By Kambar (Kavichakravarthy Kamban)
Translated in English by P. R Ramachander
Kamba Ramayanam-Aranya Kandam 3 (Padalam 8)
8. Mareechan vadhai padalam
Chapter on killing of Mareecha.
(When Mareecha says he wants to take revenge on Rama , Mareecha tries to dissuade him in various. When he understands , that that if he does not agree Ravana would kill him, he agrees. Ravana then asks him to go as a golden deer and tempt Sita and remove Rama from that place. Mareecha goes as an attractive deer .Sita wants that deer. Lakshmana tries his best to impress on Rama that the deer was a result of illusion and mot probably Mareecha. When Lakshmana says that he will go behind the deer, Sita becomes sad and Rama himself goes asking Lakshmana to guard Sita. When Rama realizes that the deer is a magical one , he kills it. The deer shouts in Rama’s voice “Oh Sita , Oh Lakshmana “ and dies. Rama is worried.)
3237. As soon as Ravana reached there the Mareecha who was living there ,Became scared and with a pained mind as well as confused thoughts ,Went to the front and received Ravana who was like a black mountain,Showered hospitality on him and seeing the faded face of Ravana started talking.
3238. The confused Mareecha told him, “Oh lord who rules creating fear ,To the Indra who rules from shade of Karpaga tree and also the God of death,What is the purpose of your coming like a poor man who does not have anybody,To this forest and that too in search of the poor hut of mine?”
3239. Ravana said, “several things have happened but I continued to live,I am further getting tired my shine has gone away ,My fame and greatness have both gone away and now ,How shall I say about all these things to you “ after telling this ,He again told “that is something which will bring,Shame as well as bad name to all devas.”
3240. ”Oh one who holds the spear , the men there have become stronger ,Using their sharp sword they have cut away the nose of your niece Soorpanakha,And if we see deeply what other worse bad fate can occur ,To your clan as well as my clan., please tell.”
3241. “If a man has insulted my sister and not only that , he ,Waged war with a bow and drank the life span of Khara ,Who is a great warrior and who had ebbing great anger, And brought bad name to me who has so far only won victory .Is it proper for you to see that your nephews holding cruel spears ,Are killed and remain happy carrying both your hands?”
3242. “Due to all this the heat of mind did not reduce,I became depressed and am slowly wasting away ,And since they are not equal to my strength ,I do not want to fight with them but I wanted to kidnap ,That lady with coral like lips and I want your help in this,For the sake of wiping away this insult of mine and I have come here.”
3243. Before Ravana completed all these words which were like melting iron,In a burning fire and pouring it in to his ears , Mareecha closed ,Both his ears and said “chee, chee “ and tottered and ,Removing his fear for Ravana from his mind ,With a mind which was greatly angry and started telling.”
3244. ,”oh king , You have sought and got the end of your life ,You have lost your wisdom . This has not happened due to you ,Because this has happened due to the strength of fate ,Though it is not sweet for you to hear , I am telling this to you,Taking account your welfare “he then he started telling matters of courage to him.
3245. “You cut off your heads by your own hand and offered them in Yagna fire ,You tortured your soul for very many years by starving your selves And was it not like this that you got all this wealth and if you neglect,The fruits of your penance now , would it be possible for you get them again.”
3246. “Oh king who is greatly learned in Vedas written by chosen words ,You followed Dharma and did great penance and got all this wealth ,And not by following the path of Adharma , please tell after thinking ,Did you not get everything through following good ways ? Again ,Would you now follow the path of Adharma and loose all that wealth.”
3247. “They who steal the kingdom from those who show love ,Those who collected tax by tormenting the citizens ,And those who take for themselves the ladies who live ,In their homes as wife of others would be completely ,Destroyed by the God of Dharma himself ,Till now who among the cruel ones have continued to live?”
3248. ”The lord of Devas due to the beauty of Ahalya lost his prestige,And like that several people who were equivalent to that Indra ,Got bad name . “Oh Lord who does not have any brain,Several ladies who are equivalent to Goddess Lakshmi are enjoying your wealth,And you are now talking that which is talked by those who do not have good advisors?”
3249. ”If you do not follow and act you would not get anything good And you would get only sin and bad name out of it , and if ,By chance you win , That Rama who had created the world,Using arrows which are like the curse of great saints ,Would win over you and destroy all your clan along with descendents.”
3250. ”Even though I advise like this you are refusing to think about it,One of the chiefs of your army called Khara along with his army and Very strong chariot regiment was killed By Rama by one of his bow and ,He has decided to kill all the Rakshasa clans and this is pitiable .”
