Contents
By Kambar (Kavichakravarthy Kamban)
Translated in English by P. R Ramachander
Kamba Ramayanam-Aranya Kandam 5 (Padalam 12)
12. Kavandhan Padalam
The chapter on Kabandha.
(Rama and Lakshmana then meet a Rakshasa called Kabandha . They cut off his huge hands. He gets out of his curse and assumes his original form of Gandharwa . He prays Rama.He advises them to meet Sabari , then strike friendship with Sugreeva , the monkey who was the son of Sun God . In Valmiki Ramayana Just by touch of Rama, Kabandha does not attain his original form. He requests Rama and Lakshmana burn him and when they do it he gets back his original form. He says there that he got this form because Indra beat him on his head with Vajrayudha. The Instructions given by Kabandha are in great detail in Valmiki Ramayana .He does not recite a prayer to Rama.)
3643-3646. Rama and Lakshmana crossed fifty Yojanas (100 miles) and were wandering,In the place which was surrounded by forests and the sun reached ,The centre of the sky and then they saw the forest of Kabandha,Who used to extend both his hands from the place where he is ,And swallow all that is caught within them AndRight from the huge sized elephant to the tiny ants fell down ,Developed a vacant look , became scared and were .Caught in a net from which there was no escape ,And they became like the citizens of the kingdom ruled ,By a weak king , who was not capable of ruling andWho was unable to make things stand properly in their places.They all got greatly scared , scattered and their bodies,Became in to a very big heap and they stood perplexed with great sorrow.They ran sobbing and stood perplexed and Rama and Lakshmana saw them.At that time huge rocks of mountains rolled down , the trees were uprooted ,And all directions became like empty spaces without water ,And the water filled clouds rolled and fell down.
3647. Rama and Lakshmana entered in the space between those hands ,Which were nearing like the raising four oceans at the time of the cyclone at deluge, Making very great sounds and becoming very tall , rotating in all directions.
3648. Being caught in the boundary wall like hands of Kabandha which were ,Nearing like the huge Chakravala mountain , they thought ,For the sake of Sita who talks sweetly the Rakshasa army,Sent by Ravana has surrounded them and became happy.
3649. Rama looked at his younger brother and told him,“Know that the home of Ravana who troubles Sita is ,Within these boundaries and so our great sorrow is destroyed.”
3650. ”If what is standing around is the army of Rakshasas, then,We are not hearing the sound of the beating of the drums ,Nor the sound of booming of the conches and so ,The great sound we are hearing must be some other thing “Said Lakshmana and then saluted him and stood in front of him.
3651. Lakshmana further said, “Oh Lord who stays with stability Even at final deluge , either Vasuki which was tied by the Devas ,Around the Mandhara mountain when they were trying to get nectar,Or some other snake has tied its head with its tail, ,And it looks that it is trying to catch all that is within it.”
3652. Realizing that the words of Lakshmana were very apt ,The Lord who walked on the earth for the welfare of beings,After thinking walked another two Yojanas and reached ,Near Kabandha who was very much like a sitting mountain.
3653-3654. He was having two boiling eyes which looked like .The hot sun has been pasted on the huge Meru mountain,And the distance between one teeth and another teeth of his,Was two Kadams and he had a ocean like mouth which was ,Fixed on his belly and he had two long hands which ,Was lying on both his sides and it looked like the serpent,Vasuki which was used to churn the moon touching ,Mandhara mountain by the devas and Asuras.
3655. ,He had a huge nose from which fire and smoke emerged ,Which was like the bellows of the blacksmith and had a rotating,Toungue which was similar to the tongue of the raging fire ,Which was capable of drying away the huge ocean which was its enemy.
3656. He had two long protruding teeth which was like the ,Full moon , broken trying to enter a strong cave,Located on the mountain with streams when he got scared ,Of the huge serpent which was rolling and coming to eat him.
3657. His shape was not fitting with the five elements ,Like the cold water as well as earth and he seemed ,To be the five great crimes mentioned by ,The tradition of Vedas rolled in to one form.
3658. When the great cruel serpents who normally try to swallow ,The very hot sun and the cool moon , did not have any work to ddo,His ear holes were found by them as suitable to take rest,And they were making fun of him that his belly was more worse ,Than the hell where the beings who do sin and cruel deeds live.
3659. He had hands using which he used to catch and lift ,All the beings within the frame of his hand and in huge,Chunks he used to stuff of them in his mouth and,This looked like the dead beings entering ,The victorious entrance of the place of God of death.
3660. He was raising great sound like the torrential sound of the ocean,And had a burning black body like the Halahala poison,’And he had a headless body like that of Kalanemi ,Whose head was cut by divine wheel of Lord Vishnu.
3661. That Kabandha who had a body like the mount Meru,Which had lost his tall peak by the force of a torrential wind ,And Rama and Lakshmana who had very clear hearing ,Saw that Kabandha sitting there only with his body.
