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In this episode, we perceive intriguing references to food and drink in the ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 177, penned about the Velir King Malli Kizhaan Kaariyaathi by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and speaks about the hospitality in this king’s country.
ஒளிறு வாள் மன்னர் ஒண் சுடர் நெடு நகர்,
வெளிறு கண் போகப் பல் நாள் திரங்கி,
பாடிப் பெற்ற பொன் அணி யானை,
தமர்எனின், யாவரும் புகுப; அமர் எனின்,
திங்களும் நுழையா எந்திரப் படு புழை,
கள் மாறு நீட்ட நணி நணி இருந்த
குறும் பல் குறும்பின் ததும்ப வைகி,
புளிச் சுவை வேட்ட செங் கண் ஆடவர்
தீம் புளிக் களாவொடு துடரி முனையின்,
மட்டு அறல் நல் யாற்று எக்கர் ஏறி,
கருங் கனி நாவல் இருந்து கொய்து உண்ணும்,
பெரும் பெயர் ஆதி, பிணங்குஅரில் குட நாட்டு,
எயினர் தந்த எய்ம்மான் எறி தசைப்
பைஞ் ஞிணம் பெருத்த பசு வெள் அமலை,
வருநர்க்கு வரையாது தருவனர் சொரிய,
இரும் பனங் குடையின் மிசையும்
பெரும் புலர் வைகறைச் சீர் சாலாதே.
Yet another Velir King makes an appearance in this verse. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Gold-adorned elephants may be obtained by bards singing for many days with their eyes losing their shine, in the tall and radiant mansions of other kings with glowing swords. That aside, here anyone who is a friend can enter easily; Whereas, even the moon cannot enter if it so wants to go to war. Such is his well-protected, battle-ready entrance! As toddy is extended in one well-situated fort after the other, red-eyed men drink to the brim, and then wanting something sour, they eat up sweet and sour caranda fruits and then jujube fruits. After a while, disliking these, they climb atop the honey-dripping fine river sands and pluck black jamun fruits and savour them. Such is Kudanaadu, the bush-filled country of the famous Aathi. To those who visit this country, hunters here offer limitless, chunky pieces of porcupine meat along with white balls of rice on leaves from the tall palmyra tree. Even those gold-clad elephants given to bards by kings at dawn cannot measure up to this food offering in Aathi’s country!”
Time to delve deeper into the verse. The poet first talks about how bards receive golden elephants from certain kings after they have been singing for long without any sleep. Then, he switches to a totally different scene in King Aathi’s country, and talks about how anyone friendly would be welcome at the king’s mansion but even if it’s the moon and if it has hostile intentions, it cannot step into the entrance. After contrasting the welcome to friends and foes, the poet sketches the events happening in the king’s country. Here, red-eyed men are offered toddy in one house after the next, and after drinking to the full, these men then search for sour fruits like Karanda, jujube, and tiring of these two, they go in search of jamun fruits and pluck them standing atop river sand mounds.
Following this treat of drink and fruits, comes the tasty meal of porcupine flesh and white rice, served on palmyra leaves and showered upon anyone who visits the country of Aathi, the poet details, and now connects with his opening statement saying that even those elephants offered by kings cannot match the richness of the food offered here. This far, we have seen bards being awestruck when receiving elephants from kings. Now, even that seems to pale when compared to the food and hospitality in King Kaariyaathi’s country. A classic illustration of the relative value of things, showing how no matter how rich a gift, even if it’s a huge elephant, it cannot match a morsel of food offered to a person, tired and hungry!
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