3251. “Among the cruel who is equal in cruelty to Viradha and ,Alas by one of the arrows of Rama he was killed and went to heaven ,And when that is so among us who can escape from him alive ,Thinking like this I have become greatly pained ,And are you going to increase my pain further more?”
3252. “All those who have died are all dead and do not take any action,So that more people would die in future , Please, please do not do it,If you do that there would be no way to escape .It is not possible to tell how many people ruled this earth and It is not possible for those who do not follow Dharma to live with stability ,Also in this world there are none who did not get destroyed,And are not all people those who vanished without anything?”
3253. “He is the one who sent one arrow to kill my younger brother Subahu,And my mother Thadaga and my manliness went back before That great archer Rama,And his younger brother who is very near him and I became tired as I lost my valour and That Rama is your enemy ,And due to that mind is shivering like a string.”
3254. All the moving and not moving things will not be there for ever,And they would definitely get destroyed, andThis truth is known to you and so hear my words and do not do bad acts ,And at least from now always be our chief and with great wealth ,Live always happily, “ said Mareecha
3255. After hearing this Ravana told, ,” Addressing me who lifted by his palm,The Kailasa mountain along with Lord Shiva who keeps ganges on his head,And who has very pretty Manikhya shoulders , you have told that,I am weaker than a mere man “ and then he looked at him ,With fire in his very cruel eyes , lifted his eye brow like arch and with great anger.
3256. ” You did not consider about the insult that happened to our clan,And without any fear you made one without firmness of my mind,You praised that one who made the face of my sister in to a mountain cave ,But I have decided to pardon you for this great crime “ said Ravana.
3257. Understanding that Ravana who was angry with him ,Who is valorous and who does not have any greatness in him,Would further get angry with him , desiring to get away ,Without giving any further advice , he asked him, “you are getting ,Angry with yourself , you are getting angry with your clan ,But are not getting angry with me , “why is this?”
3258. ” If you consider that carrying the Kailasa mountain a great act ,When Janaka gave the bow and told him , This a bow held by Lord Shiva ,And is like a meru mountain , please bend it” That matchless Rama ,Who was equal to a mountain , held its string and broke it in to pieces ,That bow which was like a mountain Meru which touches the sky, is it not?”
3259. ”You are one who do not know the strength of Rama completely,And even if it is explained to you , you refuse to understand,Even before That Rama prepares for the war and wears a Thumbai garland,All the lives of his enemies , their soul would be uprooted from them,Due to ignorance You consider Sita as a human lady and that is not her form,And it is the form of the sin that the Rakshasas have done.
3260. When I realize that you along with your relatives cannot escape ,My mind is beating like a drum , My soul is greatly shivering and you do not seem to be Bothered about it , A person who is standing near one , who is drinking poison,If he tells “you are doing a good act “ is it good thing to do?
3261. , From Lord Shiva to the land of devas and all the lands in between,The divine arrows that were given by sage Viswamithra , with great fire,Within the time of batting the eye lash are capable of killing all lives ,They never know defeat , are innumerable and are waiting orders of Rama.
3262. Due to the increase of poison called passion which is sorrowful ,You have told very cruel words , would this not lead to your destruction?Being your maternal uncle, I was born in this clan before you ,And that is why I told these words , Please change your opinion, “Mareecha said.
3263. Though Mareecha requested Ravana to think about all his words ,Ravana, the king of Rakshasas berated him and started telling,“You are still alive becoming scared of the one who killed your mother,And is it proper to consider you as manly , when you have done like this?”
3264. ”Did you tell me who made the elephants guarding the directions run away ,Who destroyed the greatness of devas by entering their kingdom,And burnt all their homes and who are ruling all over the world , that ,The sons of Dasaratha are capable of destroying me? This strength is great , great.”
3265. I have won over all the three worlds and now I am going to get ,More enemies to fight , Is there anything more sweeter than that?Do carry out my orders. . It is not proper for you being a minister ,Who should think about and protect the country ,To take actions in a way that you think is right?
3266. ”Even if you refuse to obey my order , using my sharp knife ,I would do what my mind wants to do? I would not go away from it ,Leave out telling these advices which I hate and carry out ,My desires and then you can stay alive. Do according to what I want , “ he said to Ravana.
3267. When Ravana told like that , understanding his thought process ,Mareecha thought “those who are greatly proud would be destroyed,And is this not a deep philosophy” and that More than the people who believe,“Arrogance of those people would destroy relations .”,Mareecha thought That “where are those arrogant people ?” and started talking like ,Water sprinkled on the melted copper .
