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In this episode, we hear yet another poet advise the king on what must be done next, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 146, penned about the Velir King Vaayaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Perunthinai’ or ‘Inappropriate love’, the verse puts forth a special request to the king.
அன்ன ஆக: நின் அருங் கல வெறுக்கை
அவை பெறல் வேண்டேம்; அடு போர்ப் பேக!
சீறியாழ் செவ்வழி பண்ணி, நின் வன் புல
நல் நாடு பாட, என்னை நயந்து
பரிசில் நல்குவைஆயின், குரிசில்! நீ
நல்காமையின் நைவரச் சாஅய்,
அருந் துயர் உழக்கும் நின் திருந்துஇழை அரிவை
கலி மயில் கலாவம் கால் குவித்தன்ன,
ஒலி மென் கூந்தல் கமழ் புகை கொளீஇ,
தண் கமழ் கோதை புனைய,
வண் பரி நெடுந் தேர் பூண்க, நின் மாவே!
In this poem, we listen to a new poet talking about the same theme of a lady’s distress to this king. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Let them remain as they are! I wish not to receive precious ornaments and hard-to-attain wealth from you, O battle-strong Bekan! To the sweet melody of ‘Sevvazhi’ from a small lute, when I sing about your prosperous and vast country, if you wish to render a gift unto me, O king, I seek but one thing: As you have not rendered your grace, making others pity, she is wasting away in a deep sorrow – your woman wearing well-crafted jewels. So that her luxuriant, soft tresses, akin to a bunching of peacock’s feathers by the breeze, is caressed by fragrant smoke, and adorned with moist and scented garlands, tie your horses to your speeding, tall chariots right now!”
Let’s explore to see if any new messages are revealed herein. The poet declares like the poet before him that he desires no jewels and wealth from this king, although precious and impossible to attain. But if the king were to insist on giving some reward for the moving song about the king’s domain sung about by this poet to the ‘Sevvazhi’ melody on a small lute, then there’s one thing the poet desires. And that is, for the king to rush immediately to that lady, who was wallowing in misery to the pity of every one around because the king had failed to grace her. To convey this in an elegant manner, the poet talks about the rich tresses of the lady, looking as if the wind had bunched the feathers of a peacock together. He concludes with the words that to make those tresses dry in the scent of cleansing smoke and be adorned with flowers, the king must tie his horses to his fast chariots and go thither right away!
The subtle nuance here is that when a man had forsaken his married woman, ancient custom seems to have forbidden her from dressing herself up. Apparently, she was expected to not wash or use perfumed products or wear flowers on her tresses. In other verses, we have seen how the hair of a woman seemed to be considered a property of the man she marries. This same thought you will see echoed in various ancient religions and cultures – In the use of veils, shawls, saree borders and purdahs to cover the tresses of a married woman. Could this ancient verse be relating to us, an early origin of this thought? The other thing to ponder upon is that it must have been a matter of quite some importance if so many songs are devoted to reforming a king and making him return to his wife!
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