By Kambar (Kavichakravarthy Kamban)
Translated in English by P. R Ramachander
Kamba Ramayanam-Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11)
11. AAru chel padalam
Chapter about going to the river.
(Bharata refuses to become the king and said that they all should go and bring back Rama, This is announced by drum and the entire town which was in mourning started. None of them wore ornaments or had decorated them selves. Bharata and Shatugna wore wooden barks. Seeing Mandhara in the crowd of people going to the forest Shatrugna attacks her and is pacified by Bharata. In Valmiki Ramayana there is a detailed description of how the army constructed a road so that they can go easily. There is a great deal of planning done by Vasishta which is desctribed in Valmiki Ramayana. The description of their going is very brief in Valmiki Ramayana. The attack on Mandhara is not mentioned here.)
2244. , Knowing that the Sage Vasishta who had knowledge of the rules of succession,Of kings and who was a saint who has done great penance as per the Vedas Is already present there the councilors came there and with a favourable heart and saluted Bharata.
2245. Along with the sages who lived in the sky , the council elders ,Citizens of the town , the chiefs of the army and all wise people ,Surrounded the pretty Bharata as per their rank and importance.
2246. When they were surrounding him like that Sumantra who ,Had the ability to know the needs of a king , who was greatly principled,Who was very wise and an expert in driving the golden chariot,Looked at the sage who knew everything , so that he would understand his intention.
2247. That great sage who understood the intentions of his look,Without it being told by the mouth told Bharata ,“protect this world as it is your responsibility “And started telling him further about , The need as well as greatness of the kingship.
2248. ”Oh Bharata who has a faultless character , the purpose for which,These Brahmins , Great sages, Old elders , kings and others have come to you ,Is for establishing the rule of a king who will uphold Dharma ,And also stop any deterioration of the kingdom, please bear this in mind. “
2249. ”Oh sir, You know well that to present a thing called Dharma to the world,Establish it and making all people adopt it , is a very great act,This Dharma is capable of giving good life here and also in heaven,And this Dharma is an act that is being done by clear minded great people .
2250. When we analyze it , that country which does not get ,A king who is prosperous and who does not have a strong sword ,Would be like the very desirable day time without Sun,The night without the clear white moon and ,The body without a soul inside it.
2251. Even in the world of devas and in the Asuras with great strength Who wander doing ill to others, and in all places which can be called world,We have not seen them without a king to protect them.
2252. If we see understand the tradition and examine it properly ,In this world created by Lord Brahma , we do not see any group without head ,In all the groups that stand and move and fill the entire land and sky .
2253. Till today the great kings of your clan who were appreciated ,By Brahma and others right from the time of their creation,Till today were protecting the earth and the earth and its oceanAre bubbling like a broken ship due to you not protecting them from sorrow.
2254. ”Oh son, Your father is no more and your brother has left ,And you have got this earth to rule due to boon that your mother received,And so rule this great kingdom which has no end ,And we are think that it is proper “ said he after great thought.
2255. ”The world needs your support so be its king and carry the burden”,When he heard the great sage telling this to him ,Tears like stream flowed from the eyes of Bharata,And he became more depressed than a shivering man,Who has been told that “Please swallow this poison.”
2256. ,He shivered , his toungue twisted while talking ,His eyes went inside and that one who had a merciful heart like a lady ,Wailed with all his heart and not able to breathe he fell down in a swoon,And once he woke up , he started addressing all those in that king’s council.
2257. “When Rama who is the matchless first in all the three worlds,And who is born before me is there , my getting crowned ,If it is considered as Dharma by wise people like you .How can there be any fault in what mother has asked the king?”
2258. “If you who are blessed with great character say ”This is good”,About the greatly cruel act of my mother which does not reach anywhere,Then here , after passing the tretha and Dwapara eons immediately ,The Kali eon which comes in the end which makes people bad , would come immediately.
2259. ”You who are sitting in the king’s council should follow the example,
of the great clans of kings created by lord Brahma who was born in the lotus,That sprang up from the belly button of Lord Vishnu , , which ,Made the eldest son rule the country as per Dharma and law.
2260. ” Even by what you suggest is as per Dharma , I would live,As a king who carries the burden of protecting the beings of the kingdom,And so please go and bring Rama and make him the king with ,The garlanded crown and follow the custom which has been followed from ancient times.”
