December 10,2012.Day 26. Srimad Valmiki Ramayan - The First Epic Poem Of India. (Continued)

Book I : Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties : Chapter 1(Continued)

पौरैः अनुगतो दूरम् पित्रा दशरथेन च || १-१-२८
शृन्गिबेर पुरे सूतम् गंगा कूले व्यसर्जयत् |
गुहम् आसाद्य धर्मात्मा निषाद अधिपतिम् प्रियम् || १-१-२९
गुहेअन सहितो रामो लक्ष्मणेन च सीतया |

28b, 29, 30a. [That Rama while going to forests]; pauraiH = by citizens; pitraa dasarathena ca = by father, Dasharatha, also; duuram = for a distance; anu gataH = followed; dharmaatmaa raamaH = virtue-souled, Rama; gangaa kuule = on River Ganga's, bank; sR^iN^giberapure = in [town called] Sringaberapura; nishhaada adhipatim = with tribal, chief; priyam = who likes Rama; guham = Guha; asaadya = on getting at; guhena lakshmaNena siitayaa ca = with Guha, with Lakshmana, with Seetha, also; sahitaH = teamed with; suutam = charioteer [Sumantra]; vyasarjayat = left off.

"The citizens of Ayodhya and even his father Dasharatha have followed that virtue-souled Rama for a distance when he started on his exile. Later Rama reached the tribal chief named Guha, who has a liking for Rama, on the bank of River Ganga in a town called Sringaberapura. And when Rama is teamed with Guha, Lakshmana and Seetha, he left off the charioteer and a minister of his father who charioted them thitherto, namely Sumantra. [1-1-28b, 29, 30a]

Here while saying guhena saH hitaH raamaH can also be cleaved as guhena saH hitaH = saH raamaH guhena hitaH 'he that Rama is sent, or sailed over Ganga by Guha...' apart from the above. The word Sringaberapura means a township where the replicas of stags with sets of antlers are prepared and placed at places in order to attract selfsame stags or deer, and then the tribals can catch those animals. The word Guha means guhaati it guhaH 'one who hordes/steals others' wealth by waylaying etc...' thus, though the tribal chief is a lowly subject by birth and caste-oriented activity, Rama has no aversion for such subjects, because Guha reposes love in Rama. Govindaraja.