Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-yuddhakanda

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11. inRu pOy naaLai vaa

 

When Ravana lost his crown, chariot horses, weapons

etc. and stood alone in the battlefield,

Rama told him that one cannot win by adharma and Ravana had seen it himself. He

would not kill him though it could be done in a moment. Rama gave Ravana

another chancesaying that if he agrees rto return Seetha and make his brother

the king of Lanka and remain serving him he could survive or else his haed

would fall on the ground. Any way Rama said that since Ravana was fatigued and

weaponless he could return to Lanka and could come the next day.

 

Kamban here gives an implication to the kaaruNya of

Rama shown even to the one who did a great offense to him by separating him and

Seetha. It was left to Thyagaraja to elucidate it further. Kamban says,

 

-----------------------inRu pOi pOrkku

Naalai vaa ena nalginan--------------

---------------kosalanaadudai vaLLal

 

Rama, the generous benefactor who had the kingdom of Kosala at his disposal told Ravana to go

and return the next day.

 

Why should Kamban say `kOsala naadudai vaLLal?'

Thygaraja gives the answer in his krthi `sarasasamdhana'

in kaapinaarayani raga. He says

Hithavu matalenhobhaagabhalkithivi

Sathamuganayodhyaanicche

nantivi

 

"You said wellwishing words to Ravana and even

offered him the kingdom

of Ayodhya."

 

Rama offerd him kosala rajya because in case Ravana

turned a new leaf he could not give him the lankarajya which has been already

given to Vibheeshana!

 

This proves what the Lord was going to say in his

incarnation as Krishna, api cheth sudhi uraachaaro bhajathe maam ananyabhaak saaDhureva sa

manthavyaH, "even if one is extremely wicked if he resorts to Me he should

be considered as a good soul." That is the kaaruNya which made Rama say when

Vibheeshana came to him that he would give surrender to whoever that comes even

if it is Ravana himself.

 

Kamban describes Ravana who returned to Lanka thus.

 

vaaraNam porudha maarbum, varaiyinai eduttha

thOLum.

naaradha munivarkku ERpa nayampada uraittha naavum

naar aNi mavuli patthum, Sankaran koduttha vaaLum.

Veeramum kaLatthe pOttu,verumkaiyE meendupOnaan.

 

Ravana left all at the battle field, his chest

which facedthe tusks of Airavatha, his shoulders which raised the Kailasa

mountain, his eloquence that matched that of sage Narada, his ten crowns on his

ten heads, his sword given by Lord Siva and his valour, and went empty handed.

 

Ravana with his head down walked to his palace.

Kamban says he noticed no one but the earth goddess, meaning that he walked

with his eyes to the ground with bent head.

 

maadhiram evaiyum nOkkaan , vaLa nagar nOkkaan, vam

ndha kaadhalathammai nOkkaan, kadal perum senai nOkkaan,

thaadhu avizh koondhal maadhar thanithani nOkka,

thaan

bhoothalam ennum nangai thannaiyE nOkkippukkaan

 

He did not see the the city, the armylike a sea,

hisco lose relatives or the women who looked at him but he walked withhis eyes

only on the damsel called bhoodevi.

 

Kamban says Ravana was ashamed not because all in heaven and earth and his

enemies will laugh at him but because Seetha will ridicule him. jaanaki

naguvaL enRe naaNatthaal chaambuginRaan