LEGENDS OF PRINCE LAKSHMAN - Page 15

The Kabandha incident I

Continuing their search for Sita, the two warriors come across Kabandha, a Gandharva who by a curse had attained the form of an ogre of a peculiar kind of form. All he has is a massive trunk, resembling a fort with two arms that stretch several miles long. He neither has a head nor legs. There is a single eye on his chest and his mouth is on his belly. I)
The form is so massive and the arms are so long that it resembles a large citadel. Caught in his hold, Rama gets the impression that they have at last reached the fort in which Sita had been imprisoned. 'I think we have reached the fortress of the city in which Sita is concealed. Look carefully and tell me,' he tells Lakshmana. 'sUr puga ariyadhu Or arakar thol madhil Ur pugu vaayilO idhu?' 'Is this the gateway of a fortress of the asuras, impenetrable even by the celestials?'
Though Lakshmana initially had the same impression, his sharp intellect and eye for logic is active once again. 'av vazhi iLayavan amarndhu nOkkiyE,' Lakshmana took a careful look (at Kabandha and deduced. 'If this was a fortress, then we should be able to see a number of soldiers. Besides, there would be rows and rows of defence mechanism like massive catapults and lance-launchers. 'vevviyadhu oru bUdham vil valaai!' This is a giant, O skilful archer! 'vavviya thank kayin vaLaiththu vaaip peyum.' It is grabbing whatever comes within its reach and devours it down its enormous mouth. 'seyvadhu en ivaN?' What are we to do?
Lakshmana is not perplexed when he is asking 'What are we to do?' He simply wants his orders now. As we have seen in numberless instances earlier, he waits for orders excepting in the case of emergencies. But that question sounds rather differently to Rama who loses his balance once again.
'thOgayum pirindhanaL' he laments. I have lost Sita now. 'endhai thunjinan.' Jatayu died in his valiant attempt to protect her. 'vEga vem pazhi sumandhu uzhalal vENdEn.' I cannot live with a blot on my name that I could not protect either my wife or (my father) Jatayu. 'aagalin, yaan idhanukku aamidam.' It therefore is appropriate that that I fall a prey to this (ogre). 'Egudhi INdu nindur iLavalE!' You go from this place and return to Ayodhya.
Let me die at its hands. It is the most befitting thing for me. If I don't, there soon will be a time when we have to return to Ayodhya and very soon after that I will have to meet Janaka. How will I be able to tell him, 'il iyalbudaya nIr aLiththa in solaaL, valli,' The sweet-spoken damsel that you gave to me in marriage 'av arrakkar manai uLaaL ena?' is in the house of asuras? 'malai enach chumandha thUNiyan, villinan!' With these massive bows and quiver!
How am I to face Janaka, armed with this matchless bow and a quiver from which the supply of arrows never stops, and tell him 'Your daughter whom you entrusted to me, you gave unto me in marriage is now living in the palace of demons!' Shame on me. Let me die in the hands of this ogre, Lakshmana, eaten by it. That solves all my problems. 'Egudhi INdu nindur iLavalE!' You go back to Ayodhya and be safe!

Who is the real warrior?

Only he who stays and fights and overcome their problems is a warrior in the truest sense. "They give sorrow to sorrow who in sorrow do not suffer sorrow."

'You go back to Ayodhya and be safe. Let my life end here,' told Rama. 'Do not come with me to the jungle; stay here,' was what he told Lakshmana even when they were getting ready to serve the term of exile. Lakshmana was shocked to hear these words, then. 'eeNdu unakku adiyanEn pizhaithadhu yaadhu, endraan.' 'In what way have I wronged you my brother?' he asked then. 'You sound crueller,' he pleaded then. But what we see is a totally different Lakshmana. He is not shocked. He is not surprised. He is not the same old person who used to raise his hood at the fall of a hat.

Remember. This is a serious emergency. Both brothers are caught in the hands of an ogre of unimaginable shape and proportion. They do not have much time to discuss, logically go over things, argue and be focused to the job at hand. Lakshmana realises his responsibility now. He could have handled the demon himself. But he wants his brother to drop his despondency and push across and be the person that he has always been. If that has to be achieved, he knew very well that the only thing that would appeal to Rama (or anyone who is emotionally disturbed for that matter) to put forth an argument that sounds very close to the one that is closest to the heart of the afflicted person. Lakshmana quickly says,

'I have come with you all the way to the forest and have lived with you all these years. Having come this far, it is my duty to die before you, if at all you have to die. 'idar vandhu mUNdaal munnE aar uyirOdum mudiyaadhe,' If we are confronted by troubles, without giving up my life before you, 'mINdE pOdharkku aam enin nandru en vinai' running away from you (to live in safety) wonderful indeed is my job!