2261. ”If it is not possible , I would live with him in that great forest,And do the sweet penance as per religious rules , and if you,Tell me anything more and compel me , I will take away my life.” He said.
2262. ”When the great king was still alive ,Rama was willing ,To be crowned with the gem studded crown and oh great Bharata,You say that you do not want the royal wealth which comes due to heredity,And among the younger royal sons , who has been born with your great fame?”
2263. ,”There is no need for you to increase your fame by ruling the kingdom,Protecting acts of Dharma and by performance of several Fire sacrifices,For your fame would live even if the seven worlds are destroyed”, they told.
2264. Bharatha summoned his brother and said to him,“let the cloud like drums be beaten and announce that,WE are going to bring back Rama who according to tradition,Is the king of this country, and order our army to start immediately.
2265. When the good Bharata told like this , Shatrugna announced it,All the soul less bodies of that city who loved Rama who were depressed by innate mercy,Immediately got life as if they were treated with nectar and they all shouted in joy.
2266. All the beings of the world including sages who have won over five senses,Hearing “That Rama would wear the golden crown”, became extremely happy ,And were those words the divine nectar which can be taken by the ears?”
2267. The great drums were beat and the word , “Bharata is going to bring,Rama to the city of flags and the army should depart for that purpose”,Was like the rise of moon who is the king of stars in that city.
2268. The huge army like the much talked about deluge rose like ,The seven oceans rising with great sound and started ,And the wish of daughter of Kekaya came to the naught,And it also destroyed completely the sorrow of (her?) parting with Rama.
2269. The horses chariots , carts and others were decorated ,And completely hid the earth , the huge number flags hid the skyAnd the dust that rose due to their marching hid the eyes of Lord Brahma.
2270. The sound “Ol “ made by thae army was greater than the great sound,Which would be produced when God Shiva destroys the world,And that army rose more because of their desire to see , Rama who was black like blue lotus.
2271. The male elephants with long trunks along with their female elephants ,Walked like black Rama who forsook kingship as well as the city of Ayodhya,And walked towards the forest which was filled with trees and plants ,Along with the creeping plant called Sita .
2272. The young female elephants walked with the maids who were possiblyAsking whether the lotus flowers produced in the slushy mud was superior to themAnd walked with their lotus like feet and made them as their enemies by their pretty walk,And since their gait was better, were defeated by them and were forced to carry them,
2273. The clouds sprayed their cool water to make the march of the army,Below the harshly hot sun more comfortable and the innumerable number of tall flags Shook like the maids who had not seen the crowning of Rama who held the bow with gloves.
2274. Innumerable kings , like the white Surya with very hot rays , taking several shapes ,Which one cannot count , moved with white moon (umbrella) above him andRode in the same path , on elephants which were like the clouds travelling on earth .
2275. An ocean of soldiers went riding on chariots ,An ocean of warriors on elephants moved like They were moving on clouds with red dots on their face ,And another ocean of horse warriors rode on pretty faced horsesAnd an ocean of foot soldiers spread everywhere on earth.
2276. Long pipes, conches , curved pipes , kettle drums,Huge drums and several such instruments were silent ,Like the wise men walking silently in the company of idiots .
2277. Those ladies with lustrous beauty who made even devas baffled ,Walked wearing the faultless characters of ladies like shyness,Without wearing any ornaments and with the body not wanting decorations ,Like the flowering branches which had shed all its flowers.
2278. That army without the matchless royal white umbrella ,Of the king Dasaratha who ruled the entire earth that was,Surrounded by the ocean with great justice , was having only,The small white star like umbrellas of other kings and ,It looked like a sky with many stars but without the moon.
2279. That marching army crowded the earth making others say, That all directions are very small and further said that , if the earth ,Which is wearing the sea water sounding “Ol” as an apparel ,Can lift this very big army , than those who termed earth ,AS a lady must have been feeble ladies only.
2280. The thick young breasts of ladies were not coated with the mixture ,Of sandal and Akil pastes as usual and were not coated ,With the kukkum solution , they were not wearing pearl necklaces ,And were not made up and looked like tender coconuts.
2281. The strong shoulders of men , due to breasts of their wives ,Not being covered by pastes nor by scented garlands ,Were looking like a hill bereft of bushes and creepers .
