Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-yuddhakanda

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8. Ravana's ruse and discomfiture

 

Ravana tried a desperate last attempt to influence

Seetha into accepting him. He made a head of Rama and his bow out of maya with

the help of his assistant Vidhuthjihvaa and showed it to Seetha telling her

that Rama was killed by Prahastha. Seetha was disconsolate on seeing it and

entreated Ravana to kill her also so that she could be united with her husband.

At that moment a rakshasa came and called Ravana and told him that Prahastha

was waiting to see him on an urgent matter.

When Ravana went away the head of Rama and his bow disappeared. Then

Sarama , the daughter of Vibheeshana comforted Seetha saying that it was all

due to the maya of Ravana and Rama had arrived to Lanka with a huge army of vanaras and the end

of Ravana was nearing.

 

Rama climbed the hill called Suvela with Sugriva and other vanaras. From there

Sugriva saw Ravana sitting on the city tower and flew up in the sky descending

in front of Ravana and attacked him and threw down his crown. Ravana and

Sugriva fought for some time and then as Ravana was applying his magic powers,

Sugriva escaped and rose in the sky and

came back to Rama, who chided him for

his thoughtless action and said that a king could not afford to jeopardize his

life in such a manner and said that if anything had happened to Sugrivof a then

what use it would be to him to retrieve Seetha. Sugriva apologized and said

that on seeing Ravana, who had abducted Seetha face to face he felt furious and

could not control himself.

 

Rama then planned the next move and sent Angadha to

Ravana to give him a last chance to avert his death. He sent Angadha with a

message that Ravana had already become bhrshtaSreeka

and gathaiSvarya, lost his wealth

and kingdom, and let him show his valour

with which he abducted Seetha by enticing Rama away by deceit. Rama further

sent word that if Ravana did not return Seetha, Rama would annihilate all rakshasas in the world and

Vibheeshana the only rakshasa who followed dharma would rule the kingdom of Lanka.

 

Angadha flew

like fire to the palace

of Ravana and conveyed

the message of Rama to him. Ravana angered, ordered his capture but Angadha,

along with the four rakshasa who caught him , flew up in the sky and dashed

them down tearing the top of the tower and shouting his name and returned to

Rama.

 

In Kamban the episode of Sugriva and Angadha are

presented in a picturesque manner. Sugriva leaped towards Ravana like Hanuman

leapt on the Sun thinking it to be the red fruit.

 

Surudhi annavan "sivandha nal kani "enru solla ,

Parudhi mEl paaindhavan aam ena paaindhaan

 

When Rama was feeling anxious, Sugriva returned

with the crown of Ravana. Rama told him that if he was killed by Ravana, Rama

would have been as good as being defeated even if he won the war. "vellinum

thOttREn yaane." Rama chided him and said if he had not returned, of

what use Seetha or this world would

be to Rama. "nal nudhal seethaiyaal en

jnaalatthaal payan en nambee?"

 

The reply of Sugriva was an example of the depth of

sentiment portrayed through out in Kamban. He says,

 

Kaattile kazhugin vEndhan seidhana kaatamaattEn;

naattilE guhanaar seidha nanmaiyai nayakkamaattEn;

kEttilEn inRu kaNdum, kiLi mozhi maadharaaLai

meettilEn;thalaigaL patthum koNarndhilEn, verum kai

vandhEn

 

It means that Sugrive did not do what Jatayu did in

the forest nor what Guha did in his land. He had not yet retrieved Seetha nor

did he bring the ten heads of Ravana but came empty handed. Thus he regretted

that he could not do what he wanted to do namely to kill Ravana and bring

Seetha to Rama. Vibheeshan praised him saying that he had took the crown of

Ravana and brought it with him which was a great valour and the first defeat to

Ravana. Rama also praised him for that.

 

In Kambaramayana, when Angadha went to Ravana he

announced himself as the messenger of Rama by these words.

 

bhootha naayakan, neer soozhndha bhuvikku

naayakan,appoomEl

Seethai naayakan, vERuLLa dheiva naayakan,nee

seppum

Vedha naayakan, mEl ninRa vidhikku naayakan, thaan

vitta

thoodhan yaan: paNittha maattRam solliya vandhEn

 

 

" I am the messenger of that master who is the Lord

of the elements, of the universe and of Seetha, who is Lakshmi on lotus flower,

of all the devas, and the Lord of the Vedas which you chant and the Master of

your destiny. I came carrying his message."

 

Ravana ridiculed him saying that one who had come

depending on monkeys and who is after all a human being described as the Lord of devas and the

universe and asked him who he was.

 

Angadha replied that he was the son of Vali who

carried Ravana tied to his tail and roamed around the world. Then Ravana asked

him what did he gain by serving the one who killed his father and said that to

have Seetha as his wife and Angadha as his son would indeed be a blessing for

himself and tried to tempt him be saying that he would make him the king to

which Angadha despised his offer saying that a lion would not accept the gift

of a dog, naai tharkkoLLum seeyam nal arasu ena nakkaan. Then Angadha conveyed the message of Rama that

Ravana should either give up Seetha or give up his life in battle which showed

that Rama was yet merciful.

"dheviyai viduga! anREl, cherukkaLatthu edhirndhu,

than kaN

aaviyai viduga!" enRaan, aruL inam vidugilaadhaan.

 

Angadha also enumerated the incidents that proved

without a doubt that Ravana could not win. He reminded Ravana about the fate of

Surpanakha , khara nad others, and the burning and destruction of Lanka by Hanuman, his own cowardly act in

abducting Seetha in the absence of Rama and Lakshmana, the act of bridging the

sea by Rama and finally his crown being taken away by Sugriva. Rest is the same

as in Valmiki.