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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 ‘What are you doing here?’ asks sage Bharadwaja in Kamban. ‘You should have been ruling the country that fell in your laps by itself!’
‘eduththa maamudi soodi,’ Wearing the most glorious and the largest of crowns,
‘ninpaal iyaindhu aduththa pEr arasu aaNdilai aiya nee!’ you are not ruling the vast kingdom that came to you without any effort.
‘mudiththa vaar sadaik katrayai mUsu thUsu uduththu,’ (Instead) you appear with matted and cusped hair and you are wearing the dress fit for hermits.
‘naNNudharkku utru uLadhu yaadhu?’ What is the reason for your coming here?
The phrase ‘utru uLadhu’
appears a bit innocuous at the surface but it can hit a person very hard with the right intonation and the right play of features on the face. Just contract the corner of eyelids in mock-curiousness and add a chuckle when you utter the phrase, ‘What brings you here? You should have been enjoying the immense power, wealth and comfort that slipped into your lap!’ It can carry an explosive that blows up deep in the heart. It must have been uttered that way, for we see Bharata flaring up in the next verse.
‘sinak kodum thiral seetra ven theeyinaan,’ Like the fire that is impelled (by another fire, that is) anger
‘manak kaduppinaan’ Bharata’s mind was enraged, says the Poet. There could be no reason for Bharata getting agitated otherwise.
‘enakku aduththadhu iyambilai.’ ‘You did not say things that are fit for me!
‘unakku aduppadhu andraal.’ Nor did you utter the words that befit your stature. And then the scene develops to show the sage pacifying Bharata, happy to know his purpose.
“I am ruined if Your Holiness too (who is omniscient) reckons me as such. I cannot (even) think of any harm having proceeded from me (to Sri Rama). Therefore (please) do not speak in this strain to me,’ pleads Bharata in Valmiki. (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XC, Sloka 15)
‘I know that,’ says Bharadwaja. Here, listen to him. “Service to your elders as also self-control and walking in the foot-steps of the virtuous - this is worthy of you, descended (as you are) in the line of Raghu, O tiger among men! I (already) knew (by my yogic power) that which existed in your mind. 9All the same) I questioned you (as though I knew nothing) in order that your resolution may be strengthened and in order further to enchance your renown beyond measure.” (Ibid, Sloka 20, 21)
 Let us now get back to Guha. Bharadwaja, as we saw above, did know the real feelings that were surging in the heart of Bharata. He could infer the latter’s heart from his appearance and distil it with his wisdom. Yet he chose to tease Bharata. It had its own purpose, as he explains in the Slokas cited above. Guha was actually seething with rage. He had already misjudged and concluded the purpose of Bharata’s visit. He had readied his army to fight and stop Bharata from getting beyond the Ganga. But he inferred that ‘this one’ was really pure and did not have any malice at heart. He needed proof to make sure that his present conclusion was right. He has reached the other bank of the Ganges now and is walking towards Bharata. Bharata is already moving towards Guha - even before he got into his boat to reach the other bank.
With the background of the meeting of Bharadwaja and Bharata in mind, let’s see how Guha received Bharata.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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