Sumantri looks up and asks, The moon in the sky is always the same, but why does his memory of Darmawati make the moon seem different? He realizes that the moon appears to be different because of love.
By
Sindhunata
·6 minutes read
Sumantri remembers when Darmawati invited him to return to Jatisrana and live with her there. Her invitation made him feel at ease after he had experienced the futility of his path to chivalry. Or, if he still wanted the throne, the kingdom of Widarba was ready to accept him. Darmawati was right; it would be impossible for Prabu Arjunasasrabahu to refuse his demand to reign there, because he had provided many of his services to Maespati. And hasn’t the Widarba throne been vacant since Darmawati's older brother, Prabu Darmawasesa, departed?
A thorn has long been piercing his heart, because in the Maespati royal court, he has always hidden Sukrosono, the younger brother he loves so much. He admits the shame in his heart if it were to become known that he has a younger brother who is a demon. He is sure that there is no need for him to hide this at all from Darmawati. Because it is clear that Darmawati wants to accept him just the way he is. In any case, Darmawati is certain to love his younger brother, because Darmawati is herself the younger sister of a giant, Prabu Darmawasesa, the king of Magada. So whether in Jatisrana or in Widarba, he imagines that he will be happy living together with Darmawati.
After all, Darmawati is also a beautiful woman. She is so beautiful, it is unimaginable that she is the younger sister of a king who is a giant, Prabu Darmawasesa. Darmawati's beauty has even become a mirror for him. There, he sees himself reflected as a knight, even though he has a younger brother who has a demon face, Sukrosono.
Darmawati reminded him that beauty and good looks were very close to ugliness, as close as an older and a younger brother. If they were so close, why must the two be separate? Darmawati's shadow again reprimands him, why, in pursuing his dream of becoming a knight, he was ashamed of Sukrosono, his younger brother? That was tantamount to denying his very nature. Why was Prabu Darmawasesa was created as a giant and Darmawati as a beautiful princess? Why had he been created as a handsome knight, whereas his younger brother an ugly demon? He has no answer and can blame no one. He can only accept his good looks as his destiny, as he must also accept his demon brother as his destiny. And what was the meaning of having good looks if he didn’t have the virtues his younger brother possesses?
Thinking about this, the more he feels how much Darmawati means to him.
Darmawati's beauty charms him ever more. He feels that he cannot compare whether Darmawati's beauty is inferior to that of Dewi Citrawati or not. Dewi Citrawati's beauty is too great; it is impossible for him to attain it, so he also does not know what is contained within her beauty. Meanwhile, Darmawati's beauty is right in front of his eyes; he can easily attain it, and he knows all of her worth. Maybe this is because Dewi Citrawati is a batari (goddess), while Darmawati is an ordinary woman, a human like him. Darmawati's beauty is so pure, it makes him feel confident that he can attain it.
Darmawati is like a fragrant pandan leaf that is ready to be picked. And he can bind his love to her, and like the tendrils of the gadung plant, he can easily wrap around an asoka tree. With Darmawati, he can achieve everything now without needing to wait for the future to arrive. He can enjoy her warmth without any conditions. With Darmawati, time no longer knows what delay means; time becomes eternal. He feels that true love makes time both worthless and limitless. There is no need for him to look for it anymore because without even seeking, he has already found it. Darmawati is truly like the fragrance of jasmine flowers that come every morning.
CAHYO HERYUNANTO
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He looks up and asks, The moon in the sky is always the same, but why does his memory of Darmawati make the moon seem different? He realizes that the moon appears to be different because of love. Thus far, that love has been buried so deep that he couldn’t even touch it. Now, that love is blooming like a padma (lotus) flower, and he truly feels it. Love really does exist, but Darmawati is not here.
He reaches out for her with his love when the moon is full. Everything is in hand, so why can he not find her? He hears the mournful cry of a cucur (Gould’s frogmouth) in the distance. He feels that Darmawati has left him because he has given her not the slightest hope. He feels guilty, and his eyes fill with tears. It seems as though this is the first time he has ever cried because he feels lost in love. He doesn’t want to hold back his tears, though he might be a brave knight. Because with those tears he can pour out his feelings, about how his chivalry has been in vain when he has lost love.
Love is like the wind that blows towards him, then recedes before he can catch it. Where else can he attain it? He feels like a gadung plant that is dying slowly because it has no flowering trees to climb. Is there really no more love that will come to him?
He doesn't realize that the night has become the dawn. And amidst the cheerfully chirping birds, comes the melodious call of a kepodang (oriole). Hearing this, he remembers the song that was often sung in Jatisrana, “Look at that kepodang”.
And at that very moment, he feels Sukrosono in his lap. All love has gone, but in his lap is a love that will never leave him. He realizes how much Sukrosono loves him. Sukrosono always comes to help him whenever he is stuck at his life’s limit. If Sukrosono had not helped him, he would have died at the hands of Prabu Darmawasesa. If it hadn’t been for Sukrosono's help, he would have been unable to bring Sriwedari Garden to Maespati. It was his younger brother Sukrosono who had straightened out his path of chivalry, preventing him from humiliation and shame, until he had become the chief warlord.
