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In this episode, we perceive the lifestyle of people in this ruler’s domain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 129, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and highlights the generosity of this king.
குறி இறைக் குரம்பைக் குறவர் மாக்கள்
வாங்கு அமைப் பழுனிய தேறல் மகிழ்ந்து,
வேங்கை முன்றில் குரவை அயரும்,
தீம் சுளைப் பலவின், மா மலைக் கிழவன்
ஆஅய் அண்டிரன், அடு போர் அண்ணல்
இரவலர்க்கு ஈத்த யானையின், கரவு இன்று,
வானம் மீன் பல பூப்பின், ஆனாது
ஒரு வழிக் கரு வழி இன்றிப்
பெரு வெள்ளென்னின், பிழையாது மன்னே.
An expressive song that presents scenes of life in King Aay’s country. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Mountain dwellers, who reside in huts with narrow eaves, savour mature toddy poured into curving bamboo cups and relax by dancing ‘Kuravai’ in their front yard, fenced by ‘vengai’ trees. Such are the huge hills, adorned with sweet-fruited jackfruit trees, in the domain of King Aay Andiran. Consider the number of stars that bloom on a cloudless night, covering the sky entire with a flood of light, such that there is not a single spot of darkness. The number of elephants granted to supplicants by this respected warrior is no less than that!”
Let’s take a closer look at this verse. The poet brings before our eyes an evening in the life of mountain dwellers referred by the term ‘Kuravar’. We see these people holding curving bamboo cups in their hand, brimming with the finest toddy. After savouring their drink, they all get together and do the ‘Kuravai’ dance, which is an ancient dance form wherein the dancers hold on to each other’s hands and sway in a circle. The poet tells us that this dance happens in the courtyard surrounded by Indian Kino trees. Shifting from this small village, the poet gives us a bird’s eye view of Aay Andiran’s domain, which consists of rolling hills, decked with jackfruit trees, renowned for the sweetness of their fruit. Turning from looking at the land to the sky, and that too, a night sky, the poet imagines a cloudless night, when all the stars are shining so bright that there’s not even a single spot of black in the sky. Even so, the number of elephants that Aay has rendered unto his supplicants will match that number of shining stars, the poet concludes.
Remember that this is not a sky like ours where even the brightest eyes need to do a lot of peering to make out the shine of stars. It was a pollution-free time and the skies are sure to have been crystal clear. When the poet compares such a number of stars to the number of elephants given by the king, no doubt there’s the poetic license of hyperbole. We can only infer that it was quite an impressive number! Apart from this frequent praise that we keep hearing in Puranaanooru verses about elephants and chariots being given away, there’s another true kind of richness this verse depicts, and that is delighting us with the life and leisure of the common people, those ancient mountain dwellers. Perhaps, the poet only wanted to provide a setting to get to his core message of praise but two thousand years later, that’s what charms us. And, likewise, isn’t it possible that some part of our work that we may consider trivial today will turn out to be the thing that keeps our future descendants entranced! For instance, could it be the subtle background noises more than the words of this podcast?
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