Puranaanooru 15 – Destruction and Construction

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

கடுந் தேர் குழித்த ஞெள்ளல் ஆங்கண்,
வெள் வாய்க் கழுதைப் புல் இனம் பூட்டி,
பாழ் செய்தனை, அவர் நனந் தலை நல் எயில்;

புள்ளினம் இமிழும் புகழ்சால் விளை வயல்,
வெள் உளைக் கலி மான் கவி குளம்பு உகளத்
தேர் வழங்கினை, நின் தெவ்வர் தேஎத்து;

துளங்கு இயலான், பணை எருத்தின்,
பாவு அடியான், செறல் நோக்கின்,
ஒளிறு மருப்பின் களிறு அவர
காப்பு உடைய கயம் படியினை;

அன்ன சீற்றத்து அனையை; ஆகலின்,
விளங்கு பொன் எறிந்த நலம் கிளர் பலகையொடு
நிழல் படு நெடு வேல் ஏந்தி, ஒன்னார்
ஒண் படைக் கடுந் தார் முன்பு தலைக் கொண்மார்,
நசை தர வந்தோர் நசை பிறக்கு ஒழிய,
வசை பட வாழ்ந்தோர் பலர்கொல்?

புரை இல் நல் பனுவல், நால் வேதத்து,
அருஞ் சீர்த்திப் பெருங் கண்ணுறை
நெய்ம் மலி ஆவுதி பொங்க, பல் மாண்
வீயாச் சிறப்பின் வேள்வி முற்றி,
யூபம் நட்ட வியன் களம் பலகொல்?

யா பலகொல்லோ? பெரும! வார் உற்று
விசி பிணிக்கொண்ட மண் கனை முழவின்
பாடினி பாடும் வஞ்சிக்கு
நாடல் சான்ற மைந்தினோய்! நினக்கே.

This long song is the third one written by this poet for this Pandya king Muthukudumi – one that explains the moniker ‘Palyaakasaalai’ in his name. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:

“On well-laid roads with deep imprints of chariot tracks, you yoked white-mouthed, dull-hued herd of donkeys and destroyed those paths near their fine forts in the wide open spaces;

On fertile fields, famous for their bountiful harvest, immersed in bird cries, you rode chariots tied with white-maned, speedy horses and left imprints of your horses’ hooves on enemy lands;

To their well-protected tanks, you sent elephants with glowing tusks, with swaying, thick necks, gigantic feet and fierce glances.

Such an intense fury you seem to possess! And that’s why, though huge armies of your foes came carrying well-etched shields made of radiant iron and tall spears which cast shadows, seeing you attack them with strength, they who came with desire saw that desire shatter. Are those who lived with the censure of such failures many?

As dictated in the faultless and famous good books of the four scriptures, you threw copious amounts of burning elements and poured oil to stoke the flames on ritual fires. Are the temples of undying renown built around these ritual fires, raised by tall pillars, in wide open fields, many?

O lord, you are the one who is celebrated for his strength and prowess in the battlefield by the female singer, accompanied by drums smeared with mud paste and tied with tight leather straps! Which of the two do you think is more in number?”

Let’s delve into the details presented about this Pandya king! The poet starts by showing us long roads starting in the vicinity of some forts, with deep imprints of chariot tracks, revealing the importance of those places. But this is the past of that place, for now we can see donkeys yoked to a plough and let free on these roads, which would result in the ruin of those fine roads. This was apparently a technique to inflict shame on a subdued enemy king by a Sangam ruler, victorious in war. The poet clarifies that this is what the Pandya king had done in the land of his foes.

Then continuing, the poet takes us to the rich farm fields of an enemy country, where birds are singing about all around, and here, the king is seen riding his chariot tied to horses, laying to waste all the food that’s growing there. In the previous instance, the king farms with donkeys where one should be riding chariots, and now, he rides chariots were one should be farming. Using a place for something it shouldn’t be used for is simply a way of destroying that place, these actions demonstrate.

The king doesn’t seem to stop with ruining the roadways and farmlands of this enemy country. Choosing the next target of attack as their water supply, he directs huge elephants to the tanks, thereby destroying the people’s source of drinking water. Mentioning these as the king’s acts of fury, the poet then talks about how after seeing the fierceness of the king in the battlefield, those who came with a desire to overpower him lose that desire and retreat in shame. A question is put forth by the poet now asking if the number of enemies who retreated so, is more! 

To explain ‘more’ than ‘what’, the poet turns to talk about how this king constructs pillared temples to conduct ritual fires, as dictated by the scriptures, and questions whether those are more. You will recollect that the king’s name is ‘Palyaakasaalai’ which means ‘many ritual-fire temples’. Adding that female singers accompanied by resounding drums sing this king’s prowess in the battlefield, the poet concludes with a pointed question as to whether the king’s enemies who retreated in shame or the ritual temples built by this king were more in number.

In short, the first part of this verse is about the destructive atrocities of this king in an enemy land. War changes the compassionate core of humanity and makes them mindless creatures indeed. For what is to be gained by the destruction of property and life-giving resources other than a boost to that ruler’s ego? Is there a subtle recognition that these were not always laudable actions, although it made the king’s enemies fear him? Maybe that’s why, in contrast, there’s talk of the king constructing temples to conduct rituals with fires. After all the conquering and plundering, which no doubt leaves a vague sense of unease, these rulers seemed to find refuge in spirituality. Isn’t that a repeating trope in the history of the world – kings ruthlessly killing fellow humans to extend their boundaries and then returning to build temples for God’s glory? Do they want to mark in stone their victories or do they want to wipe away their guilt in these places of worship? Intriguing musings on war and worship from these lines on a tribute to a king from two thousand years ago!