au stere of holy calm.
If ye invite m e gain to w ear th e crow n
I am resolvd to tak e m y life ; ye have
My m ind. 1
These w ords of B h arata created a th rill of ad m iratio n ih th e
h e a rts of th e councillors. They said :
Even R am agreed to w ear th e crow n w hile lived
The em peror, b u t thou, O g ran d -so u led hero,
D enyst th y self this vast en tran cin g e a rth
A nd sovereign pow er : w here is th y p eer am ong
T he princes of th e w orld ? N eeds! th o u a th ro n e
T em blaze th y nam e upon th e h earts of m en ?
Or needst ostentatious charities
O r sacrifices g ran d to earn a nam e
Mong m en ? Een w hen th e fourteen w orlds dissolve
In air, th y fam e can n ev er die ! 2
So ended th e council, and a t th e desire of B h a ra ta all A yodhya
sta rte d to th e forest to m eet R am a an d p ersuade him to come b ack
and ta k e th e crown. The arm y m arched in fro n t as g u ard an d
th e w hole population w alked or rode behind. A fter m arch in g a
few days, B h a ra ta and th e arm y reached th e banks of th e G anga.
G uha, who w as th e king of th e fo rest folk thereabouts, saw th e
arm y from a distance and im agined th a t B h a ra ta w as come to
c a p tu re and k ill Ram a, his friend. So, w ith his chest and arm
swelling w ith joy a t th e expectation of b attle, he called o u t his
m e n and told th em his thoughts in these w ords :
*A rriv ed in force h ere is th e prince w ho p rev en ted th e
coronation of th e frien d of m y h e a rt, th e d ark -co lo u red R am a,
and u su rp ed th e th ro n e fo r him self. B u t th in k s h e th a t m y
i II x 13-18.

2 II x 19, 20.

298

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M

S T U D Y

arrow s canhot fly lik e fire*vom iting rocks ? A nd if h e

escapes alive from before me, w ould n o t the w orld reg ard m e
as a w orthless cu r ?
S hall th e y cross today th e deep w aters of th e G anga,
and are we bow m en afraid of th e arm y because it is
strengthened by elep h an t divisions ? A nd shall w e tre a t it
as an em pty b reath th e declaration of lastin g friendship m ade
by Ram a w ith us ? A nd w ill not th e w orld m ock a t m e saying
th a t th e w retched h u n te r did not a t least give his life fo r th e
sake of his frien d ?
4He recks not th a t R am a is his elder b rother. N or does
he fear th a t th e re is a younger by his side, fierce and strong
as a tiger. If he m inds them not, how is it he despises even
m e ? Is it n o t afte r passing me th a t he can attac k Ram a ?
Or is it th a t the arrow s of h u n ters cannot pierce th e h ea rts
of K shatriyas ?
4W ill kings never have any sense of sin or dishonour
or disgrace ? Will they be callous to th e feelings of love and
h ate ? Be th a t as it may, is it not a fte r slaying m e th a t
they can fall upon the friend of m y h e a rt ?
4Is it not after crossing the G anga th a t they can display
the pride of th eir elephant and horse divisions ? A nd ye
fierce hunters, have ye not the pow er to destroy th e beasts ?
A nd at the w orst, is it not b etter to die before our Lord
S hri Ram ?
4Will ye not destroy the bannered host in front, and have
it said th a t ye h u n ters restored sovereign pow er to the ju stest
of princes ? My L ord gave aw ay to them a kingdom , an d
behold these cruel brothers grudge even th e jungle lan d tohim ? 1
F row ning at B h arata in these and sim ilar words, G uha stood
on th e southern bank of th e riv er m aking his dispositions for
th e fight. B harata, S h atrughna and the charioteer S um antra
w alked to th e n o rth ern b ank of th e river, and as he recognised
G uha, S um antra pointed him out to B h arata as th e d ear friend of
Ram a.
W hen B h arata heard th a t he w as R am as friend,.
His holy h e a rt w as filled w ith joy, and saying,.
If he is a friend beloved of Ram, I w ill
* II xi 14-17, 19, 22.

BHARATA

299

N ot w ait fo r him tV advance h u t m yself go

A nd m e et h im over th e re / With qu ick er steps

He w alked tow ards th e w ater's edge..1
G uha could n o t distinguish th e face an d a ttire of B h arata.
He saw his form w ith tre e -b a rk clothed and soiled
W ith neglected d u st : he saw his sm ile-less face
E'en as th e moon w ith all h e r glory shed :
He saw his anguished look th a t m ade e'en stones
W ith p ity m e lt : an d he astounded stood !
The banded bow dropped from his h an d and sobbing
He th u s expressed his aw e-filled m ind : Yon P rince
Resem bles fu ll m y m aster Ram , w hile he
T h at's by him looks like L akshm an fair ; besides,
He w ears th e h erm its w eeds ; and th e re appears
No end to th e anguish of his h e a rt : h e joins
His hands in w orship and looks rev eren t tow ards
The south. Can e v 'r a b ro th er of R am a sw erve
From righteous w ays ? 2
G uha told his chiefs th a t B h arata did n o t ap p ear to have come
w ith hostile in te n t and th a t he Would cross over and ascertain
th e tru th for him self. A t th e same tim e, how ever, asking them
to g u ard th e b ank carefully, he w ent over in a boat to th e o th er
bank. On landing, he fell a t th e feet of B h arata who did him a
sim ilar honour and em braced him even m ore te n d erly th a n if he
h ad been his father. A fter all these salutations w ere over, G uha
asked him w h at w as th e p u rp o rt of his leaving A yodhya and
com ing southw ard.34 B h arata replied :
My fa th e r who h ad ru led the w orlds w ithout
A single flaw has set at nought for once
1 II xi 27.
2 ii Xi 29, 30.
3 The student of Valmiki will see how much more delicate is Kambans
Guha, when compared to Valmikis Guha, who tells Bharata to his face,
4But this thy host so w ide disposed
Wakes in m y heart one doubt and dread
Lest threatening Rama good and great,
III thoughts thy journey stimulate
It would be worthwhile to compare this whole episod of Guha as
treated by Kamban at every step with Valmikis treatment of the same.
Valmiki has worked wonders in this episode but even the most partial'
admirer of Valmiki will have to admit that the touches that Kamban
has added to it make it more entrancing, more grand. Unfortunately
space forbids us to pursue the comparison here any further

:$0Q

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M

S T U D Y

T he trad itio n s of o u r an cien t lin e ? <1<come

To call o u r R am a hom e an d s e t them rig h t.
B h a ra tas w ords drew sobs from th e m an ly h e a rt of G uha.
A gain he fell p ro strate on th e ground an d clasping th e lo tu s-lik e
feet of B harata, h e addressed him these n e v e r-to -b e -fo rg o tte n
w ords :
*Thou h ast renounced as sinful, Sire, th e th ro n e
T hy m o th er did dem and and th y fa th e r gave,
A lthough thyself a rt free from blam e. A nd th o u
A rt come to seek th y b ro th er w ith anguished h eart.
W hen I behold th is self-conquest, I ask
Can even a thousand R am as equal th ee ?
How can a h u n te r ig n o ran t lik e m e
T hy praises fitly sing ? Een as th e sun
O utshining does devour all o th er lights,
Thou h ast transcended and eclipsed th e fam e
Of all th e sovereigns of th y ancient line ! 2
B h arata accepted th e hospitality lovingly offered by G uha,
a n d then asked him to show th e place w here R am a h ad slept w hile
h e rem ained w ith him. W hile G uha pointed to him th e bed of
grass on th e stony floor as th e bed w hereupon R am a passed his
night, B h a ra ta could not bear th e sight and fell dow n on th e
ground shaking all over w ith in ten sity of his grief, an d soaking
.the very e a rth w ith his tears. A nd th en he gave v en t to h is
excruciating feelings, apostrophising R am a th u s :
E vn w hen I know th a t thou didst suffer, brother,
E xile on m y account and even w hen
I h ear it said thou atest berries w ild
A nd roots as if they w ere am brosia,
A nd sleptest on this bed, I yield n o t up
My b reath ! O b ro th er shall not I een accept
The crow n ? 3
A nd again im pelled by b ro th erly affection, B h a ra ta ask ed
G uha to show w here L akshm ana passed th e night, to w hich th e
loving forester replied :
1 n xi 33.

2 II xi 35, 36

3 II xi 40.

6 H A ft 1 A

3V

W hen slep t th e d a rk -h u e d handsom e R am an d she

U pon th is tied, th y L akshm an w ith his bow
In h an d an d w ith m an y a sigh and te a r did stan d
O n g u ard outside th e w hole n ig h t through, w ith o u t
A w in k of sle e p / 1
B h a ra ta s se lf-to rtu rin g h e a rt found in this new s fresh m a tte r fo r self-rep ro ach an d self-condem nation. He exclaim ed :
Of all th e brothers born w ith Ram, Ive been
F or him th e curse of endless m iseries,
W hile L akshm ana stands to rem edy them as they
A pproach : can m an k in d sound th e dep th s of love ?
Ah, g ran d s th e service I have done to Ram ! 2
B h a ra ta now requested G uha to tak e th e 'v a s t host across the
G anga. A fter all others h ad passed over, B h a ra ta and th e dow ager
em presses of A yodhya got into a boat along w ith G uha. As th ey
w ere crossing th e river, G uha asked to be introduced to th e queens.
T h e stanzas in w hich G uha asks and B h arata replies are fu ll of
th e patho s of passionate self-rep ro ach ; and w e shall attem p t to.
tra n s la te th em fo r th e reader.
A s G uha did salu te K ausalya g reat
A nd asked of B h arata, W ilt te ll me, prince,
W ho is th is holy dam e ? * Good B h a ra ta
Replied, O b rother, know h e r as th e spouse
O f him w hose co u rt w as thro n g ed w ith vassal kings,
A nd as th e noble queen w ho lost th ro u g h m y
U n fo rtu n ate b irth , th e happiness th a t w as
To have been h ers as m o th er of th e L ord
W ho in th e ages gone begot th e god
F ro m w hom doth sp rin g th is trip le universe !
G uha now tu rn ed to S u m itra an d asked
The prince to te ll h im w ho she was. She is,
T he holy one replied, th e second w ife
Of h im w ho died an d left a deathless nam e
F o r tru th , an d m o th er of h im w ho n ev er p a rts
F ro m R am an d proves to all th e w orld th a t R am
H as got a b ro th er y e t/ A nd la st to w ard s h e r
T he h u n te r looked, w ho th ough h e r lord h ad d ied
1 * i 42.

* n xi 43.

-502

K A M 6A

B A M A Y A N A M A

S.TUDY

A nd though h e r on w ith anguish w ore aw ay

His heart and R am a w andered in th e wild$,
Cared n o t for th em b u t w ent on m easuring aw ay
With her cruel greed-filled heart, the worlds th a t V ishnu
Did m easure w ith his feet. A nd th en he asked
Who m ay this lady be ? * The prince replied
S he is th e m other of all these ills and nurse
Of lasting sham e ; she w ears m y h ea rt aw ay
W ith h er callousness ; for m idst this endless host
T h at looks a body reft of life, is not
H er face the only one th a t is not touched
W ith sorrow s hue ? H er heartlessness doth cleave
My h e a rt in tw ain. If canst not know h er straig h tw ay
By h er look, then know it is h er sinful womb
T hat held me m any a w eary m onth before
My birth.*1
A t length the whole p arty landed and pursued th e ir w ay
tpw ards w here Ram a was staying in the forest. It is th e p lan of
the poet to show off the pu re gold of B h a ra tas character by m eltin g
it again and again in the fire of u n ju st suspicion an d calum ny. So
here also K am ban exposes B h arata to th e u n ju st charges of
Lakshm ana. The reader w ill not have forgotten th e cruel w ords
th a t L akshm ana h u rled against B h arata w hen he saw h im
advancing a t the head of th e im m ense m u ltitu d e tow ards w here
they w ere.2 B ut Ram knew th e real n a tu re of B h arata and calm ed
L akshm ana w ith th e w ords 3 w hich are a p artia l com pensation fo r
the various attacks aim ed a t B h arata by u n th in k in g people.
As they w ere thus discussing, B h arata him self approached
his hands joined in the attitu d e of w orship, his body drooping
down, his eyes flowing w ith tears, his w hole person a very p ic tu re
of anguish of heart.
Ram a pointed him out to L akshm ana and said w ith a d elicate
irony :
*O m y Child of th e tw anging bow, behold th e panoply
of w ar in w hich th e angry B h arata advances to attack us.
B ut L akshm ana did n o t req u ire Ram as w ords in o rd er to
Tealise the injustice of his suspicions. For as B h arata approached,
His face grew pale ; h is tongue th ^ t even now
Reviled his b ro th er stuck to his p alate dum b ;
1 II xi 65, 68-70.

2f See page 76.

3 See page 9$.

303

BHARATA

His wrath was fled ; his eyes did inundate

The ground with tears ; his bow dropped from his hand :
And he astonished stood.1
And Bharata came as the messenger sent by the Earth for her
Lord Shri Rama, whose separation she could not bear any more,
and saying,
Thou h ast forgotten D harm a and forsaken T ru th
Thou h ast broken all o u r trad itio n s. 2
he fell at th e feet of Ram a as if he m et his own fath e r come back
to life.
Ram a em braced him w ith a ferv en t love and eyed again an d
again w ith grief th e h e rm its w eeds in w hich B h a ra ta appeared,
and thoug h t on a h u n d red things as possible reasons for th e same.
.At length he asked him :
Thou a rt sunk in grief, m y child ; is our hero fa th e r
w ell ? B h arata broke to him th e u n h ap p y new s of his
fa th e rs death,
a n d Ram a lam ented long and deeply for him along w ith B h a ra ta
and V ashistha and his m others. A t length, counselled by
*Vashistha, Ram a offered th e fu n eral oblations to his father, an d
en tertain ed all th a t h ad come w ith B harata.
The n ex t day Ram a assem bled th e chiefs and R ishis th a t h ad
come from A yodhya and a t th e assem bly spoke to B h a ra ta th u s :
O ur g reat fa th e r is dead and by his com m ands th e em pire
belongs to thee. W hy th en dost not thou w ear th e crow n,
b u t ap p ear in these h e rm its w eeds ? 3
B h a ra ta a t once rose up w ith a visible shudder in his lim bs,
.and joining his hands in reverence looked fu ll in th e face of R am a
,and replied as follows :
Who is th e re fo r righteousness, O b ro th er mine,
B ut th o u th y self ? W ilt b re a k th e trad itio n s old
Of our house ? F o r w hom is penance fit b u t m e
W ho am th e son of her, w ho w ith h e r boons
Rebellious k illed th e king, an d did decree
A n exiles life to th ee ? Me m iserable !
B o m from th e sinful w pm b of h e r w ho broke
a n xi* 51.

* II x 53.

3 II X 9&

304

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N M A

STUDY

T he h e a rts of all, I th in k n o t y e t to seek

M y d eath , n o r w ould I live th e an c h o rite^ life :
H ow a m I going n o w to w ash m y sins ? . * . k .
W hen th o u dost leave th e an cien t th ro n e th a t's th in e
O f rig h t an d lead th e life of erem ites,
S h all I fo rg et m y self an d sw erve from rig h t
A nd ru le th e e a rth as one w ho D h arm destroys ?
O ur fa th e r dead fo r v ery excess of love,
A nd th o u com e over to th e d esert w ilds,
D efenceless lies th e sta te : am I a foe
To w atch m y chance an d steel th e u n g u ard ed crow n ?
So right, m y brother, th e w rong by fa th e r done
A nd th evil b ro u g h t by h e r th e m o th er
Of w ickedness, an d do re tu rn to O udh
A nd w ear th im p erial crow n. 1
Hama, how ever, w ould not adm it B h a ra ta s argum ents. He'
sa id th a t his fa th e r an d m o th er h ad o rdered him to leave th e
country, and th a t he w ould n o t m ake his fa th e r a lia r in th is w orld
by re tu rn in g to A yodhya. The d u ty of th e son is to increase th e
glory of his p aren ts an d n o t to m ake th e ir nam es a b y -w o rd of
disgrace. T hy fa th e r, R am a concluded, le ft th ee th e kingdom
by his express com m and, an d by rig h t of b irth too it belongs to
thee. T ake thou th erefo re th e reins of pow er in th y han d s and
ru le the ea rth . If th e kingdom , replied B h arata, in w h ich
th o u w ert born th e eldest son to th e king th o u w ho h ast no peer
in a ll th e w orlds does really belong to me, th en , m y b ro th er, I
give it aw ay to thee. W hen th e w hole kingdom is h u n g erin g fo r
th y retu rn , w ilt th o u pass th y tim e in selfish tapas ? Come th o u
therefore, O brother, and w ipe off its sorrow by assum ing th e
crow n !
R am a w ould n o t change his fixed m ind. He said,
If in th y love th o u dost bestow th y crow n
On me, can it belong to m e ? T he y ears
T h at I agreed to live in th e w ilderness
O bedient to m y fa th e rs w ill, are th ey
O ver today ? Is th e re a h ig h er v irtu e
B rother, th a n tru th ? Is th e re a b lack er sin
T h an sw erv in g from th e sam e ? L et m e th erefo re
Reside, O b ro th er, for th e p erio d undertook,
* II *i i 07-99, 101, 103.

SHARATA

3oa

An exile in the forest lands ; and all

These years rule thou Ayodhya by my command !
When father bid me wear the crown, my child,
I feared to disobey arid did submit
My will to his. I bid thee now to rule
The land, and as I did to father yield,
So do thou yield to me and leave thy sorrow/ 1
Now V ashistha intervened and as preceptor called upon Kama
w ith greater authority, to re tu rn to the lan d and rule Ayodhya,
B u t how can I go bck, asked Rama, upon the w ord once given ?
Is it righ t for thee to call upon me to assum e th e crown, afte r I
had prom ised to m y fath er and m other to do th e ir bidding ? *
V ashistha could not oppose him w ith reason and so became
silent. And B harata, finding it impossible to persuade Ram a to
leave the forest, said in despair :
If thou w ilt not go back on thy resolve,
L et those assume the crow n who w ant to rule :
I ll follow thee ajid live the anchorites life ! *2
The invisible gods, who had been closely following the debate*
now thought th a t if B h aratas determ ination should induce R am a
to retu rn to Ayodhya, R avana and the Rakshasas w ould rem ain
unpunished, and so they caused these words to be h eard in th e
assem bly :
It is thy duty B harata, to rule the em pire during all th e
fourteen years th a t R am a has u n d ertak en to pass in exile
in accordance w ith th e w ill of his fath er. 3
W hen these incorporeal words w ere heard, Ram a said to
B harata :
4
Behold the Devas have spoken and thou ought not to
disobey th eir words. So a t m y request and w ith m y au th o rity
rule thou the em pire, brother. 4
B harata had to yield. B ut he insisted on one stern condition.
*If thou w ilt not come back, he said, 4 exactly a t th e en d of
fourteen years an d accept th e sceptre, I shall light a big fire and
b u rn m yself in it. Ram a saw the firmness of his heart, and
m elting aw ay at his unselfish devotion to him self agreed to his
condition.
i II xii 114-117.
3 II xii 131.

