Kambar Again - Will You Welcome Him? I am Not Sure!

Dear vidya,

Wonderful explanation. Epics have been written about the effect of Rama Nama. But you have captured the essence in that one incident.

Vidya, you should learn unicode font and try to post it in Tamil. Such a good poem will look even more graceful in Tamil fonts.

There are two thoughts on Chiranjeevi which I want to share with you and all the ILites.
The exact sanskrit meaning of the word chiranjeevi is one who lives long. It does not mean one who lives for ever, though, mythologically we have ascribed that meaning to it.
That is why in the wedding invitations we prefix the grooms name with Chi:meaning chiranjeevi.

The second thought on Chiranjeevi is that it can be a boon or a curse. In a press meet Actor Visu was once asked, "If you get immortality (சாகாவரம்) what will you do?"
His response was instantaneous. சாகாமல் இருப்பது வரம் அல்ல சாபம்.

That is why the sloka you have quoted about the seven chiranjeevis starts with Aswathama for whom long life was given as a curse and not as a boon. For others like Hanuman, Jambavan et al, it is a boon. It is more of a boon for us that they live somewhere in this world.

Let me end this reply with another thought on long life
A long life may not be good enough
But a good life is long enough

varalotti

Dear Vandhana,

Thanks for the appreciation. Can you explain what is TLC?

Women at first glance do not like the first verse because it shows the heroine of the epic in a poor light. But when they realise that there are millions of Sitas languishing in the prison of marriage and never showing their real strength so that their husbands appear stronger, then they start adoring Kambar and his portrayal of Sita.

Not displaying the strength one has especially in this context is a show of love and not of weakness.

Thanks for the participation, Vandhana.
regards,
sridhar

If writing has to be succesful the marriage between thoughts and words should be great. (But do not ask me, who is the husband and who is the wife? Ladies love to think that they are the substance and their husbands, the word)
But not only both are crucial to produce the proper effect, a proper conjugal relationship between them is even more crucial. In geniuses like Kambar, Bharati the word-thought marriage was always in an eternal state of bliss.

What is needed to appreciate Kambar is not analytical prowess but a passionate heart. Then meanings start pouring from out own hearts. As you can see for the same verse I could give two different ways of intrepretation, one of which was discarded by all, you included, while the other was well appreciated.

Thanks for the participation,
sridhar

Dear Sriranjani,

(even though you have not called me Dear, I call you so, because you quoted Mu.Ra's play)

It is your strident objection that made me to dig deep and come out with another pearl of a meaning, which I hope will appeal to your feminist heart.
I am moved to tears by your quoting Mu.Ra's play, which was a prescribed text for me in my 10th grade.
He built the whole play on the Guhanodum verse.

Thanks for bringing back sweet memories.
regards,
Varalotti

Dear VS,
I do really, absolutely, positively love Kamban. In fact in one of the colleges they asked me, what would have you been, had your father been rich, let us say, a mirasdar owning thousands of acres of land?
I did not even blink my eye before I answered, 'I would have studied MA in Tamil Literature and would have devoted the whole of my life to spread the fame of Azhwars, Kambar and Bharati. '

Well, I do not have any regrets now. To able to savour the words of these great people is privilege enough. I cannot ask for more.

Your explanation of Sita's state is brilliant. And the word Kambar uses to describe Rama, while she is in captivity, waiting for his return, "thooyavan" speaks a lot of that functional marriage.

I have seen women using derogatory terms for their husbands, even at the slightest irritation. eg. "அந்தாளுக்கு என்ன தெரியும்? அந்த மனுஷனுக்குத் துப்பில்ல"
And that love was reciprocal, at least till the coronation at the end. I do not have the heart to read the Uthara Ramayana or the mind to accept Rama's actions post-coronation.
regards
sridhar

Dear Ambika,

Every time it is your post that makes all my efforts of translation seem worth the while.

When objections to my first leader post flowed in, I did not know what to do. Then on 5th February, my first appointment for the day was postponed from 915 to 945. So I was stuck up in the house, fully dressed and ready to go but with a full 30 minutes to kill. Instead of killing them I chose to enliven them by posting another verse from Kambar. As I was doing that I learnt more about Sita's state and then wrote the explanation for the first verse.

Even if we worship Rama and Sita as Gods, then our love for them increases manifold. As Gods each one of them had the power to design his or her own circumstances, but choose to suffer, one in search of his beloved wife in the forest, and the other in captivity in an alien kingdom. We have a powerful lesson here, that it is all right to suffer in love, even for Gods.

Thanks, Ambika, once again for your rejuvenating words,
sridhar

Dear Seena,
When it comes to Rama, Sita, or the Prophet or the Christ, it is not knowledge that counts but passion and love. So long as we have that, ignorance does not matter.
I was moved to tears by the words of Bina Agrawal you have quoted.
In fact Kamba Ramayanam stops with coronation. Kambar, perhaps like me, thought that an epic-hero like Rama would have banished his pregnant wife to the forest.
Rajaji who has studied Valmiki and Kambar thoroughly said that Rama lost his divinity soon after the death of Ravana. His mission was accomplished and what was left was only an ordinary human form which descended to the level of suspecting his wife.
Thanks for the participation.
regards,
sridhar

Thanks Radha for the kind words. Yes in any family situation women are always the unsung heroines. Fortunately for Sita, she is a well-sung heroine, if that term can be used.
Thanks for the participation.
varalotti

Dear Manjula,
Microscopes are like your footwear which you do need till you reach the temple gates. But they will have to be left there. You cant take it in.

Thanks for obliging. Your microscope is safe outside. As you go out, you can exchange your token for your microscope (which you can use for my other posts; and which I suspect you have already started using)

I am very happy to see that you too like Guhanodum verse. Ever since my Tamil teacher taught me in 1973 the verse is with me. And as I advance in age, new explanations are coming from many directions. It propounds love, saranagathi thatthuvam and a lot more.

More such examples will come; but do remember to come with microscope every time.
thanks,
Varalotti

Dear Jothi,

Your presence brings light to the thread, for you are Jothi yourself.

After my first post and after reading the responses, I too felt bad about posting that. But then on Monday on a sudden flash a deeper meaning was revealed to me when I was posting another verse.

Since the flash did not come from me but only came through me, it persuaded me, you and everybody else.

I am happy that you were able to appreciate the second verse better now. Understanding its meaning invariably enriches our life, Jothi.
regards,
sridhar