A FEW SCENES FROM RAMAYANA DRAMA

Written by London swaminathan

Date: 30 JULY 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 14-58   (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5272

 

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Though there are thousands of Ramayanas in South East Asia South Asia, some in full and some are in parts, some are in poetry and some are skits, dreams or prose, Kamaba Ramayana in Tamil stands next to Valmiki Ramayana in Sanskrit.

Kamban himself said that he followed Valmiki. But yet we see some new episodes or new interpretations in Kamaban. We might have missed the originals in Valmiki or Kamaban might have used them from the other two Ramayanas he mentioned in the very beginning. But he named only one author Valmiki.

 

In the Yuddha Kanada of Kamba Ramayana we see some important verses which reflect the Indian thinking.

When Rama met Guha, a forest chieftain, the head of the hunters. he declared him as his fifth among the Ayodhya brothers, and he mentioned Sugreeva as the sixth and Vibhishana as the seventh. This is the spirit of Universal Brotherhood. Others only spoke about in all other literatures and scriptures of the world But Rama was the only one who took concrete steps in this direction.

 

The Yuddha kanda highlights another point; Rama is the oldest king we know of who formed an exile government in India. After Vibhisana’s surrender, he declared him the King of Sri Lanka and asked Sugreeva and Lakshmana to crown him on the spot.

 

Following verses are from the mouth of great Tamil poet Kamban (translated by P S Sundaram, published by Government of Tamil Nadu):

SIX BROTHERS OF RAMA!!!

We are Seven Now!

“we became” said, Rama “five with Guha;

Then with Sun’s son bcame six;

Now with you who have joined us

With your heartfelt love, we are seven!

Your father sending me to the forest

Has multiplied his progeny!

–Yuddha Kanada, Chapter- Vibhishana Takes Refuge.

 

In one breath Rama made Vibhishana as his own brother and reconfirmed it by saying Dasaratha  – aslo Vibhishana’s father?

Sun’s son= Sugreeva

 

xxx

In the earlier verses, Kamban described the Exile Government:

Grace flowing from him, he looked

At Vibhishana and said to his joy,

“so long as the fourteen worlds

And my name shall endure

This Lanka in the sea with all

Its Rakshasas is yours—“

 

SHOE CROWN

What is there to say my Lord?

You have taken me, a cur, as a brother

Myservitude has made me great”.

And all his doubts and fears removed

He crowned himself with Rama’s shoes.

 

Rama’s Command

 

“The Rama told Lakshmana

Prince, that all may realise

That the wealth of Lanka’s King

Is now Vibhishana’s

You and Sugreeva shoud take out

A procession round the army camp”

 

Then they mounted on a sandal wood chariot

The one with his infinite virtues

Crowned with Rama’s sandals

Sugreeva carrying him, and lauding,

“He has attained Indra’s wealth”

And going round that army camp.”

 

 

These verses clearly show that Rama made a quick decision to form an exile Government of Sri Lanka on Indian soil and Vibhishana only took Rama’s shows as crown.

XXX

TAMIL KING WITH SIVA’S SANDALS ON HEAD!

This is also nothing new. Seran Senguttuva, the mighty Tamil King of Kerala took, Siva’s sandals on his head according to the Tamil epic Silappadikaram!

 

First Seran Senguttuvan went to Agnihotra Sala for prayers. Then he went to Siva’s temple before his expedition to the Himalayas. He bore the feet of the Lord on his head as a mark of respect to Him. At this time the priests of the temple of Atakamatam, the local Vishnu temple, gave him the prasadam (garland of flowers) which he wore on his shoulders.

(Aataka maatama= Anatha Padmanabha Swami Temple of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala)

 

–SUBHAM–