20

2 II xii 129.
4 II xii 132.

306

K AMBA

RA M AYAN AM A

STUDY

B h a ra ta w ith matny a sob req u ested R am a to give him his

P aduka& ~ ihe w ooden shoes th a t he w ore as he w ould ru le th e
lan d in th e n am e of th ese sacred shoes only as th e sym bol of
R am as personal au th o rity ; an d R am a gave th em those shoes
th a t give tem p o ral as w ell as sp iritu al salvation to those th a t
w orship th em in fa ith an d love. A nd placing th em upon his head
an d shedding te ars profusely a t th e th o u g h t of sep aratio n from
Ram a, B h arata a t length took his leave w ith all his host and
Returned home. B u t h e w ould n o t e n te r A yodhya, for, w as n o t
R am a an exile th erefro m ? He th erefo re stopped a t N andigram ,
placed th e P ad u k as on th e throne, an d conducted th e affairs of
th e state as th e ir vice-reg en t, him self living th e life of an
anchorite !
A nd how he did pass th e fou rteen years of R am as exile !
Not a day passed w ith o ut his doing w orship to th e P adukas
of his brother. He lived w ith his senses absolutely restrain ed ,
a very pictu re of tenderness and love. T ears w ould gush fo rth
from his eyes a t th e very th o u g h t of his brother. A lthough he
lived in the m idst of plenty, he w ould ea t n othing b u t roots
and w ild berries, th e produce of th e w ild country. He w ould be
constantly looking tow ards th e south, th e direction from w hich
R am a should retu rn , rep eatin g to him self w ith tears and sobs, h e
w ould not belie his w ord, he w ill come, he w ill come.
A t length th e day daw ned on w hich R am a w as due to arriv e
in A yodhya and still th e re w ere no signs of his arriving. The
anguish of B h a ra ta s h e a rt and his tears increased a h u ndredfold
and he said to him self :
He w ouldnt forget the day agreed w ith me ?
N or be u n m in d fu l of his m o th ers love
O r anguish m ine, and overstay his tim e.
I fear some evil has befallen him ! 1
Soon he recovered his poise, saying :

1 B ut w ho can stan d before m y hero b ro th er ?

N or gods, n o r m an, n o r beings of th e w orld
Beyond, n o r een th e T hree S uprem e could w in
If him they faced in w ar ! *2
3 VI x x x v ii 214.

^ V3 x x x v ii 215.

BHARATA-

307

B u t o th e r doubts soon upset him an d h e reso lv ed to d ie in

th e fire as h e had declared to his b ro th er a t th e tim e of p a rtin g
from him in th e forest. He said :
I

B ut m ay it be
He th in k s I m ight desire th e crow n, an d stays
A w ay in th e w ilderness so th a t I m ig h t
njoy th e th ro n e in peace ? B ut ho\v th e tim e
Is p ast th a t I should th in k and h esitate :
I can m y to rtu re b ear no m ore, Ill die
A nd end m y anguish w ith m y life ! 1
He, therefore, h ad a big ro arin g fire lig h ted on th e fields and
w alked to w ard s i t But, in th e m eantim e, th e w hole city got to
know of the m a tte r, and everybody rush ed to th e field of fire,
preceded by K ausalya, th e m other of Ram a, w ho h u rrie d to w ard s
him w eeping and sobbing. W hen he saw her, B h arata w as ta k e n
aback and he saluted h er falling a t h er feet. She took h im up
an d em braced him and chid him and nobly lauded him in th e
follow ing w ords :
Tis destiny, m y son, th a t dio v e thy b ro th er
A nd fath e r to th e ir several fates ; b u t w h at
Is it th a t th o u r t about, O child ? It is
A thoughtless deed ; fo r if thou end th y life,
O ur chiefs and people an d th y m o th ers all
W ill feed th e fire and end them selves. W ill D harm
Itself rem ain alive ? The very w orld
W ill from its orb it sw erve and come to an end !
T hou know est not th y greatness, B h arata !
We have not seen a hig h er righteousness
W ith these our eyes th an th y ow n holy life.
Can eer th y glory fade e en w hen th e w orlds
Dissolve ? Ten m illion m illion R am as evn
Can n ev er approach th e love im m aculate
T h at b u rn s w ith in th y soul ! If thou shouldst die
T h at a r t b u t D h arm as o th er self, can e a rth
A nd heaven and all th a t b reath es rem ain alive ?
If th is day ta rrie s Ram , tom orrow h e
Is sure to come. T h in k not h ed b reak th e w ord
H e him self gave to thee. T om orrow if
I, VI (X^cxvii 216.

308

KAM BA

R A M A V A N A M A

STUDY

W e see h im not, be su re h e h as ceased to live !

B u t grieving for th e d ea th of one, m y child,
W ilt th o u d estro y g reat S u ry as race itself
Up to its v ery roots ? A nd th o u a rt D harm
Itself in flesh an d blood ! 1
So spoke the g ran d -so u led K ausalya fo rg ettin g even h e r grief
for th e d elay of R am a in th e sight of th e im m acu late B h arata.
S he could contem plate th e d ea th of R am a w ith o u t sw ooningso
m uch h ad th e sacrifice of B h a ra ta en d eared him to h e r h eart.
H ow th e n could she look on an d allow him to fall into th e fire*
in a m istak en sense of sin ?
B u t B h a ra ta w ould n o t listen to her. He said,
Say not, O m other, th a t th y son has ceased
T obey th y w ord. I w ill no m ore p reserv e
M y life an d risk th u nduteous violation
O f m y fa th e rs w ords an d all trad itio n s old
Of our race. I ll stan d by th e oath I m ade, and keep '
My w ord. I ll also give m y life for tru th ,
A nd go to heaven. As R am a is th e son
A nd heir, th e d u ty s his alone to save
T he state. Tis w rong for others to w ear th e crown.
Besides, obedience to th e fa th e rs w ords
A nd m o th e rs, and th e tram p lin g dow n of tenderness
A nd love do ap p e rtain to R am alone.
T hey are im possible for me, m y m o th er !
A nd I shall die and prove m y innocence. 2
So saying, he w alked ro und th e fire in w orship as a prelim inary
to falling into it. A ll th e people sobbed aloud. B u t ju s t a t th a t
m om ent H an u m an who had been sen t to B h a ra ta by th e considerate
R am a app eared shouting,
My L ord is come, th e noble h ero s come !
Can he survive if th o u shouldst tak e th y life ? 3
an d w ith his m ig h ty paw s extinguished th e fire.
A nd th en saying th a t R am a w as being e n tertain e d by
B h arad w aja, and th a t th a t w as th e reason of th e delay of R am a
1 VI x x x v ii 229-234.

2 VI x x x v ii 236-238.

3 VI x x x v ii 1240i

BHARATA

$09

in coming over to where he was, Hanuman showed to Bharata the

Bignet ring of Rama which he brought with him as evidence of
the genuineness of his message. Bharatas joy at its sight was
not one whit less than that of Sita when she saw it in Lanka.
He kissed it, embraced it, and pressed it into his eyes. His
emaciated body grew to itself again at the touch of the beloved
jewel. He laughed and wept, saluted and embraced Hanuman
again and again, fell at his feet, and leaped with excess of joy.
Dance, dance aw ay w ith jo y , he said to those
A round ; ruft, fly to w h ere o ur R am a is !
L e ts sing a song of jo y ! O sinners, w hy
F all ye n o t a t th e feet of H anum an ? 1
And then,
The tongues th a t h ad been crying for grief, began
To shout for joy ; all eyes began to dry ,
A nd heads th a t ploughed th e ground w ere lifte d up,
A nd all did clasp in w orship H an u m an s feet. 2
B h arata did all honours to H anum an, gave orders to m ake all
arrangem en ts for a fitting reception to the hero of heroes, and
w hen everything w as com plete, sta rte d w ith an im m ense m u ltitu d e
for th e ash ram of B haradw aja. On th e w ay H an u m an to ld him all
th a t h ad h appened a fte r R am a w en t aw ay South, in th e m idst of
w hich account he gave him th e w elcom e new s th a t D ash arath a had
come dow n on e a rth at th e tim e of S itas ordeal and w ith d raw n
th e curse against him self an d his m other.
B h a ra ta grieved th a t it w as n o t given to h im to help R am a
like L aksh m an a in th e d estruction of R avana. B u t all th e grief
and sorrow m elted aw ay th e m om ent he saw R am a com ing in th e
aerial chariot to w ard s A yodhya. H e th en felt as if h e saw his
fa th e r him self re tu rn e d to life. He fell a t R am as feet and R am a
took him up, and, unable to u tte r a w ord in th e in ten sity of his
grief and joy, em braced him till th e ir v ery souls touched. T ears
flowed unceasingly from R am as eyes a t th e sight of th e tw isted
k n o t of h a ir on th e head of B h a ra ta w hich h ad n ev er been u n tied
all these fo u rteen years. T hese te ars and th e love of R am as
h eart, w hich w as like th a t of th e cow fo r its calf, w ere enough
com pensation to th e h e a rt of B h a ra ta for th e u n to ld m e n ta l
i VI x x x v ii 251.

2 VI xxxvii 247

31

KAM BA

R A M A VA N A M A

STUDY

anguish th a t he had been suffering from th e m om ent th a t h e h a d

h e a rd of R am as exile. A nd L akshm ana, w ho h ad m isunderstood
h im in th e early days o f the exile, 'clasped his feet in loving
w orship.. T he to rtu re d h e a rt of B h arata h ad a t len g th found its
balsam , an d fluttering w ith joy he took h is b ro th er and th e V anarh
host to A yodhy an d crow ned R am a to th e d elig h t of h im self
a n d th a t of th e w hole w orld. A nd n ev er did he feel so m uch jo y
as w hen a t th e tim e of th e coronation he held th e w h ite um brella,
th e sym bol of victory and u n stin tin g lib erality , over th e h ead of
h is brother.

SIT A

A top th e terrace of th e V irgin Bow er,

U pon th e balcony oerlooking sw ans
A t p lay w ith m ates (in lo tu s-teem in g p o o l),
T hey saw a dazzling form and stood en tran ced
Effulgence sheer of gold, th e frag ran ce sw eet
O f blossoms, ta ste delicious n e c ta r gives,
T he p leasu re p erfect poesy yields.1
Thus th e poet ushers S ita into th e stage of th e Ramayancu
H am a and L akshm ana, w alking dow n th e streets of M ithila, gazing
a t the various sights to rig h t and left of th em and above them ,
stop en th ra lled by th e sight of S ita on th e terrace. V ish v am itra
h ad not told th em th e real reason of his tak in g th em to J a n a k a s
capital, an d so, th e y w ere not p rep ared for th is vision.2
The a rtfu l R ishi , says A iyar, took R am a an d L aksh m an a
th ro u g h th e v ery stree t w here S ita's bow er w as situ ated . Says
th e poet :
So stood th a t m aiden of ra re loveliness
A nd eye caught eye and each th e o th er ate ;
As quit th ey stood, m inds into one w ere fused ;
The hero looked a t h er and S ita looked a t him .3*5
1 I x 23 Aiyar, well-versed in the genius of the English language, has
with unerring appropriateness translated the first two lines as follows :
The while she stood beside the dovecot fair,
In her virgin bower
(See page 57)
We have, however, closely adhered to the original. It has been suggested
to us that the swans were not on the balcony, but the balcony overlooked
the swans at play down below. But it is a convention, some may say, in
Tamil poetry (cf. Nala-Damayanthi) for swans to be by the side of a-,
maid in love. If, therefore, the alternative sense is preferred, the word
o erlooking * may be changed to amidst the
The words in *lotusteeming pool * are not in the original, but they do not affect the sense
in either case.
2 For the poets description of Sita or rather his attempt to describe
the indescribable, see page 7.
3 I x 35. This rendering is by the Rev. H. A. Fopley and appears in
his work *The Sacred K u ra l1 published by the Association Press, Y.M.C.A.,
5 Russell Street, Calcutta. Commenting on verse 10 of Chapter 110 of
the Kural, Rev. Popley writes Kambars Ramayana in Tamil has a
delightful illustration of this ; and gives the stanza we have quoted
above.
Students of the Kural will remember Aiyars translation of the maxim

*312

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

-And when she turned her eyes on him,

T he p a ir of po in ted lances called h e r glance
S an k deep in shoulders b road of handsom e Ram :
T he lo tu s eyes of him w ith sounding an k lets
In tu rn em pierced th e bosom of th e m aid
B ew itching lik e enchantress fa ir of yore.1
E nchained by lassos called h er d rin k in g looks
A nd h e a rt to h e a rt each one adducing m ain,
He of th e banded bow an d she w ith sw o rd -lik e eyes,
In tu rn en tered each o th e rs h eart.
T h at she could n o t th e handsom e one em brace,
The bangled m aiden lik e a sta tu e stood :
H er 'h e a rt an d w ill an d b eau ty trailin g him ,
T he y o u th w ith sage dissolved from sight.2
K am bans S ita w as of an age to fall in love a t first sight, an d ,
-in his Ram ayana, she suffers th ro u g h fo rty -tw o verses th e p an g s
of love. Not a w ord has passed betw een th e tw o, an d as A iy ar
ta k es care to p oint out,3 th e first w ords w hich R am a speaks to h er
w e re w hen he asked h e r to stay in A yodhya w h ile he goes alone
to th e forests for fo u rteen years. Ram a, in tu rn , suffers no w h it
less in the guest-house at M ithila, th in k in g of S ita w hose nam e
even is yet unknow n to him. One glance a t Sita, th e y et unknow n,
w as enough to set aflame th e h e a rt of Ram a, an d m ere w ords
about h er w ere enough to enslave R avana. W hen S h u rp a n ak h a
had finished th e description of S itas person, says th e poet :
A ll his anger, and valour, and sense of sham e now left
his h eart. S tru ck by the arrow s of M anm atha, he forgot
K hara, he forgot th e disgrace th a t had b efallen him , h forgot
the lim its of th e blessings received by him , b u t he forgot not
the fair of w hom his sister spoke.4
Even V ishvam itra, th e R aja-R ishi, is so m uch im pressed by
h er b eauty th a t he says to him self :
which reads, When eyes speak their consent to eye, the words of the
mouth are quite superfluous . Students of Kamba Ramayana and the
Kural will also remember that Kamban has woven delightfully into his
Verses at various places numerous other maxims from the Kural.
1 I x 36. EnchantressMohini, a female form of spell-binding beauty,
which Vishnu took aeons ago to divert the attention of the Asuras while
all of the immortality-conferring amrit churned fj*on* the Ocean o f Milk
was distributed only to the Devas.
. 4 AiyarSee pge 239.
. 2 I x 37, .30.
3 See page 56.

SITA

31%

*L et be th a t single bow ; w ould not our R n r

1 O f m ighty arm s, like hill of em erald
In hue, een b reak th e seven hills besides,
If it w as for th is lotus-dw elling m aid
W ith sm iting eyes like ten d er m ango green
S lit in tw o. 1
Such is the beauty of Sita.
S itas love was no passing fancy, though it was born in a
m om ent. The Sirayam vara was to be held the n ex t day, and
w hoever was able to'bend th e bow of Shiva was, by a proclam ation
long since m ade fa r and wide, to be given the hand of Sita. She
m ade a terrib le resolve which, later, Ram a is to relate to H anum an.
He says, as the read er w ill recollect,
Tell h er I call to m ind h er g reat resolve,
W hen I th e bow of Shiva broke in two,
To end herself if I should o th er prove
Than him she saw w ith holy K aushika. 2
C hildren are to be seen and not heard w as once a popular
adage. E ven till very recently, and now too in m any H indu
hom es, the young w ife is n eith er to be seen n or heard. In all h er
life in her husb an d s home before she left w ith R am a for th e
forests, and in th e livelong years of exile in th e forests, we h ear
S ita speak if we recollect rig h tonly twice, once w hen, u n d er
g reat stress of em otion, she says,
........................... R ight holys th y purpose to obey
Thy m o th ers commands, but, lord, th y w ord
To me to stay a t hom e w hen thou dost leave
An exile for th e w ilds unknow n, th a t w ord
Has pierced m y h e a rt. 3
and, once again, w hen she asks Ram a pettishly to catch the golden
d ee r him self for her. O therw ise S itas liquid eyes alone are th e
q u iv e r-fu ll arrow s and eloquent m essengers of h er love. T hey
w ere :
i I xx 36. We have translated here the simile of a tender green mango
to the eyesexotic as it may seem to foreign readersin order to
acquaint the non-Tamils with a very picturesque simile peculiar to Tamil
poetry.
* AiyarSee page 57.
3 AiyarSee page 11.

3 H

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

F a r g ran d er th an the lovely faw n sh e r eyes

The lance w ith g arlan d decked,1 an d sm iting sw ord :
The K ay l 2 h e r roving eyes envied ! 3
The killing lance and D eath itself, a ll these,
We w ould surpass, surpass, th ey seem ed to say :
The q u ality of h er of dancing eyes
Who can eer tell, if h ill and ra m p a rt strong,
H ard stone, and grass saw h er and m elted sheer ?
Een so stood she, th e F ru it of W om anhood ! 4
It is w ith these eyes th a t she steals a glance a t R am a on th e
w edding eve, w hen she w as presented before D asharatha. and
H er doubts she shed beholding T ru th behind
R eport of bow u p lifted and bow snapped ;
A nd w ith th e corner of h e r eyes, th e w hile
She feigned to trim th e bangles on h er w rist,
She stole a glance and cognised Him w ithout,
Besides w ithin h er h ea rt.5
For all this speechlessness, S itas love for Kama was d eep
and vast. Ram a was h er very life and soul. O ur finest
relations , says Thoreau, are not sim ply k ep t silent about, b u t
buried under a positive depth of silence n ev er to be rev ealed .
Silence, he says elsew here, is the am brosial n ig h t in th e
intercourse of Friends, in w hich th eir sincerity is recru ited an d
takes deeper root . W hat g reater friends are th e re th an lovers ?
The love of the H indu w ife grows in such silence. Even
speech , says Thoreau, at first, necessarily has nothing w ith it ;
b u t it follows afte r silence, as the buds in the g raft do n o t p u t
forth into leaves till long afte r the g raft has tak en . Sita stan d s
as the ideal to all H indu India for th a t speechless w ifely love of
im m easurable depth.
Till sorrow touched h er in the shape of R avana, Sita rem ains
an unsophisticated w om anwe had n early said childa v ery
sheltered and p etted w om an. D asharatha is im m ensely proud of
the privilege of getting h e r for a d au g h ter-in -la w . Though I
1 In token of victory.
2 Kayalcarp (cyprinus fimbriatus) ; a kind of fish, to whose eyes of
incomparable* beauty, the eyes of damsels are frequently compared in
Tamil poetry?
3 I x 26.
4 X x 32
5 I x x 37,

SITA

315

have all th e w orlds seven ever to reig n , he exclaim s, it is today

th a t T hiru 1 has come to m e.
H er m o th e rs-in -la w cherished h er no less. W hen she
p ro strated a t th e ir feet a fte r th e w edding and sought th e ir
blessings, th ey em braced h er and exclaim ed :
4 Who else in w om ankind m ore m eet th a n her,
Who else is th e re for him of lovely eyes ? 2
A nd they show ered on h er lim itless gifts of gold and ornam ents,
costly clothes an d lands, and a host of handm aidens. H er life
w as spent v ery hap p ily in th e cloistered seclusion of th e palace,
surrounded by th e m ost devoted atten tio n w hich w as ever show n
to any loved w om an or wife.
She w aited on th e coronation d ay to see h er lord come to h e r
in his new -cro w n ed glory. The read er w ill recollect th e ru d e
shock w hich she received w hen she saw him in h e rm its garb, and
th e ru d er one w hen she h eard R am a bid h er stay in A yodhya w hile
he w ended his w ay to th e w ild forests. W hen she protested in
th e w ords we h eard a little w hile ago, Ram a said :
.......................4Thy ten d er feet
A re not m ade to tread th e stony w ilds th a t b u rn
Like th e m olten w ax.'
4B ut can th e stony w ilds * ;
Said she, 4b u rn m ore th a n separation from
My R am ? 3
So saying, before Ram a could fram e any reply, she w ent back into
h er apartm en ts, p u t on coarse robes and, w ith o u t a w ord m ore,
stood by his side read y to accom pany him to th e forests. In th is
act of p u ttin g on th e coarse cloth of fibre is revealed S itas
unsophistication. I t w as m ore sym bolic of h er resolve to follow
R am a to the w ilds th a n an evidence of h er realisation of w h at th e
forest life w ould be. She was so innocently ig n o ran t of th e en tire
outside w orld th a t she did not know w here th e civilised country
ended and w here th e w ild forests began. Ram a in stru cts H anum an,
as the read er w ill rem em ber,
............................................4A nd last,
Rem ind h er how, w hen w e h ad b arely passed
1 Thiru has two meaningsProsperity, and Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth. Here the word is used in both senses.
2 I xxi 97.
* AiyarSee page 11.