3662. Seeing the huge mouth of Kabandha which was like the world ,Surrounded by the Chakravala mountain in which,Huge rivers and even oceans entered , Rama and Lakshmana ,Thought that it was an entrance to a town with an old wall ,Belonging to the Rakshasas where Devas cannot enter.
3663. Then at that time Lakshmana after critical examination,Told, “Oh expert in archery , this is a very huge ghost ,Which would catch all the beings within its reach ,Bend its hands and put them all in to its mouth ,What shall we do?” And Rama answered.
3664. ”Oh younger brother , I lost my peacock like wife ,And Jatayu who was like our father also is no more ,And I do not want to wander carrying this bad name on my head,And so I would become food to this ghost and you some how escape.”
3665. ”I Having brought sorrow to my parents as well as Bharata,Having made wise elderly people sad and having also earned a bad name ,I do not think that I would be able to wipe away the bad name , except in death.”
3666. Would I care to go on carrying a mountain like quiver ,And go to the king of Mithila and inform him,“That Sita who was given by you to me , who had culture to suit my home,Who is like a tender creeper speaking very sweet words is ,Now in the home of great Rakshasa and I have come alone.”
3667. “ Instead of people telling about me that” Being one who was not able to protect Sita who was like a flower garland,Rama is living with the great desire of ruling and looking after heaven,”It would be better that people to say “Rama has attained heaven”,And so I think that it would be much better for me to die.” Said Rama.
3668. When Rama who is god who rules every one told like this,The younger brother of the Lord said, “My fate would be great ,If this sorrow happens after I decide to follow you to forest,And If I return alive back to Ayodhya , before you do.”
3669. After telling this , Lakshmana further told , “one is valorous,Only if he fights with the problems that he faces and wins over it ,And if one were not to leave his life before , father, mother ,As well as elder brother like the enemy who does not love Would not his fame go away from him.”
3670. Before the people who once praised , “this Lakshmana ,Sacrificed his sleep and guarded his deer like sister-in-law,And his elder brother , what a great job” making others talk,“This Lakshmana has come back alone without both of them,”Would be the greatest mistake of all.
3671. My mother told me “ “Obey everything that your elder brothers orders,And if sorrow occurs because of that , do not retreat because of that but accept it,And if death were to occur to the famous Rama , before he dies , you embrace death.”And my behavior would be only truthful to my mother , if I obey her orders.”
3672. ”Oh Rama who has pretty shoulders ornamented with Gold ,If me and my mother were to get a fame that without differing ,From you and your mother , we both were always with you ,”We would think that fame would be greater and never think,That our life would be greater and would never leave you.”
3673. ”If I tell you the truth , even all things at all places are destroyed,And even when Devas who tell the Vedas which can never be destroyed,Are destroyed , you would not die and when this is the truth ,If you tell me that you would die because the ghost living in this forest Which eats animals like elephant kills you , is there any meaning in it.”
3674. “People who happen to hear about your decision will not accept it,Those who happen to see it directly would not like your act ,You instead of getting the fame that in the great war that arises,You got Sita who lives wearing the flower garland released ,Without her getting dejected , would you like to accept the bad name ,That Rama died because he was not able to get victory in war.”
3675. ”This ghost which burns like poison merits to be cut,Today by my sword and it is not proper to estimate it otherwise ,Leave your sorrow and see me cutting away it hands ,Which catches everything that it can hold and its cave like mouth,Where it puts them all without any mistake “ Lakshmana told.
3676. Saying like this For cutting that Ghost Lakshmana went before,His Lord Rama who was trying to go and do it before Lakshmana .And that younger brother who was comparable stopped the elder ,And people rush one against the other cannot be seen anywhere ,And the Devas who were witnessing this competition between them cried.
3677. Like this they competed with each other and both of them ,Who were wearing big heroic anklets that produced sound ,Similar to the two eyes of the face seeing the same thing,Neared Kabandha who asked them, “Oh valorous ones,Who are you and why have you come here to get destroyed” ,And both of them who had same opinion about ,What is going to happen stood there in great rage.
3678. “Even after seeing me they have not upset and since they are ,Standing stable they are insulting me” thinking like this ,Kabandha got very angry and the newly appeared rage,Appearing in every pore of his body , thinking that ,He would swallow them and just when he started ,The valorous heroes cut both his arms by swords.”
3679. Due to his hands being cut, Kabandha was surrounded by a river of blood,And without any doubt he resembled the Chaiya mountain from which,River Cauvery flows from west to east in two branches and was looking pretty.
3680. That Rama who was ruling all beings touched him by his pretty hands,And due to that Kabandha got rid of the curses which was due to sin committed earlier,And when his shoulders were cut , he got rid of his body which was evil,And like a bird coming out of a cage , rose up in the sky and appeared there.
