line of control - 5

[Guest guest]

Post 5

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Let me apologise for this delay in posting the next post on the

topic `line of control'. I was away for 10 days and had other

commitments. Hence I could not pay attention to drafting the topic on

hand.

 

We saw, as per vaalmeeki, NO `line of control - lakshmana rEkha' was

drawn by lakshmaNa in protection of seethaa. When he left seethaa

alone in the forest, having already said, `hey vana dhEvathaas,

please protect her, I am going to the place from where the sound of

haa lakshmana haa seethaa emanated, by this I am leaving her

protection-less, though my master and brother raamaa said be in

protection to her', [though in the first instance said `I will leave'

actually left after a while, after repeatedly chided by seetha of

malafide intentions, not only of his own, but also from bharatha the

other far away staying brother].

 

The previous post was concluded with `let us see what kamban has to

say on this line of control'. Now we will have a good look at

kamban's version of `lakshman rekha'.

 

On the appearance of the golden deer, maareecha, the deceit

personified, in front of seethaa, kamban describes the deer with the

following verse -

than maanam ilaadha thayangu oLi saal

min vaanamum maNNum viLanguvadhu Or

pon maan uruvam kodu pOyinanaal

nan maan anaiyaaL thanai naaduRuvaan – 43 maareechan vadhaipadalam

 

Because it is deceit, full of bad intentions, the brightness of the

golden deer – min pon maan - minnum pon maan – means golden deer

shining or bright like a lightning - the deer also had a cover of

dark spot – like earth – a bright moon and side by side a big dark

earth when seen from the space. Or, is it a contrast which enhances

the beauty of that golden shine – deceit always has a illusory

brightness with inherent danger inbuilt. Since intentions are bad, it

is said simply `than maanam ilaadha thayangu oLi – no self respect –

so the brightness also has a limitation or thayangudhal – a sort of

shyness or false covering - inherent in it.

 

The renunciation, lakshmaNa, immediately could use his real wisdom or

nature, be able to discriminate, and could put across his mind even

before raama could react – as per kamban

kaayam kanagam, maNi kaal, sevi, vaal

paayum uruvOdu idhu paNbu alavaal

maayam enal anRi manak koLavE

Eyum iRai mei il enRa aLavE. -52 – maareechan vadhaip padalam

 

LakshmaNa says, to raama and seethaa, the body of this deer is gold,

legs are gemmed, ears and tail are also gemmed or gold, all with a

capacity to jump like a real animal – which is against such a deer's

nature. So it is nothing but a `false' or magic or illusion, in deer

form – means this deer is NOT a true animal.

 

When seethaa asks raama to catch it and then raama reacts - like

maayamEl madiyum anRE vaaLiyin madintha pOdhu

kaai sinaththavarai konRu udan kazhiththOmum aagum

thooyadhEl paRRik kOdum solliya iraNdin onRu

theeyadhE? uraiththi enRaan - dhEvarai idukkaN theerppaan

- 63 maareechan vadhaip padalam

 

raamaa says, `ok, lakshmaNa, if it is false, it will die on my arrow

striking it'. Raama adds, `if it is true animal, then let me catch

it'. The last three words of this verse of kamban are more

significant here – "dhEvarai idukkaN theerppaan" - enRaan

- who said that – raama, who has come to remove the ills of the

dhEvaas.

- `What has to come in future or has to happen in future' is

said in these words - the reasoning - this appearance of golden deer

is going to solve the ills of dhEvaas. So this has appeared and I am

going to catch it says raama. A classic foretelling.

 

So raama leaves commanding lakshmana to stay with seethaa. That is

stated in verse –

pOnavaL pulavi nOkki puravalan polankoL thaaraai

maan idhu naanE paRRi vallaiyin varuven nanRE

kaan iyal mayil annaaLaik kaaththanai iruththi ennaa

vEl nagu saramum villum vaanginan viraiyaluRRaan

- 68 maareechan vadhaip padalam

 

raama received the bow, and arrows [which make the vEl – the striking

rod - trisoolam -to run away] and sped behind the deer – telling

lakshmaNa – `kaan iyal mayil annaaLaik kaaththanai iruththi – be here

in protection to that forest peacock like seethaa'.

 

Again here this `kaan iyal mayil annaaL' is a special description

worth attention. In the forest the peacock is a free bird flying here

and there, as it likes, eats, dances when sees the cloud etc. seethaa

also enjoyed the 13 years of forest life like a free peacock bird,

with that cloud coloured lord raama, always by the side, when cloud

is nearby peacock always enjoys and dances freely, seethaa was also

enjoying the life freely with raama and lakshmaNa. A very apt

description of seethaa which also in a way indicate that happy ays

are slowly tending to end.

 

Suddenly seethaa hears the words of deceit, maareecha, calling haa

lakshmaNa haa seethaa. See how seethaa reacts –

kuRRam veezhntha guNaththin em kOmagan

maRRu av vaaL arakkan puri maayaiyaal

iRRu veezhnthanan ennavum en ayal

niRRiyO iLaiOy oru nee enRaaL

- 4 raavaNan soozhchip padalam

 

hey lakshmaNa when that blemishless raama, my prince, has fallen at

the magic spell of that arakkan who came in disguise of the deer has

beenkilled – still you are standing here please rush. The devotion

seethaa is slowly loosing her grips of good senses.

 

Then lakshmaNa says hey – who in this world can really equal my raama

in power and valour. You are talking with women's mind and point of

view. Just recall vaalmeeki here – his slOkam reads which gets

translated into tamil -

 

avadhya: samarE raamO na Evam thvam vakthum arhasi || 3-45-13

na thvaam asmin vanE haathum uthsahE raaghavam vinaa |

meaning already given in post 2

 

Also about that predominant `feminality' in seethaa's talking which

vaalmeeki puts in the following slokam – simply kamban puts it across

as `peNmaiyaal urai seya' – so not much weightage to be given is

understood fromlakshman's words. That slokam is here -

vaakyam aprathiroopam thu na chithram sthreeshu maithilee |

svabhaava: thu Esha naareeNaam Eshu lOkEshu dhrisyathE || 3-45-29

 

Since length of the post increases, let us see in next post, kamban's

version of how seethaa reacts further before lakshmana really leaves

her.

 

Dhaasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.