Kausalya’s response

How could this happen at all! How could she sound so very much like Rama! Was it because she was the mother of Rama? Or was it the other way about…

The part that Kausalya plays in the epic is rather short and her qualities come into the fore when Rama breaks the news of Bharata assuming the throne, followed by that of his going to the jungle. Kamban handles the character in a different way to display a matured frame of mind, while human frailties bubble forth in Valmiki. She appears in a very few scenes in the Ayodhya Kanda, while minimum reference is made to her in the Bala Kanda. We meet her once again in Nandhigrama where Bharata is waiting for the arrival of Rama and decides to fall in fire when his arrival gets delayed. We see a brave, practical and affectionate mother there too. A study of the queens deserves our attention but here comes out a finer façade of this gem.

Guha fell at her feet when Kausalya was introduced and after making enquiries about him, Kausalya consoles Guha who is in tears in seeing her in such a condition. She is not at all worried about what has happened. She sounds more like a mother who comforts her child, though her mind is set in agony at the death of her beloved husband and having to go through the pangs of separation from her son. Of course, the present mood is such that there is a ray of hope in the action of Bharata to bring Rama back and her mind is also brimming with the hope that Rama may relent.

‘Do not weep my dear child!’ she tells Bharata. ‘naivileer aleer maindheer, inith thuyaral!’ Do not be overburdened by misery and feel bad about what has happened. ‘naadu iRandh kaadu nOkki mei veerar peyarndhadhuvum nalam aayitru.’ It is for good that ye brave warriors have left the kingdom and moved into the jungle. Even that has resulted in good you see. (And only because of that we could find Guha.) ‘kai veerak kaLiru anaya kaaLai ivan thannOdum kalandhu neevir’ All of you (all the four of you) along with this valiant Guha, who possesses the strength of an elephant, ‘aiveerum oruveeraai agal idaththai nedum kaalam aLiththir endraaal’ all the five of you in unison as a single entity, protect this world for a long, long time to come.

Kausalya has heard what Bharata said by way of introduction. Bharata mentions, ‘in thuNayan iraagavanuku.’ He is the companion of my Lord, Rama. Not only that. ‘ilakkuvaRkkum, iLayavaRkkum enakkum mooththaan.’ He is elder to Lakshmana, Satrughna and me. Her motherliness enables her to see what Bharata means, though he divides the relationship into two. He is the companion of Rama and elder brother of all the three of us. And when she blesses, she so affectionately adds, ‘It is all for good my lad. Here is another brother of yours. All the five of you join together in unison as if you were a single entity to protect this world.’

How could this happen at all! How could she sound so very much like Rama! Was it because she was the mother of Rama? Or was it the other way about, was it because Rama was her son?

Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi have sparkling qualities. Yes. Including Kaikeyi. We will take up a study of them after completing our discussion on Guha. Especially the way Kausalya’s character has been built by Kamban, as distinct from Valmiki.

The mother of woes and nurse of infamy

Bharata then ventures into the choicest of vituperative remarks. ‘Don’t you know her by her very appearance? Does she need to be introduced?

Guha then turned to Sumitra and the queen is introduced by Bharata with a reverence that matches the veneration that he showed to Kausalya. When Guha turns towards Kaikeyi, the Poet himself is not able to contain himself. He devotes an entire verse – unlike in the case of the other two – just to mention that Guha stood before her and asked for an introduction. The Poet spends three lines and even extends to the first half of the last line, to decry Kaikeyi. One is not able to find who – Bharata or the Poet – is more caustic in showering acrimony on her. Here is how the Poet narrates Guha walking to the presence of Kaikeyi and asking who she was.

‘sudu mayanaththidai than thuNai Ega,’ (One who paved the way) to lead her lord to the funeral pyre, ‘thOndral thuyark kadalin Ega,’ (one who was responsible for the deed that) immersed her son (Bharata) into a sea of grief, ‘kadumai aar kaanagaththuk karuNai aar kali Ega,’ (one who was behind the order that made) Rama the most merciful to reach the most formidable jungle.

Three dreaded deeds in one go! She who was responsible for the death of her husband, for the distress that her son was going through and most important, who was instrumental for Rama, the benevolent, going on exile. And the Poet does not stop there. He adds, ‘nedumayaal andru aLandha ulagu ellaam,’ Trivikrama measured all the three worlds with his feet by assuming his viswaroopa. But this woman did not have to do that. ‘than manaththaal ninaindhu seyyum kodumayaal aLandhaalai,’ She measured and equalled all the three worlds by the malevolence of her mind. Trivikrama had to assume a great form to do it. Just her mind was sufficient for her to win all the three worlds in a trice.

‘Guha moved to the presence of such a woman who is so hard hearted and who caused so much misery on all sides by her cruelty,’ the Poet ends with all his vehemence, ‘and asked ‘aar ivar’ may I know who she is?’

Bharata then ventures into the choicest of vituperative remarks. ‘Don’t you know her by her very appearance? Does she need to be introduced? When distress is writ large on all of our faces here, look, what a calm posture she is able to maintain! Is she not the only one who is untouched by the misery that all of us are immersed in? You should have known her by this time. If not, I will tell you.

