By Kambar (Kavichakravarthy Kamban)
Translated in English by P. R Ramachander
Kamba Ramayanam-Kishkinda Kandam 4 (Padalam 13)
13. PIlam pugu padalam
Chapter on entering the cave on earth
(The monkeys lead by Hanuman search for Sita all over Vindhya mountains , Reach Hema Kuta mountain, and there they split the army in to several parts and asked them to search every where and reach Mahendra mountain on the shore of the southern sea. THeu reach then a he desert. To escape from the desert they r enter in too a cave hole .They suffer there due to it being pitch dark,Hanuuman leads them in the darkness and they reach a beautiful city which was populated by a lady called Swaymprabha who was doing penance there. She was cursed by Indra to guard the cave till the monkeys come. Hanuman breaks open the cave and Swayamprabha goes to Deva loka. In Valmiki Ramayana there is no mention of a desert. Also Swayamprabha takes them out of the cave by her divine powers,.)
4521. ,After they went to the southern direction , Sugreeva the son of Sun God,Sent other armies to all other major directions and those monkey heroes,Who were agreeable to the job of searching for Sita . along with an army .Who can fight and stop the entire world , went ahead agreeing to come back by appointed time.
4522. Those monkey heroes who had shoulders which were like mountains,Searching Sita who like a flowering climber had a waist which will make even lightning surprised ,Apart from searching in the three major directions went to the ,Southern direction where the rich Tamil language is spoken,We would now tell about them and their ability to do duty.
4523. They went and speedily reached the slopes of Vindhya mountain ,Which with its red sindoora powder , with the luster from red gems ,Being dense appeared like the sky at dusk , with serpents ,Ganga and moon there was like the head of tufted head of Lord shiva.
4524. Those faultless monkeys searched in that Vindhya mountain,Its peaks which were shining like red gems , the caves on its ,Pretty long golden peaks , its sides and its long and pretty valleys ,Within a days time as if they had searched for very many days.
4525. , Those monkey warriors who went feeling that only the boundary less,Oceans were a match to them , went without causing any trouble ,To all beings on the earth and went on searching the dark haired Sita ,Searched the entire earth area of that Vindhya mountains,As if they do not have any connection with any body else outside them.
4526. Those knowledgeable monkeys separated them selves with ,Some going down , some going up , Some jumping on the sky ,Some searched near trees sucking water by its roots ,Some on that mountain , some in and near the water bodies,And if in the search they had not seen any being living there ,They definitely would not have been created by Lord Brahma.
4527. Making the hardness of earth getting reduced, those monkeys ,Who had gone to search on the southern side travelled,Fourteen Yojanas and reached river Narmadha in which,Buffalo calves and black long clouds were there.
4528. They scattered and went round where swans play , in places ,Where the Deva maidens were taking bath ,in places where devas of heaven,Come and visit , and in places where the bees fly around sugarcane and scented flowers.
4529. Those monkeys who were searching for the difficult to find Sita,Saw the black scented hair of Sita on the black sand of the river,Saw her face on the lotus flowers which are surrounded by black bees like hair ,And they saw her pretty laughter on pearls but they were not able to find the whole Sita.
4530. They who had a body which would get joy in fighting a war ,Who had a very unified mind, who by nature were merciful and grace ,Crossed that river Narmada where the male elephants in rut ,Which are engaged in war and the female elephants enter and play.
4531. Then they reached a a mountain called Hema koota which was protecting ,That vast and famous direction giving rise to the joining point ,Of several rivers which originate from its shining peaks ,And which was having pretty lustrous gems .
4532. The mountains near Hema Koota , trees and other materials ,Were shining due to great amount of light like the heated Gold from that mountain,And was looking better than heavens and was greatly lustrous.
4533. That mountain stuck golden foils from it on the birds and other beings,That came to live on it and made al think that it was similar to the very tall,Meru mountain and had the capability of spreading the luster of gold everywhere.
4534. The fire like red gems over which small pieces of gold got attached ,Were flowing down with water in big streams and were looking,Like the flow of molten gold in to the red burning fire.
4535. The sound of music of Vidhyadharas, the sound of dance of soft footed,Deva maidens who wear white bangles and have come from heaven,The sound of back ground music which is in tune with the dance ,The trumpeting of the elephants , the sound of thunder,Which was like the drums which booms had all joined together in that mountain.
4536. After seeing the Hemakuta mountains , they thought it was the residing place ,Of Ravana who holds a sharp spear and who made the nectar like Sita , poor deer like Sita Resembling a peacock sad and their anger increased and their eyes.,Spat sparks of fire and their eyes became deep red.
