valmikiramayana-12. Rama breaks the bow

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12.Rama breaks the bow

 

Janaka and others, besides Rama and Lakshmana heard the story of Visvamithra and Janaka praised him.The next day Visvamithra informed Janaka that the princes wished to see the bow of Siva , which Janaka had and fixed as the veeryasulka for the marriage of his daughter Sita. Janaka informed Visvamithra that the bow was given to Devaratha , his forefather by the devas. It belonged to Siva who strung it to attack the devas who supported Daksha when he insulted Siva and pleased by the entreaty by the devas, Siva gave it to Indra.. Sita, janaka said, was found in the place where his plough dug the ground when he ploughed the field for doing yaga and was brought up by him as his daughter. Since she is extraordinary, Janaka decided to give her in marriage to a valiant hero who could string the bow of Siva

 

When the kings came to seek the hand of Sita Janaka laid down this condition but none of them were able to fulfill it and they got angry and conducted the siege of Mithila for one year, but Janaka was able to defeat them all with the power attained from devas. Janaka ended by saying that if Rama could string the bow he would have Sita as his bride.Visvamithra told Janaka to show the bow to Rama. then Janaka ordered the bow to be broght to the court. Thousands of attendants dragged the cart in which the bow was kept and Janaka said that the bow was worshipped by him and his ancesters and could not be strung even by devas, asuras or others and hence it is impossible to do so for a human being.

 

Janaka told Visvamithra to show the bow to Rama and Visvamithra said "vathsa rAma DHanuH pasya, Rama my child, see this bow." Rama went near the box in which the bow was kept and opened it and saw the bow and told Visvamithra by way of getting his permission, "idham DHanurvaram samsprSAmeeha pANinA; yathnavAmscha bhavishyAmi thOlanE pooraNEpi vA, I will touch this bow with my hand and then try to move it and string it."

 

Then after obtaining the permission of the king and the sage, Rama took the bow in his hand with no effort and stood grasping it in the middle.'leelayA cha DHanurmaDHyE jagrAha vachanAth munEH,' as if it is a plaything..He srung the bow and put an arrow in the middle of it and pulled when the bow broke into two. .'ArOpayath sa DHarmAthmA saleelamiva thaDDhanuH;---thadhbabhanja DHanurmaDHyE naraSreshtO mahAyaSAH,' says Valmiki, implying that it was no wonder because he was a naraSrEshta and mahAyaSAH, not only he was the best among men, being the Lord Himself but also acquired great fame already by his exploits in protecting the yajna of the sage and redeeming Ahalya.

 

The sound of the bow breaking was so thunderous that except Visvamithra, Janaka and the princes all the rest fainted with fear.'thasya SabdhO mahAn Aseeth nirghAtha samanissvanaH;bhoomikampaScha sumahAn parvathasyEva dheeryathaH,' The sound was like the crash of thunder, like an earthquake and as though a mountain was splitting..

 

Kamban describes this episode in his own beautiful words.When the bow was brought the people seeing it commented, 'Sangodu chakkaram tharittha Sengai acchingaEru allanEl idhanai theenduvAn engu uLan oruvan, this bow can be strung only by Lord Narayana, who wears the conch and the disc and who is the mighty lion. ' Seeing Rama the wowen thought that if the king liked this youth he should giive Sita to him in marriage and to stipulate that this young boy should string the bow of Siva is not right, veLLam aNaitthavan villai edutthu ippiLLai mun ittadhu pEdhamai.'

 

Rama walking towards the bow is described by Kamban as 'mAgamadangalum mAl vidaiyum pon nAgamum nAgamum nANa nadandhAn.' Rama walked in such a way that put to shame the gait of the mighty lion and the bull and the elephant and with his body that disgraced even the golden Meru. He took the bow in his hand as though it was a garland extended by the hand of Sita, 'seethai enum pon choodagavAl vaLai soottida neettum Edu aviz mAlaiidhu ena edutthAn.' No one saw him take the bow and string it because all they saw was that he took the bow and it broke.'kaiyAl edutthadhu kandanar ittradhu kEttAr.

 

The delight of the people on seeing Rama breaking the bow is described by Kamban as.' They were describing Rama as the son of Dasaratha, one with eyes like lotus 'dhayaradhan pudhalvar enbar, thAmaraikkaNNan enbar, and that he was not a human but the Lord of the milkyocean Himself, 'mAnidan allan enbar,.kayalporu kadaluL vaigum kadavuLE' They praised both Rama and Sita saying that they suited each other. 'nambiyaikkANa nangaikku Ayiram nayanam vEndum,kombinaikkANum thorum kurisirkumannadhE Am, Sita should have thousand eyes to see the handsome Rama and likewise he too needed the same to seeher beauty.

 

Janaka pleased with what happened said Sita who would bring fame to the clan of janakas ( all the kings in his clan were called janakas, this one was Seeradvaja Janaka) on getting Rama ,the son of Dasartha as her husband. and also expressed his satisfaction that his promise to give Sita to one who strings the bow of Siva was fulfilled.

janakAnAm kule keerthim Aharishyathi mE sutha;seethA bharthAram AsAdhya ramam daSarathAthmajam; mama sathyA prthijnA cha veeryaSulkEthi kouSika.' Then with the permission of Visvamithra Janaka made arrangements to send messengers to inform Dasaratha about what happened and to bring him for the marriage.