33:6

K A M BA

RAMADAN AM A

STUDY

The gates of*Oudh, she stopped and sked, w here is

The forest boundless in expanse ? A re we
A rrived in it ? 1
In the forests, the Rishis a t every h alting place did th e ir
best to ensure the com fort of Sita and her lord ; and w hen th e
d ark -h u ed handsom e Ram and she slept upon th eir bed, L akshm ana
W ith his bow
In hand, and w ith m any a sigh and te ar did stand
On guard outside the w hole night through, w ithout
A w ink of sleep. 2
A nd how L akshm ana serves his b ro th er and S ita in th e forests l
His one study is to look after every little com fort of R am a and
S ita and guard th em against all enemies, know n and unknow n.
I t is he th a t builds the leaf cottages w herever they move, w hich
evoke these w ords from Ram a :
And L akshm anas hands are skilled to build for us
A tastefu l cottage home. A h ! those whom fate
Has helpless cast upon th e w orld, w h ats
T hat th ey ll not learn to do ! 3
W hatever m iseries or hardships appear, L akshm ana stands a t hand
to rem edy them as they approach. Ram a too w as w ell alive to
S itas ten d er soul and endeavoured to shield h er from all
know ledge of anything like hardship or the cruelty of the forests.
He m ade the jo u rn ey through the w ilds a veritable picnic.
W alking down th e banks of the Ganges in the first stage of th e ir
journey southw ard, Ram a beguiles th e tedium of the journey by
pointing out to h er the swans and th eir sport, th e sw arm s of bees,
th e m ale elephant and its fem ale coming down to the riv er to
quench th eir thirst, and m any other sylvan sights, and shields'
from her all th a t m ay frig h ten h er tim id unsophisticated heart.
We shall not attem p t the impossible, m uch as we w ould love togive the reader a glim pse of the in terp lay of am orous glances
betw een Ram a and Sita at the sight of n a tu re s settings w hich
serve b u t as a foil to the love each bore th e other.4 The m incing
1 Aiyar-See page 57.
3 AiyarSee page 49.

2 AiyarSee page 398.

* See page 13.

S I T A ' .

<8827

g ait af th e sw an m akes H am a tu m his* eyes., t a th e sm all fa ir fe e t

of S ita w hich, t a ta k e a p h rase fro m th e P orunardttupadai,
resem ble 4tongues of p an tin g dogs and su it h e r sm o o th -h aired
an k les , w ell \ S ita sees th e m ighty m ale elep h an t an d a te n d er
sm ile buds on h e r face as she looks up a t th e m assive sh o u ld ers
of Ram a. Thus, w ith lo v e-p lay of glances, R am a protects S ita
a t every step from th e h a rd realities of th e w orld.
We shall quote one m ore instance an d close this phase of
S itas character, S u m an tra, ' th e ch ario teer, w ho b ro u g h t th e m
dow n to th e verge of th e forest, w as tak in g his leave an d asked
for m essages from Ram a, L akshm ana, and S ita to th e court. R am a
gave a long and statesm an lik e m essage to his fa th e r ; a n d
L akshm ana, th e im petuous, said : ' :

* H ave I a m essage too for him , as if

He w ere m y k i n g , .......................... 1

an d refused to give a m essage to his fath er. Both w ere fu lly

conscious of th e im p o rt of th e occasion and each in his ow n w ay
w as venting th e surging em otions in his h eart, b u t S ita w as
blissfully innocent and w hen she w as asked for h e r m essage, she
said,
To K ing and au n ts respects m ine ren d er first,
And tell m y loving sisters th re e to ten d
, My golden starlin g and m y p arro t green. *2
4

N othing shows m ore clearly th an this m essage how little h ad th e

banishm ent m ade any im press on h e r m ind. S he is still th e
p lay fu l young queen concerned only for h e r pets.
J u s t as R am a in th e h an d s of K am ban has been su blim ated
into a God, S ita too takes h e r place w ith him as of right. Says
th e poet :
W hat need for any w ords from us w hen th ey
Who p arted from th e ir bed on ocean d ark
U nite again ? 3
Sita was the incarnation of L akshm i b erseli
1 Aiyar S e e page 75.
21

2 II v 40.

a I * 3&L

518

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

F or Ml th a t, K am b an m akes h e r m ost h u m an as m uch in h e r

concern fo r h e r p ets as in h e r petu lan ce o r in h e r im perious rep ro o f
of L akshm ana.
L ike an y y o u n g w ife an d m an y a n older m atron, S ita could be
p e tu la n t w h en h e r lig h test w ish w as n o t fulfilled, as w e see w h en
she, w ith trem u lo u s lips, insists on R am a catching th e golden deer
for h er.1
W hen L akshm ana is u nw illing to leave h e r alone an d go to
th e aid of R am a who, S ita believes, h ad come to h arm , she
tu rn s on him w ith rag e an d contem pt an d spits o u t these w ords :
4You h ea rd m y prince of faultless ch aracter
H as fallen by th e guile of R akshas v ile ;
A nd still you ta rry ! A re you a b ro th er tru e ? *2
L akshm an as logical argum ents only in fu riate h e r th e m ore, and
she bran d s him w ith scorching w ords th u s :
4A nd some th e re are th e ir v ery life lay dow n
On b u t a d ay s acquaintance, b u t you h ea rd
The dying cry of him y our elder one ;
You sta rtle d n o t ! You stan d ! W hat else can I
B ut end m y life in fire ? 3
T he fra il w om ans stren g th is h er tears indeed !
Two w om en are designed to be, in th e R am ayana, the agents
of th e
destru ctio n
of R avanaB ita an d
S h u rp an ak h a.
S h u rp a n ak h a failed in h er a tte m p t to seduce Ram a, an d as she
w atched h itn tu rn back into his cottage accom panied by S ita, w ho
w as still clinging to him , she left slow ly saying to herself,
4Deep v erily is his love for h er.
O u t of th is th o u g h t w as born th e p lo t w hich fulfils th e d estru ctio n
of R avana an d his host, an d consum m ates th e prom ise w hich
Y ishnu gave to th e Devas in heaven. In th e w ords of th e poet :
She h a d th e
T he K ing of
S he w as th e
W hich bides
i S ee page 60.
* I & v iil 13.

m ig h t to lay low root a n d b ran ch

sap p h ire -h u e d vile R akshas race :
dead ly cancer b o m w ith th e quick
its tim e inseprab le ! 4
2 III vni 4.
* See III v 8.

$19

SITA

V ibhishana, in his lam en t over th e d eath of R avana, s$es in

:the faB o f R avana a d ee p -laid plot by S h u rp an ak h a, fulfilled by
m ed itated vengeance. He says :
N ursing th e grievance th a t you killed h e r u n k ja b le
husband, she conspired evil, she of th e b u ck -te eth in d en tin g
h e r lip : th e evil w retch has v erily h er vengeance w reak ed ! 1
My fa u lt ? she said, in answ er to R avanas q u ery w hy m en
should m u tilate her, m y fa u lt ? It rela ted to a w om an w hose
w aist is like th e lightning, whose te n d er arm s are like th e bam boo
stem an d w hose colour is th a t of p u re gold.,, 2 A nd straig h tw ay ,
R avana lost his h a rt to h er of w hom in retro sp ect V ibhishana
says, again in his lam en t :
*Unless devoured, poisons n eer devour
L ife ; b u t this g reat poison Jan ak i,
So called, w ith eyes ju st looked a t you, and lo !
It w iped out life ! 23
Thus S h u rp an ak h a introduced R avana to h e r 4w ho w as to him
poison m o rtal an d w hich he in stan tly 4th irste d to taste, as if it
w as, th e d rin k im m o rtal
A nd w e all know th e story of how he
cam e in th e disguise of a sanyasi to Ja n a sth a n to possess her.
Sita, th e unsophisticated, is slow to suspect th e false sanyasi
w hen he says :
.................................. 4In sooth I find th e R akshasa
A frien d in v alu ab le to m en lik e m e. 4
She tho u g h t w ith in h e r h ea rt, no holy m an is he, w ho th u s
associates w ith ev il o n es/ b u t she did n o t know ,
P oor innocent, th a t th e w ily R akshasas
C ould a t th e ir w ill assum e w h ate v er shape
O r form th ey pleased : and so she d id n t suspect
A w o rser guile.5
S ita an d R am a h ad been b ro u g h t up to resp ect and adore
Rishis, b u t th ey cherished righteousness m ore th a n ev ery th in g
1 VI xxxvi 225.
3 VI xxxvi 220.

2 AiyarSee page 235.

5 See page 246.

4 See page 246.

320

KAMBA

RAMAVANAM A

STUDY'

else in th e w orld. *The righteous care not w h eth er it is father,

m other, or child * b u t speak up for th e rig h t boldly and
unequivocally. The read e r w ill recollect th a t w hen V ashistha too,
w ho accom panied B h arata to bring back Ram a to Ayodhya, joined
his w ords, h altin g as th ey w ere, to th e request of B harata, R am a
saluted him With joined palm s and said :
T h at grave com m andm ent they ere laid on me,
W ith head bow ed low I prom ised to obey :
T he sam e you bid m e break* So tell m e now,
O w o rth y one, w here lies m y du ty h ere ? T1
S ita who had stood by w hen these n ev er-to -b e forgotten words
w ere spoken, w hich silenced V ashistha into shame, Sita, who had
h ea rd R am a solem nly prom ise to th e Rishis th e u tte r destruction
of all th e R akshasas, and had seen and heard of his m ight w ith
th e bow, w as stung into fu ry w hen she h eard R avana th e sanyasi
say,
.........................
4W hen the R akshasas do rule
The w orlds w ithout a peer, w hat can w e do
Of holy endeavour unless we w alk
T heir w ay, and earn th eir friendship and th eir love 2
H er fears fled, h er tim idity shrank back, only h er righteous
indignation blazed forth.3
4The w hile the P rince of D harm a h ere perform s
A usterities r a r e / said she, 4dead w ill be
The Rakshasas of sinful w alk of life
A nd all th e ir kin : thereon th e w orld w ill rid
Of m enace be ! 4

Ravana in terru p ted and said :

4If thou dost say th e m en w ill overthrow
The Rakshasas w ith root an d branch, forsooth,
The tim id h are w ould k ill th e m am m oth large,
A nd h o rn -ed deer w ould gore th e m ighty lion
O f cruel claw s ! 51
1 II xii 128.
2 AiyarSee page 246.
i
3 See pages 244 to 246 for the earlier portion of this interview.
4 m viii 56.
5 n i vii! 57.

<(

321

SITA

S ita reto rted w ith an gry tea rs stin g in g h er e y e s :

It seem s y o u h a v e n ot h e a rd th e b a ttle d ire,

W here p erish ed yon V irad h a called R ed-H ead,
A nd V ictry -la d e n K h a r an d all his host ! 1

She continued, p ro p h etess-lik e :

*W ill you n o t see tom orrow een before
Y our eyes th e R akshasas of L an k a isle
A nd all th e ir k in succum b to m ig h t of Ram ,
A nd D evas p u re ex alted once again ?
Can Sin oer m ighty v irtu e eer p rev ail ? 2
This in fu riate d R avana who shouted in brav ad o :
4
Dost th o u w an t th e M eru H ill to be uprooted, o r th e
v a u lt of h eav en to be broken, or th e ocean to be stirre d to its
depths, or th e fire in its bosom to be extinguished, or even
th e e a rth to be lifted on high ? W hich of these are im possible
to R avana, w hose w ords are few, b u t deeds are m ig h ty an d
m any, O innocent one ? * 3
S ita countered in h er sim plicity
4C luster of w h irlin g arm s, do th ey len d stren g th ?
The clanging an k let hero, w ho confined
The K ing of L anka, R avan you speak of
His forest of arm s galore, a th o u san d all,
W ast n o t a lad w ith arm s no m ore th a n tw o
Who felled them all w ith b u t his ax e ? 4
A nd w ith this spell she unlocked th e doors of evil, and lo, th e
colossus grew before h e r eyes and stru ck h er speechless w ith te rro r.
R avana stood revealed before h er in his tru e form ,5 an d w ith his
ten tongues ro ared :
4Look on m y prow ess by th e D evas served ;
Me to th e ea rth y w orm s you d are co m p are!
You live, as w om an you are, else to e a t
You crushed h ad I een th o u g h t : b u t w ith th e th o u g h t
My lif had perished too ! 6
i in viii 58.
4 in vili 63.

2 III v iii 59.

5 See page 249.

3 A iyar See page 251

D I v iii 67.

322

KAMBA

RAMAYAKAM A

STUDY

S aying so, he trie d to sothe h er fears an d la te r voiced Ms 5fo u l

desire.
H avanas open declaration of love is given b y K am ban in less
th a n a score of w ords, and fo r all th e w isdom -destroying passion
of H avana, th e w ords are highly dignified an d arfe n o t th e lu stfu l
ravings of a roving libertine. These, as A iyar h ad pointed o u t ,1
K am ban contained in H avanas unspoken th o u g h ts on seeing Sita.
H avana h ere says w ith g reat restrain t,
Be n o t alarm ed, m y d arlin g Sw an I he said,
W hile I on m y unbending serried heads
Do b ear on each a crown, and goddesses
Bedecked w ith jew els serve at your proud feet,
Do thou deign share w ith m e the m onarchy
Of fourteen w orlds. 2
S itas lotus hands flew to close h er ears in horror, w hile sheflung at him these w ords :
To me, th e chaste of K ak u tsth a the g reat
Who bears the shapely cruel bow of note
Een like the craven cur th a t coveteth
The pu re oblation those of righteous life
Offer th e flames, w h at said you, R akshasa
Vile ?
Doth one lose b irth and priceless honour old
For fear of losing precious life th a t fades
E en as th e dew on tin y blade of grass ?
Long ere th e cruel d arts like th u n d er strike,
If you desire th e safety of your life,
And w ould hide, fly, fly aw ay ! 3
H e was not aw ed, but said, *Your husband cannot h arm m e
any, and his d arts w ill fall like arrow s of flowers against m y
ro ck -lik e c h e s t : and en treated again thus :
* O Goddess th o u to H er on lotus bloom !
To m y body racked by th e ill called love of thee,
G ive life ; an d ta k e th e place ex alted fa r
N ot e en to D eva dam sels givn to reach !
So saying, he fell p ro strate a t h er feet
I

l See page 243.

2 m

v iii 68.

3 III viii 69, 70.

S2S

SITA

Een he of stems far stronger than th eh ill r i

, , Which bears aloft the w orld,1 .
S ita scream ed w ith outrag ed te rro r and called in p an ic on
d ep arted L akshm ana fo r help. In sta n tly H avana scooped u p h e r
h u t w ith h er in it and rose sheer in his chariot in to th e sk y tow ards
L anka. T hus S ita w oke from h e r tru stin g sim plicity to th e cru el
w orld. We have seen how up to th e last m om ent te rro r only le n t
h er g reater courage and firm ness to stan d un sh ak en on th e codes
of life, w orthy to be cherished m ore th a n life itself.2
R avana carried h e r off to L an k a an d hoped to b reak h e r sp irit
w ith confinement. Racked by d esp air m ounting w ith th e tedious
m onths, unw ashed, unkem pt, w eeping all day long and th e livelong
night, eyes sw ollen w ith piercing th e fa r n o rth e rn horizon for
R am a who came n ot yet, terro rised an d cajoled in tu rn by fearfu l
guards, em aciated to th e bone by long self-d en ial of sustenance,
Sita, hoped R avana, w ould be m ore m alleable. A nd h e comes to
h er in all his pom p and glory m any tim es to p ersu ad e h e r to tak e
him ; spurned again and again he re tu rn s like a cu r to h e r feet.
He came once w hen H anum an w as a hidden w itness, an d to
H anum ans ineffable joy, S ita lacked n o t a w h it h e r righteous
indignation or adam an tin e loyalty to h e r chastity.3
R avana came in state surro u n d ed by a g u ard of am azons, and
In d ra an d other gods w atched unw inking w ith b ated b re a th an d
fearfu lly w ondered :
4W hat now, w hat evil p lot th in k s he,
And w ho w ill it now end ?
H anum an cam e n earer, th e b etter to w atch, rep eatin g in silence
th e m ystic nam e of Ram. Agonised, w ith his h e a rt aflutter, h e
saw h er shrinking and trem bling, h e r v ery life in torm ent, and
him m ad w ith lust, and pronounced a benediction on J a n a k i :
4Blessed be Jan ak i,
Blessed be R aghava,
Blessed th e Vedas four,
Blessed th e B rahm anas,
Blessed be D harm a tru e ! 4
1 III viii 72.
2 Cf. Kural X IV - 1. 4R ight conduct to tru e greatness leads;
It should be held m ore d ear th an life itself.
Rev, Popleys translation .
3 A nother incident which A iyar had reserved for his chapter on Sita
See page 215.

4 V iv 23.

324

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

The reader w ill recollect that Aiyar had pointed out that
Havana had paid other visits before, trying to wear down Sitas
will, but he had been spurned time and again.1 His assurance
has, therefore, wilted, and he,
f

'i

>

W ho though he m et his m atch in M ajiadev,2

H ad n o t e e r his assurance lost, w ith lu st
A nd sh rin k in g sham e3 a t w ar w ith in his m ind,
H alting, halting, h um bly spoke thus. 4
4T he days are passing one by one aw ay,
A nd this is all th e kindness thou h ast show n
To me ! 5
he entreated , and b itterly exclaim ed,

.................. 4M eans t thou t* accept m e w hen I'm dead

Aye, m u rd ered by th y cru elty ? 6
.................... 4O scorn it not b u t do accept
1
Me as th y slave, w ho ru le th e trip le w orlds
W ithout a riv al or peer ! He ended,
A nd raisin g his hands above his serried heads,
He fell p ro stratin g a t h er feet.7

1 These poisonous words, grow n u n b earab le

opened th e flood-gates of S itas w rath.

' *

by repetition,

The words, like sm oking skew ers, long ere they

E ntered, h e r ears w ere scorched ; h e r h e a rt stood still ;
H ot blood inflam ed h e r eyes : she cared n o t for
W hat m ay befall h e r life, b u t stinging w ords
Not fit for w om anhood, th u s spoke :
4Im p ro p er a re these noxious w ords of yours
To w om an tread in g p ath of w edded life *

1 S ee page 17.
2 Shiva hum bled him when he tried to carry away the Kailash Hill
w ith Shiva and P arvathi enthroned thereon.
3 Nan* the original term in Tamil stands for the spontaneous
shrinking of the soul from wrong-doinga sensitiveness to shame.

4 V iv 2$.

'

5 y y y ar S e e page 37. Students of Shakespeare will recall the follow

ing lines from M acbeth:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow and topiprrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.
6 Aiyar S e e page 247.
^ Aiyar S e e page 248, ^

32S

SITA

:Oh list to me and learn, you scum of the earth !

