Puranaanooru 58 – Two standing as one

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நீயே, தண் புனல் காவிரிக் கிழவனை; இவனே,
முழு முதல் தொலைந்த கோளி ஆலத்துக்
கொழு நிழல் நெடுஞ் சினை வீழ் பொறுத்தாங்கு,
தொல்லோர் மாய்ந்தெனத் துளங்கல் செல்லாது,
நல் இசை முது குடி நடுக்கு அறத் தழீஇ,
இளையது ஆயினும் கிளை அரா எறியும்
அருநரை உருமின், பொருநரைப் பொறாஅச்
செரு மாண் பஞ்சவர் ஏறே; நீயே,
அறம் துஞ்சு உறந்தைப் பொருநனை; இவனே,
நெல்லும் நீரும் எல்லார்க்கும் எளிய என,
வரைய சாந்தமும், திரைய முத்தமும்,
இமிழ் குரல் முரசம் மூன்றுடன் ஆளும்
தமிழ் கெழு கூடல் தண் கோல் வேந்தே;

பால் நிற உருவின் பனைக் கொடியோனும்,
நீல் நிற உருவின் நேமியோனும், என்று
இரு பெருந் தெய்வமும் உடன் நின்றாஅங்கு,
உரு கெழு தோற்றமொடு உட்குவர விளங்கி,
இன்னீர் ஆகலின், இனியவும் உளவோ?
இன்னும் கேண்மின்: நும் இசை வாழியவே;

ஒருவீர் ஒருவீர்க்கு ஆற்றுதிர்; இருவீரும்
உடன் நிலை திரியீர்ஆயின், இமிழ்திரைப்
பௌவம் உடுத்த இப் பயம் கெழு மா நிலம்
கையகப்படுவது பொய் ஆகாதே;

அதனால், நல்ல போலவும், நயவ போலவும்,
தொல்லோர் சென்ற நெறிய போலவும்,
காதல் நெஞ்சின் நும் இடை புகற்கு அலமரும்
ஏதில் மாக்கள் பொதுமொழி கொள்ளாது,
இன்றே போல்க, நும் புணர்ச்சி; வென்று வென்று
அடு களத்து உயர்க, நும் வேலே; கொடுவரிக்
கோள்மாக் குயின்ற சேண் விளங்கு தொடு பொறி
நெடு நீர்க் கெண்டையொடு பொறித்த
குடுமிய ஆக, பிறர் குன்று கெழு நாடே.

A rather long song perhaps justified in length because it deals with the portraits of not one but two kings from different dynasties. The situation is rather unique because before this, we have only encountered warring kings from two dynasties, whereas this one celebrates the unity between the two. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:

“As for you, you are the lord of the cool-streamed River Kaveri; As for him; he is a young bull, born in the famous lineage of the Pandyas, and akin to how an aerial root bears the long, shady branch of a non-flowering banyan tree, whose trunk is dead, even though his ancestors are no more, without letting go of the good fame of that ancient tribe, he reinstates it. Although young, akin to how lightning attacks a family of snakes, accompanied by the roar of thunder, he attacks his enemies;

As for you, you are the king of ‘Uranthai’, where justice reigns supreme; As for him, he is the monarch, who wields his cool sceptre over ‘Koodal’, where Tamil is celebrated, a place where three different drums resound in a thunderous voice, and where paddy and water are easily available to all, a place filled with the scent of sandalwood, from the hills, and sight of pearls, from the oceans.

As if the two great gods – the milk-hued one with a palm flag and the blue-hued one with a wheel – stood together, if you both appear as one in such a state with such shining forms that inspire awe, what else can be called as pleasant? I have something more to say. May your fame live for long!

Help one another; If this moment where you both are united never changes, then this great land surrounded by resounding waves will be forever in your hands; And so, walking the good way, the wise way, in the path of your ancestors, heeding not the words of strangers that seek to sow strife between your loving hearts, as you are today, may you be united always. May you gain victory upon victory and raise your spears high in battlefields many. May the killer tiger’s curved stripes be etched together with the carp fish from deep waters, atop other nations with soaring mountains!”

Time to delve deeper into these words. The poet starts by talking about the Chozha king simply calling him the ruler of lands through which the cool Kaveri runs through. Then, he moves on to a lengthy description of the Pandya king, and talks about how although his illustrious ancestors are long gone like the dead trunk of a banyan tree, this young king strives to uphold their honour like a young aerial root holding up a long and shady branch. The poet adds that this young bull of a king brings ruin upon his enemies like thunder brings suffering to snakes – an ancient belief that we have oft encountered in Sangam ‘Aham’ songs. 

After this initial comparison, the poet delves into the capitals of these kings. He calls the Chozha king, the ruler of Uranthai, where justice reigns. As in the previous instance, to describe the capital of the Pandya king, the poet goes into greater detail, calling ‘Koodal’ as the centre where Tamil was celebrated, and where farmlands thrive with bountiful paddy crops, owing to the presence of rich water resources. Not only the riches of the farmlands, but also that of the sea, in the form of pearls, and that of the mountains, in the form of sandalwood, are available in ‘Koodal’, the poet details. Incidentally, ‘Koodal’ is the ancient name of the modern city of ‘Madurai’. 

Then, the poet equates the kings to two gods, white-hued Balaraman and blue-hued Vishnu, and says there can be no other pleasant sight than that of these two kings together. Then, he goes on to advise them saying if they stood together, then all land would be theirs and also, asks them not to heed the poisonous words of strangers who intend to sow discord between them. As a conclusion, the poet says if they both stand united always, then in all those nations with soaring mountains, possibly meaning the Chera country, a flag on which a tiger, the symbol of the Chozhas, and a fish, the symbol of the Pandyas, are etched side by side, will flutter on forever!

When reading the initial portion of the verse, it felt like one of those questions in a school exam paper asking the student to do a comparative study of two entities. I could almost see a line dividing the two kings and points jotted down, one after the other. A subtle observation is that the Pandya king seems to get a heavier description than the Chozha king! Whatever the reasons may be for that, the verse offers detailed insights about the history, geography and agriculture of the lands belonging to these two contemporaries. If only current warring nations, who, very often turn out to be neighbours, having people of similar origin, could hear this ancient plea for togetherness and come as one, then, as the poet asks, ‘who can in the world can defeat them?’.