Thursday, April 26, 2007

Choodamani Pradanam

Janaki is in an extremely distressed state and she suspects Hanuman
to be Ravanan himself. She thinks that Ravanan has taken another form
just to cheat her and torment her. But, Hanuman speaks to her sweetly
to gain her trust and when he realised that he has her attention, and
that she has started to believe him, he gives her Shri Rama's ring.
He also tells her that this was given to him by Shri Rama himself.
Here the poet Shri Valmiki tries to capture the state of mind of
Piratti. She takes the ring from him and she is overwhelmed with joy,
and memories of intimate moments with Shri Rama and the relief that
this is the unshakable proof that this is indeed his messenger, and
this had come none too soon either! - and she is overcome by myriad
emotions, all at the same time. She feels as happy as if she was
reunited with Rama himself!

And Shri Periyavachan Pillai says:
It was as if Perumal had come in person and she could see him as if
he was right there. It was as if a dear realtive who had left for a
different country had come back; she just could not take her eyes
off the ring. She was afraid that this was Ravanan, but no! Hanuman
was from her Lord himself! Realising this, she is ecstatic. And she
remembers:
At the time of her weddding, as her father, Janakarajan, gave her
hand to Shri Rama and as He took her hand, she could feel this ring on
His finger as he grasped her hand. It felt hard against the lotus
soft hand of her Lord. But then, it was the beautiful hand that was
ornamental to the ring ? was'nt it? And not the other way round?
Later, when both of them led a happy life in Ayodhya, at times of
"pranayarosham"(PVP"s word) , at a tiem when there is noon to act as a
go-between, Rama and Sita, both of them would want to end the
lovers' tiff, since even this kind of separation was unbearable - but,
who was to speak or act first? And was'nt this the ring that came
to the rescue! Perumal would slip the ring out and let it fall and
she would take it, hand it to Him and say "Look, here is the ring!"
and both of them would be secretley relieved and only too happy that
they had ended their silly lovers' quarrel!
As she gazed at the ring, she could see in her mind's picture, the
hand that wore it and the strong and handsome shoulder that held the
bow; and it was as if the miles and the ocean that lay in between
suddenly melted away ? and she was back with Him in their palace at
Ayodhya, seated on the beautiful bed in their exquisite bedchamber!
And she embraced the ring like she would have her Lord, if the Lord
himself had been there.
And for all the hardship she was undergoing- wasn't she the daughter
of the great king Janaka? This was not a dynasty that was familiar
with sadness! But, still, here she was!
And while she held the ring, it was like she was reunited with her
Lord himself once again!

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