Seen you eer women stony-hearted but
With chastity ?
f

To p ierce th e M eru or to crack th e v a u lt of h ea v en ,

O r to la y w a ste th e fo u rte e n w o rld s e n tire ,
N ot a n y b u t th e A ry a n s d a r t th e re is :
W ittin g , O w itle ss fool, w o u ld y o u y e t say
' U nseem ly w o rd s a n d y o u r te n h ea d s la y low ? 1

4 B ecau se y o u w e re a fra id th a t day , y o u so u g h t

H is absence, so y o u se n t a c ra fty deer,
A nd by y o u r sk ill in M aya cam e d isg u ised :
I f liv e y o u w ould, th is m o m en t se t m e free.
*W hen h im , th e poison to y o u r cu rsed race,
Y ou face, y o u r eyes his gaze w o u ld sta n d in d eed !
Y our h ead s tw ic e five a n d sh o u ld e rs a b u n d a n t
W ill be b u t ta rg e t fo r R a m s easy sport.
You a re a fig h ter bold in d eed ! D id n o t
. * J a ta y u s fell y o u dow n to e a rth th a t d ay ?
H e w ho liv ed on th e h ill you took th e sam e
W ho w ith h is cru el fe e t d id c ru sh y o u r p rid e
H is M eru bow w ith w h ich h e sp ed th e d a r t
W hich w ip ed aw a y th e fo rtresses th re e , y o u w o t ?
Seem s y ou h e a rd n o t th e boom th a t n o te d d ay ,
W h en it w as sn ap p ed , as of b u t little m ig h t,
B y pro w ess of th e a rm of R am m y m a te !
4 Y ou b o ast of h ill u p lifte d ; you d eclare,
4 T h e m am m o th s g u a rd in g p o in ts tw ice fo u r, I c ru sh e d ;
* Y ou d a re d n o t com e th e w h ile R am s b ro th e r stood ,
A t h a n d ; y e t bo ld you a re to p ro s tra te flat
A t fe e t of w o m an too !
i

* . * 4 O y o u of b a le fu l eyes in sp irin g fe a r
In h ea v en an d e a rth , I p ra y fo rsa k e fo rth w ith
Y our evil w ays. T h e lo tu s-d w e llin g L o rd ,
O r V ishnu, B rah m , d id y o u m ista k e m y R a m
, F o r one of th e se ? Y ou u tte r sim p leto n !
V

*1 S e e also page 17,

326

KAM BA

RAM AY AN A M A

STUDY

O think not lightly these are but mere men ;

If mighty Kartavir of thousand arms
Was by a man laid low, do ponder w ell
On might of Ham !
*If you despise th em fo r th ey are b u t two,
T he w o rld s D estroyer on th e D ay of Doom,
Is he b u t one or m ore ? W hen w a r is come,
How tru e are these m y w ords you shall perceive !
Alas you w ill for certain lose your all
A nd p erish d ire !
*The Rishis did relate your prow ess great,
A nd fam e of R akshas m ig h t ; if nath eless they
D efaced y o u r sister dear, and b ro th ers arm s
A nd feet did lop, w ould you not th in k on it ?
*The new s of him who severed one an d all
T he m ighty lim bs of him of th ousand arm s
Een he w ho held your tw en ty w hile he sm ote
Y our face till blood y our tw ice five m ouths bespat.
A nd m ore, im m ured you too hav e you n o t h eard ?
O you outcaste to righteous p ath !
To spells the biting serp en t w ill lend ear,
B ut you, O R eveller, th e re is not one
To counsel w h at is m eet and w h at is not,
A nd give reb u k e.1 B ut those th ere are w ho but
Reflect y o u r thoughts, an d you subvert. A nd so,
Couldst th is resu lt in au g h t else b u t your end ? 2
H avanas m ounting anger surged fo rth and w ould te a r and e a t
h e r up b u t love opposed, and he d ep arted and y et d ep arted not.
L ove won, and he said some conciliatory w ords 3 and w en t his w ay
bearing h er im age aw ay in his h e a rt .
S ita s u n w av erin g firm ness in the face of th e g reatest dangers
a n d unim aginable hardships has been, an d w ill continue to be, a
beacon lig h t th ro u g h th e centuries fo r m illions of H indu w om en
cau g h t in th e sea of a w ifes life, w here th e oglers are th e rocks,
1 Cf. Kural XLV 8. Behold the prince who reposeth not on the
support of m en who can rebuke him : he will perish even w hen he hath,
no foes.Aiyar's translation.
3 See pago 18.
2 V iv 38-42, 45, 46, 49-51, 57-59.

SITA

327

th e libertin es th e sharks, th e abductors a re th e sto rm i, th e silv ertongued fam ily frie n d th e sunkeii coral reef, and th e village
zam in d ar is Havana him self.
M uch as Sita, in h e r fu ry roused, captures our im agination,
h e r despondency a n d h e r rejoicing do no less plu ck a t o u r h e a rt
strings, and w e w eep w ith her, w e sigh w ith her, and o ur body
an d soul sw ell w ith jo y a t h e r joy.
The poignancy of S itas g rief in h e r solitude and th e
n o n e-th e-less p ath etic rejoicing on seeing R am as rin g have been
p ain ted by th e m aster-craftsm en of th e epic w ith an in ten sity
th a t has deeply m oved not only scholars, b u t, in th e
re -te llin g th ro u g h countless generations, has lost n o th in g an d y et
sw ays m u ltitu d es th ro u g h sto ry -tellin g , th e stage an d cinem a, an d
even th e crude village festival th e a tre w ith rough yokels for actors
an d a pro p erty tre e for a background.
Of Sita in tears, th e poet says,
The noble B irth, th e C hastity,
The P atien ce of ex trem est kind,
Benevolence and Fem inine Grace,
If all these h ad a form and lived
A m idst surging sea of w ater,
It is S eetha shedding tears ;
A God w ith hum an h e a rt is she. 1
In tw en ty h e a rt-rin g in g stanzas, K am ban p o rtray s h er state
an d h er desp air-lad en thoughts even w hile H anum an w as en terin g
th e A shokavana w here she w as k ep t captive. 2
S urrounded by th e thronging R akshasis
Of h efty loins, like m ountain m edcine h erb
Sheer foreigner to m oisture, even so,
S hrivelled w as she of bloom ; an d even like
H er slender w aist, h er body all w as w orn.
F orsaken h ad h er eyes all sleep or droop
Of lids in w eariness, or ev en w ink :
O f body lu streless lik e a lam p in th sun,
So lik e a doe m idst fan g -ed tigers w ild,
She seemed.
i A Garland of Tamil Poetry published by the Karanthai Tamil

Sangam, Tanjavur.
a See page 213 e t seq. for the description of Sita as Hanuman saw her.

328

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

F all, sob, b u rn th e body Oe r ;

S ta rt, y earn , grieve, th in k on R am
A nd w orship m u te ; droop, quake, sig h ;
W ith rack in g woe w eep n a u g h t else b u t th e s e
Sh k n ew to do.
T he h eav y cloud, collyrium so black,
A u g h t else deep d a rk ,1 espying w ould shed te a rs
O nrushing to th e sea.
*I d fain give up this life, b u t seldom can
O nes fa te su rm o u n ted be, she feared an d th o u g h t,
F o r sake of S u ry a s race an d blot th ereto ,
H e w ould come, come he w ould, th e V edas L o rd : 9
T hus hoping e e r she q u a rte re d all aro u n d
The com pass points w ith piercing eyes.
................... She knew n o t any o th er th a n
The single g arm en t ra re r fa r th a n sm oke :
H er body stran g e r to sw an -sp o rtin g pool,
J u s t like a figurinew hich M an m ath a
Did m ould from ocean n ectar grim ed w ith sm oke,
Een so h e r body w as ! 2
S he w ould, puzzled, m use :
P erh ap s L ak sh m an m et h im n o t or h a p ly h e know s n o t
th e re s one L an k a am idst th e surfing sea.
or
Though th e K ing of V u ltu res dead be,
A re th e re none besides, m y sta te to rev ea l ?
or
H earing th e thoughtless w ords m e sin fu l u tte re d to
L akshm ana, did he forsake me, for, I w as w an tin g in w isdom ?
.
i '
>
1 Rama w as dark-hued.

2 V i i i 3r5, 7, i l l * . .

SITA

or

329

D eem ing R akshasas w ould have spared m e n o t th is long

w hile, b t w ould hav e feasted on me, did he even so conclude 9
* Now, is th e re au g h t I can do '.
or
P e rc h a n c e his b rothers and m others, have th ey come
A gain, and called him back to lovely O udh ?
B ut he w ould nev er retu rn , th e w hile th e days
To K aikey vowed unfulfilled y et rem ain.
Alas, h as any ill befallen him ? 2
She w ould recall the im age of Ram a scene by scene th ro u g h
th e years past, an d suffer to rtu res bitter-sw eet.
S he'd swoon rem em beim g h er dauntless lion
As he stood w ith beam ing face resp len d en t far,
The w hile the d au g h ter stern of K ekay said,
4This foeless country w ide your b ro th er's is.' 3
Again,
S h e'd m ed itate on th a t fair face of his,
W hich both w hen bidden by his fa th e r d ear
To rise to th ro n e im perial of O udh
As w ell as w hen his m other ordered him
To leave his all an d live a forest life,
J u s t like th e lotus bloom in p ictu re d raw n
W as e'i4 the sam e !
S h e w ould pine aw ay,
Recollecting those shoulders bunching tau t,
To b reak in tw ain, long ere one could suspect,
T he M eru bow th e fire-eyed God, e'en he
W ith G an g a-lad en crest did w ield of old.
A gain, she w ould be ag itated th in k in g on him as peerless frierid-^w hen h e said i
i AiyarSee page 70.

3 V iii 19.

2 V iii 12-17.

4 v iii 20. AiyarSee page 40;

330

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

To him w ho plied th e G anges deep, G uha

A low ly fo rester as e'en h e w as
L ak sh m an m y b ro th er h ere is b ro th er th in e ;
A nd th o u m y com rade ; and th is m aiden here,
Is b ro th er's w ife to th ee. 1
H er form w ould th rill again a t th o u g h t o f w hen
He g en tly freed his h an d from hers w hich ere
H er sire h ad w ith h e r s clasped, an d lifted up 2
H er te n d er foot in Vedic rite of yore.3
She w ould grieve, recalling to m ind :
The pain of R am a w hen he saw his b ro th er
W ear not th e crow n upon his head, b u t w ear
The d u sty tw isted k n o t of h air.4
She w ould sob inconsolably th in k in g of him as he w as
w hen
B ereft of heritag e, ere to th e w ild
F orests he left, on greedy B rah m an a
A h erd of heifers he bestow ed an d saw
His boundless avarice, and how a sm ile
F litted across his face ! 5
A nd she lifted h er hands over h er head in obeisance, as to h e r
m ind cam e :
The single d a rt he sped on In d ra 's son 6
A nd pierced its eye an d lo, th e rav en w orld
E n tire fell sightless by th a t single fe a t ! 7
H avana in tru d ed on h e r in th is state to p lead his case ag ain 3
and we saw how she w as roused to w h ite -h o t fu ry an d piled in su lt
upon insu lt on h im till h e slu n k aw ay like a w hipped cur. S he
1 V iii 23.
2 A symbolic ritual in the Hindu marriage ceremony when the bride
groom lifts tho foot of the bride and, placing it on a curry-stone, directs
her to look at the Morning Star (Venus), the personification of Arundhati
the wife of Rishi Vashistha and the ideal of Chastity.
3 V iii 24.
4 V iii 25. AiyarSee page 49.
5 V iii 26.
6 The storv will be found later on, in Sitas own words, in the message
she gives to Hanuman to carry to Rama.
7 V iii 28.
8 See pages 247 and 324.

SITA

331

fell to soliloquising again, and deep despair sw am ped h er h e a rt ;

and she san k u n d er it even to the point of d eterm in in g to tak e h e r
life.1 H anum an revealed him self by pronouncing aloud th e
life-saving nam e of Ram , and, afte r establishing him self in h e r
confidence by speech and message, he p resented to h er R am as
signet ring.2*
S ita s relief an d belief have been m ounting, step by step, from
th e m om ent of h earin g R am a's nam e, th ro u g h suspicion, relief,
tru s t, confidence an d joy ; b u t th e sight of th e rin g was as a
talism an to h er an d th rew h er into a d elirium of ecstasy. W hat
.shall I com pare it to , says th e poet : w as she
Lake een m ore dead u n ea rn -ed m u k ti 3 gained,
O r th e fallen from Jnan 4 to R eality retu rn ed ,
O r th e b arren w om an who a child begot
To w h at shall I com pare h er state ?
She took th e ring and now to h er bosom pressed ;
Now set upon h er head ; and now on eyes
In kiss im pressed : h er shoulders filled w ith joy.
She w ilted, cooled, burned ; h er b reath did cease :
And revived anon.
Shed b u ry h er nose in it : now hug it close
To h er bosom ; w iping off th e clouding tears
From h e r joyous eyes, w ould gaze so long a t it ;
W ould th in k to u tte r w ords b u t w ords w ould fail :
W ith m ounting frenzy she p u t it in h er m outh ! 5
Such w as S itas capacity for joy.
We shall see th a t S ita , pining as she w as to rejoin h er lover,
an d had, b u t a little w hile ago, been q u arte rin g all th e points of
th e com pass w ith h er eyes for R am as coming, and had, a m om ent
since, resolved to end h er life in despair, is still th e suprem e
w om an, ev er m indful of w h at is befitting h er chastity. H anum an
h ad ju st show n h er his vishvarupa 6 to prove to h e r how he crossed
th e sea. Im pelled by perhaps a suspicion of a desire to ex h ib it
h is prow ess, and certainly, no less, by a genuine eagerness to en d
quickly S itas m isery, an d serve Ram a, he offers to carry h er b ack
o n his shoulders to Ram a.
i See page 216 et seq.
2 See page 216 et seq.
3 Release from the cycle of births and deaths.
6 Colossal form.
4 Consciousness of God.
5 V v 64-67.

332

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

< W hen h e said those sw eet w ords, it is n o t im possible fo r h im

th u g h t Sita, an d rep lied th u s to Mm, w ho stood even lik e a
y e a n lin g calf before its m other.
r

4 Tis n ot im possible and w ell befits

Y our prow ess ; tru ly w h a t you contem plate
You w ould achieve ! B ut tis n o t p ro p er far,
M ethinks, in m y artless fem ininity
O f scanty sen se/ 1
She perceives th e ex trem e love and devotion th a t prom pted
the offer, b u t recognises m ore clearly th e u tte r im p ro p riety of
accepting it ; and w ith a delicacy, w hich only th e tru ly g reat c a n
be capable of, she refuses gently, piling reason upon diverse
reason, w hich m ake H anum an acknow ledge th e rightness of h e r
w ords, w ith o u t feeling foolish or sorry th a t he spoke. She begins,
as w e saw above, by b elittlin g h e r sensibilities. She says, next,,
th a t she w ould be an encum brance.
* W hen oer th e ocean deep, th e cruel foes
S u rro u n d an d le t fly an g ry d arts a t you,
Nor poison fell to them , n o r sure defence
To m e w ill you be ; b u t encum bered sore,
F alter, O you w ith o u t a peer ! 2
A slu r to R am as nam e, she knew , w ould h u rt H anum an to
th e h e a rt and, therefore, she says next,
4T h eres one thing fu rth e r m ore : th e A ry an s 3 bow
Of m ig h ty victories w ill tarn ish ed be.
In sooth, could th e re be w o rser g ratitu d e ?
Did you too th in k to tric k me off een as
The curs 4 th a t ra n aw ay w ith th e a m rit 5 p u re ? 6
H anum an had, ju s t a little w hile ago, told h er of the m ig h ty
a rm y m obilised on th e m ainland. She recollects this and, d raw in g
th e n e x t arg u m en t from th e form er one, says w ith vehem ence :
4Unless in th w ar to come, m y liege, th e Ram
His bow m anship displaying to th e w orlds
1 V vi 12.

4 Martella and Havana

2 V vi 13.

s Sita.

3 Rama.

6 y vi 14

SITA

Does feed to crow s th e eyes of him th a t d ared

To look on me, shall I y et live ?
U ntil those bow m en whose ex u ltin g strings
In triu m p h tw an g th e ir arch ery do crow n,
A nd m an g al-strin g s of sham eless Rakshasis
A re severed w ith th e ir noses likew ise too,
W ould eer m y rescued honour honoured be ? 1
W h at of m y rep u tatio n , she asks, and says :

Till golden L an k as heaped a m ountain high

W ith th bones of th h atefu l enem ies, m y b irth
A nd conduct, stainless chastity, all these.
Oh, how shall I reveal to stran g ers all ? 2
The argum ents g ath er force w ithout offence, and she could
now speak of h er own prow ess :
W hat to speak of these afflictive creatu res vile
Oer h ere ? L et be the boundless w orlds entire,
I could w ith curses burn. As slight tw ould be
To prow ess g reat of Ram w ith th bow, th e th o u g h t
I banned. 3
T he clinching and the only arg u m en t could be said now :
One m ore th ere is to say, oh list, tru e one !
For bar the body of m y K night, een you
W ith senses five contained, or an y male,
So nam ed, could this form touch ? 4
* So, g o .
For, tis not m eet. Now, to re tu rn in haste
To the lord of the Ved is d u ty th in e, she said ;
And th e faultless one replied *Aye ! Aye ! 5
In all the ten thousand and odd poem s of th e K am ba
R am ayana, barely th ree or four chapters padalam sare solely
devoted to Sita, but, on this sm all canvas, the poet has p ain ted
i V vi 15, 16.
4 V vi 19

22

2 V vi 17.

3 V vi 18.

5 V vi 26. 27.

834

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

h er w ith such in ten sity and etched detail th at, even y ears a fte r w e
h ad laid aside th e book, it is she who comes first to m in d w h en
th in k in g on th e R am ayana> and it is th e verses from h e r lips
w hich w ell up to our lips from th e springs of our h eart. Sw inging
from th e depths of despair to rap tu ro u s heights of joy, only to
sound the bottom of d esp o n d en c/ again, she keeps us p risoner w ith
h er in the lonely isle. H anum an, afte r acknow ledging th a t she
w as right, asked h er for a m essage to Rama. H er rep ly is fu ll
of m isgivings and, in spite of her, a certain b ittern ess rings in h e r
sw eet words.
4B ut one m ore moon shall I en d u re een here
This is m y m essage true, O righteous one !
More, I shall not m y hfe sustain. A nd this,
I sw ear by him m y K ing ! Take this to h e a rt !
4Tho I m ight not be fitting m ate to him
Of g arland rolling chest, th o his h e a rt be void
Of ru th , tell him it is his d u ty plain
To save his v alo u rs fame.
4In b u t one moon au sterity m ine expires ;
If he does n o t come here w ith in th a t tim e,
L et him on banks of G angas tid al flood
W ith lotus hands of his m y obsequies
P erform !
44 Rem ind him of th e solemn vow he m ade
T hat day he took m y h an d in w edlock rite :
4Not een m thought w ill I in this m y life
A second w om an touch ; he sw ore to m e :
D rum these w ords in his ear.
4Do m ake it clear to him th a t I b ut crave
W ith salutation low this single boon :
Een if I stay and end m y life dow n here,
L et it be gran ted me to be reborn
A nd gain th e blessing ra re w hich ends all sin
To touch his form divine. 4
4The w hile he ru les enthroned, or rides in state
The h altered elephant w ith bells of choice,
O r his resp len d en t aspects m anifold
On avenues to see I am not blest.

335

SITA

Of w h at avail is it to speak of th em ?
L et m e on m y past K arm a dw ell.
To the w orld sore languishing for him so long,
A t his m o th ers grief, and a t distress w hich B h a ra t
Endures, h ell speed. To me in agony
Down here, how w ould he come ? *1
H anum an, the skilful am bassador and devotee of Ram a,
consoles h er in a long spirited speech. W hat w ould good m en
an d the learned say, he exclaim s if we retu rn ed w ith o u t rescuing
you from the captivity of th r u n rep en tan t foes..................... You
w ill see here rise a huge m ountain, reaching to th e skyra re even
for Vali to cross of the thalis2 discarded by th e Rakshasis. A nd
he concluded w ith a dire oath,
4W ithin th a t day you have now said to me
If he does not deliver you from durance vile,
0 dam e of fra g ra n t locks, let infam y
U nutterable and sin envelope him.
Thence R avana is he oer th ere and he
H ere now is tru ly Ram . 3
Joy again suffused S itas face, and she now gave out certain
secrets to tell Ram a as irrefu tab le evidence of H anum an having
tru ly seen her. In doing so, w ith characteristic fem inine skill,
she conveys to him a h in t not to b lu rt out to R am a ev ery th in g
she had said before.
Now speed thee hence ; m ay you avoid all h arm :
1 have no m ore to add ; all th a t I need,
Ive said. To m y liege repeat, as wise you are,
W hat is b u t propitious. 4
W hisper to him how
Once on th e m ountain side w here elephants
Do range, a raven came and claw ed m e sore
W ith cruel toes, and lo, in fiery rage
1 V vi 29, 30, 32, 34-37
2 T he sym bol in gold of th e m a rrie d state, an d w h ich is sn ap p ed off
w ith a w re n ch an d d iscard ed on b ein g w idow ed.

3 V vi 74.

v vi 76.

