|
Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 Kamban portrays the happy reunion of Guha and Sri Rama in Bharadwaja Ashrama. This is another scene, which we are not able to see in Valmiki. Valmiki moves the story quickly after he sends word through Hanuman to Guha and Bharata and what we see next is the dialogue between Hanuman and Guha and Hanuman and Bharata. Rama arrives in Nandigrama after that.
The story takes a different shape in Kamban, with Bharata having pronounced a vow to fall into fire and to give up his life, if Rama doesn’t turn up on the appointed day at the end of the fourteenth year. (See:‘The acid test’ and
‘A mother in agony’
for a detailed discussion on this.) The Poet therefore has to hurry the message to Bharata first rather than Guha. He shows Guha getting the news of Rama’s arrival at the Ashrama. After all, it was such a large army of monkeys and also ogres, along with Vibishana that have accompanied Rama and a hunter cannot miss such intense and sudden activity!
Guha is not able to control his tears on seeing Rama. After all, he is seeing his Lord after fourteen long years. He feels so bad about his not being able accompany Sri Rama in his exile.
‘aayana piravum panni azhunguvaan thannai,’ Rama looked lovingly at Guha who was in tears and was so bitter about in being unfortunate not to go with him.
‘ayya, nee ivai uraippadhu ennE! Bharadhanin nee veru undo!’
‘Why are you talking like this my dear man! Are you in any way different to me from Bharata?
Consoling him, Rama turns to Sugriva and others and tells them,
‘muzhu neerk gangai thazhvu iru karaikkum thalaivan.’ He is the king of the land that surrounds both the banks of Ganga.
‘thaayinum uyirukku nallan.’ His love betters even the love of a mother.
‘vazhuvu ilaa eyinar vEndhan guhan enum vaLLal endraan.’ He is Guha the faultless and is the chief of hunters.
 Kamban shows the beautiful friendship that blossoms between Sugriva, Vibishana and others, and Guha. The eye of the Poet that does not miss even the tiniest of details is seen in the ‘vidai koduththa padalam’ (Canto of Sending Off) in Kamba Ramayana. We are not able to see the name of Guha in the list of friends that attended the coronation of Rama, in Valmiki Ramayana. Kamban so painstakingly sees this and adds a verse, when Rama sends off all his friends back to their lands, calling one by one, speaking to them, showing his happiness, thankfulness, and joy, and presenting them with gifts.
‘srngaberam endru Odhum sezhu nagarukku irayai nOkki,’
Rama called Guha to his side (after his coronation when all were parting)
‘marungu ini uraippadhu ennO maRu aRu thuNaivarkku endraan.’ You are so pure and are my companion forever. What more is there for me to add? He sends Guha back with precious gifts.
It is thus this simpleton starts as a very small character, though playing not a very big part in the story, has his own place and shines in his own innocent nature, growing to astronomic heights from a very small beginning. That is a story of the devotee and would remain evergreen in all the hearts of all devotees.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
Previous
Articles
|
