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Continued
from yesterday's instalment
 Maruti read the situation very well and as he anticipated Rama rushed to the spot. Earlier, he had moral and ethical issues preventing him from going to the aid of Sugriva, when he jumped over Ravana, since the fight was ongoing then. Now Kumbakarna is taking his ally as a captive and it now becomes his duty - even as a mortal - to go to the aid of his ally.
We have seen the heart of Kumbakarna in our earlier study. At heart he was against the act of Ravana that triggered this war. But as a soldier, he considered it his duty to do all that he could to his King, Ravana. He had very high regards for the virtues of Rama though the circumstances in which he was placed did not permit him to express them and in fact they demanded him to fight for a cause, which he was convinced was not right and had even predicted the downfall of Ravana, if he persisted with what he was doing. Now, on seeing Rama, though he tries to wear quite another mask to hide his feelings, his heart shows through.
‘kaakkiya vandhanai ennin,’
If you have come here to save (Sugriva) ‘kaNda en bakkiyam thandhadhu ninnai’ it is my good fortune that brought you here - for me to see you. (‘bakkiyam’ is the Tamil equivalent of ‘bhagyam’)
‘pal murai aakiya seru elaam aaki,’ Showing all the skills at my command - that I have done many a time before,’
‘em munaip
pOkkuven manathu uru kaadhal pun nOi’ I would free my brother from the illness called love, that is afflicting my brother’s mind.
The verse is an example of Kamban’s artistry at work. It sounds at the surface level to mean, ‘It is my good fortune that I found you. Now I have an opportunity to kill you and remedy the heart of my brother, which is suffering from the love for your wife,’ as it sounds at the surface level. But it is apparent that Kumbakarna could not have meant this as we have already discussed the reasons while studying Kumbakarna (See:
‘Demon or devotee?’ and
‘The last
moments’) and the subtle and implied meaning - that can be read without changing the order of the words and without having to dig out - is, ‘I am so fortunate in seeing you Rama! I will do all I can to help my brother. But I know, the
‘pun nOi’
the mean, despicable disease (or an insignificant disease, when it is interpreted at the surface level) that is afflicting my brother’s heart could be wiped off only after my death, and at the time of death of my brother.’ Kamban remembers to connect the words ‘wiping off’ in the lament of Mandodhari when Ravana fell in the battlefield. ‘Sri Rama’s arrows have gone deep into you, as if to ensure that the last traces of the desire you had for Sita have been cleansed.’ We will see this later.
 Though the words are supposed to be fiery and Kumbakarna keeps the fire on, and though he hides behind a mask of enmity, a close observer can easily and clearly see his heart melting like Swami Thyagaraja who sang,
‘nannu paalimppa natachi ochithivO.’ Did you have to walk for the sake of protecting me?
‘kaNda en baakiyam thandhadu ninnai.’ My good fortune brought you here for me to see. Two extremes. But the roots run deep in the same soil.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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