336

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

He took a blade of grass th a t lay a t hand,

A nd one relentless d a rt he sped.
R ecount how S ayantha, th e lu stfu l crow
D evenders sonto Shiv and all th e gods
Besides in te rro r flew, and each in tu rn
A sylum b arred ; and all w ith one accord
C ried : Fall, fall a t his lotus feet
A nd refuge gain ! 99
Say how w hen he, affrighted far, to earth
Flew dow n en treatin g loud *O Lord, y our feet,
Y our feets re tre a t I seek, and p ro strate fell,
The Bounteous Lord w ell pleased did bid the d a rt
D epart content w ith b u t one baleful eye.
F o rth w ith th e raging d a rt divine w as spent.
*Because you cried, asylum sylum g ran t,
The L ord said, straig h tw ay on your heinous crim e
F orbearance I bestow . A nd he decreed,
*Hence let th e rav en race, whose form you b ear
In fro n t of me, have b u t one ey e-b all each.
A nd so it cam e to pass. Een this rela te.
Add how as S ay an th a left freed of fear,
The Devas flowers rained, and L akshm ana
U ncom prehending puzzled stood : een thus
This victory so sw eet rela te. 1
Though S ita felt g reat consolation w hen H anum an said th a t
th e thaUs of th e R akshasa wom en w ould pile up into a huge
m ountain, and though she herself said *w here shall m y honour be
if Ram did not cut off th e noses of these sham eless women, nay,
m ake them all b ereft of the m angal s tr in g , she w as tru ly p ity
personified indeed. W e saw how w hen S u m an tra asked h e r for
a m essage to th e court,2 h er one thought w as for h er pets, an d
sh e said :
A nd te ll m y loving sisters th ree to tend
My golden starlin g and m y p arro t green.
A gain, w hen she w as assailed by doubts and fears, now to rtu rin g
h erself w ith th e th o u g h t th a t R am a had perhaps forsaken h er f o r
1 V vi 77, 78, 79, 81, 82.

2 See page 317.

V I

SITA

337

th e thoughtless h arsh w ords she spoke to L akshm ana, and n o w

w ith the fe a r th a t h e m ay have concluded th a t th e R akshasas
w ould n o t have spared h er so long and m ight h av e eaten h e r
up, an inconsequential concern for Ram a in tru d es itself betw een
h er fears, and she grieves w ondering :
4Now who serves him the ten d er salad leaves,
A nd w hen he guests receives how w ould he ten d ? 1
We see it againa h er thoughtfulness for others, in h er req u est
to Ram a w hile they w ere flying back to A yodhya at th e end of
th e fourteen y ears exile. She looked in h er aerial car and m issed
som ething. They w ere ju st th en passing over a tow n, and w h en
Ram a, who w as pointing out to h er along th e ro u te th e sites of
m any a poignant m em ory, said, this is K ishkinda, she spoke u p :
4If this be K ishkind, lord, oh list to me !
Encircled by this m ighty m artial force
W hich een the Devas d read b u t circled n o t
By retin u e of countless dam sels fair,
If I shall reach A yodhya all alone,
My wom anhood would greatly clouded be :
Tis duty th in e to take into this car
The V anar dam sels too ! 2
W ho but Sita can picture b etter the a n x iety -rid d en h e a rts o f
w ives p arted from husbands, and sw eethearts from lovers, an d i t
is solicitude w hich prom pts her request, b u t she w ould, like a ll
givers, m ake the receiver a giver seem.
This n a tu ra l pity becomes divine in th e case of th e R akshasa
women. A fter R avana had been killed, Ram a sent H anum an to
tell Sita th e news. W hen he had re -b re a th e d life into h e r w asted
fram e, H anum an looks around and sees th e R akshasis w ho h a d
guarded her in h er captivity and h ad terro rised and cajoled h e r
in tu rn to yield to Ravana. He tu rn ed to Sita and p ray ed
44 P erm it m e to an n ih ilate all these Rakshasis b u t T ris a d a i3, an d
b u rn them in th eir own sins. The terrified R akshasis rushed to
Sita, and clasping h er feet w ould not forsake them .
1 V iii 15.

2 VI xxxvii 176.
3 Daughter of Vibhishana and the only friend to Sita in her captivity.

KAM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

F e a r not, fe a r n o t/ assured
A nd tu rn in g on th e M aruthi,
W h at h arm have these ee r
E en as h e bid th em speak ?

STUDY

th e M other R uth,
she asked
done, b u t spoke to me*

*It is by K arm a done by me of old

This trib u latio n came, O you far m ore
Loving th an m other m ine ? In sooth, these are
N ot m ore inhum an th an th e hunchback m aid :
M ind n o t w h a ts past, O thou w ise one !
G ran t m e this p ra y e i, th u s en treated she ;
Desist from to rtu rin g th e m inds of these
A ffrighted fools th e hom e w here evil dw ells.
T hus pleaded she whose face m ade een the m oons
B reak out in spots w ith envy green ! 1
T hus she craved a boon for h er enem ies, even she whoconferred th e boon of im m o rtality on H anum an. B u t it is Sita,
th e ideal wife, w ho has guided dow n the centuries countless H indu
w ives, and earn ed for them too a share of h er undying fam e and
glory. S ita has n ev er a th o u g h t for herself, but it is alw ays
R am as honour w hich is h er concern n ight and day. F or this,
she w ould even lay dow n h er life. Ram a sent V ibhishana to fetch
h e r from th e A shokavana. W hen V ibhishana gave h er the m essage
an d asked h er to get ready, clothed and adorned as befitted th e
queen of his Saviour, S ita insisted on going to the presence of
R am a as she was, unw ashed, unkem pt, a figurine begrim ed w ith
sm oke . B ut V ibhishana said, 4These are the com m ands of R a m a /
an d she said no more. The celestial m aidens, R am bai and others,
took g reat pleasure in getting h er ready for h er reunion w ith h er
lord, and rig h t ro y ally fitted h er out in the m ost costly garm ents
$nd ornam ents. V ibhishana seated h er in a vim ana and brought
h e r to Rama. H er h e a rt sw elling w ith joy as she neared him , she
shed h er sorrow thinking,
My m ate in chain of births, and m ate of m ine
N evertheless w hen irksom e b irth shall cease,
I hav e adored. I t m a tte rs not if hence
My m ind I lose or even here fall dead. 2
c

* VI x x x v ii 34, 36.

2 VI x x x v ii'50.

339

SITA

To her, R am a said these words, t w hich th e R ishis an d Devas,

a n d countless w om en too, alb eit called R akshasis, an d all th e
m onkey host all who stood aro u n d *-shuddered, an d a horrified
tu m u lt arose. R am a said :
You loved th e fleshly form , and honour stained ;
A nd y et died not : b u t risked y our conduct pu re
A nd stayed content one year in capital
Of R akshasas of evil w alk of life.
W ith w h at design have you retu rn ed unabashed ?
Is it th a t I w ould cherish you ?
*Tw as n o t to rescue you I filled the sea,
A nd felled dow n root and branch th e R akshasas
W ith all th e ir arm s of m ight lik e th u n d erb o lts,
A nd o v erth rew th e lonely foe as well.
I t w as fo r n au g h t b u t to redeem m y nam e
T h at I to L an k a cam e ?
Did you een eat th e flesh of living k in d
As sw eeter far th a n am rit p u re ? A nd took
Y our fill of heady w ine and lived content ?
Do tell me, loveless one, could th ere be m ore
A greeable fare for us as w ell ?
*The lu stre of your v irtu es all has gone :
In noble lineage you w ere not born,
B u t like th e spineless worm , born from the ea rth ,1
You have b u t played your p a rt too w ell !
*W om anhood and its glory, Noble B irth,
A nd th e ad am an tin e w ill called C hastity,
E nlightenm ent, P ropriety, T ru th itself,
By your b irth have vanished like th e noted fam e
O f th e king w ith o u t beneficence.
The senses five w ould they contain, an d in
T heir conduct celibate, w ith m atted hair,
A usterities endure. A nd should some ill
B efall th em m eantim e, w ould een w ith th e ir lives
A toneth e w om en of p ro p riety fine. 2
1 Sita was turned up by the plough in a furrow by King Janaka
and was brought up by him.
,
2 VI x x x v ii 62-67.

. i

840

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

S ita w as stu n n ed by these words

A nd grieving lik e a w ound by probe explored,
Blood an d tears suffused h e r dow ncast eyes ;
W ith senses dazed she heaved a sigh.
A nd she recoiled e en like th e lovely deer,
By rag in g th irst consum ed in d esert w ild,
(A nd w atched by teem ing v u ltu res from above)
W hich sees a w ater-h o le, b u t q uicker still,
Sees a b a rrie r insuperable ! 1
She composed h erself presently, an d w ith g reat re s tra in t
addressed these w ords to R am a :
The son of V ayu 2 cam e an d seeing m e
Did tru ly say, 4My Lord, he w ould h e re come.
Did n o t th e lofty one tell you, m y Lord,
My languished state ? In sooth, a m essenger
He failed to be !
4A u sterities m ine, and ch astity so pure,
A nd all th a t I en d u red so long dow n h ere
H ave m adness been, and, yea, in vain. For, them ,
O Noble one, you hav e n o t realised !
41 m ay be th e chastest to th e w orld en tire,
A nd of h e a rt u n falterin g , beyond een B rahm
To shake. Ah, foolish m e ! If you, w ho are
The focus of th e w orld deny, w ould God
A cknow ledge m e ?
4Though He the lo tu s-b o rn e 3 and th e L ord on th e b u l l 4
And th e L ord of R ighteousness w ith conch in hand, 5
W ere th ey to gaze as in th e ball of glass
On palm outstretched, could they a w om ans h e a rt
E er gauge ?
4If th u s w ith them , for w hom do I re ta il
Down h ere au sterities m ine void of flaws ?
1 VI x x x vii 70, 71.
3 Brahma.

4 Shiva.

2 Hanuman.
5 Vishnu.

341

S I T A

F a r b e tte r d eath th a n au g h t else ; fitting too

I t is, O Ved ! The sam e is your com m and ;
The sam e m y fate as w ell ! 1
*
S ita had had forebodings of th e p robability of some catastro p h e
like this. The read e r w ill no doubt recall to m ind h er m isgiving
ivhich she expresses in these w ords :
..........................4B ut sooth, w ill he adm it again
One w ho has lived so long in th is sinful lan d ? 92
and adds in self-rep ro ach :
.................. 4W here is th e chaste
In story or in life who has loved h er life
W hen forced aw ay from hom e by lu stfu l m en ?
Is n o t m y honour great, and m odesty,
W ho cling een now to life ? 3
Thus she castigates herself, and she fu rth e r poses to h erself
the question, 4how shall I vindicate m y ch astity ?
................... Ah, w retched m e !
W hen R am a shall have destroyed his4 race for ee r
A nd freed m e from m y prison, how shall I prove
My v irtu e u ncorrupt, if he should say,
4A w ay, thou a rt n o t w o rth y of m y love ? 5
4 So death alone is D h arm as w ay for m e, 6 she h ad concluded
long before in A shokavana.
So, now she asked L akshm ana, who w h atev er m isery comes,
4stands read y to rem edy it as it approaches to lig h t a h uge fire,
and apostrophising it th u s :
4If by th o u g h t or w ord Im stained, let fu ry yours
B urn me, O L ord of th e flames ! 7
she saluted h er lord and leap t into th e fire.
1 VI xxxvii 73-77.
2 & 3 AiyarS ee page 215 et seq.

4 Havanas.
AiyarSee page 216.

5 AiyarSee pages 215 et seq.

7 VI xxxvii 84.

342

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

The Lord of Fire rose from the flames bearing her unhurt
in his hands and led h e r up to R am as side.
and the w orld b reath ed .1

R am a accepted her,

Even the Gods Three, could they grasp a w om ans m ind ?

said S ita addressing Ram a ; we could a lte r h er w ords and say
w ith absolute tru th , Even th e Gods Three, could th ey S itas
v irtu e com prehend ? Sita asked Ram a, Did not M aruthi te ll
you, m y lord, my state ? He did indeed ! B ut could even R am a
fu lly com prehend ?
W hat p ity , thinks H anum an, on first discovering S ita in th e
A shokavana,
1W hat pity tis not given to Ram to see
W ith his own eyes this holy one, as she
Does lead h er life austere in L an k as grove.* 2
We shall, in our lam e and h alting words, try to give th e
read e r a fain t idea of the exulting report of H anum an to Ram a
on his retu rn from L anka, and conclude our sketch of the Divine
S ita s ch aracter-stu d y .3 From D adhim ukas account of the riotous^
behaviour of the V anaras, S ugriva guessed th a t H anum an had
re tu rn e d from L anka, and Ram a stood longingly w atching his
com ing.
Came H anm an : and coming, w orshipped not
His M ajestys tw in feet but tu rn ed to h er 4
Devoid of bloom ; w ith hands held oer his head
In reverence, he fell dow n flat on earth ,
A nd long intoned h er nam e !
1 There is a blot in Ramas lo v e writes Aiyar (see page 61), but

of that we shall speak when we come to Sita , he promised. We cannot

know of which particular incident he was thinking ; it may have been of

this Ordeal of Sita. We are but a worm and not Aiyar, and it is not
for worms to gaze on the sun, with blots or without.
2 AiyarSee page 214.
3 Hanumans account of his work to Rama, writes Aiyar (see
page 226), occupies a very high rank in literature for the grandeur of its
sentiments, but we shall reserve it for the chapter on Sita as it deals
chiefly with her. But he reserved it too long to our lasting regret, and
it is with humility and dragging hesitation that we have ventured to
translate but a fragment of this passage. We dare not attempt more, for,
we shall but display our utter incompetence the more w e venture further.
4 The direction in which Sita was in far off Lanksu

SITA

343

I saw , he sang in ecstasy, I saw

W ith m y ow n eyes th e Gem of C hastity
In se a -g irt L an k a in the south. Cast off
Y our fears, m y Lord, and grief of old !
*On privilege as noble w ife to you,
On tru th as w orthy d au g h ter to your sire,
On p ro p er conduct fitting h er descent
From J a n ka, K ing of M ithila, in sooth,
She has a crow n bestow edthe Goddess m ine !
1To gold, gold is th e m atch ; to her, she lone ;
She m atches you to you alone ; and me,
She g ran ts as well, th e re s none but m e to m atch !
O bow m an brave w ith m ighty shoulders broad !
In roaring sea-laved L anka on the hill
N ot m aiden rare of v irtu es g reat I saw,
B u t Noble B irth and P atience B oundless self
A nd h er called C hastity, I saw all th ree
S tep a dance in ecstasy !
In h er eyes you dw ell, and in h er thoughts as w ell ;
O r h er lips you play, and in the very depths
O f h er h e a rt besides ; and in unhealing w ound
W hich M anm aths d a rt of blossoms has bored deep.
T hen how could it be said th a t she has eer
P a rte d from you ?*
*In L an k a m idst th e ocean deep,
B eneath sk y -reach in g forest d ark
U nknow n to eith er m orn or noon,
In a bow er u n d er lofty trees,
In th e grassy h u t your b ro th er built,
D w ells shethe stern au sterity
O f A u sterity herself ! 1

1 V x v 55, 38-60, 62-64.

A P P E N D I C E S

INDEX
ETC.

APPENDIX I
G A R U D A S F L IG H T 1
(Please see fo o t-n o te 2 on page 93)
The w hile this happened dow n below th e Devas stood
A ghast, alarm ed, and th ro w n into confusion sore,
A fraid to th in k how far t w ould go and how w ould end ;
Een th en the Lord of Eagles, G aruda, a t hand,
W ith quaking h e a rt in te n t on sure deliverance,
Slow ly he em erged from th a t encircling darkness.
Espying Ram of dauntless h e a rt dism ayed by th e snake
His grace w ith d raw n from stubborn K ing of L an k a isle,
A nd m ore, th e w orld en tire besides th e G aru d a
N eer aw ed before, his h e a rt now lost an d grieved ;
A nd he sped on tem pestuous w ings w hich shook th e M er
A nd lit th e w orld around. The m am m oths g u ard in g close
The compass points did cow er w ith u n w in k in g eyes
Now closed in sh rinking fear.
i Students of Latin will recall to mind the famous line from Virgils
JEnoui (Bk. VIII, 596) which runs as follows:
Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum.
Most of Virgils A2neid is in hexameter versea hexameter being a
foot of one long vowel and two shorts, or a stressed syllable followed by
two unstressed onescorresponding to dactyl in English poetry. Here is
the above line divided according to the metre.
Quad-ru-pe/dan-te pu/trem son-i/tu qua-tit/un-gu-la/cam-pum
The last foot is of two long syllables. The line gives the sound effect
of the horses hooves as they gallop along. The literal translation of this
line is :
The hoof beats the mouldering plain with a trampling noise.
Take another example, written entirely in anapaests :
The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold
The horses of the Assyrians can be heard galloping in these lines,
^nd that is why Byron used anapaests.
Kambans stanzas translated here have to be read in the original to
enjoy the sandham (metrical foot) which he has used to make the lines
reproduce in their cadence the flight of a majestic bird. Each line ends
with an upward lift, producing the extraordinary impression of the
soaring of a bird in flight. We have used in this translation the iambic
hexameter, i.e., an unstressed and stressed syllable to a foot and six feet
to the line. Being the flight of a bird and not the gallop of a horse, the
iambic foot has been considered quite suitable to indicate the tempo.
We make no apology for this poor effort, for we-do not pretend to
have any skill in the art of composing verses.

346

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

His eyes th a t scan th ro m illion leagues beyond,

A stream of tears they shed th e w hile he saw below
The holy form of Ram oercom e by trials sore :
A nd sp u rred th ereat, th e w hile he w inged th ro space,
The sea so cool now w aves on w aves it th rew on high,
The w orlds th e ir darkness shed, th e w ings the Vedas sang,.
T he spheres th e ir w ork forsook, th e serp en t slack becam e.
His crow n, it rolled the darkness up and sunshine spread
To fa rth e st lim its of the points eight sped its rays
Of brillian ce like the m oonlight b rig h t an d pierced
The bounds as well. Such w as th e glory of his crow n
W hose sheen was th rice as great as fiery orb of him
T h at rises oer the ancient m ountain called the Mer.
A m ountain too he seem ed in the sky by lig h tn in g laced
W ith gold, and gem s galore and scented blossoms sw eet
A hugging and releasing gain his m ighty chest.
He seem ed as well a ra d ia n t sun from south astir
A nd n o rth w ard bound.
W ith golden visor shining on his forehead broad,
A nd garlands sw eet w ith flowers culled from forest wild*
In rh y th m rolling on his chest, he soared above
A nd saw the form divine and w orshipped from afar,
A ssuaging grief of separation long ago.
W ith both his palm s like lotus b ud alo ft his head,
His radiance illum ing clouds above, he dw elt
A gain and gain on grievous lot of his for years
W hen he had m issed th e w orship a t those lotus feet
A nd privilege proud of perching up above his flag
The w hile th e seven w orlds in w orship stood around :
A nd w ith in te n t to reach the e a rth he h u rrie d on.
Cam e he and w orshipped H im w ith h e a rt and soul again.
A nd gain.1

I B ook VI, Padalam xix, V erses 243>299.