3268. Mareecha told , “I told all this for your benefit only in a true manner, And I did not tell them thinking that destruction would come to me andI did not advice you because of fear . When destruction comes near us,Even if some body advices properly , it would as improper,Oh Ravana who travels on an improper path, tell me what I should do?”
3269. As soon as Mareecha told like this , Ravana got up and hugged him,And after leaving out his anger towards him told, “Oh Mareecha who has,Mountain like shoulders , instead of dying by the arrows of love god,Would not we get fame if we die by the arrows of Rama?Please bring me Sita who has turned cool breeze as enemy to me,And give her to me” and thus he requested him.
3270. When Ravana told him like this Mareecha replied to him,“For taking revenge on Rama for killing my mother , once when I went,To Dandakaranya along with two other Rakshasas, those who came with me died,From the arrows which came from the bow of Rama,I returned back greatly scared. What job should I do now?”
3271. When Mareecha told like that , That Rakshasa chief Ravana told,“Sir, I am standing here ready to kill him , who killed your mother ,In a very base manner. Is the question “what can I go and achieve”,A proper question from you . Should we not catch that Sita by creating illusion?”
3272. Mareecha told , Now what else can I tell you ? to attain the wife of Rama,By your valour and ability would only be proper and not attain her by cheating?To get her my cheating would be demeaning to your position and status and So Win over Rama in war and increase your suitability for doing that ,Would be suitable to the tradition of justice that we follow?”
3273. When his relative told him like this , Ravana laughed at it and said,“Is the army necessary to win over those men? Would not the sword ,Held by my strong hands be sufficient for that ? but if Rama and Lakshmana ,Die , she who is human , who would be alone, would prefer to die a nd so,Because of that we will catch her by using magical illusion?”
3274. Mareecha thought ,”even before he touches that lady ,Rama would cut off the heads of Ravana and make them fall down,But I am not able to tell him the proper way to do it?Who would fully know the path of fate and so except,Carrying out orders of Ravana , I do not see any other option.”
3275. And he asked Ravana ,”What type of illusion should I perform here?Please tell me,.” And for that Ravana replied ‘You enter the forest,As a golden deer and create attraction in the mind of that golden girl”And Mareecha agreed to do that and started from there . Also ,That king of Rakshasas with shining spear went in another direction.”
3276. Due to knowing the strength of the bow of those two brothers,Mareecha did not take this decision himself and since he knew ,The power of the sword of Ravana he agreed to obey that order,We will now tell about his thoughts as well what he did?
3277. He would sorrow greatly thinking about his close relatives,He would think of that valorous heroes , get scared and fainted.He started shivering thinking about what will happen to the fishes,Once the deep moat of water is poisoned fully. And the pain,That he felt in his heart was something beyond tought.
3278. He thought of how he suffered during the Yaga of Viswamithra,And when he went as a deer to the forest.That Mareecha who has never faced the end or death , for the third time,Consented for being killed and travelling on its path,Went and reached the forest where Lord Rama lived.
3279. Mareecha went in the form of a golden deer , which was matchless ,And which due to the luster of its body gave light to heaven and earth,In search of Sita who herself was like a deer and found her.
3280. All the different types of deer of the forest , like the lover losing his mind ,To a prostitute who has an unstable mind and who does not have real love On seeing that golden deer surrounded her with ocean like desire.
3281. Sita about whose waist people told that it was a lie ,Walked with great pain to her waist and started plucking flowers ,In the forest using her soft hands wearing lustrous bangles.
3282. The people who would definitely get in to problems ,Would see many unimaginable weird forms in their dream ,And like that Sita who is going to undergo sufferings ,Which will not be undergone at any time , Saw that magical deer.
3283. Due to the life of Ravana nearing the end and due to fact,That Dharma would luxuriously grow in this earth after his death,She on seeing the golden deer could not recognize that it is an illusionAnd stood there wanting that deer , which is something not to be done.
3284., That Sita who had a forehead like the young crescent ,When the golden deer came and stood before her ,With gret desire decided that “I would ask Rama,“Please catch and give it to me “ , with great wish ,Reached that valorous hero who wins by his bow.
3285. She saluted Rama and told him , “I see a deer made of pure gold .Which shines due to great light ,which has long ears and legs ,Which are made of real red gems before me which is sweet to see .”
3286. Without thinking even a little that “ No such deer ,Was ever seen in this world so far “ Rama , the father of Brahma,Hearing the loving words of deer like Sita , he also started desiring it.
3287. Not telling that it is not a proper desire because,Sita was asking for it , when Rama at that time told,“Oh lady wearing ornaments and who is like a golden creeper ,We would see that deer” Lakshmana understanding ,The way of his, started the conversation like this.
