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In this episode, we listen to a declaration of reverence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 175, penned about the Velir King Aathanungan by the poet Kallil Aathiraiyanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse sketches the greatness of this ruler.
எந்தை! வாழி; ஆதனுங்க! என்
நெஞ்சம் திறப்போர் நிற் காண்குவரே;
நின் யான் மறப்பின், மறக்கும் காலை,
என் உயிர் யாக்கையின் பிரியும் பொழுதும்,
என்னியான் மறப்பின், மறக்குவென் வென் வேல்
விண் பொரு நெடுங் குடைக் கொடித் தேர் மோரியர்
திண் கதிர்த் திகிரி திரிதரக் குறைத்த
உலக இடைகழி அறை வாய் நிலைஇய
மலர் வாய் மண்டிலத்து அன்ன, நாளும்
பலர் புரவு எதிர்ந்த அறத் துறை நின்னே.
A short song with a complex layer. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“My leader Aathanunga, may you live long! Those who happen to open my heart will see you there; If I am to forget you, it will be when my life departs from my body and I forget myself. That will be the only time I can forget you! The Moriyars, with white spears, sky-soaring umbrella and flag-fluttering chariots, to make their wheels with strong spokes roll on, made pathways in the hard hills before them. Akin to the huge sun which alone traverses that path always, you protect many from a righteous vantage point!”
Time to unravel the nuances here. The poet starts with the familiar style of rendering a blessing to the king, and then he goes on to say that if anyone were to open his heart, they would find the king there. A moment to pause and talk about an image that flashed in my mind when I read this. This was a scene from the televised series of the epic Ramayana, wherein the mythical Hanuman opens his chest to reveal God Ram there. And, here in Sangam Literature, the poet is saying the king will be seen if his heart were to be opened. Without getting into which is cause and which is effect, it’s interesting to note the similarity of thought in two very different pieces of literature from the ancient world.
Returning, we find the poet talking about a historical incident of how the Moriyars, possibly Mauryas from the Northern part of India, decided to invade the regions to the south. When they advanced with their chariots and armies, there they found a mountain stopping them. Apparently, they cut the rocks and made a pathway for their wheels to roll on. In the end, they were repelled by Tamil kings and sent back to their lands. And so, it’s only the sun that manages to walk on this path forever, finishes the poet. And like that sun, the king too protects so many and renders with generosity from his high position, he adds. This is the complex layer I was mentioning before. The simile equating the king’s nature to the sun is clear indeed but the connection with the Moriyars and their actions is somewhat vague.
In contrast to that ambiguous historical nugget, there is one statement made crystal clear by the poet and that is when he says that the only time he shall forget the king is when his life departs and the poet forgets himself. Not a moment before, can I forget you, says this poet. Somehow, this declaration feels like a romantic expression in today’s world. Whether it’s a poet saying it to a king, or a devotee saying it to god or a person from the twenty-first century saying it to their special person, whoever may be the speaker and whoever may be the listener, at the heart of it all, shines love!
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