A P P E N D I X if
VALMIKIS VALI
(S e e C hapter X I page 187)

Extracts from Griffith's translation of the

V a l m ik i R a m a y a n a .
C anto IV
LAKSHMANAS REPLY

C heered by th e w ords th a t R am a spoke,

Jo y in th e V a n a rs b re a st aw oke,
A n d , as his frie n d ly m ood he knew ,
H is th o u g h ts to K ing S u g riv a flew :
* A g ain , he m used, m y h ig h -so u le d lo rd
S h a ll ru le, to k in g ly sta te resto red ;
Since one so m ig h ty com es to save,
A nd freely gives th e help we crav e.
T hen joyous H an u m an , th e best
O f all th e V an ar kind, ad d ressed
T hese w ords to R am a, tra in e d of yo re
In all th e a rts of sp e a k e rs lore :
4 W hy do y o u r feet th is fo rest tre a d
B y silv an life in h ab ited ,
T his aw fu l m aze of tree and th o rn
W hich P a m p a s flow ering groves ad o rn ?
He spoke : o b ed ien t to th e eye
O f R am a L ak sh m an m ade rep ly ,
T he n am e an d fo rtu n e to unfold
O f R ag h u s son th e lo fty -so u led :

H e re R am a stan d s, his h eir by b irth ,

W hose nam e is glorious in th e e a rth
S u re refu g e h e of all oppressed,
M ost fa ith fu l to his sire s behest.
He, D a sa ra th a s eld est b o rn

348

KAMBA

RAM AYANAM A

STUDY

Whom gifts above the rest adorn,

Lord of each high im perial sign,
The glory of his kingly line,
R eft of his right, expelled from home,
Came forth w ith me the woods to roam.
And Sita too, his faithful dame,
F orth w ith her virtuous husband came,
Like the sweet light w hen day is done
Still cleaving to her lord the sun.
And me his sweet perfections drew
To follow as his servant true,
Nam ed Lakshm an, brother of my lord
Of grateful h eart w ith know ledge stored.
Most m eet is he all bliss to share,
Who m akes the good of all his care.
While, pow er and lordship cast away,
In the w ild wood he chose to stay,
A giant came,his nam e unknow n,
And stole the princess left alone.
Then D itis son who, cursed of yore,
The semblance of a Rakshas wore,
To king Sugriva bade us tu rn
The robbers nam e and home to learn,
For he, the V anar chief, would know
The dw elling of our secret foe.
Such words of hope ^pake D itis son,
And sought the heaven his deeds had won.
Thou hast my tale. From first to last
Thine ears have heard w hateer has past.
Ram a the m ighty lord and I
For refuge to Sugriva fly.
The prince whose arm bright glory gained,
Oer the earth as m onarch reigned,
And richest gifts to others gave,
Is come S ugrivas help to crave ;
Son of a king the surest friend
Of virtue, him who loved to lend
H is succour to the suffering weak,
Is come S ugrivas aid to seek.
Yes, R aghus son whose m atchless hand
P rotected all this sea-girt land,
The virtuous prince, m y holy guide,
For refuge seeks Sugrivas side.

340

APPENDICES

H is favour sent on g reat and sm all

Should ev er save and prosper all.
He now to w in S u g riv as grace
Has sought his w oodland dw elling-place.
Son of a king of glorious fam e :
Who know s not D asarath as nam e ?
F ro m w hom all princes of th e e a rth
Received each honour due to w o rth :
H eir of th a t best of earth ly kings,
R am a th e -prince w hose glory rings
T hrough realm s below and e a rth an d skies,
For refuge to S ugriva flies.
Nor should the V anar king refuse
The boon for w hich th e sup p lian t sues,
B ut w ith his forest legions speed
To save him in his utm ost need.
S u m itras son, his eyes bedew ed
W ith piteous tears, th us sighed and sued.
Then, train ed in all th e arts th a t guide
The speaker, H anum an replied :
Yea, lords like you of w isest th o u g h t?
W hom h appy fate has h ith e r brought,
W ho vanquish ire and ru le each sense.
M ust of our lord have audience.
R eft of his kingdom , sad, forlorn,
Once B alis h ate now B alis scorn,
D efeated, severed from his spouse,
W andering u n d er forest boughs,
Child of th e Sun, our lord and king
S ugriva w ill his succours bring,
A nd all our V anar hosts com bined
W ill trace the dam e you long to find.*
*

*
C anto V

THE LEAGUE

F ro m R ishyam ukas rugged side

To M alayas h ill th e V anar hied,
A nd to his royal chieftain th ere
A nnounced the coming of th e p air :

sso

KM BA

R A M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

T hus spake th e V anar prince, and, stirred

W ith frien d ly thoughts, S ugriva heard.
T he lig h t of joy his face oerspread,
A nd th u s to R aghus son he said :
* O P rince, in rules of d u ty trained,
C aring for all w ith love unfeigned,
H an u m an s tongue has tru ly show n
T he v irtu es th a t are th in e alone.
^

If th o u m y tru e ally w ouldst be,

A ccept th e pledge I offer thee.
This h an d in sign of friendship take,
A nd bind th e bond we n eer w ill b reak .
x

T hus each to other pledged and bound

In solem n league new tran sp o rt found,
T hen K ing S u g r i v a ......................
To R aghus noblest scion cried :
* O Ram a, racked w ith woe and fear,
S p u rn ed by m y foes, I w ander here.
R eft of m y spouse, forlorn I dw ell
H ere in m y forest citadel.
H e spoke, and R aghus son . . . .
T hus answ ered w ith a gentle smile :
Bali, th y foe, who stole aw ay
T hy w ife, this vengeful h an d shall slay.
*

C a n t o VIII

RAMAS PROMISE

S u g riv as h e a rt w ith ra p tu re swelled,

A nd thus, by eager love im pelled,
H e spoke in gracious tone, th at, oft
C hecked by his joy, was low and soft :
41, by m y b ro th ers m ight oppressed,
B y ceaseless woe an d fear distressed,
M ourning m y consort fa r aw ay,
On R ishvam ukas m ountain strav .

351

APPENDICES

F or sobs and sighs he scarce could speak,

A nd his sad voice cam e low and w eak,
As, w hile his eyes w ith tears oerflowed,
T he burden of his soul he showed.
*

4By B ali's conquering m ight oppressed,

Of pow er and kingship dispossessed,
Loaded w ith tau n ts of scorn and h ate
I left m y realm and royal state.
He tore aw ay my consort : she
W as d earer th an my life to me.
*

C anto X
SUGRIVAS STORY

Thus Bali spoke in w ords severe ;

A nd th en unm oved by ru th or fear,
L eft m e a single robe and sent
His b ro th er forth in banishm ent.
He cast me out w ith scathe and scorn,
A nd from m y side m y w ife w as torn.
Now in g reat fear and ill a t ease
I roam this land w ith woods and seas,
O r dw ell on R ishyam ukas hill,
A nd sorrow for m y consort still.
*

*
Canto X II

THE PALM TREES

They sought K ishkindhas gate and stood

Concealed by trees in densest wood.
Sugriva, to th e fight addressed,
M ore closely drew his cinctured vest,
And raised a w ild sky-piercing shout
To call th e foem an Bali out.
F o rth cam e im petuous Bali, stirred
To fu ry by th e shout he heard.

99*

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M

S T U D Y

S o t h e g r e a t s u n , e r e n ig h t h a s c e a s e d ,
S p r in g s u p i m p a tie n t to t h e e a s t.
T h e n fie rc e a n d w ild t h e c o n flic t r a g e d
A s h a n d to h a n d th e fo e s e n g a g e d ,
A s th o u g h in b a t t l e m id th e s ta r s
F o u g h t M e r c u r y a n d fie ry M a rs.
T o h ig h e s t p itc h o f f r e n z y w r o u g h t
W ith fists lik e t h u n d e r b o lt s th e y fo u g h t,
W h ile n e a r th e m R a m a to o k h is s ta n d ,
A n d v ie w e d th e b a ttle , b o w in h a n d .
A lik e th e y s to o d in f o r m a n d m ig h t,
L ik e h e a v e n ly A s v in s p a ir e d in fig h t,
N o r m ig h t th e so n o f R a g h u k n o w
W h e r e f o u g h t th e f r ie n d a n d w h e r e th e fo e ;
S o , w h ile h is b o w w a s r e a d y b e n t,
N o lif e - d e s tr o y i n g s h a f t h e s e n t.
C r u s h e d d o w n b y B a lis m ig h t ie r s tr o k e
S u g r i v a s fo rc e n o w s a n k a n d b r o k e ,
W h o , h o p in g n a u g h t f ro m R a m a s a id ,
T o R is h y a m u k a fled d is m a y e d .
W e a r y , a n d f a in t, a n d w o u n d e d so re ,
H is b o d y b r u is e d a n d d y e d w ith g o re ,
F r o m B a lis b lo w s , in r a g e a n d d r e a d ,
A f a r to s h e lte r in g w o o d s h e fled.
N o r B a li f a r t h e r d a r e d p u r s u e ,
T h e c u r b in g c u r s e to o w e ll h e k n e w .
* F le d f ro m t h y d e a th ! th e v ic to r c rie d ,
A n d h o m e th e m ig h ty w a r r i o r h ie d .
H a n u m a n , L a k s h m a n , R a g h u s so n
B e h e ld th e c o n q u e r e d V a n a r r u n ,
A n d f o llo w e d to th e s h e lte r in g s h a d e
W h e r e y e t S u g r iv a s to o d d is m a y e d .
N e a r a n d m o r e n e a r th e c h ie f ta in s c a m e ,
T h e n , f o r in to le r a b le s h a m e ,
N o t d a r i n g y e t to li f t h is e y e s,
S u g r iv a s p o k e w ith b u r n in g s ig h s :
T h y m a tc h le s s s tr e n g t h I f irs t b e h e ld ,
A n d d a r e d m y fo e , b y th e e im p e lle d .
W h y h a s t th o u t r i e d m e w ith d e c e it
A n d u r g e d m e to a s u r e d e f e a t ?
T h o u s h o u ld s t h a v e s a id , I w ill n o t s la y
T h y f o e m a n in t h e c o m in g f r a y /
F o r h a d I th e n th y p u rp o se k n o w n

A P P E N D I C E S

I h a d n o t w a g e d th e fig h t a lo n e .
T h e V a n a r so v e re ig n , lo fty -s o u le d ,
I n p la in tiv e v o ice h is so rro w s to ld ,
T h e n R a m a s p a k e : S u g n v a , list,
A ll a n g e r fro m th y h e a r t d ism isse d ,
A n d I w ill te ll th e ca u se th a t s ta y e d
M in e a rro w , a n d w ith h e ld th e a id
I n d re ss, a d o rn m e n t, p o rt, a n d h e ig h t,
I n s p le n d o u r, b a ttle -s h o u t, a n d m ig h t,
N o s h a d e of d iffe re n c e co u ld I see
B e tw e e n th y foe, O k in g , a n d th e e
S o lik e w a s each , I sto o d a t gaze,
M y sen ses lo st in w ild e rin g m aze,
N o r lo o sen ed fro m m y s tra in in g bow
A d e a d ly a rro w a t th e foe,
L e s t in m y d o u b t th e s h a ft sh o u ld se n d
T o su d d e n d e a th o u r s u re s t frie n d .
O, if th is h a n d m h e e d le ss g u ilt
A n d ra s h re so lv e th y blood h a d sp ilt,
T h ro u g h e v e ry la n d , O V a n a r K in g ,
M y w ild a n d fo o lish a c t w o u ld rin g .
S o re w e ig h t o f sin on h im m u s t lie
B y w h o m a frie n d is m a d e to d ie ,
A n d L a k s h m a n , I, a n d S ita , b e s t
O f d am es, o n th y p ro te c tio n re st.
O n, w a r rio r ! fo r th e fig h t p r e p a r e ;
N o r f e a r a g a in th y fo e to d a re .
W ith in o n e h o u r th in e e y e s h a ll v ie w
M y a rro w s tr ik e th y fo e m a n th r o u g h ;
S h a ll see th e s tric k e n B a li lie
L o w on th e e a r th , a n d g asp a n d d ie.
B u t com e, a b a d g e a b o u t th e e b in d ,
O m o n a rc h of th e V a n a r k in g ,
T h a t m th e b a ttle sh o c k m in e ey es
T h e frie n d a n d foe m a y reco g n ize.
C om e, L a k s h m a n , le t th a t c re e p e r d e c k
W ith b r ig h te s t b lo o m S u g n v a s n eck ,
A n d be a h a p p y to k e n , tw in e d
A ro u n d th e c h ie f of lo fty m in d .
U p o n th e m o u n ta in slo p e th e r e g re w
A s p re a d in g c re e p e r f a ir to v ie w ,
A n d L a k s h m a n p lu c k e d th e b lo o m a n d ro u n d
S u g r iv a s n e c k a g a r la n d w o u n d .

384:

KAMBA

RA M A Y A N A M A

STUDY

G raced w ith the flow ery w re ath he w ore,

The V anar chief th e sem blance bore
Of a d ark cloud at close of day
E ngarlanded w ith cranes a t play.
In glorious light th e V anar glowed
As by his com rades side he strode,
A nd still on R am as w ords in ten t,
His steps to g reat K ishkindha bent.
*

C anto X III
THE RETURN TO KISHKINDHA

T hus w ith Sugriva, from the side

O f R ishyam uka, Ram a hied,
A nd stood before K ishkindhas gate
W here B ali k ep t his regal state.
The hero in his w arrio r hold
*

Canto XIV
THE CHALLENGE

T hey stood w here trees of densest green

W ove round th e ir form s a veiling screen.
Oe r all th e gard en s pleasant shade
T he eyes of K ing S ugriva strayed,
And, as on grass and trees he gazed,
T he fires of w ra th w ithin him blazed.
T hen like a m ighty cloud on high,
W hen roars the tem pest through th e sky,
G irt by his friends he th u n d ered out
His dread sk y -ren d in g battle-sh o u t.
*

C anto XV
TARA

T h a t shout, w hich shook th e lan d w ith fear,

In th u n d e r sm ote on B alis ear,
W here in th e cham ber b arred and closed

APPENDICES

'The sovereign w ith his dam e reposed.

Each am orous thought w as rudely stilled,
.And pride and rage his bosom filled.
His angry eyes flashed d ark ly red,
A nd all his native brightness fled,
-As w hen, by sw ift eclipse assailed,
The glory of the sun has failed.
W hile in his fu ry uncontrolled
He ground his teeth, his eyeballs rolled,
He seemed a lake w herein no gem
Of blossom decks the lotus stem.
He heard, and w ith indignant pride
F orth from the bow er the V anar hied,
And th e earth trem bled at the beat
And fu ry of his hastening feet.
B ut T ara to her consort flew,
H er loving arm s around him threw ,
And trem bling and bew ildered, gave
Wise counsel th a t m ight heal and save :
O dear m y lord, this rage control
T hat like a to rren t floods th y soul,
And cast these idle thoughts aw ay
Like faded w reaths of yesterday.
O ta rry till the m orning light,
Then, if thou wilt, go forth and fight.
Think not I doubt thy valour, no ;
O r deem thee w eaker th an thy foe,
Yet for a w hile would have thee stay
Nor see thee tem pt the fight to-day.
Now list, my loving lord, and learn
The reason why I bid thee turn.
Thy foem an came in w rath and pride,
And thee to deadly fight defied.
Thou w entst out : he fought, and fled
Sore w ounded and discomfited.
B ut yet, u n tau g h t by late defeat,
He comes his conquering foe to meet,
And calls thee forth w ith cry and shout :
Hence spring, my lord, this fear and doubt.
A h ea rt so bold th a t will not yield,
B ut yearns to tem pt the desperate field,
Such loud defiance, fiercely pressed,

355

366

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M - A

STUDY

O n no u n c e rta in hope can rest.

So la te ly by th in e a rm oerth ro w n ,
H e com es n o t back, I w ean, alone.
Som e m ig h tie r com rade g u ard s his side,.
A n d sp u rs h im to this b u rst of pride.
F o r n a tu re m ad e th e V an a r w ise :
O n arm s of m ig h t his hope relies ;
A n d n e v e r w ill S u g riv a seek
A frie n d w hose p o w er to save is w eak.
N ow listen w h ile m y lips unfold
T he w o n d ro u s ta le m y A ngad told.
O u r child th e d ista n t fo rest sought,
A nd, le a rn t fro m spies, th e tidings brought
T w o sons of D asarath a, sp ru n g
F ro m old Ik sh v ak u , b ra v e an d young,
R enow ned in arm s, in w a r u n ta m e d
R am a a n d L ak sh m an a re th e y n am ed
H av e w ith th y foe S u g riv a m ade
A league of love an d frie n d ly aid.
N ow R am a, fam ed for ex p lo it high,
Is bound th y b ro th e rs firm ally.
L ik e fires of doom th a t ru in all
H e m ak es each foe before h im fall.
H e is th e su p p lia n ts su re defence,
T h e tre e th a t sh elters innocence.
T h e poor an d w retch ed seek his feet :
In h im th e n o b lest glories m eet.
W ith skill an d know ledge v ast an d deep
H is sire s com m ands he loved to keep ;
W ith p rin cely gifts and graces sto red
A s m etals deck th e m o u n ta in s Lord.
T h o u can st not, O m y hero, stan d
B efore th e m ig h t of R am as h an d ;
F o r none m ay m atch his pow er, or d are
W ith h im in deeds of w a r com pare.
H ear, I e n tre a t, th e w ords I say,
N or lig h tly tu rn m y red e aw ay.
O le t fra te rn a l discord cease,
A n d lin k you in th e bonds of peace.
L e t co n secrating rite s o rd ain
S u g riv a p a rtn e r of th y reign.
L e t w a r an d th o u g h ts of conflict end,

APPENDICES

A n d be tb o u his an d H am as friend.
E ach soft ap p ro ach of love begin,
A n d to th y soul th y b ro th e r w in ;
F o r w h e th e r h e re or th e re h e be,
T h y b ro th e r still, d e a r lord, is he.
T hough fa r a n d w ide th ese eyes I stra in
A frie n d like h im I seek in vain.
L e t g en tle w ords his h e a rt incline,
A n d gifts an d h o nours m ak e him thine,
T ill, foes no m ore, in love allied,
Y ou sta n d as b ro th ers side by side.
T h o u in h ig h ra n k w ast w ont to hold
S ugriva, form ed in m assive m ould ;
T h en come, th y b ro th e rs love regain,
F o r o th e r aids a re w eak an d vain.
I f fh o u w ould please m y soul, an d still
P re se rv e m e fro m all fe a r an d ill,
I p ra y th ee by th y love be w ise
A nd do th e th in g w hich I advise.
A ssuage th y b ru te w ra th , an d sh u n
T h e m ig h tier arm s of R a g h u s son ;
F o r In d ra s p eer in m ig h t is he,
A foe too strong, m y lord, for th ee.
C a n t o XVI
THE FA LL OF BALI

T h u s T a ra w ith th e s ta rry eyes

H e r counsel gave w ith b u rn in g sighs,
B u t B ali, by h e r p ray ers unm oved,
S p u rn e d h e r advice, and th u s rep ro v ed :
4 H ow m ay th is in su lt, scathe, an d scorn
B y m e, d e a r love, be tam ely borne ?
M y b ro th er, yea m y foe, comes nigh
A n d d ares m e fo rth w ith shout and cry.
L ea rn , tre m b le r ! th a t th e v alian t, th ey
W ho yield no step in b a ttle fray ,
W ill die a th o u san d d eath s b u t n e er
A n u n av en g ed d ish o n o u r bear.
N or, O m y love, be th o u dism ayed
T h o u R am a len d S u g riv a aid ;
F o r one so p u re an d duteous, one

35T

:3 5 8

KAMBA

RAMAYANAM A

STUDY

Who loves the right, all sin w ill shun.

Release me from thy soft em brace,
And w ith thy dames thy steps retrace :
Enough already, O m ine own,
Of love and sweet devotion shown.
D rive all thy fear and doubt aw ay ;
I seek Sugriva in the fray
His boisterous rage and pride to still,
And tam e the foe I would not kill.
My fury, arm ed w ith brandished trees,
Shall strike Sugriva to his knees :
Nor shall the hum bled foe w ithstand
The blows of my avenging hand,
When, nerved by rage and pride, I beat
The traito r down beneath my feet.
Thou love, hast lent thine own sweet aid,
And all thy tender care displayed ;
Now by my life, by these who yearn
To serve thee well, I pray thee turn.
But for a while, dear dame, I go,
To come triu m p h an t oer the foe.
Thus Bali spake in gentlest tone :
Soft arm s about his neck w ere throw n ;
Then round her lord the lady w ent
W ith sad steps slow and reverent.
She stood in solemn guise to bless
W ith prayers for safety and success :
Then w ith her train her cham ber sought
By grief and racking fear distraught.
W ith serpents pantings fierce and fast
King Bali, from the city passed.
His glance, as each quick breath he drew ,
Around to find the foe he threw ,
And saw w here fierce Sugriva showed
His form w ith golden hues th a t glowed,
And, as a fire resplendent, stayed
To m eet his foe in arm s arrayed.
When Bali, long-arm ed chieftain, found
Sugriva stationed on the ground,
Im pelled by w arlike rage he braced
His w arrior garb about his waist,
And w ith his m ighty arm raised high

APPENDICES

Rushed a t Sugriva w ith a cry.

