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In this episode, we perceive a scene in the midst of a heated battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 274, penned by the poet Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Thumbai Thinai’ or ‘Battle of two kings’ and describes the courageous actions of a warrior.
நீலக் கச்சை, பூ ஆர் ஆடை,
பீலிக் கண்ணிப் பெருந்தகை மறவன்
மேல் வருங் களிற்றொடு வேல் துரந்து, இனியே,
தன்னும் துரக்குவன் போலும் ஒன்னலர்
எஃகுடை வலத்தர் மாவொடு பரத்தர,
கையின் வாங்கி, தழீஇ,
மொய்ம்பின் ஊக்கி, மெய்க் கொண்டனனே!
Another crisp song about a soldier, fighting on foot in a battle. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Wearing a blue belt, an attire filled with floral designs, a garland made of peacock feathers, the valorous warrior aimed the spear at the pouncing elephant. It appears as if he’s ready to give up his life, for just then mounted enemy warriors wielding spears surround him. He catches the spears thrown at him with his hand, soars with fierce strength, wrestles the enemy chief, throws him to the ground, and stands there holding that fallen body!”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet talks about the appearance of a warrior saying he’s wearing a blue sash around his waist, a garment with designs of flowers, and a garland of peacock feathers. From the attire, the poet moves to action, talking about how this warrior threw his spear straight at an elephant charging towards him and felled it. At this time, many enemy warriors surround him on horses and throw spears at him and he seems to catch hold of these spears with his hand and successfully deflect that attack. Next, the warrior mounts on the elephant, wrestles the chief sitting atop and then throws his lifeless body to the ground, the poet describes, and concludes with the words that there’s no stopping this warrior and that he would fight till the very end.
I was stunned by the similarity of images in this verse and many contemporary Indian movies depicting action heroes. These chaps are known to perform unimaginable feats, defying the laws of physics even, and here too, we have a warrior stopping spears with his hand and single-handedly thwarting a horde of enemies… From Sangam times to today’s blockbusters, this saga of the swashbuckling hero seems to go on!
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