Chapter 14-
Retrieving syamanthakamani and fight with Jambavan
Sathrajith, a vassal king on the west coast, got a gem called syamanthaka from Surya, whom he worshipped and the gem had the capacity to bestow large amount of gold everyday.
thadhEkamEkena cha labhdham EkathO
rasEna rathnAmisham arThakAnkshiNA
babhoova thath banDhuvirODHam AdhaDhath
kramAth bahoonAm vinipAthakaraNam (Yadh.14-4)
The gem , which was an object of enjoyment, rathnAmisham, (the word Amisham means bhogya vasthu, object of enjoyment as well as flesh, mAmsam) given by one (Surya) and obtained by another(Sathrajith), who was desirous of wealth, (arThakankshee) with delight, (rasena). Created enmity between the relatives, and was the cause of the downfall of many. Desika implies that it was like Amisha, flesh which was juicy (rasa). This is quite fitting to one who threw away the gold rice grains given to him by a devotee as biksha.
The implication of the sloka is this:
The brother of Sathrajith went to forest wearing the gem and was killed by a lion which took the gem. Jambavan, the celebrated bear of Ramayana was living there and he killed the lion and took the gem to decorate the cradle of his son. Sathrajith spread the rumour that
Desika describes in detail the episode of
Finally Jambavan realized that his opponent was none other than Srirama Himself in His next incarnation. He said that he was told by siddhapurushas that the Lord who was in the cave of his heart would come to his cave one day. He understood that now and started praising
Desika narrates the words of Jambavan in detail by 27 slokas in order to bring out the greatness of his devotion. The gist of the passage is as follows:
Jambavan went round the worlds when the Lord incarnated as Thrivikrama in Vamanavathara with a tumultuous cry `jaganthi viSvAni mithAni vishnunA, Lord Vishnu has measured all the three worlds.' He again served the Lord during his battle with Ravana. He said that he reaped the fruit of his staying behind on earth when Sugriva and others went to Vaikunta by seeing
viSuddhamiSraih chathuraSravrtthakaih
aghADhathungaih pramithAmithakramaih
ananyabhAvAn anukampathE bhavAn
achinthyachinthyaiH avathAra nAtakaiH
His incarnations are dramas sometimes viSuddha, pure like Rama, sometimes mixed, miSra, like Narasimha and Hayagriva, beautiful and appropriate. They are very deep and lofty, comprehended by some but incomprehensible to others. He shows His grace to those whose mind is concentrated on Him by His incarnations which are beyond mind and intellect.
Even though the Lord is beyond action and its results, He restricts Himself to the rules laid down by Himself according to the role he plays and even the devas along with the asuras could not understand His real nature, being overpowered with the maya consisting of the three gunas.
Jambavan said that the Lord is inside and outside everything, transcendent and imminent, and the power of all beings including brahma is through His will and hence no one can vanquish Him. Even though he was a devotee right and proper he fought against the Lord without knowing His identity and for that he asked the forgiveness of
In the concluding slokas Desika speaks himself in the guise of Jambavan and the slokas are filled with devotion.
bhavArNavE karmavipAkavAthyayA
bhavadhbhih AvarthaganaiH paribhraman
krthOparOdhaH krpayA thvadheeyayA
bhavathpadham koolamiva prapadhyathE
One who is thrown into the ocean of samsara, the whirlwinds of the fruits of past karma toss him about and he goes revolving wo without support. Then the mercy of the Lord intervenes and he is stopped by the feet of the Lord which he grasps in anguish.
avindhathaH thvAm amithAmrthOdhaDhim
vighADa thrshnA vivaSAntharAthmanH
vigAhaneeyAH prathibhAnthi veechikAH
mareechikAnAm iva bhogasampadhAm
Those who do not resort to the Lord who is the ocean of nectar, possessed by avarice and desire, consider the hot winds of the desert in the form of sensual enjoyment as something cool and to be plunged in.
Then we see the reflection of the thought expressed by Desika at the outset describing his inability to enumerate the auspicious qualities of the Lord.(vide sloka 2 ? chapter1)
guNOdhaDhim yaH pramithapramANayA
girA thvadheeyam parimAthum icchathi
sa pAthum eehEtha samagrachApalaH
payOjanALEna payaH payOnidhim
"You are the ocean of virtues. One who wants to describe You with his limited power of speech is like the one who wishes to drink the milky ocean with the stalk of a lotus."
This is similar to the verse of Kamban who says that his ambition to write Ramayana is like that of a cat who wishes to drink the milky ocean by licking.
"Osai petru uyar pArkadal utru oru poosai mutravumnakkububukkena Asai patri araiyalutrEn kAsil kotratthu irAman kadhai arO." (KR-Payiram-4)
Saying thus Jambavan fell at the feet of
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