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 Sugriva meets Sri Rama and takes him to his place. A feast – of fruits and roots – is arranged. Sri Rama then notices that the feast is served by men alone. There was not a single she-monkey around. It strikes him and he puts this question to Sugriva. ‘Are you living alone? Is your wife not with you?
("porundhu nan manaikku uriya poovaiyai pirindhu ullai kolo
neeyum"). The word neeyum (you too) implies ‘do you have a misery like mine? Has your wife been abducted too?’
Here lies the key to our inference (Hanuman the Trusted Deputy IV) that Hanuman did not give complete information on Sugriva to Rama in the first meeting, for the Lord would not have put forth such question, otherwise. Now that the Lord inferred it and raised the point, and now that Sugriva is present too, Hanuman narrates the events leading to their seeking refuge in Rishyamuka
Parvadha.
The version of Kamban however differs from that of Valmiki. Kamban builds up the character of Hanuman – any other for that matter – in a unique way. Kamban makes his own modifications. He materially differs from Valmiki to a large extent in many places. He has valid and logical reasons for doing so. But let us not go into them. It is a separate literary polemic not immediately connected with our present discussion. The structure of Ramayana remains the same while the architectonics differ. We spoke about the test that Anjaneya proposed for Sri Rama. Kamban differs from Valmiki here. In the original of Valmiki, we find Sugriva himself imploring Rama to prove his strength. He says:
"…. O delight of Raghu! It is not possible under the circumstances to ascertain whose strength is greater – yours or his; for whether a carcass is saturated with blood or dried up makes a very great difference O scion of Raghu! The same doubt (still) lingers (in my mind) about the strength which inheres in you as well as in Vali, O dear friend! Certainly in the matter of your (relative) strength or weakness will be arrived at by your thoroughly piercing a single sal tree (of the seven shown to you)." – Srimad Valmiki Ramayana (Kishkindha Kanda; Canto XI; Verses 88-90.
Kamban made a detour. When Anjaneya completes his narration of the events leading to their present difficulties, he remembers to add one last punch line. ‘Vali coveted Ruma, the wife of his younger brother, Sugriva. And this poor fellow is residing here in dire despair’. Masterly craftsmanship. Rama was a person who happily undertook a fourteen-year exile, at the behest of his stepmother. (Kamban carefully repeats everywhere that it is by the design of the stepmother that Rama accepted his exile. It may be thought of as amounting to mathru vakkya paripalanam, as far as Kamban is concerned.) He gave the kingdom over which he had a right, wholeheartedly and without demur, to his younger brother. Here is an elder brother who is after the life of his younger brother. Not only that. This elder brother has arrogantly and by force taken the younger brother’s wife into his possession. How can Rama tolerate such a situation?
 Not only that. It is the similarity of the situation. Rama is in a similar mental condition. His wife has recently been abducted. The emphasis of Maruti’s narration naturally falls on this point. His communication skills surface once again. If you read it in today’s context, it will be understood that in a presentation, the idea presented finds its mark, if the sequence of its presentation is kept in mind. His narration of events, ending with the abduction of Ruma struck the right chord. That drove Sri Rama to pronounce immediately ‘I will dispatch Vali, even if all the fourteen worlds stand by his side. I will kill him, get your wife back to you, and give you the kingdom of Vanaras. Take me to his place.’
Kamban shows Sugriva in doubt at this moment. Sugriva says, ‘I need to think’ (yaam ennuvadhu unndu), implying that he wished to take the counsel of his ministers. He moves aside with them.
(To be continued)
Hari Krishnan
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