Topic started by Swaminathan (@ cache1.bnl.gov) on Wed Apr 3 08:41:18 .
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This is an effort to learn kamba ramayanam in an interactive manner, posting and discussing verses each day. Kamba Ramayanam is an epic in Tamil by Kambar, with more than 10,500 verses. The intricacies, poetic nuances, similes, metaphors, characterizations, descriptions and reading a vast epic in poem format makes this a unique work. The initiative is run through volunteers only. If you want to type up verses and take part in discussions, please go ahead, in this thread. Please contact Balaji Srinivasan (bb) for further details. The master page for this project is here: http://www.dhool.com/balaji/kambar/ |
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- From: bb (@ c-24-6-216-148.client.comcast.net)
on: Tue Mar 23 04:37:45 EST 2004
«ôÀ¡! ¿¢¨È À¡¼ø¸¨Ç ¾¡ñÊ ÅóÐÅ¢ðË÷¸û §À¡ø þÕ츢ÈÐ. ´Õ Å¡Ã ¸¡ÄÁ¡¸ Ţ𼨾 ±øÄ¡õ ÀÊì¸ §ÅñÎõ.
†Ã¢, '¦ÁðʨÂò ¾Å¢Ã ±¨¾Ôõ À¡÷ò¾È¢§Âý' Å¢Çì¸õ Á¢¸ «Õ¨Á!
- From: Á½¢Âý (@ 202.138.120.38)
on: Tue Mar 23 06:26:44 EST 2004
À¡¼ø 4: "Å¼í¦¸¡û âñ Á¼Á¢§Ä -- ¾í¸ Á¡¨Ä¡¸¢Â «½¢¸Ä¨Éò ¾¡í¸¢Â Á¡÷À¸í¸¨Çì ¦¸¡ñ¼ þÇÁ¢§Ä! "
º£¨¾ ÁÃ×â «½¢óÐ «ý§È¡ ÅÉõ ÒÌó¾¡û? þáÁÛìÌ «§Â¡ò¾¢ ¯ÕŧÁ Áɾ¢ø ¿¢ýÈÐ §À¡Öõ.
¦ºø¸¢ýÈ §Å¸ò¨¾ô À¡÷ò¾¡ø, þáÁ¿ÅÁ¢ìÌ À¡Ð¸¡ Àð¼¡À¢§„¸Á¡ ?
- From: B.Balaji (@ ppp-219.65.116.41.chn.vsnl.net.in)
on: Tue Mar 23 10:38:16 EST 2004
//ÌÕÅ¢ó¾õ - ´Õ Ũ¸ Á¡½¢ì¸ì ¸ø. //
ÌÕÅ¢ó¾ Á½¢î§Ã½¢ ¸Éò§¸¡Ëà Áñʾ¡ - ÄÄ¢¾¡ º†ŠÃ¿¡Áõ
ÀòÁḠÁ½¢¸û Å⨺¡öô À¾¢ì¸ôÀðÎ ´Ç¢Å£Íõ «Æ¸¢Â ¸¢Ã£¼ò¨¾ «½¢ó¾Åû.
- From: †Ã¢ ¸¢Õ‰½ý (@ ppp-219.65.110.86.chn.vsnl.net.in)
on: Tue Mar 23 10:40:53 EST 2004
Á½¢Âý «Å÷¸§Ç,
¿£í¸û ¦º¡ýÉÐ:
==============
º£¨¾ ÁÃ×â «½¢óÐ «ý§È¡ ÅÉõ ÒÌó¾¡û? þáÁÛìÌ «§Â¡ò¾¢ ¯ÕŧÁ Áɾ¢ø ¿¢ýÈÐ §À¡Öõ.
==============
º£¨¾ ´Õ ¸ð¼ò¾¢ø ÁÃ×â «½¢ÅÐ ¯ñ¨Á¾¡ý. Å¡øÁ£¸¢ þáÁ¡Â½ò¾¢ø þРŢ⚸ô §ÀºôÀθ¢ÈÐ. ±ý ¸ðΨÃò ¦¾¡¼Ã¢ø þ¾¨É þùÅ¡Ú ÌÈ¢ôÀ¢ð§¼ý:
She then turned to Rama. ‘katham nu ciiram badhnanti munayo vana vaasinah?’ How do they wear it? How the ascetics who reside in the forests wear it?’ she asked him with eyes full of tears. Once again, it has to be seen that the tears are not because of her - the princess of Mithila and the daughter-in-law of Ayodhya - having to wear the garment made of grass. She did not hesitate to wear them. On the other hand she did not know how to do it and there were so many around that it is not easy for a woman to change her clothing.
