Kamban

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!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

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" Rama walked majestically towards Siva's bow, putting even the lion, the bull,

the golden Meru, and the elephant to shame. With ease and elegance, Rama took

the bow which lay on the ground like a big golden mountain... They just saw Rama

talking the bow in his hand and instantly heard the sound of the breaking bow! "

- Kamban

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Kavi Kamban was born in the 9th Century in Therazhundur, a village in the

culturally rich Tanjavur district in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South

India. The poet belongs to a family who had Lord Narasimha (another avatar of

Lord Mahavishnu, Who emerged from Kamba (pillar) to save the child devotee

Prahlada) as their family deity. His devoted parents named his as Kamban.

Kamban was a great scholar of India's two ancient and rich languages, Sanskrit

(Indo-European) and Tamil (Dravidian). The " Ramavataram " of Kamban is an epic of

10,000 odd verses, of 4-lines each. Kamba Ramayana is not a translation of the

Sanskrit epic by Adikavi Valmiki, but an original retelling of the story of Sri

Rama, as the incarnation of Lord Tirumal (Mahavishnu). The lyrical beauty,

brilliant use of rhyme, simile and the astonishing variety of his poetry yet

still conforming to the strict classification of verses in classical poems in

Tamil language earned him the title, Kavicakravarti (Emperor among poets). He is

also known as " Kamba Nattalvar " , as he revived the greatness of Tamil language

through his work during the medieval period.

Differences from Valmiki's composition:

Kamban portrays the happy reunion of Guha and Sri Rama in Bharadwaja Ashrama.

This is another scene, which we are not able to see in Valmiki. Valmiki moves

the story quickly after he sends word through Hanuman to Guha and Bharata and

what we see next is the dialogue between Hanuman and Guha then followed by

Hanuman and Bharata. Rama arrives in Nandigrama after that.

 

The story takes a different shape in Kamban, with Bharata having pronounced a

vow to fall into fire and to give up his life, if Rama doesn't turn up on the

appointed day at the end of the fourteenth year. The Poet therefore has to hurry

the message to Bharata first rather than Guha. He shows Guha getting the news of

Rama's arrival at the Ashrama. After all, it was such a large army of monkeys

and also ogres, along with Vibishana that have accompanied Rama and a hunter

cannot miss such intense and sudden activity!

 

Guha is not able to control his tears on seeing Rama. After all, he is seeing

his Lord after fourteen long years. He feels so bad about his not being able

accompany Sri Rama in his exile. 'aayana piravum panni azhunguvaan thannai,'

Rama looked lovingly at Guha who was in tears and was so bitter about in being

unfortunate not to go with him. 'ayya, nee ivai uraippadhu ennE! Bharadhanin nee

veru undo!' 'Why are you talking like this my dear man! Are you in any way

different to me from Bharata?

 

Consoling him, Rama turns to Sugriva and others and tells them, 'muzhu neerk

gangai thazhvu iru karaikkum thalaivan.' He is the king of the land that

surrounds both the banks of Ganga. 'thaayinum uyirukku nallan.' His love betters

even the love of a mother. 'vazhuvu ilaa eyinar vEndhan guhan enum vaLLal

endraan.' He is Guha the faultless and is the chief of hunters.

 

Kamban shows the beautiful friendship that blossoms between Sugriva, Vibishana

and others, and Guha. The eye of the Poet that does not miss even the tiniest of

details is seen in the 'vidai koduththa padalam' (Canto of Sending Off) in Kamba

Ramayana. We are not able to see the name of Guha in the list of friends that

attended the coronation of Rama, in Valmiki Ramayana. Kamban so painstakingly

sees this and adds a verse, when Rama sends off all his friends back to their

lands, calling one by one, speaking to them, showing his happiness,

thankfulness, and joy, and presenting them with gifts.

 

'srngaberam endru Odhum sezhu nagarukku irayai nOkki,' Rama called Guha to his

side (after his coronation when all were parting) 'marungu ini uraippadhu ennO

maRu aRu thuNaivarkku endraan.' You are so pure and are my companion forever.

What more is there for me to add? He sends Guha back with precious gifts.

 

It is thus this simpleton starts as a very small character, though playing not a

very big part in the story, has his own place and shines in his own innocent

nature, growing to astronomic heights from a very small beginning. That is a

story of the devotee and would remain evergreen in all the hearts of all

devotees.

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama