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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 As we mentioned earlier, this drama takes place in Bharadwaja Ashrama in Valmiki Ramayana. It is Bharadwaja who asks the questions that Guha asks in Kamba Ramayana. To be precise, it occurs when Bharata and others take leave of the sage, after a complete night’s stay in the Ashrama.
Bharata approaches the sage to take leave of him and enquires about the location of Rama’s hermitage in Citrakuta. It is at that time that the queens come before him - it is to be remembered that they were seen by the sage earlier too, when Bharata entered the Ashrama - and the sage wants to know who is who. Here is the scene from
Valmiki.
“Of them Kausalya - who was quaking (through old age and emotion) was emaciated (through grief caused by the loss of her husband) and affected because of her separation from Sri Rama) - while Queen Sumitra clasped the sage’s feet with both her hands. Kaikeyi (too) - who was condemned by the whole world because of her ambition (to see her son appointed as Prince Regent of Ayodhya) having not been fulfilled, clasped the sage’s feet with bashfulness (because of her designs having been frustrated) on that occasion. At that time the eminent sage Bharadwaja spoke to Bharata as follows: - ‘I seek to know the particulars concerning your mothers, O scion of Raghu!” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XCII, Sloka 13 {part} to 18)
When introducing Kaikeyi, Bharata is seething with anger. “Know this irate, vain, vulgar, though noble to all appearance, and cruel Kaikeyi, my mother of uncultured mind and sinful resolve, who esteems herself good-looking and is covetous of power, (nay) thanks to whose designs, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, (the two tigers among men) have reached here the end of their life (in the form of exile in the forest, which is fraught with dangers at every step) while King Dasaratha, having been deprived of his (two) sons (Rama and Lakshmana) has ascended to heaven, and whom I consider to be the root cause of the great adversity that has befallen me.” (Ibid, Sloka 25-27)
The sage pacifies Bharata and asks him not to speak ill of his mother, however full of evil she might be. Observe how Kamban retains the drama, the same kind of emotions, and even the flavour of his speech as Valmiki portrayed it.
 But by shifting this question to Guha, the whole perspective changes. Bharadwaja is a learned person who has the vision and the inner-eye to know and understand who is who from their very appearance. And it would not have been so very difficult to know who Kaikeyi was, given the posture that she adopts, as described by the Poets. More over, the timing of the question is a little misplaced. If an enquiry is to be made about the personae it should have been at the beginning of a meeting, at least after exchanging the initial pleasantries - clarification of a serious doubt in this instance - and not when they are departing.
When this question is shifted to Guha, he appears even more innocent, exuding curiosity and genuine desire of an illiterate person to get to know the queens, he having not had the opportunity to visit the palace of Ayodhya and acquiring a prior knowledge, as could have Bharadwaja. Kamban is the child that sits on the shoulder of his father and witnessing festivities. The child, sitting on the dad’s shoulder can see more than what the latter can see!
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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