B ut w hen Sugriva, fierce and bold,
Saw Bali w ith his chain of gold,
His arm he heaved, his hand he closed,
A nd face to face his foe opposed.
To him whose eyes w ith fury shone,
In charge impetuous rushing on,
Skilled in each w arlike art and plan,
Bali w ith hasty words began :
4My ponderous hand, to fight addressed,
W ith fingers clenched and firm compressed,
Shall on thy death-doom ed brow descend
And, crashing down, thy life shall en d /
He spoke ; and, wild w ith rage and pride,
The fierce Sugriva thus replied :
4Thus let my arm begin the strife
And from th y body crush the life.
Then Bali, wounded and enraged,
W ith furious blows the battle waged.
Sugriva seemed, w ith blood-stream s dyed,.
A hill w ith fountains in his side.
B ut w ith his native force unspent
A Sal tree from the earth he ren tr
And like the bolt of Indra smote
On Balis head and chest and throat.
Bruised by the blows he could not shield,.
H alf vanquished Bali sank and reeled,
As sinks a vessel w ith her freight
Borne down by overwhelm ing weight.
Sw ift as S uparnas sw iftest flight
In aw ful strength they rushed to fight :
So m ight the sun and moon on high
Encountering battle in the sky.
Fierce and more fierce, as fought the foes,
The furious rage of combat rose.
They w arred w ith feet and arms and kneesr
W ith nails and stones and boughs and trees,.
And blows descending fast as rain
Dyed each dark form w ith crimson stain,
W hile like two thunder-clouds they m et
W ith battle-cry and shout and threat.
Then Rama saw Sugriva quail,

35&

-360

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M - A

STUDY

M arked his w orn stren g th grow w eak a n d fail.

Saw how he tu rn e d 'h is w istful eye
To every q u a rte r of th e sky.
His frie n d s defeat he could not brook,
B ent on his shaft an eager look,
Then b u rn ed to slay the conquering foe,
And laid his arrow on the bow.
As to an orb the bow he drew^
F o rth from the strin g the arrow flew
Like F a te s trem endous discus h u rled
By Y am a fo rth to end the world.
So loud the din th a t every bird
The b o w -strin g s clang w ith te rro r heard,
A nd w ildly fled th e affrighted d eer
As though th e day of doom w ere n e a r.
So deadly as the serp en ts fang,
F o rth from the string th e arrow sprang.
Like the red lig h tn in g s flash an d flame
It flew u n errin g to its aim,
And, hissing m u rd er through th e air,
Pierced B alis breast, and quivered there.
S truck by th e shaft th a t flew so w ell
The m ighty V anar reeled and fell,
As ea rth w a rd In d ra s flag they pull
W hen A svinis fair moon is full.
C anto XVII
B A L IS SP E E C H

Like some proud tree before the blast

B rave Bali to the ground w as cast,
W here p ro strate in th e dust he rolled
Clad in the sheen of glistening gold,
As w hen uptorn th e stan d ard lies
Of th e g reat God who rules th e skies.
*

As fell the hero, crushed in fight,

T here beam ed afar a trip le light
From lim bs, from chain, from sh aft th a t d ra n k
His life-blood as th e w arrio r sank.
The n ev er-failin g shaft, im pelled

361

APPENDICES

B y th e g reat bow w hich R am a held,

B rought bliss suprem e, and lit th e w ay
To B rah m as w orlds w hich n e er decay.
R am a and L akshm an n ea re r drew
The m ighty fallen foe to view ,
*

The w ounded Bali, w hen he saw

Jta m a and L akshm an n ea re r draw ,
K een w ords to R aghus son, im pressed
W ith ju stices holy stam p addressed :
4W hat fam e, from one thou h ast not slain
In fro n t of battle, canst thou gain,
W hose secret hand has laid m e low
W hen m adly fighting w ith m y foe ?
F rom every tongue th y glory rings,
A scion of a line of kings,
T ru e to th y vows, of noblest race,
W ith every gentle gift and grace :
W hose ten d er h e a rt for woe can feel,
A nd joy in every c re a tu re s w eal :
W hose b reast w ith high am bition sw ells,
K now s d u ty s claim and n eer rebels.
They praise thy valour, patience, ru th ,
T hy firm ness, se lf-restrain t, and tru th :
T hy h and p rep ared for sins control,
A ll v irtu es of a princely soul.
I th o u g h t of all these gifts of thine,
A nd glories of an ancient line,
I set m y T a ra s tears at naught,
I m et S ugriva an d we fought.
0 Ram a, till this fatal m orn
1 held th a t th o u w ouldst surely scorn
To strik e m e as I fought m y foe
A nd th o u g h t not of a stra n g e rs blow.
B ut now th in e evil h e a rt is shown,
A yaw ning w ell w ith grass oergrow n.
Thou w earest v irtu e s badge, b u t guile
A nd m eanest sin th y soul defile.
I took thee not for treacherous fire,
A sinner clad in sa in ts a ttire ;
N or deem ed thou idly w ouldst profess
The show and garb of righteousness.

362

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M ---- A

S T U ^ Y

I n f e n c e d to w n , in o p e n la n d ,
N e e r h a s t th o u s u f fe re d a t th is h a n d .
N o r c a n s t o f p r o u d c o n te m p t c o m p la in :
T h e n w h e r e f o r e is th e g u iltle s s s la in ?
M y h a r m le s s lif e in w o o d s I le a d ,
O n f o r e s t f r u i t s a n d ro o ts I fe e d .
M y fo e m a n in th e field I s o u g h t,
A n d n e e r w ith th e e , O R a m a , f o u g h t.
U p o n th y lim b s , O K in g , I se e
T h e r a i m e n t o f a d e v o te e ;
A n d h o w c a n o n e lik e th e e , w h o s p r in g s
F r o m a p r o u d lin e o f a n c ie n t k in g s ,
B e n e a th f a i r v i r t u e s m a s k , d is g r a c e
H is lin e a g e b y a d e e d so b a s e ?
F r o m R a g h u is th y lo n g d e s c e n t,
F o r d u te o u s d e e d s p r e - e m i n e n t :
W h y , s in n e r c la d in s a in tly d r e s s ,
R o a m e s t th o u th r o u g h th e w ild e r n e s s ?
T r u t h , v a lo u r , ju s t ic e f r e e fro m s p o t,
T h e h a n d t h a t g iv e s a n d g r u d g e s n o t,
T h e m ig h t t h a t s tr ik e s t h e s in n e r d o w n ,
T h e s e b r in g a p r in c e h is b e s t r e n o w n .
H e r e in t h e w o o d s, O K in g , w e liv e
O n r o o ts a n d f r u i t w h ic h b r a n c h e s g iv e .
T h u s n a t u r e f r a m e d o u r h a r m le s s r a c e :
T h o u a r t a m a n s u p r e m e in p la c e .
S ilv e r a n d g o ld a n d la n d p r o v o k e
T h e fie rc e a tta c k , t h e r o b b e r s s tr o k e .
C a n s t th o u d e s ir e th is w ild r e t r e a t ,
T h e b e r r ie s a n d th e f r u i t w e e a t ?
T is n o t f o r m ig h ty k in g s to t r e a d
T h e flo w e ry p a th , b y p le a s u r e le d .
T h e ir s b e th e a r m t h a t c r u s h e s sin ,
T h e ir s t h e s o f t g r a c e to w o o a n d w in :
T h e s te a d f a s t w ill t h a t g u id e s th e s ta te ,
W ise f a v o u r to t h e g o o d a n d g r e a t ;
A n d f o r a ll tim e a r e k in g s r e n o w n e d
W h o b le n d th e s e a r t s a n d n e e r c o n fo u n d .
B u t t h o u a r t w e a k a n d s w if t to ir e ,
U n s ta b le , s la v e o f e a c h d e s ire .
T h o u t r a m p l e s t d u t y in t h e d u s t,
A n d in t h y b o w is a l l t h y t r u s t .

A P P E N D I C E

T h o u c a r e s t n a u g h t fo r n o b le g a in .

A n d tr e a te s t v ir tu e w ith d isd a in ,
W h ile e v e ry se n se its c a p tiv e d r a w s
T o fo llo w p le a s u r e s c h a n g in g la w s.
I w ro n g e d th e e n o t in w o rd o r d e e d ,
B u t In th y d e a d ly d a r t I b leed .
W h a t w ilt th o u , m id th e v irtu o u s , sa y
T o p u rg e th y la s tin g s ta in a w a y ?
A ll th e se , O K in g , m u s t sin k to h ell,
T h e re g ic id e , th e in fid el,
H e w h o in b lo o d a n d s la u g h te r jo y s,
A B ra h m a n o r a cow d e stro y s,
U n tim e ly w e d s in la w s d e s p ite
S c o rn in g a n e ld e r b r o th e r s rig h t,
W ho d a re s h is T e a c h e rs b e d ascen d ,
T h e m iser, sp y , a n d tre a c h e ro u s f rie n d .
T h e se im p io u s w re tc h e s , o n e a n d all,
M u st to th e h e ll of s in n e rs fa ll.
M y sk in th e h o ly m a y n o t w e a r,
U seless to th e e m y b o n es a n d h a i r ;
N o r m a y m y s la u g h te r e d b o d y be
T h e food of d e v o te e s lik e th e e .
T h e se fiv e -to e d th in g s a m a n m a y s la y
A n d feed u p o n th e fa lle n p re y ;
T h e m a ile d rh in o c e ro s m a y d ie,
A n d , w ith th e h a re , h is food s u p p ly
Ig u a n a s h e m a y k ill a n d e a t,
W ith p o rc u p in e n d to rto is e m e a t.
B u t a ll th e w ise a c c o u n t it sin
T o to u c h m y b o n es a n d h a ir a n d sk in .
M y flesh th e y m a y n o t e a t ; a n d I
A u se le ss p re y , O K am a, die.
I n v a in m y T a r a re a s o n e d w e ll,
O n d u ll d e a f e a rs h e r c o u n se l fell.
I sc o rn e d h e r w o rd s th o u g h so o th a n d s w e e t.
A n d h ith e r r u s h e d m y f a te to m e e t.
A h fo r th e la n d th o u r u le s t 1 S h e
F in d s n o p ro te c tio n , lo rd , fro m th e e ,
N e g le c te d lik e so m e n o b le d a m e
B y a v ile h u s b a n d d e a d to sh a m e .
M e a n - h e a r te d c o w a rd , fa ls e a n d v ile,
W h o se c ru e l so u l d e lig h ts in- guile*

iS

KAMBA

R A M A Y A tt, A M A

STUD'S

Could D asaratha, noblest king,

Beget so m ean an d base a th in g ?
A las ! an elephant, in form
O f Ram a, in a m addening storm
O f passion casting to th e ground
The girth of law th a t clipped him round,
Too w ildly passionate to feel
The prick of d u ty s guiding steel,
Has charged me unaw ares, and dead
I fall beneath his m urderous tread.
How, stained w ith this m y base defeat,
How w ilt thou dare, w here good m en m eet,
To speak, w hen every tongue w ill blam e
W ith keen reproach this deed of sham e ?
Such hero strength and valour, show n
Upon thfe innocent alone,
Thou hast not proved in m anly strife
On him who robbed thee of th y wife.
H adst thou b u t fought in open field
And m et me boldly unconcealed,
T his day had been th y fate to fall,
Slain by this hand, to Y am as hall.
In vain I strove, and struck by thee
Fell by a h and I could not see.
Thus bites a snake, for sins of yore,
A sleeping m an w ho wakes no more.
S ugrivas. foeman thou hast killed,
A nd thus his h e a rts desire fulfilled :
B ut Rama, h ad st thou sought me first,
And told th e hope th y soul has nursed,
T h at very day had I restored
The M aithil lady to h er lord ;
And, binding R avan w ith a chain,
H ad laid him at th y feet unslain.
Yea, w ere she sunk in deepest hell,
Or w helm ed b en eath th e oceans swell,
I w ould have follow ed on h er track
A nd b ro u g h t th e rescued lady back,
As H ayagriva once se t free
.From hell th e w h ite A svatari.
T h at w hen m y sp irit w ings its flight
S ugriva reign, is ju st and right.
,

APPENDICES

-B ut m ost u n ju st, O K ing, th a t I,

Slain by th y treach ero u s hand, should lie*
Be still, m y h e a rt : th is ea rth ly state
Is d ark ly ru led by sovereign Fate.
The realm is lost an d won : defy
Thy questioners w ith a p t rep ly .
C a n t o X V III

RAMAS REPLY
*

He ceased : and R am as h e a rt w as stirre d

A t every keen reproach he heard.
T here Bali lay, a dim d ark sun,
His course of lig h t and glory ru n :
Or like th e bed of Ocean dried
Of his broad floods from side to side,
Or helpless, as th e dying fire,
H ushed his last w ords of righteous ire.
Then Ram a, w ith his sp irit moved,
The V anar king in tu rn reproved :
W hy dost thou, Bali, th u s revile,
A nd castest not a glance the w hile
On claifns of duty, love, and gain,
A nd custom s oer the w orld th a t reign ?
W hy dost thou blam e me, rash and blind,
Fickle as all thy V anar kind,
Slighting each ru le of ancient days
W hich all th e good and p ru d en t praise ?
This land, each hill and woody chase,
Belongs to old Ik sh v ak u s race :
W ith b ird and b east and m an, th e w hole
Is ours to cherish and control.
Now B h arat, prom pt a t d u ty s call,
Wise, ju st, and tru e, is lord of all.
Each claim of law , love, gain, he know s.
A nd w ra th and favour duly shows.
A king from tru th who never bends,
A nd grace w ith vigour w isely blends ;
W ith valour w o rth y of his race,
He know s th e claim s of tim e 'a n d place.
Now we and o th er kings of m ight,
1
By his ensam pleta u g h t arigh<t>,

366

K A M BA

KAMAYANAM A

STUDY.'

T h e lan d s of ev e ry region tre a d

T h a t ju stice m ay increase an d spread*
W hile ro y al B h a ra t, w ise an d ju st,
R ules th e bro ad ea rth , his glorious tru st,
W ho sh all attem p t, w hile he is lord,
A deed b y Ju stice held ab h o rred ?
W e now , as B h a ra t has decreed,
L et ju stice guide o ur ev ery deed,
A nd toil each sin n er to rep ress
W ho scorns th e w ay of righteousness.
T hou fro m th a t p ath h a st tu rn e d aside,
A nd v irtu e 's holy law defied,
L eft th e fa ir p a th w hich kings should trea d ,.
A nd follow ed p leasu res voice instead.
T he m an w ho cleaves to d u ty s la w
R egards these th re e w ith filial aw e
T he sire, th e eld er b ro th er, th ird
H im from w hose lips his lore he heard.
T hus too, for d u ty s sake, th e w ise
R egard w ith fond p a te rn a l eyes
T he w ell-lo v ed y o unger b ro th er, one
T h eir lore has ripened, and a son.
F in e are th e law s w hich guide th e good
A bstruse, an d h a rd ly understood ;
O nly th e soul, en th ro n ed w ith in
T he b re a st of each, know s rig h t from sim
B u t th o u a rt w ild and w eak of soul,
A nd spurnest, like th y race, control ;
T he tru e and rig h t thou canst n o t find,
T he b lin d consulting w ith th e blind.
In clin e th in e ea r and I w ill teach
T he cause th a t prom pts m y p resen t speech.
T his tem p est of th y soul assuage,
N or b lam e m e in th in e idle rage.
On th is g reat sin th y th o u g h ts bestow ,
T he sin fo r w hich I lay th ee low.
Thou, Bali, in th y b ro th e rs life
H ast robbed him of his w edded wife,
A nd keepest, scorning an cien t right,
His R um a for th in e ow n delight.
T hy sons ow n w ife should scarcely be
M ore sacred in th in e eyes th a n she.

A P P E N D I C E S

-All d u ty th o u h a s t sc o rn e d , a n d h e n c e
Com es p u n is h m e n t fo r direP offence.
F o r th o se w h o b lin d ly do am iss
T h e re is, I w een , n o w a y b u t th is :
T o c h e c k th e r a s h w h o d a r e to s tr a y
F ro m cu sto m s w h ic h th e good obey.
I m a y n o t, s p ru n g of K s h a triy a lin e ,
F o rg iv e th is h e in o u s sin o f th in e :
T h e la w s fo r th o se w h o sin lik e th e e
T h e p e n a lty of d e a th d ec re e.
N ow B h a ra t ru le s w ith so v e re ig n sw ay ,
A n d w e h is ro y a l w o rd obey.
T h e re w as n o h o p e of p a rd o n , n o n e,
F o r th e v ile d e e d th a t th o u h a s t d one.
T h a t w ise st m o n a rc h doom s to d ie
T h e w re tc h w h o se crim e s th e la w d e fy ;
A n d w e, c h a stisin g th o se w h o e rr,
H is rig h te o u s doom a d m in iste r.
M y soul ac c o u n ts S u g riv a d e a r
E 'e n as m y b r o th e r L a k sh m a n h e re .
H e b rin g s m e b lessin g , a n d I sw o re
H is w ife a n d k in g d o m to re s to re :
A b o n d in so le m n h o n o u r b o u n d
W h en V a n a r c h ie fta in s sto o d a ro u n d .
A n d can a k in g lik e m e fo rsa k e
H is frie n d , a n d p lig h te d p ro m ise b re a k ?
R eflect, O V a n a r, on th e cau se,
T h e sa n c tio n of e te r n a l la w s.
A n d , ju s tly s m itte n d o w n , confess
T h o u d ie st fo r th y w ick ed n ess.
B y h o n o u r w a s I b o u n d to le n d
A ssista n c e to a f a ith f u l frie n d ;
A n d th o u h a s t m e t a rig h te o u s fa te
T h y fo rm e r sin s to e x p ia te .
A n d th u s w ilt th o u som e m e r it w in
A n d m a k e a to n e m e n t fo r th y sin.
F o r h e a r m e, V a n a r K in g , re h e a rs e
W h a t M an u sp a k e in a n c ie n t v e rse
T h is h o ly law , w h ic h a ll a c c e p t
W ho h o n o u r d u ty , h a v e I k e p t :
4 P u r e g ro w th e s in n e rs k in g s c h a stise,
A n d lik e th e v irtu o u s, g a in th e sk ie s ;

7m

K A M BA

R A M A V A KAM

A. S T U D Y i

B y p a in o r f u l l a to n e m e n t fre e d ,
T h e y r e a p th e f r u i t o f r ig h te o u s d e e d ,
W h ile k in g s w h o p u n is h n o t in c u r
T h e p e n a ltie s o f th o s e w h o e r r /
M a n d h a ta , o n c e a n o b le k in g ,
L ig h t o f th e lin e f r o m w h ic h I s p rin g ,
P u n is h e d w ith d e a t h a d e v o te e
W h e n h e h a d s to o p e d to s i n lik e th e e
A n d m a n y a k in g in a n c ie n t tim e
H a s p u n is h e d f r a n tic s in n e r s ' c rim e ,
A n d , w h e n t h e i r im p io u s b lo o d w a s s p ilt,
H a s w a s h e d a w a y th e s t a i n o f g u ilt.
C e a se , B a li, c e a se : n o m o re c o m p la in :
R e p ro a c h e s a n d la m e n ts a r e v a in ,
F o r th o u a r t j u s t l y p u n is h e d : w e
O b e y o u r k in g a n d a r e n o t fre e .
O n c e m o re , O B a li, le n d th in e e a r.
A n o th e r w e ig h tie s t p le a to h e a r ,
F o r th is , w h e n h e a r d a n d p o n d e r e d w e ll,
W ill a ll c o m p la in t a n d r a g e d is p e l.
M y so u l w ill n e 'e r th is d e e d r e p e n t,
N o r w a s m y s h a f t in a n g e r s e n t.
W e ta k e n th e s ilv a n tr ib e s b e s e t
W ith s n a r e a n d t r a p a n d g in a n d n e t,
A n d m a n y a h e e d le s s d e e r w e s m ite
F r o m th ic k e s t s h a d e , c o n c e a le d fro m s ig h t.
W ild f o r th e s la u g h te r o f th e g a m e ,
A t s ta te l y s ta g s o u r s h a f ts w e a im .
W e s tr ik e th e m b o u n d in g s c a r e d a w a y ,
W e s tr ik e th e m a s th e y s ta n d a t b a y ,
W h e n c a re le s s in t h e s h a d e th e y lie ,
O r s c a n th e p la in w ith w a tc h f u l e y e .
T h e y t u r n a w a y t h e i r h e a d s : w e a im ,
A n d n o n e th e e a g e r h u n t e r b la m e .
E a c h r o y a l s a in t, w e ll tr a in e d in la w
O f d u ty lo v e s h is b o w to d r a w
A n d s tr ik e th e q u a r r y , e e n a s th o u
H a s t f a lle n b y m in e a r r o w n o w ,
F ig h tin g w ith h im o r u n a w a r e
A V a n a r th o u I l i t t l e c a re .
B u t, y e t, O b e s t o f V a n a rs, k n o w
T h a t k in g s w h o r u le th e e a r t h b e s to w