3288. ”Its body is of gold colour , ears , leg are tail are like red gems,And this deer with a nature of moving fast , is not natural ,And would it be proper to think it as some thing magical ,And oh Lord under no circumstance can it be true” Lakshmana told
3289. And Rama told him then, “ Oh younger brother all those ,Greatly wise people have not fully understood about the nature,Of this shifting world and its beings are innumerable crores of types ,And so just based on our knowledge we cannot say it does not exist in this world.
3290. “You hae come to this conclusion by thought process of the mind,Are we not hearing newer and newer type of news daily ,Have you not heard about the seven gold coloured swans?”
3291. “There are no rules to the beings of this world that,They should look like this only. “Said Rama to his younger brother,And Sita thought that when they were talking like this,That golden deer would go in several forest paths and vanish.
3292. That black mountain like Rama observing this sad thought ,Of Sita Said “Oh lady who wears great ornaments , show it to me.”And started to go with her but that brother who wears golden anklets ,Went behind them and just like fate that cannot be side stepped ,That golden deer came and stood before them.
3293. Rama with his great wisdom did not properly examine ,That deer and said, “this deer is indeed pretty” ,Can we ,Think about those words and judge it for is he not ,The lord of the devas who has left his serpent bed and has come here.
3294. ”Rama said , “ Oh brother , see this deer carefully , except ,Saying that it is only like itself can we compare it with any other thing ,In this world.. Its teeth are like the smiling pearls and it is,Like a streak of lightning walking over the bed of grass,And its body is like red gold and the dots on his body are like silver.”
3295. “Oh lad with strong bow and one learned in Dhanur Veda,Whether it is a man or woman , once they see it from near by place ,There cannot be anyone who does not like it and you please see ,That all the beings that crawl as well as fly are surrounding it,Like the flying insects rushing to see the flame of burning fire.”
3296. When the honourable Rama told like this Lakshmana ,Stared carefully at that deer and made up his mind that, “it is not natural “ and told “Oh heroic one who wears ,The scented flower garland , even if it is a deer ,Made of gold, what use it is for us? And ,It is only proper for us to go away from it.”
3297. Even before Lakshmana completed his words , that pretty lady,Told the pretty Rama “Oh son of the king , if you speedily catch,This deer which is attractive to the mind , when we return,To Ayodhya from this forest , this would be a rare pet,Which would be useful to play with joy for me.”
3298. When Sita who had a waist which is doubtful in existence told like this,Indicating her wish , when Rama told with certainty “Just now I will catch and give “,That Lakshmana who was clear in his thought told him , “Oh elder brother,, You would in the end understand that this deer is ,Only a cruel and tricky Rakshasa, with an intention to cheat .”
3299. That Rama who has come to remove the sufferings of the devas told.“If it is a magic deer , it would die with my arrow and by killing it then,WE would fulfill our duty of killing the furious Rakshasas but suppose ,It is a pure deer , we will catch and bring it , In both of there where is evil?”
3300. “Oh Rama who has very powerful golden shoulders , we do not know,Who has sent this magical deer and we do not know what type of illusion ,He has used and we are not able to know what type of deer this is,And it is not proper to indulge in the job of hunting ,Which our forefathers hated to get indulged in.” said Lakshmana.
3301. “ Leaving out our determination to kill the Rakshasas who are our enemies.Saying that they are innumerable and that the magic and illusion That they practice is terrible is something which would make,Others laugh at us “ and so there is nothing wrong in trying to catch this deer ,Like this Rama the father of Lord Brahma told his great brother.
3302. Then Lakshmana told , “ Oh Lord , is it not proper to a perform,Any job that we want to do after clear thought ? Even if large number of people ,Are involved in sending this deer and are in hiding , With cruel arrows ,In my bow I would follow them and speedily I will pursue and destroy them.If not I would catch hold of this deer and drag it to this place.”
3303. Sita interfered in this talk of Lakshmana and that swan like Sita,Becoming sad and like a parrot lisped sweetly thee words ,Like nectar using her red mouth “Oh Lord, would you yourself .Not go and catch this deer and give it to me “ and with red lines ,On her blue lotus like eyes which were shedding pearl like tears, with great anger.
3304. Seeing that love tiff of Sita who told like this , Rama who could protect all,Said to Lakshmana, “Oh brother who wears garland of golden flowers ,I would myself go and catch this deer and return swiftly.Till then you please guard Sita who is like the peacock of the forest.”And then taking arrows which are as sharp as spears , he started going fast.
