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In this episode, we listen to advice rendered to a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 259, penned by the poet Kodai Paadiya Perumpoothanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Karanthai Thinai’ or ‘Cattle Recovering’ and speaks words of caution to a man on a mission.
ஏறுடைப் பெரு நிரை பெயர்தர, பெயராது,
இலை புதை பெருங் காட்டுத் தலை கரந்து இருந்த
வல் வில் மறவர் ஒடுக்கம் காணாய்;
செல்லல், செல்லல்; சிறக்க, நின் உள்ளம்,
முருகு மெய்ப் பட்ட புலைத்தி போலத்
தாவுபு தெறிக்கும் ஆன்மேல்
புடை இலங்கு ஒள் வாள் புனை கழலோயே!
This latest series seems to dwell on the domain of controlling cattle. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“After capturing the huge herd of cows along with the bull, without departing, fighters, with sturdy bows, are hiding in the huge forest, filled with dense leaves; You seem not to consider this; May your heart triumph! Do not go; Do not go to reclaim your cattle, which are leaping all over the place, akin to a washerwoman on whose form, God Murugu had descended, O warrior wearing well-etched anklets and having a shining sword hanging from your waist!”
Time to delve into the nuances. The poet starts by narrating the activities of the enemy horde who had captured a huge herd of cattle belonging to this village. Instead of leaving to their village, they seem to be hiding in a dense, leaf-covered forest, the poet informs. He turns to the leader whom he’s addressing and says, ‘You seem to have no idea about this and you want to give chase to them. Don’t do that. It’s understandable you want to recover your cattle, which jump about like a possessed washerwoman, but still don’t go after those men’. The poet ends these words of advice by describing this warrior as one who wears well-etched anklets and has a sword, dangling from his waist.
One of the elements of interest in this verse is the simile used for leaping cattle. The poet compares them to a possessed washerwoman on whom God had descended. In rural Tamilnadu, even today, one would find an occurrence of a ‘possessed dance’ or ‘Saami Aadal’, wherein during temple festivals, the god in question is believed to enter the body of certain worshippers, predominantly female, making the person dance, speak in tongues and offer advice to devotees. That same image is reflected to us from this ancient verse. The other aspect of interest is the advice rendered about gauging one’s enemies before attacking them. A thought that can be projected onto the generic maxim ‘Think before you leap’, relevant today, as it was two thousand years ago!
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