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Sita -
Versions vary; values do
not-II
 As we saw, Kamban's Sita stood
there on the balcony of the gynaecium of Mithila and Rama was passing the
streets of the city along with his brother and Viswamitra. Rama looked up and
Sita looked down accidentally and their eyes met. The two gazed and gazed at
each other and fell in love, even before Sri Rama entered the court of Janaka,
leave alone lifting the bow up and stringing it.
Though very minor, this one is
an important detour that Kamban made, which has many sociological aspects to
consider. We examined some of them. (See: 'pEsavum
vENdumO?' and If it is not
he)
We are not speaking about the
'Thai'
version and other varied versions of the Ramayana prevailing in several other
countries. Most of them would make an ardent devotee of Ramayana to throw his
hands up in sheer desperation, at the unbelievable twists and turns that the
story takes, moving completely away from the main line as it is known in India.
If there were three versions of
the Ramayana in Sanskrit, there was a version of the Ramayana in Tamil before
Kamban attempted his monumental work. This version is not available now. Even
the name of the author is unknown. But, that it existed is evidenced by the
pieces of quotations from that earlier version, cited as explanatory notes by
stalwarts like Nachinaarikiniyar, in his commentary on
Tholkaapiyam and other
ancient classics in Tamil. And it is by sheer accident that pieces of this rich
treasure are preserved by commentators, who quoted a small portion to explain
some other context in another story or a sutra in a book like Tolkappiyam.
One such piece says, 'aaL vinai
mudiththa arundhava munivan'. The sage after completing his yaga (meaning
Viswamitra), 'vELvi pOtriya iraaman avanodu,' along with Rama, who stood guard
at the time of yaga, 'mithilai mUdhUr eydhiya gnaandrai,' entered the ancient
town of Mithila. And when he did so, 'madhi udam patta madak kaN seethai...'
Sita fell in love with him.
 This piece of an ancient
version of Ramayana in Tamil, that must have existed at least a 1500-2000
years before Kamban, found by sheer accident in the most unexpected place - in
the midst of a long commentary on a sutra - gives a very vital clue as to why
Kamban depicted the divine couple as falling in love even before Rama was taken
to the bow, (See: aNNalum nOkkinaan avaLum
nOkkinaaL)
But the fact remains that
Valmiki portrayed the wedding of the divine couple in a particular way and the
portrayal of Kamban adds a shade more to the original. If the two poets painted
their pictures differently, one strong reason behind such change is the
tradition of the particular area in which the heart of the poet sprouted.
Well, that is one of the
aspects that we have been pursuing thus far, looking at the finer details of
construction of events in the story and how it affects the characterisation and
the architectonics as a whole.
Most important of all - We have
been looking at the story, as Right Hon'ble Srinivasa Sastriyar put it, "as
a human story, lived among human beings by a human being,' and as he pointed
out, we do realise the "rich treasures there are of wisdom in it."
Versions may vary. Values do not.
With this background, my dear
friends, let us get back to mother Sita from where we left her in the Sundara
Kanda, speaking to Hanuman, giving out her message to her Lord and to Lakshmana
and asking him to stay over in the Asoka Vana until it was dawn, for his
presence was nothing but manna for her lacerated heart.
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