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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 Trying to take stock of the situation from the massive weapons and ornaments that lay scattered on the ground where Jatayu and Ravana had fought, Rama takes a look at the number of crowns and other ornaments. He immediately deduces that somebody has carried Sita away and they have been intercepted. There was only one who would stop them in that dense jungle, Jatayu and he rightly figures out that Jatayu had tried to stop the tragedy that was happening to
Sita.
He visualises what would have actually happened.
‘thOL aNik kulam pala uLa,’ he says. There are many armlets and arm-guards.
‘kuNdalath thogudhi vaan imaippana pala uLa.’ Many too are the radiant and dazzling earrings.
‘maNi mudi palavaam.’ And the crowns that lay scattered here are many as well.
‘naaL anaithayum kadandhanan, thamiyan nam thaadhai.’ Our father (Jatayu) is too old and a lone solider.
‘yaaLi pOlbavar palar uLar porudhanar iLayOi!’ There must have quite a bunch of lion-like soldiers whom he had to engage in a combat.
‘Going by the numbers and the size of the diadems, armlets, weapons and other ornaments that lie here, I judge that there must have been quite a number of them. Jatayu (who is a friend of Dasaratha and therefore is fondly called by Rama as ‘father’) is quite aged and not only that, he is alone. I wonder how did he handle such a crowd, single-handed! I am worried
Lakshmana!’
But Lakshmana is not at all impressed! ‘I beg to differ with you sire!’ he pleads.
‘tharuvin nILiya thOl pala.’ Going by the size of the armlets, it is true that the shoulders that worn them were the size of a tree trunk.
‘thalai pala’ and it is also plain and simple that there were many heads because we see many crowns lay scattered here. But look at the size of them. They are not different. They are of uniform size. It clearly shows that these belong to a single person and not to many soldiers as you deduce.
 More over, while there are so many armlets and crowns, have you not noticed the absence of many anklets or armours? It establishes beyond doubt that the person who came here had many arms and heads, while his torso is simply only one and his legs are limited to a pair! A single person with many arms and heads. My brother, I do not have an iota of doubt.
‘porudha thaadhayai ithanai neRik kodu pOnaan,’ He who has taken our father who fought with him to this distance,
‘oruvanE’ is only one (person and not many).
‘avan iraavaNan aam,’ and he is none other than Ravana. There is only one who fits in with this description, a single torso and a pair of legs with many heads and many shoulders. Nobody other than Ravana would have done such a thing.
Remarkable eye for details and a very sharp and analytical mind indeed, combined with a very keen sense of intuition. Lakshmana picks up details, which though obvious, did not strike Rama. It is not that Rama’s ability for an analysis of the situation was any less. He was troubled and agitated and his is more a personal loss than Lakshmana.
Rama fainted that very moment. ‘uyirththilan’ He did not breathe.
‘oru naazhigai uNarvilan kol endru ayirththa thmabi,’ Lakshmana, for a brief period of time had the fearful doubt as to whether he was alive or not.
‘am kai eduththanan.’ He took Rama up in his hands and sprinkled water over his face and brought him back to consciousness.
More follows...
Published on 23rd March 2002
Hari Krishnan
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