2282. The ladies whose hair was not exposed to scented smoke,The normal decorations they do on themselves were absent ,And their eyes were without Kajal , and were looking like well washed spears,Of the soldiers who have completely won over their enemy.
2283. The waists of the ladies looked like chariot not decorated by gems,And their waist belts without gems did not have any luster ,And their coral like red feet without sound of anklets ,Was like lotus flowers without bees humming around them.
2284. Their waists which had the nature of bending due to their ,Not wearing the pearl chains , were taking rest as their burden was less,And so it looks like the fertile boon got by the daughter of Kekaya ,Was only being helpful to the waists of young ladies.
2285. , Due to the parting of prince Rama, it looked like , that the army which was measure less Had lost its decorations ,the goddess of wealth had preferred to do penance ,And the God of love due to no body enjoying life was immersed in ocean of sorrow.
2286. If we say that , the army that started from Ayodhya was like the sea of deluge ,And is covering the earth , the sky and all directions , it would be inadequate ,For it was longer than the eyes and mind of the God of lotus, Lord Brahma.
2287. That shining army due to its drinking all waters of the sea,Due to making the world tilt to one direction and due to it,Pressing huge mountain in to a hill was similar to sage Agasthya.
2288. That great city of Ayodhya due to wise people children ,And all others as well as the densely situated army and the wealth,Going away , was like the bare sea when Agasthya drank all its water.
2289. Since the way that the army marched , had rivers with great waves,Fields , the trees that one liked ,mountains , earth was seen by the eye ,Like the great streets of the divine city of Ayodhya , without any change.
2290. In that army that was sent by that king , the water of rut let out by,The mountain like and cloud like elephants it seems did not have,The scent of garlands of men, flower worn by ladies and the round flower garlands.
2291. That sea of soldiers which was broader than the ocean where people,Climbing on their boats wander about was not having the luster of foreheads of ladies ,Or their lightning like waists or the ear globes that used to touch their shoulders.
2292. Due to the fact that the great army was marching without,Sound of many instruments like drums , it was looking like,The drawing of a very large army drawn on a big wall.
2293. The act of their darling Rama undertaking a life of the forest,Was like a protective armour to all the males as it prevented the ladies wearing Garland without flower petals attacking them with the arrow of love shot from their eyes
2294. The mind of men attacked by the cruel five arrows of God of love ,Did not stay in between the breasts of the ladies and enjoy them,Possibly with the thought that the anger against Kaikeyi wearing ,Heavy ear globes due to their burning in the mind of ladies made their breasts hot,
2295. When the army was marching this Bharata wore ,The bark cloth on his pretty waists and along with his brother,And along with the sorrow that he felt started riding on a huge chariot.
2296. His mothers , great sages , the ministers of his father ,His innumerable relatives and pure Brahmins surrounded,And went along him , and he reached the gate of the great town.
2297. When Shatrugna seeing Mandhara who was similar to god of death ,Going with the people going to forest , pushing every one ,Speedily went near her shouted loudly against her ,Caught her as if he wanted to throw her in the sky ,Bharata with pretty shoulders stopped and told him.
2298. ””oh sir , If I quench my anger by cutting in to pieces ,My sinful mother who through her boons broke the tradition,Followed by our fore fathers , My lord Rama would ,Disown me as his brother and that is why I kept quiet,But not because I thought her as my mother.”
2299. ”Oh brother who is an expert in the knowledge of faultless Vedas,Even if we get angry with this Kooni who caused all of us ,Endless troubles , Rama would hate us and due to this,Let us leave her “ telling this , with great difficulty,He took his younger brother along with him.
2300. With huge dense army and the great people of Ayodhya ,Surrounding him on one side like an ocean , Bharata,Stayed in the same garden where Rama , Sita and Lakshmana took rest.
2301. In the night he drowned himself in the stream,Of his own tears , without eating the fruits and roots,That are produced in the mountain and rested in the dust near ,The grass where Rama who held the bow on his high shoulders took rest.
2302.Bharatha hearing that greatest among men walked ,In that narrow path , started walking by that path and , the chariots and,The collection of horses followed Bharata who walked by that path.
Download PDF (Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11)
Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11) – Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11)
Download PDF: Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11) in English PDF
Read More :
Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 10)
Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 11)
Kamba Ramayanam: Ayodhya Kandam 4 (Padalam 12)
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.