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In this episode, we perceive the distress of a bereaved woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 247, penned about the Pandya Queen Perunkoppendu by the poet Madurai Peraalavaayar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’ and talks about devotion in a moment of distress.
யானை தந்த முளி மர விறகின்
கானவர் பொத்திய ஞெலி தீ விளக்கத்து,
மட மான் பெரு நிரை வைகு துயில் எடுப்பி,
மந்தி சீக்கும் அணங்குடை முன்றிலில்,
நீர் வார் கூந்தல் இரும் புறம் தாழ,
பேர் அஞர்க் கண்ணள், பெருங் காடு நோக்கி,
தெருமரும் அம்ம தானே தன் கொழுநன்
முழவு கண் துயிலாக் கடியுடை வியல் நகர்ச்
சிறு நனி தமியள் ஆயினும்,
இன் உயிர் நடுங்கும் தன் இளமை புறங்கொடுத்தே!
In the previous verse, we saw how this Pandya queen decides to give up her life to join her departed husband, without regarding the pleas of poets in the king’s court to avoid doing that. This poet was perhaps one who had asked the lady not to take that fateful decision. His words can be translated as follows:
“With wood from a dried tree brought by an elephant, forest dwellers kindle a fire. In the light of this fire, huge herd of naive deer sleep, and awakening them from their sweet slumber, a monkey digs up nearby. Such is the fearsome front yard, where, with water-dripping tresses descending on her back, with eyes full of deep sorrow, she stands distressed, looking at the huge forest. The lady was one whose sweet life would tremble even if she were separated from her husband for a few moments in their well-protected wide mansion, where the drum beats never cease. Now, she turns her back on her youth!”
Let’s delve into the details here. The poet opens in the style of ‘Aham’ poems, describing the place where the events unfold. He talks about a fire lit up by forest dwellers on a bed of wood from a dried-up tree, brought thither by an elephant. In the warmth of this fire, deer seem to be relishing their sleep. Not for long though, for a monkey starts digging up, perhaps searching for some food it hid long ago, and these deer wake up startled. Such is the field in the forest where the king’s pyre burns, the poet illustrates. Here, stands a maiden with water-dripping tresses hanging low on her back, gazing at the distance, with sorrow in her eyes. Then, he goes on to talk about how this lady would tremble and suffer if she was parted from her husband, even for a few moments, in their huge mansion, where drum beats proclaimed the king’s successes endlessly. As I read this thought about the queen being unable to bear even a second of separation, many a ‘Natrinai’ poem flashed before my eyes. Returning, we find the poet saying now the lady leaves, forsaking her youth, informing us that she has chosen to end her life on her husband’s funeral pyre. In a way, this is a poem which glorifies the dependence of a woman on her man and educates us about such notions of the past that are thankfully not acts of virtue anymore!
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