10.Ramaarrives-(Previouspost-9.episodes of Bhageeratha and Ahalya)

[Guest guest]

10.Rama arrives in Mithila.

When they approached Mithila, Janaka, knowing that Visvamithrahas has come with Rama and Lakshmana, came to honour him along with Sathanandha who was his purohitha. Sahanandha was the son of Ahalya and Gouthama.Valmiki says that Janaka showed special respect to Vivamithra though there were many equally renowned sages who had come for his yajna. 'rthvijOpi mahAthmAnah thu arghyam Adhaya sathvaram,visvamithrAya dharmENa dhadhuh manthra puraskrtham.' Commentators intrepret this as the glory of Visvamithra was not a little enhanced by the company of Rama, who was going to be the prime performer at the yajna by breaking the bow and marrying Sita.

It is worth digressing a litlle now from Valmiki and enjoy the poetic beauty of Kamban before Janaka offers seat to Visvamithra in his courthall and Sathanandha narrates the story of Visvamithra.Valmiki does not mention Sita earlier, before Janaka tells about her to Rama and others when Visvamithra asks Rama to see the bow, and then the rest of the incidents leading to the wedding follow. It was left to Kamban to describe the entry of Rama into Mithila and the chance encounter of Rama with Sita and their respective reactions towards each other, which forms the most beautiful part of the Balakanda.

The very first verse in the 'mithilaikkAtchippadalam,' when they are nearing the fort of Janaka, is very beautiful.

"mai aru malarin neengi yAn Sey mAthvatthin vandhu

SeyyavaL irundhAL" enru SezumaNikkodigal ennum

kaigalai neetti andhakkadinagar kamalacchengaN

aiyanai "ollai vA" enru azaippadhu pOnradhu ammA

The flags of the fort of Mithila fluttering, looked like hands waving and saying that Sridevi has come to reside there leaving her abode of lotus due to the penance done by the land and its people and as though calling Rama to come there to claim her hand.

Thn Rama enters the city and Kamban describes the beauty of Sita who was standing on the balcony of her palace. Adorned by gold ornaments she shone like thousand lightning,'sathakOti min sEvikka min arasu ennumpadi ninrAL.'

Rama looked up and she looked down and here comes the famous lines,' kaNNodu kaN iNai kavvi onrai onru uNNavum nilai perAdhu uNarvum onrida aNNalum nOkkinAn; avaLUm nokkinAL.' The eyes of Ram and Sita contacted and He looked at her and she looked at him as though the eyes were swallowing each other and there was a merger of feelings and the Rama wielding the bow and Sita with her eyes like sword, entered each other's heart, 'varisilai aNNalum vAL-kaNnangaiyum iruvarum mArippukku idhayam eaidhinAr.' Kamban is not satisfied wirth this and goes on further to say, 'karunkadal paLLiyil kalavi neengippOi pirindhavar koodinAl pEsalum vEndumO?' They were the two who were united in the big ocean, meaning the milky ocean, and left it , that is , they are none other than Narayana and Lakshmi, and hence when the two reunite after separation is there any need for conversation? Their hearts communicate louder than words.

Here, karum kadal is explained as the great sea, that is pArkadal but a more imaginative description of the word was given by Madurai TNSeshagopalan in his harikatha on Kamabaramayanam. He said that the milky ocean which was white sea became karumkadal, black sea because of the pacchaimAmalai pOl mEni of the Lord Narayana who shines like the emarald. The test of the quality of an emarald or blue sapphire is to put it in milk which turns black if the gem is of best quality.The Lord who is the soundarya mudrAmani of the hue of emarald (paccha mAmalai)i and sapphire(indraneelamani) has given the dark colour to the ksheerasagara.

Now we go back to the royal court of Janaka where Visvamithra, Rama and Lakshman were seated.accepting the welcome by Janaka, who requested the sage to stay till the end of his yaga..then Janaka asked Visvamithra about the princes.

This is one if the places where Valmiki the poet overtakes Valmiki the narrator. Janaka says,

imou kumArou badhram the dhEvathulyaparAkramou

gajasimha gathee veerou SArdhoolavrshabhOpamou.

Janaka says that these two boys look valiant like the devas and have the gait of elephant and the lion and possess tiger-like prowess and strength of the bull.There are four types of gaits described in the sasthra which are that of an elephant, a lion, a tiger and a bull.The Lord is ascribed with all the four by the devotees and saints who see Him walking like a lion when He comes to protect His devotees, resembles an elephant when He walks leisurely, advances like a tiger towards enemies and walks like bull to show His prowess. Rama is compaed to all the four to denote His glory, implying His divinity

They have eyes like lotuses, padhmapathravisalAkshou, shine like Asvini devas and resemble celestial beings in human form. They look like the Lord Skandha himself in their splendour shining like the fire,and attracting the eyes and the mind of the onlookers.

prAkASyam kulam asmAkam mAm uddharthum ihAgathou

kaTHam padhbhyAm iha prApthou kimarTHam kasya va munE

varAyudhadharou veerou kasya puthrou mahAmune

bhooshayanthou imam dhEsam chandhrasuryou ivAmbaram

Then Janaka asked Visvmaithra who they were, saying "whether they have come here to give lustre to my clan or to uplift me .How is it that they have come here by walking(since they seem to be princes) for what purpose and for whose sake?"

Here one cannot help remembering the same queston asked by Thyagaraja,'evarikai avatharme,' and asks Rama 'avani ki rammani pilachina maharaju evvado ,' meaning, "for whose sake you have taken the incarnation and who is that great soul who has requested you to come to earth?"

Visvamithra informed Janaka about Rama and Lakshmana and told him who they were and why they came with the sage and said that they have come to see the big bow of Janaka. Hearing about all that had happened in the forest Sathanandha asked Visavamithra whether his mother was released from her curse and joined with his father.the words used by him to describe his mother shows that Valmiki did not mean that Ahalya was turned into a stone.

api thE muniSArdhoola mama mAthA yaSasvinee

dharSithA rAjaputhrAya thapO dheerGham upAgathA

Sathanandha asked Visvamithra whether his mother was shown by the sage to Rama.He described his mother as yasasvinee, one of fame and thapo dheergham upAgathA, one who had undergone long penance, meaning that she was living like a stone, invisible, without food or water lyoing on the ground like a stone.Visvamithra told Sathanandha that Ahalya rejoined her husband like Renuka, mother of Parasurama whom he killed by the order of his father Jamadagni, rejoined her husband, thereby indicating that the sin had been destroyed in both cases through punishment.