Rama must have smiled at her plight. He quickly came to her rescue, took them from her hands and fastened them over her silken garments. “Quickly going near her, Sri Rama, the foremost of those up holding the cause of virtue, then personally fastened the bark over her silken garment.” (Ibid, Sloka 14)
A beautiful and moving portrayal. A timorous wife and a caring husband. Just half a line of a verse, speaking volumes of the love that prevailed between the two of them.
¬É¡ø º£¨¾ ÅÉõ ÒÌó¾ §À¡Ð ÁÃ×â «½¢óÐ ¦ºøÄÅ¢ø¨Ä. þó¾ì §¸ûÅ¢¨Â ´Õ Å¡º¸÷ ±ýÉ¢¼ò¾¢ø ±ØôÀ¢Â¢Õó¾¡÷. «ÅÕìÌ «Ç¢ò¾ Å¢¨¼¨Â «ôÀʧ þí§¸ ¾Õ¸¢§Èý:
The question of silk and gold
===============================
Before moving to the next scene in our examination of the epic pertaining to Sita, I consider it worthwhile going into a valid point raised by one of our readers, Sri Ramachandra Sharma Harihara (samyuktha77@hotmail.com). He has raised a very valid point in a private mail addressed to me on our last post. Here is his question, in brief. “Mother Sita threw her jewels to the monkey chiefs so that they might give Sri Rama some clue about the route in which she was taken away by Ravana. But, why should a person living in the jungle be wearing jewels and silk clothes? Sri Rama and Sita Devi along with Lakshmana came to the jungle to spend 14 years of their life wearing tree barks, eating roots and fruits. Given this, I am not clear why would She have her jewels with her?”
Readers might have noticed the reference to ‘silk ochre’ that she was wearing in several Slokas of Valmiki and might have been perplexed about it, especially in the light of our description of Sita trying out the hermit’s weeds and her inability to wear it, since she was not used to it. We also saw that Rama himself fastened the tree bark on her, personally. (See: How do they wear it?)
The people around them could not bear the sight and wailed. Vasistha was angered at Janaki having to wear the hermit’s weed and he prevented her from doing so, even as Rama fastened it on her. “(Even though) hearing such (loving) remonstrances of those women Sri Rama (son of Dasaratha) persisted in fastening the bark (over her silken garment) as aforesaid as desired by Sita, whose conduct came into line with his own. Stopping Sita when the bark was taken by her (from the hands of Kaikeyi), Sage Vasistha, the king’s preceptor for his part, spoke to Kaikeyi with tears (in his eyes).” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XXXVII, Sloka 20 and 21)
We have described the agony of Vasistha and the suggestions he put forth concerning Sita earlier. (See: Steadfast she remains) A considerable portion of his speech centres around Rama and would be taken up when we study Rama. At the end of his speech, he says that though Rama might choose to wear the hermit’s weeds, Sita should not be asked to do so. He chides Kaikeyi for having handed over the tree bark to Sita, in the first instance. He tells Kaikeyi at the end, “Therefore, laying aside the bark of trees, give your daughter-in-law excellent jewels, O queen! The bark of trees is not meant for her.” Saying so, Vasistha forbade her wearing it.” (Ibid, Sloka 34)
Vasistha insisted that Rama should be followed by a retinue of attendants and “let Sita, who deserves to be decorated daily, dwell in the forest with Rama (a scion of Raghu) richly adorned.” (Ibid, Sloka 35) Sita maintained her stance and did not move an inch away from it, says the poet. Rama refused to take the army with him even when Dasaratha endearingly suggested him to do so.
