Page 1 of 704 Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys http://www.valmikiramayan.net/kishkindha_kanda_contents.html K. M. K. Murthy 11 July 2012 Page 2 of 704 Chapter [Sarga] 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter [Sarga] 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Chapter [Sarga] 3 ........................................................................................................................................ 50 Chapter [Sarga] 4 ........................................................................................................................................ 62 Chapter [Sarga] 5 ........................................................................................................................................ 71 Chapter [Sarga] 6 ........................................................................................................................................ 79 Chapter [Sarga] 7 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.................................................................................................................................... 691 Page 5 of 704 Chapter [Sarga] 1 Introduction Rama in his pursuit to regain Seetha reaches Pampa Lake along with Lakshmana. Rama visualises Pampa Lake as a heavenly abode and narrates to Lakshmana the suffering he is undergoing due to the departure of Seetha, i.e., the departure of innate soul from the Supreme. Seetha is the alter ego of Rama, either in heaven or on earth. In heavens she is Goddess Lakshmi and she incarnates herself as Seetha on earth. In the first chapter of Kishkindha Kanda the elaborate description of Pampa Lake and its surroundings is to be taken as a two-fold narration, one pertaining to Divinity, the other to Rama, the human. The area of Pampa Lake metaphors with heavens, and its trees and birds with divine souls, and who incidentally are teachers too. The fragrant breeze metaphors with god's gift, flowers as pure knowers and knowledge, and the tranquil water as clear heart and so on. Rama as hero of the epic is in search of Seetha. Rama as god incarnate is also in search of true devotees who are entrapped in the bodies of living beings. The true devotees are the trees, birds, flowers, waters and other naturals except the humans who cherish the earthly comforts. Thus Rama's sorrowing over Seetha and Bharata is in similitude with the god's sorrowing for the true devotees, who needs salvation from the birth and death cycle. Hence the god incarnate Rama is in search of true devotee like Seetha, who is now in a distant place and needs some education about her release from the embodiment in Lanka. Later Rama finds Hanuma, the teacher, who will be deputed, to Seetha to enlighten her about her release. In the last two chapters of Aranya Kanda there will be some 61 verses detailing about Pampa Lake and Rama's love for Seetha. But in Gorakhpur and Eastern recessions there are 130 verses in this first canto of Kishkindha and some 20 verses in the fag end chapter of Aranya canto. In these many verses Rama expresses his deep-rooted emotion for Seetha, which the ancient commentators have interpreted to be the God's deep-seated love and anguish for the created souls. The comparison is, Rama to Vishnu, Seetha to the created soul, now captivated in the embodiment called Lanka, and Lakshmana as the true devout. God needs a messenger or a Messiah or as per Hindu tradition the Guru, the teacher. That is what Hanuma. Rama as a god incarnate is actually in search of a true teacher, for which the surroundings of Pampa Lake are exemplified as good surroundings for finding such a true teacher. As far as possible, the commentaries of ancients are given in comment section of those verses. At the fag end of this chapter, the mighty monkey hero Sugreeva, moving on the Rishyamuka Mountain sees Rama and Lakshmana entering into his territory, flees into deep forests, fearing them to be enemies. R dlR 'lTTlR H4l T 77 Ql 7lR TlR` RllRl RlBdl l477l 7ld9` {{ 1. 1. saH= such as he is, [viz. he who took birth in Ayodhya, relegated from kingdom, exiled to forets, lost his wife, and who is searching for her in wilderness, such Rama]; taam+ puShkariNiim+ gatvaa = that, lotus lake [Pampa,] arriving at; padma+ utpala + jhaSha+ aakulaam = lotuses, Costuses, fishes, full with; raamaH+ saumitri+ sahitaH = Rama, Sumitra's son,[Lakshmana,] along with; vilalaapa= lamented; akulendriyaH= disturbed, senses [emotions disturbed.] Page 6 of 704 Rama, on arriving at that Lake of Lotuses called Pampa along with Lakshmana, which is full with lotuses, costuses, and fishes, lamented as his emotions are disturbed, on seeing the beauty of the Lake comparable with Seetha's face. [4-1-1] In this very first verse itself the auspicious nature of the land of Kishkindha is implanted. Rama as hero of this epic identifies his heroine Seetha's face with the tranquil sheet of lake's water, her eyes with the lotuses, and her quick glances with the quick swims of the fishes in the lake. Rama as god incarnate observes the tranquil sheet of water as the quiescence of his creation. The red lotuses are meditatively standing, as the devotees ready to be taken away to the feet of their god. The swimming fishes are seen as the souls captivated in human bodies, rushing hither and thither for salvation, which is hindered by the banks of life [here the banks of the lake.] Thus on certain occasions we chance to meet with the different points of view of Rama, one as hero and the other as god incarnate, derived from the metaphors or similes by the ancient commentators. d 44l dlR Bld ld9llT l-T R lR4UR lR` RllRlR (R 4ld {\ 2. tatra dR^iShTva eva taam= there, on seeing, at it [that lake]; harShaat indriyaaNi chakampire= by gladness, senses, quivered; saH kaamavasham aapannaH= he, by passion, overcame, engrossed; saumitrim idam abraviit= to Lakshmana, this way, spoke. There, on seeing that Lake of Lotuses, thrilled are his senses with gladness, and he engrossed and overcame by passion spoke this way to Lakshmana. [4-1-2] RllR Ul d -l 4]9 l4R7 7(l T T 774dl Ulldl l4l4` dR` {\ 3. Soumitri! vaiduurya vimala udakaa= cat's-eye-gem [lapis lazuli] like, clear, with water; phulla padma utpala vatii= she who has bloomed lotuses [Lythrum fructicosum,] costuses [Saussurea hypoleuca]; vividhaiH drumaiH shobhitaa= with many, trees, beaming forth; shobhate pampaa= magnificent is, Pampa Lake. "Oh! Soumitri, magnificent is Pampa Lake with its cat's-eye-gem like waters, and she with her fully bloomed lotuses and costuses is beaming forth, along with many trees around her. [3-1-3] The clear water is devout-soul and the bloomed lotuses are the tranquil faces of the devotees. The water is like cat's eye gem. Cat's eye or Lapis Lazuli is ' a beautiful stone consisting of calcite and other minerals coloured ultramarine...' and a precious stone of Sri Lanka and the Malabar Coast...' thus say Chambers and Oxford dictionaries, and it is Indian, that too South Indian specific. It is one of the nine gems, in nava-ratna combination. Secondly the usage of vaiduurya vimala udaka is an often-repeated expression, which may not be construed only that the waters are like cats-eye or Lapis Lazule, the precious gem in nava ratna/ nine-gem combination. In fine composition it is smaraNa alankaara , a metaphorical memorabilia. If it were said that the water is like vaiduurya or cat's-eye or Lapis, it reminds us of all other eight gems including a diamond. As such the waters are crystalline and pellucid in their look like priceless gems, for water is the invaluable gem-like gift of nature and flowing waters are the priceless possessions for livelihood as well. RllR