Kanden Kanden Sitayai (Behag) | Arunachala Kavirayar | Ramanatakam

Kanden Kanden Sitayai - Behag - Adi | Arunachala Kavirayar | Ramanatakam | Sung by D K Jayaraman

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[Chapter] Sundara Kandam [Scene] Upon return, Hanuman informs Rama about Sita is presence in Ashoka Vana.

[Gist] In this gem of a kṛti from the last part of the Sundara Kāṇḍa of the Rāmanāṭakam, the Kavirāyar shows how much Hanumān cared for his Lord, Rāma. Understanding how distraught and sorrowful Rāma was, and how fragile his mental state was, Hanumān very cleverly proclaims enthusiastically, forcefully, and repeatedly that he had seen (kaṇḍén, kaṇḍén, kaṇḍén) Sītā, thereby infusing Rāma with hope from his very first word.

Hanumān then tells Rāma that he saw Sītā, the mother of Brahmā, in Lankā, a place that even the Celestials hadn't seen before. He describes how he found her - like a faded old portrait, like a swan, mad with grief having been separated from its mate, with Rāma's image in her eyes, Rāma's name on her lips, enduring the crowding demonesses guarding her, trying hard to believe and find solace in the reassurances provided by Trijaṭā.

Hanumān goes on to say that Sītā, with her complexion as pale as a lotus without sunlight (i.e., in the winter), with every passing day seeming as long as an eon, confronts Rāvaṇa with contempt when he gives her an ultimatum. But immediately after that, overcome by despondence, Hanumān says that he found her trying to commit suicide. It was at that moment that he chose to reveal himself and introduce himself as Rāma's messenger. He describes how he convinced her of his bonafides - by showing Rāma's signet ring, describing events from her life that only Rāma would have known, and filling her in on the events that transpired after her abduction, up until his arrival in Lankā looking for her. He reassures Rāma that once Sītā realized that Hanumān was genuine, and Rāma was looking for her, she gave up thoughts of suicide and was physically unharmed. He adds that Sītā was still in the cottage that Lakṣhmaṇa had built for them. In doing so, the Kavirāyar reveals unequivocally that the Rāmāvatāram of Shrī Kambar was his main source - In the Ādi Kāvya, Vālmīkī describes Rāvaṇa holding Sītā by her hair, while in the Rāmāvatāram, care is taken to show that Rāvaṇa did not touch any part of Sītā, and carried the entire cottage with her inside.

pallavi
kaNDEn kaNDEn sItaiyaik-kaNDEn rAghavA

anupallavi
aNDarung-kANAda lankApurattilE aravinda vEdAvait-taravanda mAtAvai
(kaNDEn)

caraNam 1
kAvi vizhigaLil un uruvELi minnak-kanivAi tanilE un tirunAmamE panna
AvittuNaiyaip-pirinda maDa annam anAL nAn sholluvadenna
pUvait-tirishaDai nittam nittam shonna buddhi vazhiyE tan budhi nilai mannap-
pAvi arakkiyar kAval shiraidunnap-panju paDinda pazhan-citram enna
(kaNDEn)

caraNam 2
panikkAla vArijam pOla nirangUship-paghal oru
yugamAgak-kazhittALE pirayAshi
ninaittangE rAvaNan andAn varac-chIci nillaDA caNDLA enrEshi tanittuttan
uyirtanait-tAn viDa maharAji shArum pozhudu kANum samayamiduvE vAshiinit-
tAmadam sheyyal AghAdenriDar vIshi rAma rAma rAma rAma enredir pEshi
(kaNDEn)

caraNam 3
aDal shErum vAliyai vAnulagilE kUTTi avaniyai sugrIvan Ala muDi shUTTi
uDanE nI tUdu pO enra shol amudUTTi un ezhil ----- pArATTi
viDavanda anumantan nAn enru shIrATTi vivaram sholla uyir koNDirukkirAL shImATTi
diDamA lakSmaNan sheida parNashAlai vITTil dEvAdi dEvA un tiruvAzhitanik-kATTi
(kaNDEn)

Credits:
Gist provided by: Ravi Shankar
Curated by: Ajay Simha M V