kamba ramayanam

[Guest guest]

Srimathey Raamanujaaya Namaha:

 

It is an accepted fact that the kamba ramayanam is one

of the master pieces in tamil literature. however, in

our sampradayam, in the pravachanams and kalakshepams,

i find that it is generally ignored. the same applies

to certain other works like villiputturar's bharatham.

i have always wondered why.

 

i would like to be enlightened on this.

 

 

adiyen

s.v.r.gopalan

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Srimathe Srivan Shatagopa sri vedanta desika yatindra

mahadesikaya namah:

 

Swamin,

Dasan is very limited in the knowldege of all the

granthas but adiyen does not see this to be the case

as, if you look at Sri Bhasyam , Udayavar would not

have picked up the first slokam of kamba ramayanam as

the opening slokam("Akhile Bhuvanastheme

Bringadhilelay......") of his magnum opus. I have

heard from learned bhagavatas that Udayavar used the

first slokam of kamba ramayanam to show his respect

to Kamabanat Alwar and also Kamba ramayanam.

 

Moreover i personally think that during upanyasams ,

people generally speak about Valmiki ramayanam as that

is the only ramayanam that Ramachandra Prabhu heard it

directly . Thats y i think valmikis work has a great

regard. It does not mean that upanyasakars do not have

a regard for other ramayanams.

 

Please correct me if adiyen is worong.

 

Dasan Anand

 

Sri lakshmi narasimha divya paduka sevaka srivan

shatagopa sri narayana yatindra mahadesikaya namah:

 

 

--- raja gopal <svrgopalan wrote:

> Srimathey Raamanujaaya Namaha:

>

> It is an accepted fact that the kamba ramayanam is

> one

> of the master pieces in tamil literature. however,

> in

> our sampradayam, in the pravachanams and

> kalakshepams,

> i find that it is generally ignored. the same

> applies

> to certain other works like villiputturar's

> bharatham.

> i have always wondered why.

>

> i would like to be enlightened on this.

>

>

> adiyen

> s.v.r.gopalan

[Guest guest]

The poetry of Kamban needs special mention. He has taken the blueprint from

Valmiki and built a structure of his own without altering the main elements in

any way. He shifts the emphasis, he plays around with characters, shapes and

reshapes them adding to the beauty of the original in many ways. If not

anything else, his poetry has attracted scholars of other religions - Muslims in

particular - to the Ramayana for a very long time. Apart from Justice MM

Ismail, there is a reference in the autobiography of U Ve Sa, the saviour of

Classic Tamil literature, which states that he had met several Muslims who had

mastered Kamba Ramayanam.

 

There are several important changes that he has made to the original, one of

which is the way the ally with Sugriva is treated. Kamban depicts very

suggestively but without giving room for any doubt, that what was granted to

Sugriva was saranagathi. And from this perspective he builds the story

beautifully that amply justifies Vali vadham. Another interesting

characterisation is that of Kumbakarna, who takes an altogether different shape

in the hands of Kamban.

 

There were three versions of Ramayana, Kamban says. Valmiki, Vasistha and

Bodhayana. Kamban has followed the version of Valmiki. I am reminded of a

beautiful line by Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai that says 'ayan padaipaith

thiruththi oru azhagu seydhaan.' Valmiki's version was the creation of the very

Brahma. Yet Kamban could add more beauty to it. The task was something like

beautifying a thousand petalled lotus. Who could add an iota of beauty to it

excepting a master, a giant of a scholar and a poet like Kamban!

 

Just for information. Apart from Kamba Ramayana, there are a few other versions

in Tamil. I would mention just two of them. One is Thakkai Ramayanam, written

by Emperumaan Kaviraayar of Kongu Naadu, in the 17th century. Thakkai is a

percussion instrument - resembling 'udukkai', bigger in size. The verses are

set to the rhythm of 'thakkai.' There was a tradition of narrating Thakkai

Ramayana in Kalakshepa style. Emperumaan Kavirayar very carefully trods the

path of Kamban only, and has given Kamba Ramayana in 3250 verses, one third of

the size of what Kamban did.

 

The second one that I wish to mention is of more recent origin. It is known as

Madhurakavi Ramayana Venba written by a lesser known - but a marvellous - poet

Sriman Madhurakavi Srinivasa Iyengar (1864-1937) of Hanumantapatti, Madurai. He

has authored several other works - Madhurakavi Thiruppugazh, Madhurakavi Kodhai

Venba (on the life of Andal), Madhurakavi Thirumalai Thirupirabandhangal etc.

 

And of course, there is the Rama Nataka Keerthanai by Arunachala Kavirayar,

among others. Rama Kadhai in Tamil is as old as the language. References to

Ramayana are seen in Sangam classics like Pura Nanuru.

 

Sadly, the Kalakshepa tradition is slowly dying. Something must be done to take

this to our next generation. Kamban has left a rich treasure house for us. I

do not think that Kamba Ramayana is neglected and given a back seat. Kindly

enlighten me if I am wrong.

 

Sincerely,

Hari Krishnan

 

-

"raja gopal" <svrgopalan

<bhakti-list>

Friday, October 11, 2002 10:57 PM

kamba ramayanam

 

 

| Srimathey Raamanujaaya Namaha:

|

| It is an accepted fact that the kamba ramayanam is one

| of the master pieces in tamil literature. however, in

| our sampradayam, in the pravachanams and kalakshepams,

| i find that it is generally ignored. the same applies

| to certain other works like villiputturar's bharatham.

| i have always wondered why.

|

| i would like to be enlightened on this.

|

|

| adiyen

| s.v.r.gopalan

|

[Guest guest]

Dear Gopalan,

 

You are correct that Kamban's Ramayanam is generally ignored.

I think that this is most probably because the

the average upanyasaka has not studied it in

depth enough to use verses from it extempore.

However, acharyas well-acquainted with the text

have not refused to cite Kamban, and cite him

often. I mention in this connection Sri Tirukkudandai

Andavan, popularly known as Kannan Swami, who

regaled audiences with his vast grasp of Srimad

Valmiki Ramayana, Kamba Ramayanam, and Divya Prabandham.

In the Ramayana lecture series that I heard, in several

instances he cited a single sloka of Valmiki's and

then poured forth Kamban's Tamil verses, demonstrating

that Kamban has often elaborated a great deal on Valmiki's

original words.

 

Kannan Swami would oft mention a verse of Kamban's which

occurs in the preface to his narration, wherein Kamban

describes how he has drunk deep of the "honey-like words

of that great poet" Valmiki. It is also generally

understood that Kamban was a devoted student of the

Alvars' paasurams. Several 'saaRRu paadals' (concluding

songs) appended onto some of the iyaRpa collection

are attributed to Kamban, at least in the editions that

I have seen.

 

Kamban is said to have been a contemporary of Parasara

Bhattar and attended the latter's discourses in Srirangam.

I am told that Periyavaaccaan Pillai (or is it in the Eedu?)

has cited a few lines of Kamban in the 24000 commentary on

Tiruvaymoli.

 

adiyen ramanuja dasan

Mani

 

--- raja gopal <svrgopalan> wrote:

> > Srimathey Raamanujaaya Namaha:

> >

> > It is an accepted fact that the kamba ramayanam is

> > one

> > of the master pieces in tamil literature. however,

> > in

> > our sampradayam, in the pravachanams and

> > kalakshepams,

> > i find that it is generally ignored. the same

> > applies

> > to certain other works like villiputturar's

> > bharatham.

> > i have always wondered why.