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Continued
from yesterday’s instalment
 This beautiful suspense lasts for several days. Sita lives with the sole question, 'Is this the boy who broke the bow in the presence of all, the same one whom I saw and fell in love with?' These several days were the days that were spent in Janaka sending word for Dasaratha and Dasaratha reaching Mithila. There was no way of finding an answer for her. May be, this feeling, this pining, this pang of love was the preparation for her days in the Asoka Vana! Though one situation differs from the other greatly, the element of suspense is common in both. And even that element of suspense took different dimensions in the Asoka
Vana.
But she had decided firmly about one thing.
'solliya kuriyin ath thOndralE avan.' From what she describes (it appears to me) that he is the same one.
'allanEl irappen.' If that is not so, I would (not marry him but) give up my life.
On the other hand, chances are that Rama might have come to know who the girl that he saw on the terrace was and that she was the one whom he is going to
marry. The Poet deliberately keeps a tight lip on this until the very last moment. He brings the pleasant secret out when finally in the hall of marriage they see each other again. Not only that, he lets us know that Viswamitra had noticed that they had glanced at each other on the day that preceded the day on which Rama broke the bow!
Kamban goes on a detailed description of the joy of the subjects of Mithila and those of Ayodhya who have come over to this city in some three hundred and more verses. His joy finds no limits when Rama is taken in a chariot to the hall of marriage. The people - sea of faces - that swarmed this handsome boy lost their hearts to him. He was a
'thaamaraik kaadu,' says the Poet. A forest of lotuses. Eyes of lotus, face of lotus, palms of lotus and feet of lotus. And all the lotuses assembled in a manly, muscular frame of pure black! As black as the cloud!
 'thOL kaNdaar thOLE kaNdaar.'
Those who set their eyes on his shoulders, could not move their eyes from there.
'thodu kazhal kamalam anna thaaL kaNdaar thaaLE kaNdaar.'
Those whose eyes fell on this lotus like feet followed only those feet with their eyes.
'thadakkai kaNdaarum ahdhE.' And those who saw his manly arms, could not take their eyes away from them.
'vaaL koNda kaNNaar yaarE vadivinai mudiyak kaNdaar!' They saw just one particular limb of him and no more! Who was there in that crowd who saw him in full! The Poet continues. They resembled the 'great votaries of Godhead, who see only the tiniest piece of the whole Truth and claim to have seen the
whole!
A jewel-bedecked Sita is brought to the hall, to the delight of all.
'engaL sey thavaththinil iraaman ena vandhOn,' thought a happy Vasistha. The One who came into the family of Ayodhya bearing the name Rama, due to our penance of ages,
'sanginodu chakkaramudaith thani mudhar pEr am-kaN arasu,' is none other than the Supreme One of charming eyes, who bears the divine disc and the conch.The Supreme Lord is born in Ayodhya.
'aadhalin,' Therefore, 'av alli malar pullum mangai ivaLaam' it is no wonder that She is none other than the One who resides on the Lotus. She cannot be anyone other than Mahalakshmi herself!
And there in that hall, the divine couple set their eyes on each other once again. Rama's mind, that was calm till this point of time oscillates a little now! 'Is this the same girl that I saw on the terrace the other day and fell in love with!'
More follows...
Published on 29th
December 2002
Hari Krishnan
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