Fw: bow's story - post 12

[Guest guest]

Forwarding this mail to the group. By mistake it went to Shri Vasudevan. My

apologies.

 

anbudan,

Hari Krishnan

-

Hari Krishnan

vasudevan m.g.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 9:08 AM

Re: bow's story - post 12

 

 

 

Quite a wonderful effort indeed! May I add my two cents? The question of the

bow has always hovered about in my mind for a long time and I have gone through

considerable portions of Tamil literature. I had written on this question in

some Tamil e-groups about two years back. Let me just give the gist of what I

had written in various fora earlier.

 

- The name Kothanda is not used by Kamban, or any of the Azwars for that matter.

(See 'mANikkak kiNkiNi' - verse No.7 of Periyazhwar Thirumozhi. 'paranthittu

nindra padu kadal thannai.' He speaks of Rama Avatar. And says, 'sArnga vir

kaiyanE sappANi.' If Kothanda was the name of Rama's bow, he should have -

logically speaking used the name Kothanda, instead of Sarnga.

 

- The name does not - to the best of my knowledge - occur in Valmiki Ramayana

either.

 

- The bow given by Sage Agasthya was not used by Rama. This was used by

Lakshmana, in the killing of Indrajit. This is mentioned by Kamban. And here

are the Romanised version of the verses.

 

enpana muthal upAyam yAvaiyum iyampi, ERRa

munpanai n-Okki, 'aiya! mUvakai ulakum thAn Ay,

than perun- thanmai thAnum aRikilA oruvan thAngkum

van perunj silai Ithu Akum; vAngkuthi; valamum koLvAy!

 

'is silai iyaRkai mEln-AL, **thamiz muni** iyampiRRu ellAm

assenak kEddAy anRE? Ayiram mauli aNNal

meys silai; virinjsan mUddum vELviyin vEddup peRRa

kais silai kOdi' enRu koduththanan, kavasaththOdum.

 

ANi, iv ulakukku, Ana AziyAn puRaththin Arththa

thUNiyum koduththu, maRRum uRuthikaL palavum solli,

thANuvin thORRaththAnaith thazuvinan; thazuvalOdum,

sEN uyar visumpil thEvar, 'thIrn-thathu em siRumai' enRAr.

 

Rama hands over this bow to Lakshmana when he starts for the destruction of

Nikumbila. The second verse very clearly mentions that the bow was given by

Sage Agastya. Rama started using the bow given by Parasurama during the battle

with Kara (Kara-Dhooshana). The bow that he was using until then breaks during

the battle, Varuna appears and hands over the bow given by Parasurama. This is

mentioned in Kamban.

 

- The word 'kOthandam' is another name for bow. The Madras University Tamil

Lexicon, while citing examples of usage of the word, has quoted from 'Thiruporur

Sannadhi Murai' - a work on Lord Muruga - obviously because no examples of usage

could be found from Kamban or Azwars. (However, this is not to deny that the

Lexicon has included the definition 'Rama's bow' too.)

 

- I would be much obliged if anybody can cite examples from Azwars on the usage

of the word kothandam. I can say with certainty that it is NOT mentioned

anywhere by Kamban. And I have not come across this usage in Valmiki either.

 

- Another question - may be a shock - to the group. Can anyone please cite the

sloka from Valmiki or verse in Kamban or any of the Azwars, which contains the

name. 'Ramachandra'? I am unable to find this name either anywhere! From

whence Rama came to be known as Ramachandra may be another point for a good

debate!

 

Anbudan,

Hari Krishnan

-

vasudevan m.g.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004 9:49 AM

bow's story - post 12

 

 

 

 

Post 12

 

 

Now the question of which is `kOthandam' – which vishNu dhanu:? Is a

big point for debate. For sage vaalmeeki is not mentioning this name

whenever raama is using his bow. He merely says dhanu:. So what is

kOthandam and where from this name came is a point. I invite learned

in the group to offer points on this.

 

Dhaasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.