‘padar ellam padaiththaaLai,’ She is the one who is capable of creating newer and newer kinds of misery in this world. ‘pazhi vaLarkkum seviliyai,’ She is the nurse who nurtures, tends and grows (the baby known as) disrepute, infamy and calumny. ‘kudarilE kidandherkkum uyir baaram kuraindhu thEya,’ I lived in her womb. And because of that my body has now lost the weight of its soul. I am just a lifeless automaton now, because of her. ‘udar elaam uyir ilaa enath thOndrum.’ This kind of misery is not limited to me. Look all around and everyone is distressed and is suffering. Look at the faces around. You will see the kind of distress they are undergoing. ‘ulagaththE oruththi andrE idar ilaa mugaththaaLai,’ and she is the only one whose countenance does not bear any semblance of agony. You should have known her by this very distinctive quality. ‘arindhilaayEl,’ if you are not able to understand, ‘in nindraaL enai iindraaL,’ she is the one who gave birth to me.

Observe how careful he is to avoid the word ‘mother’ when referring to Kaikeyi, his own mother.

The twist in the drama

This drama takes place in Bharadwaja Ashrama in Valmiki Ramayana. It is Bharadwaja who asks the questions that Guha asks…

As we mentioned earlier, this drama takes place in Bharadwaja Ashrama in Valmiki Ramayana. It is Bharadwaja who asks the questions that Guha asks in Kamba Ramayana. To be precise, it occurs when Bharata and others take leave of the sage, after a complete night’s stay in the Ashrama.

Bharata approaches the sage to take leave of him and enquires about the location of Rama’s hermitage in Citrakuta. It is at that time that the queens come before him – it is to be remembered that they were seen by the sage earlier too, when Bharata entered the Ashrama – and the sage wants to know who is who. Here is the scene from Valmiki.

“Of them Kausalya – who was quaking (through old age and emotion) was emaciated (through grief caused by the loss of her husband) and affected because of her separation from Sri Rama) – while Queen Sumitra clasped the sage’s feet with both her hands. Kaikeyi (too) – who was condemned by the whole world because of her ambition (to see her son appointed as Prince Regent of Ayodhya) having not been fulfilled, clasped the sage’s feet with bashfulness (because of her designs having been frustrated) on that occasion. At that time the eminent sage Bharadwaja spoke to Bharata as follows: - ‘I seek to know the particulars concerning your mothers, O scion of Raghu!” (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XCII, Sloka 13 {part} to 18)

When introducing Kaikeyi, Bharata is seething with anger. “Know this irate, vain, vulgar, though noble to all appearance, and cruel Kaikeyi, my mother of uncultured mind and sinful resolve, who esteems herself good-looking and is covetous of power, (nay) thanks to whose designs, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, (the two tigers among men) have reached here the end of their life (in the form of exile in the forest, which is fraught with dangers at every step) while King Dasaratha, having been deprived of his (two) sons (Rama and Lakshmana) has ascended to heaven, and whom I consider to be the root cause of the great adversity that has befallen me.” (Ibid, Sloka 25-27)

The sage pacifies Bharata and asks him not to speak ill of his mother, however full of evil she might be. Observe how Kamban retains the drama, the same kind of emotions, and even the flavour of his speech as Valmiki portrayed it.

But by shifting this question to Guha, the whole perspective changes. Bharadwaja is a learned person who has the vision and the inner-eye to know and understand who is who from their very appearance. And it would not have been so very difficult to know who Kaikeyi was, given the posture that she adopts, as described by the Poets. More over, the timing of the question is a little misplaced. If an enquiry is to be made about the personae it should have been at the beginning of a meeting, at least after exchanging the initial pleasantries – clarification of a serious doubt in this instance – and not when they are departing.

When this question is shifted to Guha, he appears even more innocent, exuding curiosity and genuine desire of an illiterate person to get to know the queens, he having not had the opportunity to visit the palace of Ayodhya and acquiring a prior knowledge, as could have Bharadwaja. Kamban is the child that sits on the shoulder of his father and witnessing festivities. The child, sitting on the dad’s shoulder can see more than what the latter can see!

Rama remembers Guha

It is this simpleton that Rama is thinking of – even after the passage of fourteen long, long years – and attaching so much importance to him…

That is the last scene where we see Guha talking and interacting with others. He departs to Srngaverapura after accompanying Bharata to Rama and after Bharata takes the sandals of Rama back to Ayodhya. He appears in just four cantos (padalam) in the second book. There is no mention of him anywhere after that, till we reach the end of Yuddha Kanda.

This happens in the Valmiki Ramayana. When returning from Lanka after slaying Ravana and installing Vibishana as the king, Rama returns to Ayodhya in the pushpaka vimana and stays for a while in Bharadwaja Ashrama. He realises that the time of fourteen years have passed and Bharata and others would be waiting for him and that it is necessary for someone to take the message of his return, before he reaches Ayodhya, as they were getting delayed in Bharadwaja Ashrama.