A P P E N D I C E S

F r u i t o f p u r e lif e a n d v ir tu o u s d e e d ,
A n d lo f ty d u t y s h a r d - w o n m e e d .
H a r m n o t th y lo r d t h e k in g : a b s ta in
F r o m a c t a n d w o r d t h a t c a u s e h im p a in .
F o r k in g s a r e c h ild r e n o f t h e s k ie s
W h o w a lk th is e a r t h in m e n s d isg u ise .
B u t th o u , in d u t y s c la im s u n ta u g h t,
T h y b r e a s t w ith b lin d in g p a s s io n f r a u g h t,
A s s a ile s t m e w h o s till h a v e c lu n g
T o d u ty , w ith th y b i t t e r to n g u e .
H e c e a s e d : a n d B a li s o re d is tr e s s e d
T h e s o v e re ig n c la im s o f la w c o n fe s se d ,
A n d f re e d , o e r w h e lm e d w ith w o e a n d s h a m e ,
T h e lo r d o f R a g h u s r a c e f r o m b la m e .
T h e n , r e v e r e n t p a lm to p a lm a p p lie d ,
T o R a m a th u s th e V a n a r c r ie d :
T ru e , b e s t o f m e n , is e v e r y w o rd
T h a t f ro m th y lip s th e s e e a r s h a v e h e a r d .
I t ill b e s e e m s a w r e tc h lik e m e
T o b a n d y e m p ty w o rd s w ith th e e .
F o rg iv e th e a n g r y t a u n t s t h a t b r o k e
F r o m m y w ild b o so m a s I sp o k e ,
A n d la y n o t to m y c h a rg e , O K in g ,
M y m a d r e p r o a c h e s id le s tin g .
T h o u , in th e t r u t h b y t r i a l tr a in e d ,
B e s t k n o w le d g e o f th e r ig h t h a s t g a in e d ;
A n d la y e st, j u s t a n d p u r e w ith in ,
T h e m e e te s t p e n a l t y o n sin ,
T h r o u g h e v e r y b o n d o f la w I b u r s t,
T h e b o ld e s t s in n e r a n d th e w o rs t.
O le t th y r i g h t - i n s t r u c t i n g s p e e c h
C o n so le m y h e a r t a n d w is e ly te a c h .
L ik e so m e s a d e le p h a n t w h o s ta n d s
F a s t s in k in g in th e tr e a c h e r o u s s a n d s ,
T h u s B a li r a is e d d e s p a ir in g e y e s ;
T h e n s p a k e a g a in w ith so b s a n d s ig h s :
N o t f o r m y s e lf, O k in g , I g rie v e ,
F o r T a r a o r th e f r ie n d s I le a v e ,
A s f o r s w e e t A n g a d , m y d e a r so n ,
M y n o b le , o n ly l i t t l e o n e .
F o r, n u r s e d in l u x u r y a n d b lis s
H is f a t h e r h e w ill m o u r n J a n d m i s s / '

39*

K AM BA

RA M A Y A K A M A

STUDY

And lik e a stream w hose fount is dry

W ill w aste aw ay and sink and die,.
M y ow n dear child, m y only boy,
His m other Taras hope and joy.
Spare him, O son of Raghu, spare
The child entrusted to thy care.
My Angad and Sugriva treat
Een as thy heart considers m eet,
For thou, O chief of men, art strong
To guard the right and punish wrong.
O, if thou w ilt thine ear incline
To hear these dying words of mine,
He and Sugriva w ill to thee
A s Bharat and as Lakshman be.
L et not m y Tara left forlorn,
W eep for Sugrivas w rathful scorn ;
N o r l o t him, for her lords offence,
Condemn her faithful innocence.
A nd w ell and w isely m ay he reign
If thy dear grace his power sustain :
If, follow ing thee his friend and guide,
He turn not from thy hest aside :
Thus m ay he reign w ith glory, nay
Thus to the skies w ill w in his w ay.
Though stayed by Taras fond recall,
B y th y dear, hand I longed to fall.
A gainst m y brother rushed and fought,
A nd gained the death I long have sought.
C a n t o X IX
TARA'S GRIEF

But Tara in the Vanars hall

H eard tidings of her husbands fall ;
Heard that a shaft from Ramas bow
Had laid the royal B ali low.
Her darling Angad by her side,
Distracted from her home she hied.
f
I
)

She hastened forth, her bosom rent

W ith anguish, w eeping as she w ent,
And striking, J 30$tered by her w oes,

A P P E N D I C E S

Her head and breast w ith frantic blows.

She hurried to the field and found
Her husband prostrate on the ground,
Who quelled the hostile Vanars m ight,
W hose back w as never turned in flight :
Whose arm a m assy rock could throw
A s Indra hurls his bolts below :
Fierce as the rushing tem pest, loud
As thunder from a labouring cloud :
W heneer he roared his voice of fear
Struck terror on the boldest ear :
Now slain, as, hungry for the prey,
A tiger m ight a lion slay :
Or when, his serpent foe to seek,
Suparna w ith his furious beak
Tears up a sacred hillock, long
The reverence of a village throng,
Its altar w ith their offerings spread,
And the gay flag that waved oerhead.
She looked and saw the victor stand
Resting upon his bow his hand ;
And fierce Sugriva she descried,
And Lakshman by his brothers side.
She passed them by, nor stayed to view ,
Sw ift to her husbands side she flew ;
Then as she looked, her strength gave w ay,
And in the dust she fell and lay.
Then, as if startled ere the close
Of slumber, from the earth she rose.
Upon her dying husband, round
Whose soul the coils of Death were wound,
Her eyes in agony she bent
And called him with a shrill lament.
Sugriva, when he heard her cries,
And saw the queen w ith w eeping eyes,
A nd youthful Angad standing there,
His load of grief could hardly bear.
Canto X X
T A R A S LAM ENT

Again she bent her to the ground,

H er arms about her husband wound,

8W:

372*

KAMBA

R A M A Y A N A M ^ -A

STUDY

Sobbed on his breast, and sick and faint

With anguish poured her wild complaint :
*

A gain th e hapless T ara w ept

As to h er hu sb an d s side she crept,
A nd w ild w ith sorrow and dism ay
S at on th e ground w here Bali lay.
C a n t o X X II

BALI DEAD

T here b reathing still w ith slow fain t sighs

L ay Bali on the ground : his eyes,
Dam p w ith the tears of death, he raised,
On conquering Sugriva gazed,
A nd then in clearest speech expressed
The ten d er feelings of his breast :
Not to m y charge, Sugriva, lay
T hine injuries avenged to -d ay ;
B u t ra th e r blam e resistless F ate
T h at urged me on infuriate.
F a te n eer agreed our lives to bless
W ith sim ultaneous happiness :
To dw ell like brothers side by side
In ten d er love was still denied.
The V anars realm is th in e to -d ay :
Begin, O King, th y rig h tfu l sw ay ;
F or I m ust go a t Y am as call
To sojourn in his gloomy hall ;
M ust p a rt and leave this very hour
My life, m y realm , my kingly power,.
A nd go instead of these to gain
B rig h t glory free from spot and stain.
Now a t th y hands one boon I seek
W ith the last w ords m y lips shall speak,
And, though it be no easy thing,
P erfo rm th e task I give thee, King.
This son of mine, no foolish boy,
W orthy of bliss and nursed in joy,
See, p ro strate on the ground he lies,

The hot tears welling from his eyesThe child I love so well, more sweet

APPENDICES

Than life itself, for woe unmet,

To him be kindly favour shown :
O guard and keep him as thine own.
Retain him ever by thy side,
His father, helper, friend, and guid.
From fear and woe his young life save,
And give him all his father gave.
Then Taras son in time shall be
Brave, resolute and famed like thee,
And march before thee to the fight
Where stricken fiends shall own his might.
While yet a tender stripling, fame
Shall bruit abroad his warrior name,
And brightly shall his glory shine
For exploits worthy of his line.
Child of Sushen, my Tara well
Obscurest lore can read and tell ;
And, trained in wondrous art, divines
Each mystery of boding signs.
Her solemn warning neer despise,
Do boldly what her lips advise ;
For things to come her eye can see,
And with her words events agree.
And for the son of Raghus sake
The toil and danger undertake :
For breach of faith were grievous wrong,
Nor wouldst thou be unpunished long.
Now, brother, take this chain of gold,
Gift of celestial hands of old,
Or when I die its charm will flee,
And all its might be lost with me.
The loving speech Sugriva heard,
And all his heart with woe was stirred.
Remorse and gentle pity stole
Each thought of triumph from his soul :
Thus fades the light when Rahu mars
The glory of the Lord of Stars.
All angry thoughts were stayed and stilled,.
And kindly love his bosom filled.
His brothers word the chief obeyed
And took the chain as Bali prayed.
On little Angad standing nigh

373L

:S74>'

K A M B A

R A M A Y A N A M - ^ A

ST U D Y

The d yin g hero fixed his eye,

And, ready from this w orld to part,
Spoke the fond utterance of his heart :

*L et tim e and place th y thoughts em ploy

In w o e be strong, be m eek in joy.
A ccept both pain and pleasure, still
O bedient to Sugrivas w ill.
Thou hast, m y darling, from th e first
W ith tender care been softly nursed ;
But harder days, if thou w ouldst w in
Sugrivas love, m ust now begin.
To those w ho hate him n eer incline,
Nor count his foe a friend of thine.
In all th y thoughts his w elfare seek,
Obedient, low ly, faithful, m eek.
L et no rash suit his bosom pain,
Nor y et from due requests abstain.
Each is a grievous fault, betw een
The tw o is found the happy m ean.
Then B ali ceased : his eyeballs rolled
In stress of anguish uncontrolled.
His m assive teeth w ere bared to v iew ,
And from the fram e the spirit flew.

IND EX
A n In d e x is fu rn ish ed below o f those stanzas in the
K amba R amayanam translated by A iy a r , in order
o f K a n d d m and P adalam according to th e annotated
edition o f S ri V. M. G opalakrixhnam achariar, w hich
it is hoped m a y be fo u n d useful. A sim ilar in d e x for
th e chapter on S ita follow s. The reference given here
is to th e page on w h ich the first stanza in th e set
begins. T he fo o t-n o te reference m ig h t be fo u n d in
m a n y cases on a su b seq u en t page.
P ublishers.
P adalam
I

u f f 6D

S ta n za

P age

Padalam

Page Padalam

Stavza

77. 78
83, 84

<j>rr&&U ID

82

..

62

..6

xi (jflD(tf<a>;o

i i i es6u?i
26-29, 32; 33
33, 34, 44
103-106
107, 108, 110

72

35
. 286 ,

ix

Stanza

Page

..

73, 74, 76-79,

81, 82, 90, 93
96, 98-103,
105-7, 113,
115, 117 ..
118, 120
..
132, 136, 138 ..

.. 287
.. 288
289
..
9

293

294
295
296

62 V v*r $!(1,
116
.. 71 x ^ipiGfr
x ii ir iifi
12-20
. . 296
117, 121, 122,
33
.. 55
125
. . 72
126
.
. 73 x i
x x i i i h im to
14-17, 19,22 .. 297
134
.. 48 I
38
.. 64
27
..2 9 8
137, 139, 140 .. 7 3 1
29.
30,
33
.. 299
149, 157, 159 . . 74
II ^Gturr^iunr
3 5 ,3 6 ,4 0
..300
2 2 4 ,2 2 6 -2 2 8 .. 11
42, 43. 65, 68,
anraBTL-ii
69, 70, . .... 301
V Stt^S m i l Q
26-28

..

69,
292'

U)jb$(J
401
72 l

73-76

52
il

..51

..51
.. 48 v i i i
..

49

..
. .
..
..

289
290
291
292

lljbjSOTl
45. 47
48-52
54-62
64-67
69-76

!{)*

. .
..
..
..
..

280
281
282
283
285

<y > m p Q i u

ix uarafufOH-

88, 70

7
55. 56
58, 60-62
70, 71

XU $(1,911*
,

30, 34, 36,

38-40, 42.
43
44, 45 '
51, 53, 96
97. 98,

101-103
114-117
129, 131, 132

..
..

76
52
302
r
.. 303
.. 304
.. 305

w r m j p p m i q f s jfi r tS ) * r lL l_ u t l dr W a r .

376

KAMBA

Padalam

Stanza

Page

RAMAYANAM A
Padalam -

Stanza

Page

STUDY

Padalam

Stanza

Page

201, 202, 205 209

v aiirrfl fiua>
.. 210
219, 220
14-20
.. 171
rrafcruii
.. 211
221-223
21-27
. 172
*225-227,
31-33
173
iii
UJ
.. 212
229-233
34, 35
.. 174
66
17, 19, 21
36-38, 40-43,
um
45-48
.. 175
V ^lillbfllDS
.. 70
17
;
57
.. 176
31, 32, 34-37,
.. 48
20
64, 65
.. 177
58
45-56
.. 49
25
67-69, 71, 72 .. 178
60
70
. . 51
23
74, 76-84,
33, 65, 67-73 .. 213
86-90
.. 179
.. 214
75, 76
V UHlffffT 0H9
92-102
.. 181
24-29, 36. 45,
104, 105,
46, 49-51 . 233
107-115 .. 182 IV
24, 26-29,
234
58, 60, 61
116
.. 183
.. 247
31-37
67, 68-73, 73,
137, 119-130 .. 184
40, 41, 50, 51,
235
77
132-134, 136,
.. 15
58
236
79-81
137, 146-149 186
69,
65,
66,
68,
239
82-87
187
151
.. 16
71-73
240
149
249 Vili
199
8_,J ,T lll}
77
232-234
63
60
237, 238
11-13, 15, 17,
.. 215
19, 20
X JbirLfiLL
.. 216
'Vi JLTUj QJlSIlT Jt>>
21-25
60, 62, 63,
27,
28,
32,
34
217
20-22, 26-34 .. 243
67-72
78
..
213
35, 37
244 '
35-40
.. 219
59-63
245 x iii ffruirjB
49-55
.. 19
71,
72
256
62
13-15
198
.. 61
77,
2491
64
.. 219
97
158
ei'xiv IflGsjbjGf)
99-104, lOfl,
63
201, 203-206
9, 10, 12, 14,
110, 112 .. 220
15, 19
200
.. 221
113-117
ix s/6iui(
21-25
201
63, 67, 68, 71 54
i j^jriuiau)
V *jr*rrafcTL-i
.. 49
83
ii eir 6^(5
IV
41, 72, 73
204 M f
&(T6S5TL.U>
.. 103
83-86
4
205
.. 102
icrnmrj
95
206
5
.. 101
141
83,
9-11
12-15, 20, 36,
.. 103
15
207
196
37, 40
..
102
142
18
207
197
49
..
222
25-27
199, 200
208
170
112

I I I .giralo)

377

INDEX
Y a d a la m

S ta n za

x ii

? l

xv

Page

(5
56, 57, 59 ..
61, 62, 64, 65
70, 74, 75, V9,
80
..
113, 116
..

Padalant

S tanza

Page

v )<&&&* GftroS
223
224
199
125

12

..

x v ii

x iii
9, 13
16-18, 43

.. 257
.. 253

VI

\u\

.. 225 x i v
..-226
.. 61

anwi_i

ii %raj*wr*ir
,
12-14
53
#,
58, 59
..
60, 61
66, 67, 70,
,,
72-75
90, 91, 95, 96,
99, 101, 102,
106, 108, 109
113, 116, 117 ..
iii SlporfllUr QJdRjfc
24-33
..
35, 37
..
40, 42, 44-46 ..
47-56
..
59, 62, 64, 69,
70, 72, 74-78
80, 86, 93
..
118-130
..
132, 133, 136,
139, 142, 143
144, 145, 146 ..
i v afii!L_agrar
ia)L.i&t)
3, 4, 6-9
20
108, 109
125-127, 129
146

249
137
102
103
126
xv
127
123
155
156
157
158
159
161
162
164
165

.. 129
130
.. 7
.. 130
.5 2

Curi
91, 92, 95, 96,
101
.
133, 139
..
155,
161,
163-166 ..
167, 169
..
174, 175,
181-183, 185
203, 204
..
221, 232
..
249
..

S ta n za

x v i trujf jo r *
77-83, 86
133

jail*. Q jiirj
8, 9
10
82, 83

Padalam

259
261
262
263
264
265
266
267

Page

251

9fl&TlUtir JD.S
80
78, 79
180, 188-191 .. 81
82
197-199
83
269-272

x v iii ;b(T<5 IH*

101
7, 8
84
21, 28
86
73-75
87
76, 77, 79
95, 105, 106 .. 88
120, 167
89
180, 188-190 .. 90
91
201
133
209-212
49
222-225
233, 237-241 . . 92
See
243-249
Appendix I
x ix iiDLjb

17, 23, 25, 27,

29, 30
..20
13
79, 83-89
.. 138
90-94
.. 139 x x i iSllMJ).rjB9
39-43
96-98
. . 140
61, 62
130-135,
63, 66, 67
137-142,
206-210,
212,
144-150, 152,
214, 217, 218
153
.. 141
155-160,
x x iii
ic&D
164-166 .. 143
3-5
167
.. 144
20
191, 192
.. 145
111-114
193, 194, 200 146
201
.. 147 XXV ITlUr
203
. . 78
13, 14, 16-18
228, 234-236
79
31, 34, 35,
38-41
262, 263
.. 227
45-50, 51-53 . .
281-285
. 147
58, 60
286, 328-331 148
60, 65-71
341, 342
.. 149
78-79
354, 360
.. 151

94
94
95
96
98
227
228
229
104
105
106
107
108
50

378

KAMBA

P a d a la m

S ta n z a

Page

xrvi
70-78
80-85
91
98, 99
146
155-160
164-170
177, 178

.. H i
.. I l l
.. 112
.. 113
.. 114
..115
.. 116
,. 117

XXV11
2-6
7-12

118
119

13, 15
16
30, 31, 33
46, 51
56
64
65
71

120
121
122

RAMAYANAM A
Padalam

S ta n za

Page

P adalam

S ta n za

Page

xxxvi (fnai$r*ir

xxviii iifyiraiasrftr
Gffir
7, io, i l
.. 253
16, 17, 19, 22,
26-32
.. 254
35-39
.. 255
47
.. 23
49, 53
.. 24

xxxi GqiGgDijJ)
28-32
46
48, 49

STUDY

.. 135
.. 229
.. 136

35, 50
..
80, 90, 92, 97
105, 106, 115 ..
135, 136, 152
175, 178
..
182
..
198, 199
..
201
..
216
..
239
..

271
273
274275*
276
173
277
273
65
243

X XXV if tif i

xxxiv (SairQimw
GjfcGpgl
20, 23
26

123
124
54 XXXV
2
55
17
134

filler

. . 268
269

129-131
214, 215
216, 229-234
236-238, 240
247, 251

269 X XX X
20
270

.,
..
..
..
..

65
306
307
308
309

.. 230*

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uwivpvd

v x is o x x a a N i

ERRATA

(L ines are counted excluding the heading on each page.)

Page
4
22
34
77

Line
25
1
31
25

F or
R achine
lost
said to the
delete the
w ords
stru ck dow n
by R am as
d a rt

27

85
91
92
116
152
212
216
343

28
42
F oot-note 2
30
18
F oot-note 1,
line 5
F oot-note 2
22
20

R akshasas
Seeking
see page 111
his
bear
am bassadors
36 m iles
3 furlongs
now
Or

R ead
Racine
lose
said to be th e

A d d struck
dow n by R am as
d a rt ajter
deer
R akshasa
Seeing
see page 80
this
bare
am bassadors
one yojana =
36 m iles 3
furlongs
not
On