சுந்தர காண்டம் |
Sundrakandam | U. Ve. Dr. V. S. Karunakarachariar | Day 1 | Part 1
Sundara Kanda Part 1:
Based on upanyasam by U.Ve Dr V.S.
Karunakarachar Swamin on SundaraKandam.
The 5th Canto of Srimath Valmiki
Ramayana glorifies Sri Panchamukha Hanuman. Sage Valmiki composed the Ramayana
and subdivided this great work into cantos. The first canto describing the
incarnation of Lord Rama and the childhood activities of Lord Rama was titled
Bala Kanda. The next canto describes the events that took place in the city of
Ayodhya and was aptly labelled Ayodhya Kanda. The subsequent chapter describes
the events that took place in the forest was labelled Aranya Kanda, and the
events that occurred in the city of Kishkinda were described in Kishkinda
Kanda. The sixth canto focuses upon the battle between Rama and Ravana on the
battlefield and was hence titled Yuddha Kanda; but, the fifth canto was named
Sundara Kanda by Sage Valmiki even though it took place in Sri Lanka. It was
not called Lanka Kanda but was called Sundara Kanda. Why did the sage deviate and
name the fifth canto Sundara Kanda and not Lanka Kanda?
From the point of view of literature, the
fifth canto is aptly named Sundara Kanda. In general, a poem gains fame when it features
themes of love and separation. This canto, the Sundara Kanda poetically
describes the sorrow of Sita at being separated from Lord Rama, and hence
Sundara Kanda is a fitting name for this Canto.
The best verses in the Ramayana are found
in the Sundara Kanda. The proper use of metaphors and similes enhances poetic
verses. The works of Mahakavi Kalidasa
are famous because of the similes used in the verses by the great poet. There
is an anecdote involving King Bhoja and his brahmin subjects that highlights
the adeptness of Kalidasa in using similes.
A few Brahmin subjects of King Bhoja felt
that the King honoured poets more than Brahmins who did the Veda Parayana. A group of Brahmin men got together and
decided to write a poem about a royal feast. In the first verse, they requested the King to
give them a feast with ghee and dal, “भोजनं देहि राजेन्द्र! घृतसूपसमन्वितम्” . After composing the first
line, they were stuck. They did not know how to conclude the verse. They
realised that there was nothing poetic in asking the King for food with ghee
and dal. It so happened that the poet Kalidasa came upon
the gathering. Kalidasa stopped at their meeting to offer his respects. The
congregation decided to seek help from Kalidasa. They recited the first verse, “भोजनं देहि राजेन्द्र! घृतसूपसमन्वितम् ।”
to Kalidasa. The great poet immediately came up with the perfect second line to
complete the verse, “माहिषञ्च शरच्चन्द्रचन्द्रिकाधवलं दधि! “The
first verse requested a feast with ghee and dal. In the second verse, Kalidasa
added the request for curd and went on to describe the quality of the curd. The
curd should be derived from buffalo milk. It should be as white as the full
moon in a wintry sky!
The brahmins went to the King’s court the
following day and submitted their poem for the King’s review. The king felt
disappointed when he heard the first line requesting a feast with ghee and dal,
but he cheered up the moment he heard the second line. The king asked them who
had written the second line. The brahmins informed the king that they only composed
the first line with hopes of receiving one lakh gold coins for each letter in the
poem. They truthfully declared that the second line was composed by Mahakavi Kalidasa.
The King declared that only the second line was poetic and gave them sixteen
lakhs of gold lines for that line alone to be divided among themselves.
Similes are important in poetry because
they generate striking imagery by comparing two unlike things. In the above
anecdote, curd was compared with the full moon in a wintry sky. By creating
such poetic imagery, they simplify complex idea and make it easier for the
reader to relate to the theme.
It is not easy to come up with poetic imagery
and similes as conveyed by the above anecdote. The Sundara Kanda has many
beautiful verses with beautiful imagery. One example is given below.
While describing the full moon in the sky
when Lord Hanuman entered the city of Lanka in his quest for Sita, Sage Valmiki
compares the bright shining moon to a sawan, a lion and a hero. The sage
mentions that , the full moon in the sky looked white like a swan (हंस ஹஂஸோ haṅsaḥ ) inside a silver cage (राजतपञ्जरसथः ராஜதபஞ்ஜரஸ்த rājatapañjarasthaḥ
), it looked regal like a lion (सिम्होஸிஂஹோ siṅhaḥ) that
lived inside a cave in Mt Mandara (मन्दरकन्दरस्थः மந்தரகந்தரஸ்த mandarakandarasthaḥ),
and it appeared valiantly in the sky like a brave hero (वीर வீரோ vīraḥ ) who was riding a majestic elephant (गर्वितकुञ्जरस्थ
கர்விதகுஞ்ஜரஸ்த garvitakuñjarasthaḥ!)
This canto, with such beautiful verses, was
rightly named Sundara Kanda.
Continued On:
