By Kambar (Kavichakravarthy Kamban)
Translated in English by P. R Ramachander
Kamba Ramayanam-Kishkinda Kandam 1 (Padalam 1)
1.Pambai Vaavi padalam
The chapter on lake at Pambai.
(This chapter gives a picturesque description of Pamba lake and sorrow of Rama on seeing several things in that lake .Lakshmana consoles him. Rama takes bath in Pamba lake. In Valmiki Ramayana , Sugreeva sees him on the shores of this lake.)
3709. That lake had lot of flowers which had honey , it had red eyed elephants, With strong hands dipping themselves but had clear waters which reflected ,The sky with stars and clouds and looked like they all were inside it.
3710. It had clear waters like the cut crystal sheets which were polished,And its walls were embedded with several nine varieties of lustrous gems,And since the clear waters were reflecting it , it took the colours of concerned gems ,And it was similar to the mind of those people who do not understand,The truth in spite of their great learning.
3711. All over the lake the gems in great heaps were found and ,Due to the royal male swans with coral coloured long legs ,And very many female swans , seen togetherThat lake looked like the destruction less sky ,With very many stars as well as countless full moons.
3712. It was like an ocean of pure water which was created by the matchless son of Khadhi*, When he wanted to create the world surrounded by the cool sea , along with,The beings that live in that world as well sages who were great expert in Vedas, Which seem to win the cool salt water ocean, created by the four headed Lord Brahma. *Viswamithra
3713. Though that lake was deep and seemed to tell“ This is the lustrous habitat of great serpents,”,Like the meaning of words written by ,The great poets who were like the wish giving tree ,It looked very clear till the end of the nether world.”
3714. With the greatly echoing sound of swan and other birds ,Which sit on the petals of the fully opened lotus flowers,It was not possible to differentiate particular sounds ,As belonging to any specific bird and so, it was,Similar to the shopping avenue of very big towns.
3715. The swans sitting on the lotus flowers on all sides,Seem to say , “We are not aware of the place ,Where Sita with black hair has been taken ,And so due to this inability we would not see,The face of Rama but would prefer to die”And looked like entering the burning fire.
3716. Though the clear water of the lake was capable, Of clearly showing the gems lying at its bottom,Like the true wisdom getting confused due to,The faulty ignorance coming in between and hiding ,It had several fresh leaves inside the waters which hid that clarity.
3717. The lustrous fishes of that lake hid themselves thinkingThat if Rama with a very sorrowing mind sees them ,He may recall the eyes of her who is the symbol of chastity ,And had parrot like voice and shed tears from eyes which never shed tears.
3718. Due to the gems which form inside the bamboo and ,The gems that are formed inside the tusk of the cloud like,Elephants in rut spreading the water of rut flowing like the mountain streams , Spreading on them , the lake looked like ,The face of pretty maidens wearing gem studded ear studs.
3719. The Elephants with very warm water of rut ,Dipping and playing in the clear water, making it turbid,Were like the bangle clad prostitutes engaging in,Continuous love play and getting pain in the body and get tired.
3720. Due to the honey that was flowing from sky touching mountains,And water of rut surrounded by bees flowing from the elephant ,Those who drink the water of that lake got great deal of enjoyment,And that lake looked like the reddish mouth of ladies with pretty hair.
3721. Like those idiots who do not have any knowledge ,Of the eighteen languages including Sanskrit shouting together,That lake was surrounded by randomly shouting birds ,Whose voice cannot be differentiated by others.
3722. The male swan getting separated from the female swan,Which was tightly embracing like the soul getting separated ,From the body , heard the honey like sound of anklets , Of the deva maidens coming to take bath with great concentration.
3723. That lake was having the luster of the pail of sandal paste ,Prepared by the rich people of the cities because ,The mountain streams were pulling along with them,Akil and sandal logs which get seasoned in the water of the lakes.
3724. The fishes in that tank , like the men who drink the honey,From the lips of ladies who look like deer , drank the honey ,From lily flowers in that tank and used to swoon due to joy,And the water crows , for proving the true nature of birth and death,Along with the fish held in their beaks used to go in and come out of its waters.
3725. , To Rama who used to eat hand full food several times like the elephant ,The swans of the tank which were depressed showed their gait , possibly ,Telling him that they were not capable of bringing back lady Sita,Who was like Goddess Lakshmi and would try to do their best ,And the lily flowers showed the prettiness of her eyes,And the red lotus flowers showed the beauty of her lips.
3726. Scared seeing the deva maidens wearing ornaments that give out light ,Who used to take bath in that lake daily by dipping and playing in it ,The swans in that lake went and stood on the flowering branches ,And looked like the maids of ladies carrying a swan toy.
3727. When the shadows of the crane fell in many places ,On the crystal like water of the lake , the playing fishes,Thinking that the cranes have entered inside the lake,To eat all of them became scared , while those,Cranes were sitting on the vanchi trees drying their large wings.
3728. On one side of the lake , there was the light of the blue gem And on the other side the light was given by the Padmaraga gems,And due to this lotus flowers remained pretty in day and night ,And the Chakravaka birds which were with them were like breasts of ladies.
3729. With the Valai fishes rushing like a sword thrown with great force , The water dogs which rolled and proceeded in the waves which make sound Appear to dance with sound of anklets on those Valai fishes like the street magicians,And the frogs seem to appreciate that dance by making cackling sounds.
3730. After reaching the waters of that type of lake and seeing,The youthful swans and the lotus flowers Rama , started wailing,Thinking about Sita who was as soft as the new leaves,Leaving out the wisdom that is got by thinking and research.
