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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 It was the good fortune of the celestials that Rama did not listen to Lakshmana on that day, puts the Poet.
'nOkkiya maanai nOkki nudhiyudai madhiyin ondrum thUkkilan.' Rama did not apply his sharp intellect and come to a judgement on the deer.
'nandru idhu endraan.' 'It looks so good; he said.
'adhan poruL sollal aagum.' (if you wonder why he did not do so,) there is a valid reason behind it.
'sEkkayin aravu neengip pirandhadhu dhEvar seydha baakkiyam udamai andrO.' If at all he left his snake-bed in the Ocean of Milk, it was due to the good fortune of the celestials.
'annadhu pazhudhu pOmO?' Would it go waste?
And finally when Rama ordered Lakshmana to stand guard and went in pursuit of the deer, Lakshmana sent him off with the words,
'anna maarIchan endrE ayirththanan idhanai ayya,' My Lord, I have a strong suspicion that this deer is nothing but an adopted and illusory form of Märïca.
'innamum kaaNdi.' You will realise this very soon.
The deer took Rama away, dodging him for a very long time. It would appear at an arm's distance now and now it would disappear and now it would reappear in a distance.
'kaaym vEru aagi seyyum karumam vEru aagitru andrE,' thought Rama. It has the body of an animal but the way it acts is not that of an ordinary animal. It is not possible to catch it alive. Let me kill it now, he decided. Märïca was quick to read that thought of Rama and leapt up into the skies. Rama took an arrow and ordered,
'pukka dhEyam pukku in uyir pOkku.' Follow it wherever it goes and kill it.
 The moment Märïca fell down with cries of 'Lakshmana! Sita!' Rama realised the validity of Lakshmana's caution and circumspection. 'It has not come here for nothing. There must be some reason behind this drama. There must be something behind this deer bringing me this long a distance away. And certainly there is somebody behind all this,' he assessed and quickly returned, wondering and praising the wisdom of his brother.
'veyyavan than uruvodu veezhdhalum,' As Märïca fell down in his original form,
'seyyadhu andru enach cheppiya thambiyai,' he thought of his brother who restrained him in the first instance (and exclaimed)
'ayyan vallan,' my sire is great. 'en aaruyir vallan.' The one as dear as my very life is really great.
'naan uyya vandhavan vallan.' The one who has come as my saviour is really very great.
That is the greatest of compliment that Lakshmana could ever have received. But note again, when praising, Rama praises in his soliloquy and not in the presence of
Lakshmana.
It was not an easy day for Lakshmana. He had another kind of pressure to cope with. A pressure that he did his all not to succumb to but was driven against the wall and forced against his will to move away from the place. Kamban and Valmiki differ in the drama that ensued the cry that was heard, calling the names of Lakshmana and Sita. We will see both the versions one by one
More follows...
Published on 14th March 2002
Hari Krishnan
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