4537. Thinking that would search in that mountains and due to that ,WE would remove the sorrow in the mind of Rama , those monkeys ,Became joyous and with a heart full of joy , they lost their fear,And they climbed on to that Hema kuta mountain.
4538. On seeing those monkeys who climbed on that mountain,The crowd of Yalis run away , the killer lions that were spread all over ,That mountain also went away and after searching all over the mountain,And not finding Sita with a pained mind they all said, “Now we are sad.”
4539. After searching for one day in that pretty golden mountain Which was one hundred Kadhams broad which was very tall almost touching the sky They were not able to find that flowering branch , and got down from the mountain.
4540. Angadha and other monkey leaders looking at the monkey army ,Which is spread in terms of two Vellam of army ordered “You all search ,All over the world and meet us in the faultless Mahendra mountain,Which on the southern sea shore , “ they all went away from that mountain.
4541. ,Hanuman the son of wind god who had very strong shoulders ,And those heroes who were well known for victory in battle ,Went by one path and reached a desert which did not have water ,And where the sun with its very hot rays was extremely fearsome.
4542. , In that cruel desert birds did not live and animals were also,Rarely visible , the grass and trees with honeyed flowers were completely absent,And there even stones got burnt in to ash and there since everything there,Becomes dust and flies , there was there nothing except empty space.
4543. , The monkeys who went there , with their five sense organs shivering ,With their wisdom disappearing , with their gold like body sweating ,With a boiling mind , felt as if they have fallen in the burning hell .Of the southern side and like the worms having only,A body with bones felt as if they were boiling over.
4544. Those monkeys who had great thirst were having their toungues, Hanging out and due to the heat of the sand developed boils ,All over their felt when they walked and their body got more hot ,Than the desert and it got burnt and liked puffed paddy ,Jumping in the hot pot they started jumping here and there.
4545 . Seeing no shade any where so that they can stand there ,They who had a body from which the soul can depart ,Who had already suffered limitless sorrow , whose feet,Was greatly hurting them and made them jump .Tried various ways to escape from that desert ,And reached a cave like hole on the ground there .
4546. They thought that “ except for dying it is impossible to cross this desert and go,And so going through this cave in the ground would help us would at least ,Help us avoid travelling through this desert “ and they entered in to,The hole in that ground so that they can do some search there also.
4547. , Then they reached inside the hole in that ground and entered a cave there,Which was completely dark in side as if the darkness of the world ,Which was scared of the Sun was hiding there for seeking protection.
4548. They were not getting up , did not have interest in walking ,They decided that there was no way to go to outside from there ,And in that darkness which was like the solidified ghee,They got drowned themselves and breathed deeply .Not able to know where the other monkey is.
4549. Except Hanuman all others were standing still without knowing what to do,And with a very sorrowful mind thinking “All of us have died”,They addressed Hanuman and told “Oh very strong Hanuman,Do you have strength to lead us out of this very great sorrow?” they requested him.
4550. Hanuman ordered the others “I would do all that is needed to keep you alive,Do not sorrow and now you stand one behind the other and catch the tail ,Of the monkey in the front , without ever leaving it “ and as soon as they did it ,That great Hanuman went ahead feeling the walls of the cave and walked fast.”
4551. That Hanuman who had shoulders like the tall Meru mountain , with a huge form,Walked twelve Yojanas in the light of the shining of his two ear globes,And walked with great speed so that the spreading darkness gets over.
4552. ,Then the monkeys saw a very pretty city in side that hole cave on the ground ,And it appeared as if the Sun God who opens the lotus flower was living there in hiding,And it appeared that seeing it the heavens in the sky also would feel shy,And that city was similar to the face of Goddess Lakshmi who lives in the lotus flower.
4553. It had trees like Karpaga , it had water bodies with fully open lotus flowers,It had boundary walls with tall golden spires , It would make even Devas get astonished ,And it was constructed by Maya with great effort working for several days.
4554. Even the city of Indra was not equal to that city and though,The sun and the moon that appear normally on the sky , they did not appear there ,Due to the gems as well as gold embedded on the palaces ,All the darkness there was removed and the city was shining.
4555. That city was like the home of poets who sung in praise ,Of King Kulothunga Chozha who was greatly praised by the world ,Being full of heaps of gold , shining golden apparel .Soft scented sandal paste and heaps of shining ornaments.