3731. ”Oh Chakravaka birds having very pretty legs , oh youthful swans, When I am greatly sorrowing though I know that Sita who cannot tolerate Parting with me is not here, is it proper for you not to show mercy on me ?If you show mercy on me who is wilting due to that, would it not bring fame to you?If you talk and console me , who has never parted with her till now ,Would it bring a very bad name to all of you?”
3732. ”Oh lake , who shows the scented lotus flower and the newly opened,Scented lily flowers just like they are ointments to apply to my burning mind,You show her eyes and face, but can you not show me her fully at least once ?Those who do not provide help , when they have ability to do it would not become great.”
3733. Rama seeing the opened blue lotus flowers , lily flowers , scented lotus flowers,Leaves of Vallai climber, Kondai fishes , Varal fishes, tortoises and other things said,“oh lake , I am seeing the different limbs of the nectar like Sita in you .Please tell me whether those limbs thought of me when the great Rakshasa ,Was carrying her through the sky .Please tell.”
3734. “Oh peacock who runs about in joy and who hid himself because ,She was more prettier than you , Did your mind get cooled down,Because Sita is not there here? You might have seem her earlier ,And now without any mercy , you are dancing with joy,And is it possible for me to hide from you who has one thousand eyes?”
3735. ”Oh consorts of male swans , even if you are not willing ,To come near me , please tell me something which you know about Sita?Would not you talk to me anything? Would you do wrong to one who has not done wrong?If she who has no waist defeats you in the prettiness of your walk ,You should have enmity with her only and how can you hate me,Who thinks that your gait as pretty as that of Sita.”
3736. ”Oh lotus flower , who is golden shade and has scented petals,Who has pretty pollen over which bees sing around in tamil( sweetly),Sita is not with me and she does not stay any where else ,And if you who are liked by her say , that she is not with you also .How can I maintain relation with you who hides what is with you?”
3737. ”Oh red netti flower which lies near the red lily plant ,Which is like Sita’s mouth, Which lies without talking ,And without helping me in the lake , please show me the red fruit like mouth of Sita,Which without any fear used to come before me and talk nectar like words, And would you not give me the honey from that mouth and the cool words.”
3738. ”Oh Vallai climber , You become like the ears like the innocent Sita,Who is like a flowering branch and since nothing else needs to be done ,Do not you agree to help you and when things are like that ,Iyt appears you have come without the golden ear globes ,The ear hangings studded with pearls ,Would you not wear them and would you still like enmity .”
3739. ”oh pretty blue lotus flower which is like the pretty eyes of Sita,Who has feet which is like the coral studded on the lotus flower.And which has fingers painted with red cotton juice ,Who always lives in my mind which is like a fully opened lotus flowers ,And who has pretty hair which is like a cloud,Would you trouble me like poison which has spread on me?”
3740. Wailing like this and taking torturous breath that RamaSitting on the bank of the lake with Kondrai trees with fully open flowers,Asked with sorrow “ Seeing me breaking up due to parting with Sita,You seem to be not bothered to console me , oh strong tree”
3741. That Rama who was the place where “mercy”, took birth,Saw male elephants which had flow of water of rut ,Which is surrounded by black bees feeding female elephants,With cool leaves and feeding water in their mouth and stood there.
3742. At that time his younger brother who wore the ornament of love ,Looked at Rama and said ,” Oh elder one , the time has gone ,And now please take bath in this lake and salute the holy feet,Of Lord Vishnu who has grown up like your great fame.”
3743. That Rama went from that place , due to the penance done earlierMaking even a big mountain like elephant in rut ashamed ,Took bath in the Pamba lake where waves were lashing ,And which was full of large number of very scented flowers.
3744. As soon as he dipped himself in that waters , the burning fire like,Passion of his body made the waters of the lake , similar to the cool water,In which the extremely hot iron staff of the black smith was dipped.
3745. That Rama who was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu ,Who took the form of swan and taught the rare Vedas to Brahma,Took bath there and as per the rules of old Veda ,Saluted the feet of Lord Vishnu and stayed in the,Side of a garden which was having crowd of sages and ,The Sun with burning rays set for that day.
3746. At the time the girl called dusk arrived there and at that time,Rama was sorrowing thinking of Sita who tied a cloth over pretty breasts ,Who was not with him , the moon which had the painful cool rays ,Rose up in the sky like the Sun with his hot rays.
3747. The flowers closed, The birds went and stayed in their nests,Al animals stopped their activity , The trees and leaves closed ,The parrots stopped talking , Peacocks stopped dancing,Koels did not sing and The elephants stopped trumpeting .
3748. The earth started sleeping , the beings on stable mountains slept ,The faultless watering place slept , The serpents started sleeping ,Those beings of the sky which are praised slept , the ghosts slept,But Rama and Lakshmana who sleep on ocean did not sleep.
3749. When the sun with hot rays rose from the sea making the faultless Rama ,Get up from the sorrow , just like when matured wisdom comes ,The bad karmas which are like smoke and slushy mud ,Become sad and go away , the endless night came to an end and lotus flowers opened.
3750. Rama and Lakshmana who belonged to Kosala kingdom with sugar cane factories,Which make great noise , like the nectar which arose in the ocean of milk with great sound,Went on searching for Sita who was similar to the female deer of the forestIn long paths where there were ocean like gardens having mountains ,IN the forests and with great speed travelled a long distance .
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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.