Vali Vadham 19

[Guest guest]

Go through seven

 

Rama bent his bow and shot his arrow and we know that it bore through all the

seven trees. Sugriva asked him to shoot an arrow through a single sal tree.

Rama shot a single arrow that went through all the seven trees and it returned

to the arrow case by itself.

 

Kamban adds his own touch of humour. 'Go through all the seven,' ordered Rama

when shooting the arrow. It went through all the seven trees, and the seven

under worlds also. That caused fear in the minds of all groups of seven - the

seven seas, seven hills, seven sages (Rishis), seven maidens, etc. They were

afraid that since seven was the target for the arrow, it might wipe them off

too!

 

For the first time, we see happiness in the face of Sugriva. When Kamban chose

to reverse the order of events - that is, the tests that Sugriva held - and

started with Sugriva's request to shoot through the tree, the need for the other

test - kicking of the mortal remains of Dundhubhi - does not arise. But the

Poet decides to portray that event as well. He does so in a different way.

Kamban shows the team seeing the massive skeleton of Dundhubhi lying in their

way, while they come back after the sal tree event. Rama enquires about the

heap of bones that is lying there and Sugriva narrates the entire incident and

tells Sri Rama that this carcass of Dundhubhi was kicked by him to this

distance.

 

'kEtanan amalanum kiLandhavaaru elaam.' Rama heard the story as it happened.

'vall thozhil iLavalai, idhanai maindha nee Ottu ena,' He turned towards

Lakshmana and told him, 'kick this away, child.' 'avan kazhal viralin

undhinaan.' Lakshmana kicked it with his toe. 'adhu virinjan naadu utru

meendadhE.' That (skeleton of Dundhubhi) rose up into the sky and fell down.

 

Now, the very same incident is utilised to demonstrate the prowess of Lakshmana.

Any lesser poet would have either skipped it or overplayed it by making Rama

undergo this test. Architectonics of Kamban. He has reconstructed the entire

structure, without in any way altering the essential elements, without

compromising on characterisation, without going astray from the main story and

without in any way affecting the beauty of the original. In fact, he has added

to its beauty.

 

Now that Sugriva regaining his composure, he remembers something very important

that did not occur to him at all. Sita, when she was carried away by Ravana

spotted these monkeys moving down on the ground, from the Pushpaka vimana,

wrapped her jewels in a piece of cloth and dropped the bundle to fall close to

them. Sugriva orders that bundle to be fetched from their hideout.

 

Once again, the order of this event is repositioned. This happens right in the

first scene in Valmiki Ramayana, immediately after solemnisation of friendship

between Sri Rama and Sugriva before fire. That is, the bundle of ornaments was

presented before Rama was put to test. Kamban has, on purpose reordered the

events and makes his Sugriva show the ornaments, *after* Rama went through the

test.

 

There must be some purpose behind this. Let's discuss this in our next

instalment.