He therefore summons Hanuman to take the message of his arrival to Bharata. Let’s see how Valmiki’s Rama starts his speech.

“Moving with all speed to Ayodhya, O jewel among monkeys, quickly find out if people in the royal palace are happy. Reaching Srngaverapura (earlier) communicate in my name my welfare to Guha, the suzerain lord of Nisadas, who dwells in the woods. Guha will feel actually delighted to hear of me as being safe and sound and free from anxiety. He is my friend, as good as my own self.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Canto CXXV, Sloka 4, 5)

‘Go to Ayodhya and announce my arrival. But before that go to Srngaverapura, inform Guha that I am safe and am returning.’ That is simply astounding. It is this simpleton that Rama is thinking of – even after the passage of fourteen long, long years – and attaching so much importance to him that he wants the message to be taken to Guha first, even before Bharata.

It was Bharata who is spending anxious days at Nandigrama and it is only natural that he gets the priority in receiving the message. But Rama the merciful, Rama the boundless who is bound by a fragile thread, love and devotion, feels that Guha should receive the message first. “He is my friend, as good as my own self,” he says.

Let alone emperors. How many of us would remember a simple boatman who did nothing in our lives, excepting showing devotion at a point of time, when our lives move in turbulence, turmoil and travail for a long time – fourteen years in the case of Rama, the last year and a little more being the most excruciating of them. Just try to recollect the number of smiling cabdrivers, friendly bus conductors and such other persons who came into our lives for a while, did nothing more than expressing a deep devotion, interaction with whom is limited to less than a week. How many of us would give him the place of importance that Rama gave to Guha?

Guha is a very minor character. He does not contribute anything to the development of events excepting that he is a boatman who ferried Rama and Bharata across the Ganga. But Rama does not forget him and the special relationship he developed with Guha. He wants to ensure that his devotee is rid of all worries first, superseding the natural right that his devout and devoted brother. That is something very extraordinary and may be it has a lesson for us all.

The story of a devotee

The story takes a different shape in Kamban He shows Guha getting the news of Rama’s arrival…

Kamban portrays the happy reunion of Guha and Sri Rama in Bharadwaja Ashrama. This is another scene, which we are not able to see in Valmiki. Valmiki moves the story quickly after he sends word through Hanuman to Guha and Bharata and what we see next is the dialogue between Hanuman and Guha and Hanuman and Bharata. Rama arrives in Nandigrama after that.

The story takes a different shape in Kamban, with Bharata having pronounced a vow to fall into fire and to give up his life, if Rama doesn’t turn up on the appointed day at the end of the fourteenth year. (See: ‘The acid test’ and ‘A mother in agony’ for a detailed discussion on this.) The Poet therefore has to hurry the message to Bharata first rather than Guha. He shows Guha getting the news of Rama’s arrival at the Ashrama. After all, it was such a large army of monkeys and also ogres, along with Vibishana that have accompanied Rama and a hunter cannot miss such intense and sudden activity!

Guha is not able to control his tears on seeing Rama. After all, he is seeing his Lord after fourteen long years. He feels so bad about his not being able accompany Sri Rama in his exile. ‘aayana piravum panni azhunguvaan thannai,’ Rama looked lovingly at Guha who was in tears and was so bitter about in being unfortunate not to go with him. ‘ayya, nee ivai uraippadhu ennE! Bharadhanin nee veru undo!’ ‘Why are you talking like this my dear man! Are you in any way different to me from Bharata?

Consoling him, Rama turns to Sugriva and others and tells them, ‘muzhu neerk gangai thazhvu iru karaikkum thalaivan.’ He is the king of the land that surrounds both the banks of Ganga. ‘thaayinum uyirukku nallan.’ His love betters even the love of a mother. ‘vazhuvu ilaa eyinar vEndhan guhan enum vaLLal endraan.’ He is Guha the faultless and is the chief of hunters.

Kamban shows the beautiful friendship that blossoms between Sugriva, Vibishana and others, and Guha. The eye of the Poet that does not miss even the tiniest of details is seen in the ‘vidai koduththa padalam’ (Canto of Sending Off) in Kamba Ramayana. We are not able to see the name of Guha in the list of friends that attended the coronation of Rama, in Valmiki Ramayana. Kamban so painstakingly sees this and adds a verse, when Rama sends off all his friends back to their lands, calling one by one, speaking to them, showing his happiness, thankfulness, and joy, and presenting them with gifts.

‘srngaberam endru Odhum sezhu nagarukku irayai nOkki,’ Rama called Guha to his side (after his coronation when all were parting) ‘marungu ini uraippadhu ennO maRu aRu thuNaivarkku endraan.’ You are so pure and are my companion forever. What more is there for me to add? He sends Guha back with precious gifts.

It is thus this simpleton starts as a very small character, though playing not a very big part in the story, has his own place and shines in his own innocent nature, growing to astronomic heights from a very small beginning. That is a story of the devotee and would remain evergreen in all the hearts of all devotees.

Hari Krishnan