ramayan of valmiki and Kamban-ayodhya kanda-15Guha episode in Kamban

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15. Guha episode according to Kamban

 

Rama , Seetha and Lakshmana waliked on foot after bidding goodbye to Sumanthra.

Kamban enjoys the

walking of Rama which he describes by a beautiful verse.

 

veyyOn oLi than mEniyin virichodhiyin maraiya

poyyO ennum idaiyaaLOdum iLaiyaanOdum pOnaan

maiyO maragathamO maRikadalO mazaimugilO

aiyo ivan vadivu enbadhu Or aziyaa azagudaiyaan

 

The light of the Sun disappeared in the lustre of Rama. He walked with Seetha

whose slender figure

belied the existence of a waist, 'poyyO enum idai,' and with his younger

brother. Kamban describing the

beauty of Rama says that he makes one wonder whether it is the collyrium, or

emerald, or the deep blue

ocean or the rainbearing cloud that is waliking and finally finding not suitable

term to describe Rama, says

that his beauty which is eternal makes the beholder exclaim, " Alas! What a

form! " Kamban uses the

word `aiyo,' which normally denotes alarm but here it denoted the desperation of

the poet in finding

suitable word to describe Rama. But he further described Rama walking along with

Seetha enjoying the

scenes on the way in many beautiful verses This verse is one of the gems of

Kamban.

 

The sages of the region came to see Rama bringing fruits and roots suited for a

hermit and told them to

bathe in Ganges and accept their hospitality. They did like wise and then only

Guha came to see Rama

according to Kamban. Lakshmana asked his identity and Guha said that he is a

devotee of Rama who had

come to see him and Lakshman informed Rama about him introducing him as `uLlam

thooyavan, thaayin

nallaan,' the one who has a pure heart and more loving than a mother. Guha told

Rama that he had

brought food fit for Rama but Rama told him that his love was enough and asked

him to go back and

return there the next morning with a boat to cross the river. But Guha refused

to go saying that he could

not taks back his eyes on seeing Rama and could not return leaving him here.

Rama commending his love

to Seetha and Lakshman allowed him to remain.

 

At the nightfall Rama and Seetha slept there and Guha was keeping watch along

with Lakshman who told

him the reason of Rama coming to the forest. Guha , says Kamban, was standing

the whole night with his

bow and arrow, shedding tears looking at Lakshmana and Rama.

 

The next day Guha was asked by Rama to fetch the boat when Guha said that Rama

could stay with him

and he will serve Rama with joy with all his followers. Rama smiled at him and

said that he would come

to the abode of Guha while returning. Then he brought the boat and they crossed

the river when Guha

prayed that Rama should allow him also to go with them on Rama asking him the

way to chithrakoota. He

said that he will do all the service to Rama like making a hermitage, bringing

food etc. as He knew the

whole forest well. Rama refused saying that Guha should remain there to look

after his clan. Here Rama of

Kamban said the famous oft-quoted words,

 

En uyir anaaiyaay nee, iLaval un iLaiyaan

innannudhalavaL nin kEL--------

-

Anbu uLa, ini naam Or aivargaL uLar aanOm

 

" You are as dear to me as my own life and Lakshmana is your younger brother

ans Seetha is your kith

and kin. With you we have become five brothers. "