VALMIKI RAMAYANA

By Dr. Saroja Ramanujam, M.A.,Ph.D , siromani

Aranyakanda

19. Jatayumoksha

Ravana took Seetha to Lanka and tried to tempt her with his riches and also
tried to convince her of his superiority over Rama and impossibility of Rama
arriving there to save her. But seeing Seetha determined and abusive he placed
her in asokavana surrounded with rakshasis and gave her twelve months to
accept him or else he said he would kill her and eat her.
Back in dandakaranya Rama was hurrying with fear that Lakshmana and Seetha
would have been misled by the shout of Mareecha and would become worried
about him when he saw Lakshmana coming towards him sad and forlorn.
Knowing the reason for his leaving Seetha and coming towards him Rama chided
him for having disobeyed his command, heeding the words a woman in anger.
Then Rama reached the asrama and not finding Seetha there became grief
stricken and feared that she was killed and eaten by rakshasas,. They searched
everywhere and Seetha was not to be seen. Rama in his desperation asked the

trees , the mountain and the animals and river Godavari whether they have seen
Seetha. Lakshmana tried to pacify him by saying that men with firm resolve will
not lose hope and disheartened in their task however

difficult. .uthsaahavantho
dhushkareshu.

naraa

na

loke

seedhanthi

karmasu

athi

Valmiki says that the river Godavari, out of fear from Ravana thinking about his
fierce form and acts, kept quiet not giving information to Rama.
RaavaNasya cha thadroopam karmaaNi cha dhuraathmanaH
Dhyaathvaa bhayaath thu vaidheheem saa nadhee na SaSamsa
thaam
The deer when addressed by Rama to tell him the whereabouts of Seetha, stood
up and looking towards the south started to run in that direction. Then
Lakshmana understood that they were trying to tell them the direction in which
Seetha has gone and told Rama that they could proceed towards south where
the rakhsasas were known to inhabit.
Going towards south they came across the flowers that fell from the hair of
Seetha and the chariot, bow and arrmour on the ground and the mules which
were drawing the chariot of Ravana and the charioteer lying dead. They saw the
blood stains and Rama became convinced that she was either taken away by the
rakshasas or was killed and eaten by them. Rama became angry and vowed that
he would destroy all the rakshasas completely. Rama even said that even
dharma of Seetha did not protect her and the world and even the devas must
have underestimated his valour because of his patience in accepting his fate and
coming to the forest. Even one who is able to create the whole world and most
valiant is treated with disrespect because of his mercy by all beings, out of
ignorance
Karthaaram api lokaanaam Sooram karunavedhinam
ajnaanaath avamanyeran sarvabhoothaani lakshmaNa
Rama said that he was going to give up his mercy and would show anger and
pulvarize the mountain , dry up the river and destroy all the worlds if devas ,
gandharvas and others do not show him where Seetha was . But Lakshmana
pacified him saying that it was obvious that Seetha was carried away by one
man from the evidence of a fight there and it is not proper to destroy the whole
world for the wrong done by one man. All beings , he said , including the Sun
and the Moon, face difficulties but for the good, they go away quickly. Without
knowing definitely what had happened to Seetha it was not advisable to get
desperate or angry. In the end Lakshmana said no one was fit enough to advise

Rama including the devaguru Brhaspathi and the mind of Rama could not be
gauged by anyone. Valmiki implies through the words of Lakshmana . that the
mental turbulence of Rama was assumed and nor real who was just enacting his
part.
Then they came across Jatayu who was in his death bed just struggling to keep
alive in
order to inform Rama what happened. Rama suspected him at first
thinking that he was the rakshasa who had killed and eaten Seetha but Jatayu
told him what happened and Rama was filled with pity and grief. Jatayu told him
that it was Ravana who had carried Seetha towards south but before he could
say where Ravana lived he breathed his last. Rama did his last rites which even
Dasaratha was not fortunate to receive from him. Rama told Lakshmana that he
was more grieved than losing his own father.

