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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 ‘Bharata has come with a large army with only one intention. He is greedy. He wants to ensure that he continues to remain in the throne even after the passage of fourteen years. He has planned to eliminate Rama so that he owns the throne forever. But he has not realised one thing. He has to cross this Ganges before he could reach my Lord. And he needs our service to do so.’
“(Therefore) seeking to advance his interests remain stationed on this bank of the Ganga, clothed with mail. Let all (my) ferrymen, accompanied by troops, remain rooted to the bank of the river Ganga, guarding (access to) the river and living on meat, roots and fruits (stored in the boats). And let one hundred youthful fishermen clothed with mail occupy each of the five hundred boats,” so did Guha issue his commands.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto LXXXIV, Sloka 6-8)
Be properly armed, wear your armour (clothed in mail) and guard the boats. Do not get down from them. There is a stock of food in all the boats and remain there, for however long a time it may be, eating them. Ensure that this army does not cross the river. Guard the boats fiercely.
Guha wore his sword immediately around his waist, says Kamban. He paints a similar picture when showing Lakshmana’s reaction. ‘thudi eRi’ he ordered his men. ‘Beat the drums.’ Let it be known that we are in war.
‘thuRayum suttrura odi eRi.’ Break and destroy all the landing platforms that are used for getting into the boats.
‘ambigaL yaarum Ottalir.’ Do not provide them with your ferry service. Do not row the boats for them.
‘kadi eRi gangayin karai vandhOrkaLai pidi eRi pada.’ Catch hold of all of them who have reached the banks of Ganges and kill them all.
Kamban then renders the speech of Guha charged with high emotions, in verses that ripple with rhythm and convey the anger that bubbles forth in the heart of Guha. These verses are to be read in the original to get a feel of what the Poet designs, how he weaves his magical web with a metre appropriate to capture the passion that is pouring forth from the heart of one who utters them. Just one reading - reading aloud - would put the reader in the very presence of a chieftain who is scurrying amongst thousands of his henchmen, shouting, roaring and raving uncontrollably. Contrary to popular belief, Kamban’s Tamil is quite modern, though he lived around 1000 years back. His vocabulary, though rich, reads as fresh as that of a twentieth century writer.
‘anjana vaNNan en aaruyir naayagan aaLaamE
vanjanayaal araseidhiya mannarum vandhaarE
senjaram enbana thee umizhgindrana sellaavO
vunju ivar pOi vidin naaik kugan endrenai OdhaarO?’
 ‘These kings who have schemed against my Lord, who owns my very life (to whom I have dedicated my life), depriving him of his kingdom and coveting it from him, have arrived here. Won’t the sharpest of arrows fly from our bows, spitting fire? If they are allowed to cross this river, won’t I be called Guha the dog? Guha the lowliest cur, who could not prevent them?’
Though Guha has lost his temperament, it is noteworthy that his mind is still dwelling on the first word by which his Lord called him. We will see that.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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