Dasaratha was also heartbroken at the sight and he chides Kaikeyi bitterly. “Sita (surely) does not deserve to depart in a robe made of Kusa grass, O Kaikeyi! My teacher truly says that delicate (of body) young and ever used to amenities of life as she is, she is not fit for residence in a forest. Has this innocent daughter of Janaka (a jewel among kings) really done any injury to anyone whomsoever that, having received a robe of bark she stands dumbfounded like an ordinary hermitess in the midst of men? Let Sita (the daughter of Janaka) shed her robes of bark. No such pledge (that she would accompany her husband in robes of bark) was given by me in the past. Let the princess (therefore) proceed at pleasure to the forest fully equipped (with clothes and ornaments) and provided with all valuable possessions.” (Ibid, Canto XXXVIII, Sloka 3 - 6)
Rama did not accept valuables for his use. He and Lakshmana took the weapons, and the pieces of armour and spade and the basket. We will go into that when we study Rama. But he did not say ‘no’ to Dasaratha’s desire to let Sita remain in her ornaments and silken cloths. The ‘hinder part of the chariot’ that took them to their sojourn in the jungle was ‘carefully loaded and arranged with a supply of silk and ornaments to last fourteen years,’ says the Poet.
In addition to all this, Anasuya, the wife of sage Atri had bestowed her with excellent ornaments, at the commencement of their exile.
She was not precluded from wearing ornaments and silk. She wore them as desired by her father-in-law, and more especially so because her husband was not against it.
ž¢ø þ¨ÇÂÅÙõ, «ÆÌ ¿¢ÃõÀ¢ÂÅÙõ, «ÃºÌÁ¡Ã¢Ôõ ÍÁí¸Ä¢ÔÁ¡É º£¨¾, ¬ÀÃ½í¸¨Çò ÐÈôÀÐõ, ÁÃ×â «½¢ÅÐõ «í§¸ ÜÊ¢Õó¾ «¨ÉÅâý ¸ñ¸Ç¢Öõ ¿£¨Ã ÅÃŨÆò¾Ð. ź¢ð¼ ÓÉ¢Åý þ¨¾ô ¦ÀâÐõ ±¾¢÷츢ȡý. º£¨¾ìÌ ÁÃ×â¨Â «½¢Âò ¾ó¾ ¨¸§¸Â¢¨Âì ¸ÊóЦ¸¡û¸¢È¡ý. ¾ºÃ¾ý, 'þó¾ì §¸¡Äò¾¢ø ¿£ ÅÉõ Ò¸ì ܼ¡Ð. º÷Å¡Äí¸¡Ã â„¢¨¾Â¡¸ò¾¡ý ¦ºøÄ §ÅñÎõ' ±ýÚ §¸ðÎì ¦¸¡û¸¢È¡ý. À¾¢É¡ýÌ ÅÕ¼í¸ÙìÌò §¾¨ÅÂ¡É ¬¨¼ ¬Àýí¸û §¾Ã¢ý À¢ýÒÈò¾¢ø ²üÈôÀÎŨ¾ Å¡øÁ£¸¢ Å¢Åâ츢ȡ÷.
¸õÀý þÅü¨È¦ÂøÄ¡õ ¿¡õ ¯öòнà ŢðÎÅ¢ð¼¡ý. [¬Á¡õ. þôÀÊ Å¢ðÎÅ¢ðÎô §À¡Ìõ§À¡§¾ À¢À¢ìÌô ¦À¡Ú¨Á ±ø¨Ä ¸¼óÐ §À¡¸¢ÈÐ! '¸¡ðÎìÌô §À¡É¡ø §À¡Ðõ!' ±ýÚ «ÖòÐì ¦¸¡û¸¢È¡÷. þÅü¨È §ÅÚ ¦º¡øĢ¢Õó¾¡ø, ¿£Çò¨¾ì ÌÈ¢òÐ ±ýÉ ¦º¡øÖÅ¡§Ã¡ ±ýÚ «ïº¢¾¡ý «ýÚ - ¾£÷츾âºÉòмý - ¸õÀý þÅü¨È Å¢ðÎÅ¢ð¼¡ý §À¡Ä¢Õ츢ÈÐ. :)) ]
- From: B.Balaji (@ ppp-219.65.98.128.chn.vsnl.net.in)
on: Tue Mar 23 11:32:21 EST 2004
16
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