A Study Of Kamba Ramayanam: Veerapuram Sampath Deekshithar Chennai Respected Chairman, Scholars, Ramayana experts and my brothers and sisters It gives me great pleasure to present a paper before you on the great epic Ramayana.My Pranams to Swami Chaturvedi Prasanna Venkatacharya who is an epitome of erudition and an authority on traditional Indian literature. His versatility in expressing himself in more than one language Is admirable. He has introduced me to Aikya Bharati resesrch Institute and to Srimathi Durga Dixit who has so graciously extended this opportunity to me to present a paper. My hearty thanks to Srimathi Durga Dixit. My paper is on Kamba Ramayana, a classic in tamil. Although it is not possible for me to give a detailed Account of this magnificent version of Ramayana in such a short span of time, yet I will try to give an Interesting account of it, highlighting certain features. Kamban an inimitably great poet of the 9th century had written Ramayana in Tamil containing it in about ten thousand verses. He had christened it as “Ramavatara”. Born in a poor family Kamban was patronised it as by one Sadayappa Vallal whose munificence had enabled him to bring out this immortal work. To show his gratitude Kamban had composed and dedicated one in every hundred Poems in praise of his patron. However, when Kamban tried to release his work the poet‟s – forum Questioned this dedication of one in hundred verses to a mortal and asked him to make it one in thousand verses, he politely announced that he thought that he could see a patron like Sadayappa Vallal as one in hundred men and now as the poet‟s – forum very rightly suggested we could not see. Even one in a thousand men as great as Sadayappa. Such an explanation about his regard for his Great patron has become a popular byword in Tamil literature. With his wide scholarship in Tamil Kamban could have chosen an altogether new classic for his work And made it popular. But he wanted to take the great epic Ramayan and shape it in Tamil verses.
The reasons :
Kamban had his won deep faith that sathyam and Dhaarmam only could triumph and he wanted to Illustrate it though the diving epic. The purity of a great man‟s life and achievements could be shown as a model for future generations.Kamban was deeply convinced that the purity of the character of Rama as depicted by Valmiki is an Incomparable illustration. Kamban also would have thought that Valmiki Ramayanam could be the most fitting epic for exemplifying national integration, as Rama‟s life depicted his adventurous journey from Ayodhya In the north to Lanka in the deep south, thus covering the entire sub-continent. Above everything else, Kamban‟s deep devotion to Rama, losing himself many a time in Rama gunaAnd soundarya is an outstanding manifestation of saguna bhakti that was pervading the country Thanks to the movement of the Alwars and other bhaktas. Legends say that Kamban would avail of every opportunity of hearing Valmmiki Ramayan recited and that he would request the scholars to recite 800 slokas everyday and thereafter retire in the night to sit and compose the Tamil version. It is believed that in 30 days he had achieved that feat of composing his entire Ramavathara. Kamban‟s Ramayanam I s not a translation in the strict sense as he had made many changes and variations in the narration without deviating from the main story. In between the periods of Valmiki and Kamban the bharati movement h-*ad developed in a big measure throughout India. So influenced was Kamban by the great verses of the alwars tht he would not restrain himself from pouring out his emotion while depicting the narration. Also talking the privilege of his acquaintance with the Adhyatma Ramayanam and Raghu Vamsa Maha Kavya he might have effected some changes from Valmiki. The sthuthis that we come across in Adhyatma Ramayanam are pointing ndency. Let us proceed to study Kamban, Khanda by Khanda to highlight the genius of Kamban.In Bala Khanda Kamban deviates from Valmiki in clearly pointing that Rama was an incarnation with Kausalya Devi as the mother . kamban‟s frequent assertion that the lord‟s manifestation in the form of rama as in thataka‟s annihilation, Ahalya‟s transformation, and parasurams‟s humiliation, are all quite transparent.
Ayodhya Khanda is free from violence in line with the assertion of the triumph of satya and dharma . the steadfastness with which Rama asserts the resolve to stand by his father‟s words and his refusal to accept the offer of Bharata to give back the kingdom to him and finally not to accede to the words of vashista even when the latter asserted that he was the guru and his words have to be obeyed, shows the incorruptible character of Rama. Kamban‟s depection of these events are incomparable. In the Aranya Khanda, certain parts of kamba ramayanam differ quite markedly from valmiki. The sthuthis of viradha and later kabanda in praise of Rama bring out the deep knowledge of kamban in the philosophy of Upanishads. In Tamil Literature long after the sangam composition of of „Pari Padal‟, it was kamban who had depicted the great doctrine of the Vedas and the Upanishads. There are nearly 300 verses of such philosophical thought enshrined in the work of kamban. As ragards Kishkinda khanda , the controversy surrounding the killing of vali has been handled with great poignancy by kamban. He makes the readers melt in sympathy for vali as he describes the chain of events. But ultimately he tries to convince us about Rama‟s action in dealing with Vali. Finally, the devotional outpourings of Vali Towards Rama Consoles us to an extent about the episode. In the Yuddha Khana , Kumbhakarna‟s loyalty to his brother Ravana and at the same time his passion for adhering to dharma, brings out the dilemma so touchingly portrayed by kamban. In the end, kumbhakarna‟s resolve to remain with Ravana as a mark of filial gratitude makes him live in our hearts eternally. Again Ravana‟s steadfastness in not willing to yield in spite of his losing so many of his great warriors and himself facing defeat, showing him as inflexible hero, despite infirmity, is brought out in Yaddha khanda so masterfully. When not many Tamil works had ventured to take up the stories of pan-Indian nature,kamban had the courage to introduce this epic among tamils thus paving the way for more such interactive thinking. In fact, this work can be taken as one of the earliest steps in forging the intergration of our great country.Kamban‟s portrayal of Rama katha is unique as he brings out the story in such an exquisite poetry and effection justifiable changes to make the epic appear
more contemporary. By presenting this great work, kamban has enriched Tamil literature in a big way elevating to the status of a classical language of India.