4556. Sice the city was not having ladies who had tied anklets with sound on their leg,With men of good character , it was as if every one was sleeping or ,A drawing of a city which does not have any life.
4557. That city with endless greatness had cooked rice and other food,Tasting like nectar , honey like the Tamizh language , matchless cold alcoholic drinks,Plenty of sweet fruits and many other food items like these,Which were producing pleasant aroma .
4558. All of them seeing that great city which never gets destroyed.Before their eye, thinking that it was the city of their enemy Ravana,Talked among themselves became happy and surprised ,Entered that city through its long and wide golden gates.
4559. Those monkey warriors entered the town and started searching,And they could find their devas and men of earth and heaven,In the form of pictures only but did not see anything.
4560. There were canals there ,There were ponds there ,There were gardens with scented flowers there ,There were koels which coo like the lisping of damsels with blue lotus eyesThere were Nagavana birds , parrots , young swans with pretty wings ,But ladies were not visible there in any place .
4561. They understood the nature of that city when they entered there,And they thought that it may be a city of illusion which is not used by any,And they thought it may be heaven but knowing that one can see heaven,Only after undergoing suffering of hell, they gained courage.
4562. Then they thought “we are not dead and never thought about ,Ways to attain heaven and we have not forgotten past incidents ,WE are blinking and doubting . WE should not act of people ,Who have fainted now as it would be a mistake . How can we ,Understand the state we are in “ and they stood there confused.
4563. At that Jambavan addressed those monkey heroes and sorrowfully told,“That Ravana who has taken away Sita with Bamboo like shoulders ,And who has kept her in hiding and who is a very big thief ,Has done this trick to imprison us by making us enter here , It is really great .There is no end to this and would come to an end by our previous bad karma.”
4564. Hanuman looking at Jambavan told with a burning mind,“If we are not able to climb out of this hole , we being more strong ,Than the sons of king Sagara , we would drill the earth and climb out of here ,If that is not so we would kill all the asuras who have deceived us ,And rise up above , So do not fear at all.”
4565. When Angadha and other monkeys liked what Hanuman had said ,They decided firmly on that strategy and then they walked through the town,They saw a form with very thick matted hair with a lady form doing penance there.
4566. She had tied round her waist a bark cloth , her breasts which were Like the lined Chakravaka birds was like a golden plot with dirt,She had on her pretty face which was like the full moon with thirty crescents Red tints , eyes like the black kayal fishes , And her eyes were concentrating on the rip of her nose.
4567. Her chariot plate hips were joined tightly with her thighs ,Which were like Banana stems and her thin shaking waist ,Did not move at all due to the heavy weight due to her breasts.
4568. Her two tender hands which were like the lotus flowers ,Were kept on thighs of golden colour which were kept one near the other,For the sake of destruction of passion and others which are the enemies with in ,And for the sake of destruction of desires and directing five senses in good path.
4569. Her long black hair which was let loose in waves , had become,Thickly matted and was rolling on earth , Her bad and good Karmas had ,Been completely moved away , the attachment in her mind going away ,And her merciful grace was seen through her eyes.
4570. The monkeys approached lady who was sitting like that and thinking ,That she is Sita , who is like Arundathi , they started liking her , became nervous ,Looked at Hanuman and asked “Is she Sita “?Please compare her,With her identity which was told to you by Rama and tellus.”
4571. Hanuman looked at the monkeys and asked “Which identity and which propertyShall I say is possessed by this lady? This creeper like lady is not the wife of Rama,If the garland of bones is similar to the garland made by the precious nine gems,She can be considered similar to Sita”, he told them.
4572. At that time that lady woke up from her yogic sleep and feeling ,That it was not proper for them to come before her , she became angry ,“What is the cause of your coming to this city which is not approachable by any one?Why did you come here ? and who are you ?” , she asked them.
4573. They replied , “Asuras who cause only sorrow to this world did an act of deceit,By taking away Sita and hiding her, And we are the emissaries of Lord Rama ,Who is faultless and who has established Dharma in this world and we who,Started searching for the place where she is hidden are wandering everywhere.”
4574. When the monkeys told like this , she who was sitting there stood up ,And with love and became one possessed with as much joy as a mountain,And told tem, “Let your visit become auspicious and now I would dance with joy.”And stood there shedding tears of joy from both her broad eyes.
4575. Then that lady who was like a pretty deer and who had very long eyes ,Asked Hanuman “Where does that Rama stay?” , that Hanuman ,Who did not have big desires and had sterling thoughts told her,All that happened to Rama from beginning to end.
