Kamba Ramayana

“Perhaps the supreme achievement of Tamil letters and certainly one of the great works of the World’s religious literature is Kamba Ramayana. No creation of Tamil Poets has ever been so passionately loved as Kamban’s Ramayana”, said David Shulman.

The story of Rama was sung by Aadi Kavi Valmiki. The story attracted the attention of many great poets and has been sung in many languages in India along with Valmiki Ramayana, the Ramayana of Tulsidas (Ramacharithamanas) the Ramayana, the Ramayana of Tulsidas (Ramachrithamanas) the Ramayana of Ezhutachan and the Ramayana of Kamban stand the foremost.

Tamils consider Kamban as the Emperor among Tamil poets. The story of Kamba Ramayana is Valmiki’s; the characters are from Valmiki but the manner is Kamban’s. Valmiki treats Rama as a human being but Superman-Purushottam. In Valmiki’s Rama himself says “I consider myself to be a human being”. For Valmiki, Rama lived the life of a Dharmatma-Dharma personified.

According to “Thirukkural”, in the world, a man who lives the ideal way will be placed amongst the Gods. Kamban’s Rama is an Avatar - God visible. He never forgets the Godly qualities of Rama. Those who meet Rama also recognise him as an incarnation of Vishnu. Kamban uses divine epithets for Rama. Sri V.V.S. Iyer will made a deep study of Kamban, makes the following statement:

“Kamban while following Valmiki, with singular skill & sense of duty uses Valmiki’s key ideas, key matters and key similies and adorns them to his own form and epic’.

Kamban’s is a literary epic like Virgil’s, whereas Valmiki’s epic is a narrative like Homer’s. Valmiki has written Ramayana in 24000 couplets and Kamban in 10,000 verses of 4 lines each. The most important aspects in Kambaramayana are the poetry of Kamban and his art.

The majesty of Milton’s poetry is hailed as “The planetary wheeling of Milton’s music”. Kamban’s poetry is also majestic, “while Valmiki is completely an epic, Kamban is a lyric. Lyric is a string of cut gems with glittering facet” sparkling at each turn. The lyric sparkle goes well with Kamban’s constant reminder of Rama as God said Rajaji.

The great classics, even in the very first line; indicate the substance of the total work. In Homer it is the wrath of Achilles. In Virgil it is “The Arms and the Man’. In Kamban, it is the ‘Ocean of Milk’. The “Ocean of Milk” immediately brings to the mind of the Hindu, the image of Mahavishnu and Kamban’s story is Mahavishnu coming down to the earth as a man and suffering the travails of the world.

In Valmiki; the marriage of Rama and Seetha is an arranged one. In Kamban it is “love at first sight” and then marriage. Kamban is all adept in dramatic art. Some of the scenes which aloe dramatically presented are:­

Balcony Scene

At the balcony in her palace in Mithila Seetha strolls. Rama and Lakshmana follow Viswamitra passing that way. Rama gazed at Seetha and Seetha gazed at Rama. Their eyes were inter-locked, each pair swallowing the other and their emotions became one. Here is ‘love at first sight’.

Swayamvara Scene

Rama walks dramatically to Siva’s blow. The assembled people just saw Rama taking the bow in his hand and instantly heard the sound of the breaking of the bow.

Coronation

Manthara learns of the coronation of Rama, she persuades Kaikeye whose love of Rama is boundless, to request Dasaratha for the two boons that he promised, by which Rama was to be banished to the forest and Bharata to be crowned. Kaikeye’s pure mind undergoes a change due to the penance of Devas.

Leave-taking Scene

‘Obedient tomy father and my mother, I will go to the forest and return. Do not grieve’ this is what Rama says. Seetha was not upset excepting for her husband saying that she need not grieve but stay . She is not worried about Rama going to the forest and losing the kingdom, but it is his remark ‘Stay ’ which makes her sob again and again.

Rama - ‘your feet cannot stand the stony forest path and the scorching sun.

Seetha - ‘Is the burning forest hotter than our separation’.

Rama - ‘By accompanying me, you will bring endless trouble’.

Seetha - ‘As though discarding me will give complete happiness and I am the only obstacle”.

Rama became silent.

Guhaq - the Hunter-King

Rama - “You are like my life. Lakshmana is your brother and Seetha isyour sister-in-law. Before seeing you we were 4 brothers and now we are five”.

Surpanha at Panchavati

Surpanaha appears before Rama, acquiring a very beautiful form. The translation of Kamban by Hart and Heifetz. (the forest look of the Ramayana of Kamban)

Beautiful as Sri on her flower flowing gold, like a streak of lightning
fallen, never to vanish, out of the sky, with her jewelled chariot
fresh as that of young girl and softly clothed
and her shining face, the swords of her eyes,
like a lovely myna bird,
she came as if a peacock were coming, with eyes like a deer,
of a sweet, abundant beauty, with a perfumed honey words
that would draw out desire for her who had taken a body just like the valli,
flowing vine of heaven, given its life by the tall and fragrant wish-granting Tree.
Rama asked Surpanaha - “what is it that you want? I will do it if I can”.

Surpanaha - “Save me from the hardship created by Manmatha. We should have Gantharva marriage”.

Now Surpanaha feels that for her marriage with Rama, Seetha is the obstacle. She wants to remove Seetha and when she attempts, Lakshmana cuts her nose, ears and nipples. Surpanaha goes to Lanka, falls at the feet to Ravana and narrates what had happened in Panchavati.

Ravana - “What is the crime that you committed to make Lakshmana cruel to you?

Surpanaha - “My crime is due to a beautiful woman. I attempted to bring beautiful Seetha to you. When I went near, I was mutilated by Lakshmana’s sword”.

On hearing about the beauty of Seetha, Ravana made up his mind to acquire her. He fell in love with her (not love at the first sight, but love at first hearing). He imprisoned Seetha in his mind. He sees the illusion of Seetha, persuades Mareecha to go to Panchavati and lure Seetha.

At Panchavati, when Rama and Lakshmana were away, Ravana appears as a Sanyasi and picks up Seetha along with her hut and the piece of earth below without bodily touching her. This portion is different in Valmiki. According to Kamban, Seetha is Goddess and Ravana cannot touch her.

Ravana takes her to Lanka and places her in the Ashoka Garden. Journey of Rama and Lakshmana in search of Seetha on the way they met Hanuman, about whom Rama remarks. ‘He is like poetry and the Vedas. This is evident from the way he speaks. He is not an ordinary brahmachari, but an avatar of Siva or Brahma.

Hanuman sees Seetha in Lanka and reports to Rama ‘At Lanka in the hut made by Lakshmana. I saw Seetha, the result of the penance of penance. I saw the harmonious dance of nobility of birth, patience and chastity. I gave your ring to her. I saw two things happen at the same time. When she pressed the ring to her bosom the ring melted due to the heat of separation but solidifying due to the cold caused by the joy of seeing the ring of Rama’.

Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva and the army of monkies reach Lanka by building a bridge across the sea. The great war between Rama and Ravana is waged. Rama kills Ravana and takes Seetha to Ayodhya where Rama is crowned.

Hanuman was bearing the throne
Angada stood with the Royal sword
Bharata held the white Royal umbrella
Lakshmana and Sathrugna waved the chowries
Seetha sat majestically at Rama’s side
Sadayappan’s ancestors gave the crown to Vasista. Vasista, crowned Rama.

After the coronation ceremony Rama bids farewell to all.

He ruled the kingdom assisted by his brothers. He protected the world and Dharma. Here ends Rama Avathar.