3305. Then Lakhmana told “ In the Yaga conducted by Viswamithra ,One of the three Rakshasas escaped and I have a doubt that this may be that Mareecha,Oh Lord , please think over it again . Pease go and come back without any harm,”After sayring this he raised both his arms saluted Rama and started ,Guarding the hermitage in which Sita entered by standing near the door.
3306. Without bothering about the true words told by the great thinker Lakshmana,That Rama who had pretty shoulders like mountain but only thinking,About anger of Sita who had a face like full moon , with a smile ,On his red lips which were like coral and Sindhoora , Rama Started following that golden deer.
3307. That magical deer walked stepping slowly , stared as if it was scared ,Straightened its long ears and then lifting its hooves up to its breasts.,Jumped up the sky and crossing the speed of lashing wind and mindStarted running from there , making one learn a new name for its speed.
3308. Rama took and kept his feet which measured the earth in speedy steps.Is there is another world for him to measure ? He ran speedilyAnd he showed the world his form which is everywhere ,Who can ever estimate the speed with which he went?
3309. That deer would climb on mountains , would jump on clouds in the sky,When one nears it will run away and if you delay to go near , it would,Come and stand near the touching distance and if one goes near it ,It would move away far off and stand there , would love you as much as you pay,And Oh mother it went like mind of prostitutes wearing scented garlands.
3310. Though this has taken the form of deer but I feel that its acts Are very different from that of deer, and it is proper that Lakshmana ,Suspected it earlier to me .His thoughts seems to be true and proper ,Had I also properly thought about it, I would not have come over here ,And after suffering this pain I also feel that is illusion of Rakshasas” , Rama thought.
3311. Thinking in his mind that “Now Rama would not try to catch me ,But he would kill me with his arrow and send to heaven “ that Mareecha,Who is an expert in illusion , with great speed jumped on to the sky.
3312., In that second Rama send a red arrow which was like His cruel weapon of wheel , that cannot be stopped , at that deer ,With an order “Wherever that deer goes , go to all those places and remove its soul”
3313. , That arrow which was looking like a long leaf went ,And hit at the heart of Mareecha which was fully filled with deceit ,And immediately using his open mouth he shouted ,”Sita, Lakshmana”,In the voice of Rama , so that it will go in all the eight directions And beyond that and fell like a hill assuming his real form.
3314. , Seeing that cruel one falling dead in his natural form ,Understanding that the deer is not a true one and Rama thought ,About his younger brother “He is an able one and he is like my soul”,And the one who came to attack me is very intelligent .
3315. Then he stared at the body of the cruel one who died ,Shouting so that his voice reaches all the directions ,And understood that he was the Mareecha who came ,During the faultless sage Viswamithra.
3316. ”When my arrow which pierces hit his chest , by his magic,He cried for Sita and Lakshmana imitating my voice and perhaps,Hearing that call Sita who has eyes as cool as a rain,Would become sad “ thought Rama and got worried.
3317. ”My younger brother as soon as he saw the deer understood ,Earlier itself that he was Mareecha who was the master of illusion,And since he knows well about my strength , he would have ,Consoled Sita and would have told about realty of that voice”Thinking like this , he managed to attain clarity of mind.
3318. ”Mareecha does not have to come here , only for death,He has come definitely with a plan and due to his shouting ,A big harm is going to happen and so even before that happens,It would be better for me to reach my hermitage , “thinking like this he started back.
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About Kavichakravarthy Kamban
Historians place him in the 9th century CE, But surely Kamban belongs to the third great wave of Tamizh literature that started with the Sangam period (dated before the Common Era), followed by the widespread impact of Bhakti literature of the Alwars (vaishnavite saints) & Nayanamars (shaivaite saints). Kamban Authored Ramanaya in Tamil…Known as Kamba Ramayanam..
Kambar has been the milestone for the Tamil scholars that none had reached. He was also known as “Kamba Naatazhvar” at his time. Many Tamil authors from the modern world have written the books on the poet Kamban.
FAQs
Kambar or Kavichakravarthy Kamban (1180–1250) was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of the epic Ramayana.
Valmiki Ramayana and Kamba Ramayanam are two versions of Ramayana written in the Sanskrit and Tamil languages respectively. … Kamba Ramayanam is originally called as Ramavataram. Although Valmiki Ramayana is the original version of the story of Rama, Kamba Ramayana is believed to be based on the work by Valmiki.
The Kamba Ramayanam, is a Tamil epic that was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Based on Valmiki’s Ramayana (which is in Sanskrit), the story describes the life of King Rama of Ayodhya.
The book is divided into six chapters, called Kandam in Tamil. The Kandams are further divided into 123 sections called Padalam (படலம்) in Tamil. These 123 sections contain approximately 12,000 verses of the epic.