Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-yuddhakanda

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6. Rama accepts Vibheeshana

and the plan to cross the ocean

 

Valmiki simply mentions that Vibheeshana came and

fell at the feet of Rama and Rama then started to ask him about the army and

strength of Ravana. It was left to Kamban to complete the picture of the

ecstasy of Vibheeshana as a devotee to be accepted by Rama, whom he knew to be

the saviour of mankind.

 

Vibheeshan was informed about the decision of

Rama and he was overjoyed and could not

believe his good fortune. He said,

 

panju ena sivakkum menkaal dheviyaippirittha paavi

vanjanukku iLaiya ennai , "varuga" ena aruL

seidhaanO?

thanju enakkarudhinaanO ? thaazh sadaikkadavuL unda

nanju enacchirandhEn anRO, naayagan aruLin naayEn?

 

 

"I am the younger brother of the sinner who

separated Seetha from Rama, still did he

shower his grace on me saying you are welcome! Did he decide to give refuge to

me! I have been fortunate iike the

poison swallowed by Siva by the grace of the Lord, even though I am as low as a

dog. "

 

The beauty of the Tamil of Kamban could not be

reproduced by translation but one could only try to give an idea which would

create a desire to read the original.

 

Further Kamban compares Sugriva and Vibheeshana who

proceeded towards Rama to the mount

Meru and black mountain

or mountain covered with black clouds. mai thavazh giriyum mErukkunRamum varuvadhu

enna. When Vibheeshana saw Rama it was another beautiful portrait by

Kamban. The verses describing Rama as seen by Vibheeshana are all gems and we

shall see one of them as a specimen.

 

markkadam soozhndha vaippin iLaiyavan marungu kappa

neeRkadal udutthapaarin naayagan pudhalvan, naamap

paarkadal sutra , viRkai vadavarai paanguniRpa,

kaarkkadal kamalam pootthadhu

enappolivaanaikkandaan

 

Surrounded by monkeys, with his younger brother

Lakshmana as his guard, Rama, the son of Dasaratha ( the master of the earth

wearing the garment of the sea) he saw Rama like the dark sea with blooming

lotuses surrounded by the milky ocean, represented by the monkeys, with the

mandhara mountain in the form of Lakshmana with his bow in hand.

 

Vibheeshana further describes Rama as the dark

pupil of the eye of Seetha, seeing the white sand with dark hued Rama at the center.

 

Seeing Rama Vibheeshana experienced horipilation of

a devotee seeing the Lord face to face, he says chengaN anjana malai,

Rama was a dark mountaion with red eyes, or perhaps a dark cloud with lotuses,kaar

mugil kamalam pootthadhu, or else it was really the darkness indicating his mercy and dharma like the rain bearing

cloud. .

Then

Vibheeshana thought that the clan of Rakshasas were indeed fortunate as they

would go to moksha when killed by him,

who is the remedy of the disease of samsara, and who is sought by the great

sages through penance.

 

Vibheeshana fell at the feet of Rama who raised him

up and offered him a seat. Not only that but Rama also gave him the kingdom of Lanka

then and there saying, thaazhkadal ilangaicchelvam ninnadhE

thandhEn enRaan, "The kingdom

of Lanka surrounded by

the sea is given to you by me." Then Rama asked Lakshmana to perform the coronation

then and there. In Valmiki also we have this incident when Rama asks Lakshmana

to bring seawater and perform the

coronation. The reply of Vibheeshana and the response from Rama in Kamban is a

classic by itself.

 

aLavu aRu perum selvam aLitthanai aayin aiyaa

kaLavuiyal arakkan pinnE thonRiya kadamai theera

ilaiyavar kavittha moli ennaiyum kavitthi enRaan

 

It is impossible to read or write these lines

without tears. Vibheeshana said that Rama had given him immeasurable wealth

meaning not only the kingsdom of Lanka but also the grace of Rama, and asks him to bless him with the crown which

he put on the head of his younger brother , meaning Bharatha, that is, the

padhuka of Rama, to absolve him of the sin of being born after the deceitful Ravana.

 

The answer of Rama to this was,

 

guhanodum aivar aanOm munbu; pin, kunRu soozhvaan

maganodum aRuvar aanOm; emmuzhai anbin vandha

agan amar kaadhal aiya! Ninnodum ezhuvar aanOm;

pugal arum kaanam thandhu pudhalvaraal polindhaan

undhai

 

The meaning of this verse is as follows:

" We became five (brothers)with Guha earlier and

then with Sugriva we became six. Now due to your sincere love to me we have

become seven with you. By sending us to the impenetrable forest Your father(meaning Dasaratha whom Rama refers

as the father of Vibheeshana to show the height of grace and love) is now

shines with many sons.

 

Vibheeshana ecstatic on being accepted as a brother

put the padhuka of Rama on his head and won the bhakthi samrajya. Then they

started discussing the possible steps to be taken to cross the ocean.

 

In the meanwhile according to Valmiki Ravana sends

a messenger Suka to Sugriva to tell him

that there was no enmity between them and what did it matter to Sugriva if the

wife of Rama was abducted by Ravana. Suka took the form of a parrot and flew to

the othet side of the ocean and tols Sugriva what Rvana said. The vanaras flew up and catured him and Sugriva told him

to convey the message to Ravana that Ravana

was never his friend and they have come only to destroy Ravana and his followers.

The monkeys started tormenting him and Suka

appealed to Rama who ordered his release.

 

Vibheeshan suggested that Rama could appeal to the

ocean to give way for them as the ocean is indebted to his fore fathers, the

sons of Sagara and would listen to the plea. Thereupon Rama sat on the dharbha

grass and chanted the varuna manthra invoking the seagod.