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In this episode, we perceive the disillusionment that awaits those who seek to attack the king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 104, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Vaagai Thinai’ or ‘King’s victory’ and hints about the valorous way in which the king defended his domain.
போற்றுமின், மறவீர்! சாற்றுதும், நும்மை:
ஊர்க் குறுமாக்கள் ஆடக் கலங்கும்
தாள் படு சில் நீர்க் களிறு அட்டு வீழ்க்கும்
ஈர்ப்புடைக் கராஅத்து அன்ன என்னை
நுண் பல் கருமம் நினையாது,
‘இளையன்’ என்று இகழின், பெறல் அரிது, ஆடே.
A short song with rich imagery. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Guard yourselves, O soldiers! I declare unto you: Even a huge elephant can be pulled in and felled by a crocodile living in a shallow pond – one which becomes muddy when village children play in it. Akin to that crocodile is my lord! Without considering the impact of his many intricate actions, if you look down upon him, thinking he is but a youngster, then, attaining victory is something impossible for you!”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet starts with a message of warning to enemy soldiers. She then brings before our eyes, a rather shallow pond- one that gets muddied when the village children play in it. If it was deep and flowing water, it will be crystal clear, wouldn’t it? Then, she says even though the pond is shallow, a huge elephant that comes to rest in it can be finished in a moment by a crocodile living therein. Explaining why she has detailed this scene, the poet says her king Athiyamaan is like that crocodile. She concludes with the statement that those enemies shouldn’t think low of Athiyamaan and see him as a newbie youngster in the game of war for he’s a man who has many intricate stratagems up his sleeve, and if they do look down upon him, then they are sure to fail!
The highlight of this verse is in how the king is compared to a crocodile in a positive connotation. In contemporary Tamil, this never happens. No one is praised as being a crocodile but they may be spoken so in a disparaging tone. It’s interesting how perception of animals has changed over the centuries with some animals being considered as better than others. Refreshing to see that in these Sangam verses, it does not matter whether a crocodile is compared to a king or a tiger. All that matters to them seems to be the strength and aptness of the simile in the scene portrayed!
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