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In this episode, we perceive the grief of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 245, penned by a Chera King Kottampalathu Thunjiya Maakothai. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’, the verse portrays a rather unique context amidst these Purananooru verses.
யாங்குப் பெரிதுஆயினும், நோய் அளவு எனைத்தே,
உயிர் செகுக்கல்லா மதுகைத்து அன்மையின்?
கள்ளி போகிய களரி மருங்கின்
வெள்ளிடைப் பொத்திய விளை விறகு ஈமத்து,
ஒள் அழல் பள்ளிப் பாயல் சேர்த்தி,
ஞாங்கர் மாய்ந்தனள், மடந்தை;
இன்னும் வாழ்வல்; என் இதன் பண்பே!
We have heard song upon song mention the pain and misery of people when their king dies. What happens when the king finds himself in the situation of his subjects? The answer is in this verse:
“Even though it is already huge, how much more will my disease grow when it’s demanded that I do not give up my life? In the wide space of this salty drylands filled with cactus, upon a pyre of dried wood, on a bed of radiant flames, she has been placed. My naive maiden, she has perished and parted thither; And yet, I live! What to say about the nature of this state?”
Let’s delve into the details. The king starts in an abstract manner talking about his great pain and wondering where this is going to end because he cannot give up his life the way he wants to. What is this dreadful situation that makes a king want to give up his life? Is it a loss in a battle? Loss of his palace and wealth? No, says the king and reveals it’s because his beloved wife, so young and naive, had parted away and her mortal form was being placed on a flaming pyre in the salty, cactus-filled drylands. Lamenting that she has died, and yet, he lives, the king concludes wondering how can this be.
The king’s immense love for his wife is evident from these poignant words on her parting away. We have seen mentions of how royal women climbed the pyre with their dead partners, but here, the roles are reversed. Seeing the deep sorrow of the king, his counsel must have advised him on his duty to his country. Realising that he has no other go but to live and yet with a pain so unbearable, the king pens these words on a love that time cannot steal away. A relatable emotion to any human, across space and time, at that piercing moment of losing a beloved!
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