Jatayu was blessed by Rama to reach the regions of the meritorious. Jatayu
attained moksha because the Lord Himself did his last rites. The words of Rama
that he would reach the best of the lokas were only uttered in his role as a
human being and not as the Lord. The mere bird was cremated according to the
vedic rites performed by brahmanas for the deceased, showing that the devotees
of the Lord who do bhagavat kainakrya are above all caste restrictions.
In Kamabaramyana there are some differences regarding this episode. Seeing
many earrings , (Kundalam) and swords and crowns Rama wondered whether
there were many who fought for Seetha. But Lakshmana told him that since
there was the flag of marked by Veena, and one chariot, armour and sword etc.
it must be Ravana with ten heads who fought.
Seeing Jatayu, Rama in Kamban never suspected him but fell on his feet seeing
him unconscious thinking that he was dead. Rama lamented that on his account
Dasaratha died first and now Jatayu and denounce his own valour that while he
was alive jatayu was killed.
Jatayu regaining consciousness informed Rama that Ravana carried Seetha off,
along with the ground she stood on. It was only then Rama got angry and said
that when a helpless woman was being abducted and a mere bird was fighting to
save her the whole universe was watching and he would destroy them all
including the devas who never interfered. But Jatayu pacified him saying that
the whole world including devas were under the control of Ravana and basically
it was the fault of Rama in listening to the words of Seetha and going after the
deer and of Lakshmana leaving her alone and there is no use the use of
blaming the world.
Ambu izai varivil senkai aiyanmeer aayum kaalai
Umpizai enbadhu allal ulagam sei pizaiyum undO

Thus Rama got angry not before seeing Jatayu and was pacifird by Lakshmana
as in Valmiki but only after seeing the plight of Jatayu.

20. The episode of Ayomukhi and KabanDha

Rama and Lakshmana went westward in order to proceed to the southern

direction and came to the Krouncha forest and saw a cave there and nearby that
cave there was a demoness eating the wild beasts. When they went near, The
demoness caught hold of Lakshmana and said that she was a rakshasi called
Ayomukhi and she wanted to live with Lakshmana for the rest of her life.
Lakshmana, quick to anger, took his sword and cut off her limbs and she ran
away shouting with pain.
Then the brothers went deeper in to the forest. Lakshmana observed many ill
omens and cautioned Rama to be careful. Then they saw a rakshasa with very
big body who had no head or neck but had only big stomach with a mouth and
an eye in his chest. He had arms 8 miles long spread wide and was grasping
many animals in them. He was obstructing the way of Rama and Lakshmana.

He was KabanDha, so called because he had only kabanDha, headless trunk. He

caught them with his arms. Though Rama was not perturbed at all Lakshmana
was agitated to see Rama getting into trouble and told Rama to leave him as a
prey to the demon and escape. Rama reassured him and in the meanwhile
KabanDha spoke to them in a voice like thunder.
He said that since the two of them had come to him they could not escape but
will be eaten by him. He also asked them the purpose for which they had come
to that forest. Seeing that there was no escape since he was grasping them
tightly with his arms, Rama and Lakshman cut off his arms with their swords.
KabanDha armless fell to the ground shouting and realized that they were great
personages and asked them their identity whereupon Lakshmana told him the
details about themselves and the reason why they were wandering in that forest.
Lakshman asked Kabandha about his headless state as a kabanDha with mouth
and eye in his stomach. KabanDha remembered the command of Indra and
realized that the end of his curse was near and told them about himself.
KabanDha said that he had a handsome body and used to take a terrifying body
and torment the rishis in the forest and was cursed by a rshi named sThoola
Siras to have the terrible form permanently. Then he did penance towards
Brahma who gave him long life and arrogant with the power he fought with

Indra who struck him with his vajrayudha on his head and his head along with
his legs went inside the trunk. He prayed to Indra to show him a means of
getting food as he was blessed to have long life and Indra gave him an eye and
the mouth in his stomach and also long arms to catch his food. Indra told him
that when he would catch Rama and Lakshmana he would be freed from his
curse. Hence KabanDha said that he used to catch every being that came within
the region of his arms, not necessarily for eating them but in order not to miss
Rama and Lakshmana.
KabanDha then told Rama and Lakshmana to dig a pit and burn his body when
he would get back his original form and then he would have the power to tell
them the way to search for Seetha. They did as he said and KabanDha told them
about Sugreeva who would help them to find Seetha and also told Rama the way
to got to Mathanga asRama where Sabari , the aged female disciple of Mathanga
was waiting to get liberation by meeting Rama. Then Rama and Lakshmana
started towards Rsysmooka parvatha where Sugreeva was, and to the
Mathangasrama.
In kamba Ramayana KabanDha got back his previous form even with out his
kabanDha body being burnt. Kamban says by the grace of the touch of Rama
when his arms were cut off, he was freed from curse. The prayed of kabanDha in
Kamban is really beautiful which we shall see next.