Layout 3 - India Foundation for the Arts - IFA
Layout 3 - India Foundation for the Arts - IFA
Layout 3 - India Foundation for the Arts - IFA
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fascinating to a student of Tamil. Here<br />
is how Guhan describes Bharathan<br />
who is coming to meet Rama and beg<br />
him to come back to Ayodhya:<br />
thaay uraikontu thaathai uthaviya<br />
tharanithannai<br />
thiivinai enna niithu sinthanai<br />
mukaththil <strong>the</strong>kki<br />
poyinai endra pozthu pukazinoy<br />
thanmai kantal<br />
aayiram iraamar nin kez aavaro<br />
<strong>the</strong>riyin amma<br />
(Oh famous one! You shunned as evil<br />
<strong>the</strong> kingdom given to you by your<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r who listened to your mo<strong>the</strong>r’s<br />
words. And with a grief-stricken face<br />
you came to <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>est. If both of you<br />
are compared, will a thousand Ramas<br />
be equal to you? I don’t know.)<br />
He ends <strong>the</strong> verse with <strong>the</strong><br />
exclamatory word ‘Amma’ (<strong>the</strong>riyin<br />
amma) peculiar to Tamil which adds<br />
wonder and an intimacy to <strong>the</strong><br />
exclamation.<br />
Kamban plays with <strong>the</strong> number five<br />
Imagining Rama – C.S. Lakshmi<br />
when he describes Hanuman. He uses<br />
<strong>the</strong> number five to mean <strong>the</strong> five<br />
elements:<br />
anjile ondru petraan<br />
anjile ondrai thaavi<br />
anjile ondru aaraaga<br />
aariyarkaaga yegi<br />
anjile ondrana anangaik<br />
kantu ayalaar ooril<br />
anjile ondrai vaithaan<br />
avan nammai alithu kappaan<br />
(He who is born of one of <strong>the</strong> five<br />
elements [wind] crossed one of <strong>the</strong> five<br />
elements [water] and with one of <strong>the</strong><br />
five elements <strong>for</strong>ming his way [<strong>the</strong> sky]<br />
he went <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> sake of <strong>the</strong> Aryans, and<br />
met one of <strong>the</strong> five elements [Sita, who<br />
is born of <strong>the</strong> earth and also known as<br />
<strong>the</strong> earth] and in a <strong>for</strong>eign land he<br />
placed one of <strong>the</strong> five elements [fire; he<br />
set fire to Lanka]. He will bless us and<br />
protect us.)<br />
While <strong>the</strong> language of Kamban<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> epic keeps one close to<br />
<strong>the</strong> texture of <strong>the</strong> text, where one is<br />
overwhelmed by <strong>the</strong> language is when<br />
Ravana describes Sita. Reading <strong>the</strong><br />
text one understands <strong>the</strong> love Rama<br />
feels <strong>for</strong> Sita and Sita’s love <strong>for</strong> him.<br />
After <strong>the</strong> abduction of Sita, Rama<br />
wanders in <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>est saying he can’t<br />
live without her. It is moving to see<br />
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