Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we listen to a tribute, sung to a Pandya king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 3, penned for the king Karunkai Olvaal Perumpeyar Vazhuthi by the poet Irumpidarthalaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’, celebrating the qualities of this Pandya king, said to be the maternal uncle of the renowned ‘Karikaala Chozhan’ of the Sangam era.
உவவு மதி உருவின் ஓங்கல் வெண் குடை
நிலவுக் கடல் வரைப்பின் மண்ணகம் நிழற்ற,
ஏம முரசம் இழுமென முழங்க,
நேமி உய்த்த நேஎ நெஞ்சின்,
தவிரா ஈகை, கவுரியர் மருக!
செயிர் தீர் கற்பின் சேயிழை கணவ!
பொன் ஓடைப் புகர் அணி நுதல்,
துன் அருந் திறல், கமழ் கடாஅத்து,
எயிறு படையாக எயிற் கதவு இடாஅ,
கயிறு பிணிக்கொண்ட கவிழ் மணி மருங்கின்,
பெருங் கை, யானை இரும் பிடர்த் தலை இருந்து,
மருந்து இல் கூற்றத்து அருந் தொழில் சாயாக்
கருங் கை ஒள் வாட் பெரும்பெயர் வழுதி!
நிலம் பெயரினும், நின் சொல் பெயரல்;
பொலங் கழற் கால், புலர் சாந்தின்
விலங்கு அகன்ற வியல் மார்ப!
ஊர் இல்ல, உயவு அரிய,
நீர் இல்ல, நீள் இடைய,
பார்வல் இருக்கை, கவி கண் நோக்கின்,
செந் தொடை பிழையா வன்கண் ஆடவர்
அம்பு விட, வீழ்ந்தோர் வம்பப் பதுக்கை,
திருந்து சிறை வளை வாய்ப் பருந்து இருந்து உயவும்
உன்ன மரத்த துன் அருங் கவலை,
நின் நசை வேட்கையின் இரவலர் வருவர் அது
முன்னம் முகத்தின் உணர்ந்து, அவர்
இன்மை தீர்த்தல் வன்மையானே.
It continues to be a series of praise to a leader, and from the Cheras, who ruled over the eastern part of ancient Tamil land, the focus in this verse turns south to the Pandyas. Let’s delve into the translation of these ancient words:
“Akin to the full moon, is the tall, white umbrella, the insignia of your reign that extends over the land south till the steady ocean and renders shade to the entire land. When the guarding drums resounded uproariously, with a compassionate heart, the wheels of justice rolled on. You are the heir to such a dynasty, that of the Pandyas, renowned for their unceasing charity! You are the husband of the bejewelled lady with pristine chastity!
With golden ornaments adorning its spotted and handsome head, with intimidating power, with the strong fragrance of musth, using its tusk as the weapon of war, it strikes against the enemy’s fort entrance. With its sides adorned with ropes attached with dangling bells and having a long trunk, stands the elephant in battle. Upon its huge head, you ride and fear not to inflict the irreplaceable action of ‘Kootruvan’ with your dark hand that wields the shining sword, O renowned Pandya King!
Even if the earth were to shift from its position, your words shall not change their stance! Wearing warrior anklets on your legs and having a wide chest coated with dried sandalwood paste, thou art!
With no towns in-between, with no water to slay the tiredness are those long paths, where peering at the road ahead by shading their eyes with their hands, stand harsh-eyed men. As their arrows fly and pierce the chest, wayfarers perish and they are buried under stone. With perfect wings and curved beaks, vultures then stay and look on yearningly, upon the ‘unnam’ trees in the suffering-filled, inaccessible paths. Treading on such paths, with a deep desire and faith in you, supplicants arrive, since you have the immense power of fulfilling their needs just by seeing their faces, as they look up to you!”
Let’s walk down the path mentioned to greet and meet this king and to get to know him better! The poet starts by comparing a celestial object to a physical object having abstract connotations. To explain, a full moon is summoned only to say that’s how the umbrella of this king is. It’s not just a tool to keep out the sun and rain, but one of the insignia of ancient Tamil kings, just like the sceptre they used to hold in their hands. A hot land and sensible choice of insignia, we must say! We know the poet is talking not just about the physical object because he mentions how the shade of this umbrella extends until the southern seas known as the Indian Ocean today.
From the extent of his domain, the focus falls on the great deeds of this king’s ancestors and the poet recalls how they rendered the right justice whenever the public drums resounded and called them to do so. It was the musical helpline of Sangam times! Such was the fame of the Pandyas and you were born as their descendant, says the poet. From ancestors, the poet moves on to mention his queen, calling the king as ‘the husband of lady wearing well-crafted jewels’. I smiled to think how this king, known all through the realm is addressed as ‘Husband of’. Reminds me of the way Former President of the USA, John. F. Kennedy, introduced himself as ‘I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris’!
Returning to the Sangam era, we see standing before us, a huge elephant, wearing golden ornaments on its head, ropes with bells hanging on the side. It’s in quite an aggressive state, that of musth that affects bull elephants. Perhaps it was good for the king’s purposes, for we see the elephant directing all its anger on the enemy king’s fort with its sharp tusks. All this while, atop the elephant, around its vast neck, sits the king in question, having dark hands, and flashing a glowing white sword and inflicting death, which was the duty of the God ‘Kottravan’.
After delighting in that powerful image, the poet wishes that the king would never stray from his words even if the earth were to move away from its position. We learn a few more details about this persona such as he wears thick warrior anklets on his legs and how his wide chest is streaked with sandalwood paste. A sure-fire way to keep cool. Again, good sense on the part of these ancient rulers, as they wage wars under the hot sun of the Tamil land!
From these images of battle, the spotlight falls on a dry and dreary ‘Paalai’ landscape that we have oft encountered in ‘Akam’ poems of Natrinai and Kurunthogai. We have walked upon stone-filled paths, glimpsed at highway bandits waiting with their bow and arrows. Here, they are lying in wait for new wayfarers, even as the stone burials of those who had fallen previously can be seen. As we see this, the poet turns our attention to another living creature that is seeing the same thing. Vultures that are not able to feed on the flesh of these humans buried under the stones, look on yearningly. Well, the highway robbers may be ruthless but at least they believed in giving their victims a dignified death and hence, a burial!
Such is the horrible place, the poet implies, and yet, without minding any of these dangers, supplicants keep walking this path, thinking about the riches that await them at this Pandya king’s court, which they are sure of attaining, because the king is such a person, who will offer them whatever they need just by taking one look at their faces. To say that his followers need not even open their mouths and ask what they want, but are sure to have their wants fulfilled and their penury ended, just with a perceptive glance, is the highest honour that can be rendered to the generosity of this ruler! In today’s world, when we don’t have the time to look deeply even into the faces of our loved ones to understand their hearts, here was an ancient king who was rendering all this grace to people who could do nothing for him. Perhaps a leaf from his life to see more of those around us!
Share your thoughts...