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In this episode, we relish a heartwarming verse on sharing, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 163, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse echoes the words spoken by the poet to his wife on returning home from the king’s court.
நின் நயந்து உறைநர்க்கும், நீ நயந்து உறைநர்க்கும்,
பல் மாண் கற்பின் நின் கிளை முதலோர்க்கும்,
கடும்பின் கடும் பசி தீர யாழ நின்
நெடுங் குறியெதிர்ப்பை நல்கியோர்க்கும்,
இன்னோர்க்கு என்னாது, என்னொடும் சூழாது,
வல்லாங்கு வாழ்தும் என்னாது, நீயும்
எல்லோர்க்கும் கொடுமதி மனை கிழவோயே!
பழம் தூங்கு முதிரத்துக் கிழவன்
திருந்து வேல் குமணன் நல்கிய வளனே.
After making a statement to that other king Ilavelimaan, who had insulted the poet with his meagre gifts, the poet is finally back home with his wife, who had been handling many a crisis at home all alone, taking care of her aged mother-in-law and hungry children, while the poet was away seeking wealth. The poet returns home and says to his wife:
“To those who are affectionate to you, to those whom you are affectionate to; To those virtuous elders in your family; To those who gave in plenty, so as to end the severe hunger of our kin, expecting you will repay; Without considering who they are, without even consulting with me, without thinking that we shall live a prosperous life, render unto everyone, O lady of my house, this wealth granted by the lord of the fruit-hanging peaks of Muthiram – The sharp-speared Kumanan!”
Time to take a closer look at the thoughts expressed here. The poet makes a list of different people. First in the list are the people, who have been kind and loving to his wife, next are the people whom his wife has been kind and loving to. In the way the poet differentiates these two sets of people, I sense a subtle nuance about relationship, and that is, the people who love us and the people whom we love need not be one and the same always. Moving on from this pondering, we see the poet adding to that list the elders of his wife’s family, whom he describes as being noble and virtuous. The man seems to have huge respect for his in-laws!
The final group of people in that list are the ones who are not in the realm of relationships but that of economics, and by that, I mean, people who have offered tangible things to end the hunger of that family as a loan expecting repayment some day. Making it clear why he has mentioned all these groups of people, the poet concludes by saying to his wife that without even caring about who the person is, without even asking the poet, and most of all, without thinking that they need that wealth to live a comfortable life, his wife should gift away to all these people, the wealth rendered unto them by the lord of Muthiram, King Kumanan!
Delving into those final conditions for giving, one of the things the poet mentions is that the lady must not worry whether this person to whom she’s giving away is worthy or whether that person has done something good for them, and in short, she must give away to whoever asks them. Remember the poet says to the king, ‘Do not judge me by my abilities but give according to your status’. That statement he preached to the king, he seems to putting into practice here. Next, in his words to his wife – ‘you don’t even have to ask me’, we can sense the autonomy granted to the lady of the house to do what she wishes with the money the poet has brought home with great hardship.
The ultimate highlight though is in how the poet advises his wife not to be bothered about saving the wealth for their own well-being. That’s a huge thing to say to someone who has seen her children in the throes of starvation, lifting empty pots and pans for a small sip of gruel! Wonder what the lady would have replied now that her hardship has ended and she was reunited with her companion? Whatever be the lady’s response, in this verse, we perceive a reflection of the noble ideal of compassion and charity without limits, which seems to have been the cornerstone of ancient Tamil culture!
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