3681. Kabandha who rose up in the sky understood that Rama is the great God ,Who is the leading light of Gods like Lord Brahma and started praying ,That great one listing his innumerable great qualities , for ,When you are having good fate nothing would be impossible to get.
3682”. Oh Lord who came to the place where I live and appeared before me,And rubbed off my curse which had a very rare result,Are you not the one who has created every thing ,Are you not the witness to the endless effort of Dharma,Are you not the one who appeared here due to penance of devas,Are you not the primeval god who became in to the trinity?’
3683. ”Oh lord without any cause , but who is the cause of everything ,The forms that you assume according to your will are ,Things that cannot be understood by any one ,Please tell me whether your real form is the banyan tree of deluge ,Or the music of that tree or are you the baby who sleeps on the banyan leaf .Or Are you the the expanse of water at deluge .
3684. ”To those who see and all that which are seen , you are the eye,You who are not dependent on any thing are standing like,One whom every thing in the world depends and due to,Your divine greatness you are hiding all the world in your belly ,During the deluge and after deluge you bring out all of them,Are you masculine, feminine or neutral or something different from these?”
3685. ,” You are the primeval God who is the creator and you are ,The primeval god who is the root of everything and if there is,Some thing which is before the primeval root , you are that ,You are the flame of light , If the Vedas which tell about you ,Request you , would not those Gods , who are ,Outside of the ambit of Vedas become ashamed.
3686. With the eight directions becoming the walls , with the ,Fourteen worlds as the fourteen stories , the huge temple ,Which is a globe which is lighted by the moon, sun and stars,And which is the lotus flower that never opens is your home.”
3687. Oh Lord who is above everything , you take food ,The offerings which come up from the fire of Homa ,Which cannot be seen by any one and which has ,The eight directions as its limits and offered by Brahmins,You are the one who makes people who offer you food to eat,And who would be able to understand your culture ,In which you are both the one who eats and one who make others eat.
3688. Oh Lord who is greater than all those things that are great,Like the water bubbles which appear in the stable ocean of birth ,The worlds which do not have any differences during time of peace ,Rise up at the time of creation and appear inside you,And at the time of deluge they all disappear in you, Is it easy to understand.
3689. ” Have the great Vedas been made knowing about your activities ,Or is it that your activities are being undertaken as per the tenets of Vedas,You have given me great wealth that does not go behind the evil acts ,Which are not as per Dharma and to get this great blessing ,What are the good acts done by me in my previous births?
3690. Oh Lord , who removed my attachment to this birth ,Who gave me this faultless body , who made me the cross the ocean of sorrow,And who cut off the connection with ignorance of me ,Who was wandering like a ghost due to my slipping away from Dharma ,And what great could act have I, who am like a dog , done , to get your grace.
3691. When in this manner Kabandha praised Rama who is the ultimate God ,Thinking that if I tell more such things in a plain manner ,It would not suit to the assurance Lord Vishnu had given to Devas ,He did not tell anything further , like a calf which has seen his mother cow,And stood in the sky in the divine form , Rama who shows himselfTo those who travel in the path of Dharma and Bhakthi , saw Kabandha.
3692. Rama then told his brother “, See him who is standing above ,As he has taken a different form blessed with great luster ,And is standing on the sky , just before us ,Please find out who he is ?” and then asked,Kabandha , “Who are you, please tell us.”
3693. , He said, “Oh valorous one who wears good ornaments and garland ,My name is Dhanu and I am a Gandharwa and due to the curse of a sage,I was born in this lowly form of Kabandha , Due to the touch of flower like hands ,Of Yours who have come here , I got back my original form .You are like the father of my father .Please hear what I have to say.”
3694. Though there is no body who are capable of protecting you ,Or those who should protect you , you who are carrying bow and several arrows ,It is proper that you take the help of others to search the matchless Sita,It is difficult for people without raft to cross the ocean,And like that it is difficult to destroy enemies without help of others.”
3695. “Is it necessary to describe in detail about your masculine power ,Which is faultless , To destroy all the creations by the very great Brahma Who sits on the seat of lotus flower, the matchless destroyer ,Lord Shiva has to take the help of The Bhoothas who have ,Great ability for destruction , and I am sure you know about this truth.
3696-3697. “As per tenets of Dharma , do not join with evil people ,But take help from people who are of good character ,As I told you earlier and so please meet Sabari,Who helps beings more than a mother and follow,The path indicated by her and meet personally ,The son of Sun God Sugreeva who is golden in colour ,Hug him and after fixing a firm friendship with him,Speedily start searching for Sita who has ,Shoulders like Bamboo. This would be good for you.”Said Kabandha and those heroes who wore ,Heroic anklets that make sound agreed to that proposition.
3698. Afterwards Kabandha saluted them , praised them and went away by the path of the sky,And Those lads born in the clan of Manu started going towards direction indicated by Kabandha,Crossed many forests and mountains and by night fall reached ,The hermitage of sage Mathanga which had very many elephants.
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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.