Wednesday, August 12, 2020

The wail of Gandhari (Gandhari vilapam)


The wail  of Gandhari (Gandhari  vilapam)

By
Thunjathu   ezhuthachan

Translation    attempt by
P.R.Ramachander

(Note
 For very many years , one of my great   desire  was  to translate  this great  piece  of Malayalam literature. It occurs  in Mahabharatham kili pattu by  THunjathu  Ezhuthachan .Since  I did not have that  book, and also  because  I was  not able to get  , my dream was  unfinished. Few days back, my daughter
enacted  the role of  Gandhari extremely well.
Then I requested my friend  Sri Anantha narayanan  Vaidhyanathan for it  .Within an hour  I got the  needed  pages,In my translation   attempt I was not able   to bring   the  emotion of regal sorrow  of his great  work and this is the result  of my attempt  . Pardon me   for all errors and deficiencies.My grateful 
thanks  to my  friend  Sri Ananthanarayanan  Vaidhyanathan)


(When Gandhari   wished to see her sons and relations  who were lying dead  in the
battle field, the pandavas   and Lord Krishna  , took her  toKuru Kshethra.  Seeing the
dead people belonging  to both sides  lying there, with   extreme pain,
Gandhari   told  Lord Krishna)





“Oh   Krishna  , did you not see  , Bhagadatha,
The greatest  among kings   of this world,
Lying on earth   near his   elephant along with his bow,
Fell by the arrow sent by  the   son of   Indra,
Completely   decorating  himself  with blood, OhShiva, Oh Shiva”
.
“The divine son, who has   an auspicious ,
Pretty form resembling    an emerald   stone ,
The son  of ARjuna   whose fame is   beyond   words,
Oh  husband of a Gopi  maiden  ,   your nephew.
Why did   you not  prevent  him being killed
Is getting him  killed , very   interesting to you”            

“Do you not   have   even a slight   sorrow,
Seeing us  weep , with our  mind getting worried,
Is your mind  made  of stone? Though I feel  ,
That even a stone  would slightly  melt seeing all this,.”

“The land   where  DRona   was cremated is seen there
And was    he not a   Brahmin?,Oh mind, would  any one else,
Allow the   cruel Drishtadhyumna    to kill
That   very disciplined Guru?
Except   you  , Oh greatly    wise person”


“Alas , again   on the other side,
My son Dushasana   who has   a pretty body,
Lies there  , his   chest has been opened and blood  has been drunk
And oh son can I bear seeing   your chest,
And Oh Lord Krishna    , why did you  show all this to me,
As the fire   is burning    within my mind, Oh my god “

“Karna , the king   of Anga who is  very important,
To my children, is lying there   without his   ear globes
And his   neck is shining there and   the arrow,
Of the one who is greater  than all archers is lying there, Oh my god
His   body     is very pretty to see and oh god,
What is the reason that  his body is being ,
Torn and pulled   by   the dogs   and foxes , oh god”

“Oh  little one , Oh my  son, oh Duryodhana,
Your golden crown and magic of your  decorations,
Your   pride   and your   greatness like that of  king of devas,
Your majestic   look    and  beauty,
 Leaving all  those things  ,you have also,
Left   your  father  who was very dear to you,
Why did you leave all  that and suddenly depart,
And seeing   all this   my mind  is breaking in to pieces
You who normally  sleep   on the bed of silk,
Are   lying    down  on earth  , in  the bed of blood,
With  the stored great anger, BHeema beat you,
And killed   you breaking   your leg”

Saying all this  with great emotion of sorrow she wailed ,
  “I am not able   to see  all these,”
Gandhari then   ran, fell down on earth, rolled,
Again and again and   then she fainted,
Suddenly she woke  up and left  all her reservations and shouted,

“Oh Kesava  , in this earth  , I have not seen,
Any one    who is as cruel as you”

Gandhari again told   Krishna,

“YOu who have  very many friends,
Along with your entire family would  all  together die like this ,
Without any doubt when thirty six  years  go by”,

“It should   come like that  only ,  is the, ,
Firm desire     in my mind also  , Oh lady,
Good has happened   to you madam and  to me,
Possibly   that   is the resolve of great God.” Said Krishna

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