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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 Kamban devices quite an ingenious way of bringing about pressure on Lakshmana, without Sita having to utter such words. Instead of blaming Lakshmana of motives, Kamban shows Sita attempting self-immolation. She threatens Lakshmana that she would jump into fire if Lakshmana did not budge. She lights up fire and even rushes towards it.
'thaamarai vanaththidaith thaavum annam pOl thUma veng kaatu eri thodargindraaL'
Like a swan moving into a pond full of lotuses, she (almost) went into the jungle fire that she had set.
The drama is so very convincing, and serves the purpose. Lakshmana is left with no other option but to move from that place.
'iruppanel eriyidai irapparaal ivar,' he thinks. If I stay here, she would jump into fire and end her life.
'poruppu anayaanidam pOvanE enil aruppam il kEdu vandhu adayum.'
And if I go in search of Rama, it would result in immeasurable tragedy. 'aar uyir viruppanErkku en seyal'
O! I am incapable of dying at this moment and end all trouble! What am I to do now!
The irony and pathos of this scene attain a new dimension when in the last scene of
agni pravesa, Lakshmana is ordered by Sita to light a fire. Poor Lakshmana, who could
stop Sita now and comfort her by agreeing to go in search of Rama, could not do anything then. One who saved her from jumping into Agni now had to be a silent witness and even more, he had to arrange for the fire ordeal with his own hands!
'I entrust you to the guardian angels of the jungle to take care of you in our absence,' says Lakshmana in Valmiki Ramayana.
'kaaval sei eruvayin thalaivan kaNNurum aavadhu kaakkum,'
thinks he in Kamban. 'Jatayu would take care of her when I go away'. The famed
'Lakshman rekha' is not at all mentioned either in Valmiki Ramayana or Kamba Ramayana.
 Rama who was extremely worried about Sita was returning and on his way back, he met Lakshmana. He had the consolation that Lakshmana was by her side and would comfort her with his sound reasoning and that he would not leave her side on any account. He was shocked to find Lakshmana there.
'unni vandha nilai en kol?' he questions Lakshmana. 'What made you move away from her?'
When Lakshmana explained the situation, he was all the more dejected. 'It is not her fault. She was afraid that I was faced with danger. Nor was it your fault. You could not have stayed there in the circumstances. It is my fault, Lakshmana, it is my fault.
'mundhe thadukka ozhiyaadhu eduththa vinayEn mudiththa mudivaal,'
all because of my misjudgement and wrong decision. I should have told her a firm 'no' at that time.
From this point onwards we see Rama again and again falling a prey to guilt feelings and self-pity and self-reproach. What a panacea was Lakshmana to him during this troubled times! How tactfully he handles the situations! How logically he argues and convinces Rama!
More follows...
Published on 19th March 2002
Hari Krishnan
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