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In this episode, we perceive the fame and glory of a ruler, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 6, penned for the Pandya king Palyaakasaalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi, by the poet Kaari Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadan Thinai’ or ‘praise of a king’, the verse etches a detailed portrait of a monarch and renders blessings unto him.
வடாஅது பனி படு நெடு வரை வடக்கும்,
தெனாஅது உரு கெழு குமரியின் தெற்கும்,
குணாஅது கரை பொரு தொடு கடற் குணக்கும்,
குடாஅது தொன்று முதிர் பௌவத்தின் குடக்கும்,
கீழது முப் புணர் அடுக்கிய முறை முதற் கட்டின்
நீர் நிலை நிவப்பின் கீழும், மேலது
ஆனிலை உலகத்தானும், ஆனாது,
உருவும் புகழும் ஆகி, விரி சீர்த்
தெரி கோல் ஞமன் போல, ஒரு திறம்
பற்றல் இலியரோ! நின் திறம் சிறக்க!
செய் வினைக்கு எதிர்ந்த தெவ்வர் தேஎத்து,
கடல் படை குளிப்ப மண்டி, அடர் புகர்ச்
சிறு கண் யானை செவ்விதின் ஏவி,
பாசவல் படப்பை ஆர் எயில் பல தந்து,
அவ் எயில் கொண்ட செய்வுறு நன் கலம்
பரிசில் மாக்கட்கு வரிசையின் நல்கி,
பணியியர் அத்தை, நின் குடையே முனிவர்
முக் கட் செல்வர் நகர் வலம் செயற்கே!
இறைஞ்சுக, பெரும! நின் சென்னி சிறந்த
நான்மறை முனிவர் ஏந்து கை எதிரே!
வாடுக, இறைவ! நின் கண்ணி ஒன்னார்
நாடு சுடு கமழ் புகை எறித்தலானே!
செலியர் அத்தை, நின் வெகுளி வால் இழை
மங்கையர் துனித்த வாள் முகத்து எதிரே!
ஆங்க, வென்றி எல்லாம் வென்று அகத்து அடக்கிய
தண்டா ஈகைத் தகை மாண் குடுமி!
தண் கதிர் மதியம் போலவும், தெறு சுடர்
ஒண் கதிர் ஞாயிறு போலவும்,
மன்னிய, பெரும! நீ நிலமிசையானே!
Quite a long tribute to this Pandya king, who is said to have built many religious places during his reign. The poet’s soaring words can be translated as follows:
“Till the snow capped mountain ranges in the North, till the fearsome ‘Kumari’ river in the South, till the sea that wages war on the shores in the East, till the ancient sea from antiquity in the West, and till what lies beneath the first of the three arranged levels, which is the earth arising out of the waters, and till what lies above, the mythical land of spirituality, may you be feared and famous! Akin to the pointer of a balance weighing heavy objects, never sway to one side. May your strengths prosper!
Immersing the lands of your enemies, who rise up against you, in the sea of your army, directing small-eyed elephants with spotted faces to break all obstacles and dash against many a fort near lush fields, and taking well-crafted ornaments from within those forts, may you offer them to supplicants, who stand in line before you!
Let your umbrella bow low only to the three-eyed God statue drawn by priests in the city’s streets! Let your head bow down only before the seeking hands of priests, who chant the four scriptures! Let your garland fade only in the smoke rising from the burning lands of your foes! Let your fury abate before the radiant faces of your women, adorned with luminescent, white jewels!
O renowned Pandya king with unending generosity, you are one who holds your many victories within your heart in silence! Like the moon that showers cool rays, and like the sun that showers scorching, bright rays, may you rule on, O lord, upon this land!”
Let’s explore the subtle nuances in this long song! The first point the poet makes is about where and how far the king’s fame should spread. He talks about it reaching the snow-capped mountains in the North, which marks the northern border of India today, the mighty Himalayas. Then, he turns south and talks about a fierce river called as ‘Kumari’. As there is no known river of that name in contemporary Tamilnadu, some people interpret this reference as talking about one of the rivers in the mythical continent of ‘Kumari Kandam’, the lost land of the ancient Tamils. While there is no scientific evidence thus far to support this theory, perhaps this ‘Kumari’ river refers to a river in the southernmost part of the Tamil land, lost today to changing geology of the terrain.
Two directions done, two more remain, and both are covered by seas. For the eastern sea, which we call Bay of Bengal today, the poet makes a curious reference as to it being a sea that constantly attacks the shores. Pausing for a moment and reflecting on these words makes me think of the monsoon storms that ravage the eastern coast of India, from Tamilnadu up until Orissa in the months of October, November and December, and makes the meaning of this ancient poet’s words relatable. About the Western sea, the one we call as ‘the Arabian Sea’ today, the poet remarks it to be an ancient ocean that existed from the beginning. Wonder why the special favouritism to this sea, since according to geology both the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea seems to have formed when the Indian subcontinent locked on with the continent of Asia!
Moving away from this geography lesson, the poet enters the world of mythology and describes his belief of three layers stacked one on top of the other – the earth, sky and heaven and mentions that the earth is the first of these layers, as it rises above the waters. The poet concludes his first point saying that the king’s fame should spread that far north, south, east and west and to the lands beneath the earth and the heavenly spaces above the earth. One more vital point about the king’s impartiality is presented by saying how he must sway not like the pointer of a balance and always strive to never take sides.
Per these poets, a king is no king if he doesn’t quell his enemies, and to relay this effect, the poet narrates a battle scene, where the king drowns his enemy lands with the sea of his army, and rising above like towering waves, the king’s elephants attack many a fort next to lush fields. The significance of forts being next to lush fields is that it’s a prosperous land with enough food. And when food is in surplus, artistry would flourish too. Right, says the poet, talking about the well-etched vessels and ornaments to be found inside such attacked forts. The poet concludes this segment with the words that the king would lay siege to all the wealth of such forts and then he would offer them to the many supplicants at his court.
The poet then talks about how the king’s umbrella shall bow only before God Shiva’s statue, and how the king’s head shall bow only to the hands of supplicating priests, and how the king’s garland shall fade only because of the smoke from scorched enemy lands, and finally, how the king’s fury shall diminish in the presence of his beautiful, well-adorned, royal women!
At this point, the poet makes a subtle comment about the king, saying even though the king may have won many, many battles, he doesn’t boast about it – why, he doesn’t even mention it, but keeps it silently within his heart. And this is the trait which I found to be unique, and if true, it sketches a modest and likeable personality. With a blessing upon the king to rule on land like the cool moon and the radiant sun, the poet concludes his paean.
The thing that struck me in this verse was the geographical knowledge of this ancient poet. Today, if we are called to sing such praises, we can indeed talk about far away galaxies but imagine thousands of years ago. How would a poet in the South know of snow capped mountains in the North? Only through the words of travellers and poets, I presume. It’s amazing how the extent of what this poet describes as the boundaries in every direction almost sketches a map of modern India. And, in the final words of the king ruling like both the moon and the sun, there’s emphasis on balance between softness and fierceness, between compassion and conquering, symbolising the perfect fusion of the yin and the yang!
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