4576. After hearing everything about Rama told ,” my faultless penance ,Has now only attained its purpose ,” and with great love towards those monkeys,Bathed their feet with water , and made them eat food that was as tasty as nectar ,Started telling sweet words that were greatly pleasing to them.
4577. Hanuman then saluted her lotus like feet and asked her ,“Who is the chief of this city ? What is your natural name ?Oh lady who has done penance so that the world would praise you ,Please tell.” And that lady who had a hanging hair ,Started telling Hanuman , all that happened to her.
4578. “Oh good one , Due to Maya(asura architect) who was a great one with a face of deer ,Following the yogic techniques clearly mentioned ,lifted his face up ,Eating only the rays of the sun and wind and did great penance ,This big city was given as a gift to him by Lord Brahma with four faces.”
4579. ”After this city was made like that that Asura wanted to make love,To one Deva lady with a pretty forehead and that good lady was my friend,Who was like my soul and since that Asura begged for this favour ,I brought that deva lady from the golden heaven ,And made her reach this hole cave on the earth.”
4580. ”That Deva maiden and that Maya made love and got in to the passion,Desired by Andril birds and they without knowing anything lived in this city ,For a very long time and I who was friendly with that lady who wore big ear globes ,Moved with her very closely and with affection I stayed with her here.”
4581. “Oh person with good culture , after several days after their living together,Happily , the king of devas who came in search of the Deva maiden got very angry ,And killed that very strong Maya and told that lady who had feet like ,Pretty peacock feathers and pretty teeth and smile told her.”You have erred.”
4582 . “When Indra who was angry asked her to tell all that happened ,And that lady who had a cheeks like fully matured coral , caught me ,And told “This bad thing was started and brought to a close by this lady” .And that King Indra after analyzing all aspects told me, “You live here alone.,The job of protecting this city is yours”
4583. “When Indra ordered like this , I saluted him and asked,“When will the way arise so that my sorrow will come to an end ?”Please tell me a day when it will end.” And even before I asked ,That Indra said, “As per the order of Rama , when very strong monkeys ,Come here, your sorrow will come to an end .” and he went back to his town.
4584. ”Oh Great Hanuman ,here you have food to eat , pastes to apply on body,Flower garland to decorate yoyr head , Good cloth of attractive colours ,And though I have got all these but without touching them and ,Giving up all attachments , to win over my bad fate , I have been,Doing long penance which is beyond imagination.”
4585. “Oh Sir , this hole cave is one hndred Yojanas broad andAS I do not know the way to climb to world of devas , if you help me ,There is a chance for my redemption and please think about ,Ways to achieve that in your mind , “ She told.
4586. When Swayamprabha told like that , Hanuman after saluting ,The flower like feet of that lady who has won over the five senses ,By his head , told, “I would give you the golden land where Devas live as a crowd.”
4587. Other monkeys addressing Hanuman requested , “Oh great one who mercifully saved us ,From dying by drowning in this hole cave which is the ocean of darkness ,Please take action that is needed to be taken now ,” and that Hanuman,Whose good qualities can never be sufficiently praised , decided to do that.
4588. Hanuman looking at others said, “do not get scared” and with a soft smile and started likeA male lion to join the wide cave merge with the land in the sky by breaking up the top of the caveAnd lifted up his long hands and assumed a form that occupied the entire sky.
4589. That son of wind God with his two lustrous hands on both sides of his head ,Looking like two bent tusks , making those who saw him greatly scared ,Broke open the top portion of the cave and grew up and was looking ,Similar to the huge black boar form of Lord Vishnu who brought back the earth from Patala.
4590. He was similar to the matchless feet of Lord Vishnu who grew up above .The auspicious sun with his rays who was in the sky created by Lord Brahma who was born,On the lotus flower which grew from the belly of Lord Vishnu, after he ,Requested for two feet of land from Mahabali and measured the worlds by two steps.
4591. Hanuman broke open earth to a distance of one hundred and forty Yojanas,Came out on the outside land from that cave , lifted up the city of the cave ,Making even devas shiver and threw it on the western ocean and shouted in joy like ocean.
4592. THat piece of the cave city is still there in the western ocean with a name,“The destruction less cave city” and the monkeys along with Swayamprabha ,Who had a long forehead reached the land and she went back to golden land of devas.
4593. Those very strong monkey heroes praised Hanuman and after walking for a day,On the earth reached a lake full of water and stayed on its long bank and ,At that time The great Sun God with a chariot went to western mountain of sun set.
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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.