On the next verse, Lakshmana trains the gun on the what Rama considers as his most precious value. Remaining worthy of parents and ancestors. 'than thaai thandhai tham mun enum thanmayar munnE pondraan endraal nInguvadhu andrE pugazh amma!' You are talking so much about our ancestors and our parents. Would we not cause a serious damage to the good name of our ancestors and parents, if we do not stay and fight now? 'idar thannai vendraar andrO vIrargaL aavaar?' Only he who stays and fights and overcome their problems are warriors in the truest sense. Lakshmana comes closest to the Thirukkural 'idumbaikku idumbai paduppar...' when he tenders the above suggestion to Rama, so very politely. "They give sorrow to sorrow who in sorrow do not suffer sorrow." (Kural 623) That is the essential quality that anyone needs, after all!

'I have a personal pride to live up to and too,' Lakshmana seems to imply when he says, 'If I return to Ayodhya now without you, what would people speak of me? Would they not say, 'Here goes the fellow who so very grandiloquently delivered long long speeches, vowing loyalty to his brother. They went to the jungle. Sita is missing and Rama did not come back. This fellow, who should have stood by their side in service, 'kaN thuyil koLLaadhu ayal kaathaRkku aanaan,' he who should have stood by their side even without sleeping a wink, 'avar indrith thaanE vandhaan,' he has come back (shamelessly) to the city, without them!' What can be more shameful to me to listen to those words and live?'

'It is not this alone, O Rama, that impels me not to listen to you now. You say that you have a promise of your father to live up to. You say that you have to respect the words of your father and your mother and that is why you gladly accepted the exile. In that case, I have an order from my mother to live up to as well!'

This fellow, who said 'you are my father, you are my mother, you are my teacher and you are my leader,' now says, 'I have an order of my mother (Sumitra) to live up to. Don't push me into a deed that would violate her words!'

The Kabandha episode II

'The logic that applies to you applies to me too! If you have your father's word to follow, I have my mother's!

'Do you remember what my mother told me when I set out on exile along with you? You were witness to her words. 'en thaai, un mun Eviya yaavum isai' My mother (ordered me) to obey your orders 'innal pindradhu eiydhi,' and bear all the difficulties that may come your way in carrying out those orders, 'isayaaLarukku azhivu uNdEl,' if at all Rama is faced with his end, 'pondraa munam pondrudhi endraaL' you give up your life before he dies. 'urai poyaa nindraal andrO niRppadhu vaaimai niali amma!' Is it not proper for me to carry out her command if at all I have to pursue the path of Dharma?

'The logic that applies to you applies to me too! If you have your father's word to follow, I have my mother's! You came on exile and refused to go back to Ayodhya when Bharata begged you to do so, because you said your father ordered you to do so. Now my mother has ordered me to die before you, if you are in danger. Now you say you are going to give up your life. What do you think I have to do now? If I respect the words of my mother, it is but proper for me to die before you! I cannot return to Ayodhya, for I have Sumitra's orders to be obeyed! What do you want me to do now?'

'My brother! You have a reputation to live up to. You cannot talk like this. You say you would be blamed when you return to Ayodhya, if you go without Sita. What do you think would people speak of you, if you choose to die at the hands of this ogre? 'kEttar koLLaar.' Those who come to know that you decided to die at the hands of this demon, would not accept it as a correct decision. 'kaNdavar pENaar.' Those who see this would not approve of it. Instead, they would say, 'thOttar kOdhai sOr kuzhal thannaith thuvaLaamal mIttaan ennum pEr isai koLLan' Rama was unable to rescue Sita from the hands of the rakshasa, befitting our praise 'seru vella maattan' he could not win the battle against Ravana and therefore 'maaNdaan' he died.

That is not a name worth dying for! Take up your sword and let us sever the shoulders of this demon!

However, it must be noted that this depiction of Kamban is so totally different from what Valmiki has portrayed. He shows Lakshmana in fear when caught in the hands of Kabandha. "Look at me helplessly fallen into the clutches of the ogre. Having offered sacrifice to this ogre with me alone (as a victim) (manage to) escape (from the clutches of this monster), O scion of Raghu! Offering me as a sacrifice to the devil (in the form of this ogre) run away at your convenience. You will recover Sita (a princess of Videha territory) before long; such is my conviction. Nay, getting back (the rulership of) the earth inherited from your forefathers, and installed on the throne, O Rama, you should always remember me there!" (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda LXIX, Sloka 39-40)

This deviation made by Kamban maintains the consistency of character of Lakshmana, who has no reason for fear now. It was Rama who was dejected and had been feeling rather downy and alone at heart and therefore the dramatic element is preserved perfectly with this change that Kamban has made

p.s. i told u naa i love kamban😳...kamban autograph plzzz👏