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In this episode, we perceive the fame of a warrior, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 290, penned by the prolific poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Karanthai Thinai’ or ‘Recapturing’ and etches the promising personality of a young man.
இவற்கு ஈத்து உண்மதி, கள்ளே, சினப் போர்
இனக் களிற்று யானை, இயல் தேர்க் குருசில்!
நுந்தை தந்தைக்கு இவன் தந்தை தந்தை,
எடுத்து எறி ஞாட்பின் இமையான், தச்சன்
அடுத்து எறி குறட்டின், நின்று மாய்ந்தனனே;
மறப் புகழ் நிறைந்த மைந்தினோன் இவனும்,
உறைப்புழி ஓலை போல,
மறைக்குவன் பெரும! நிற் குறித்து வரு வேலே.
In this song, we hear about the trustworthy attributes of a person. The words of this famous female poet can be translated as follows:
“Render unto him and then drink the toddy, O leader with swaying chariots and herds of raging war elephants! Seeing a spear thrown at your father’s father, his father’s father did not even bat an eyelid, and akin to the hub of a wheel to which the carpenter attaches spokes, he stood there receiving those spears and perished; He too is a young warrior renowned for his courage, and akin to a palmyra umbrella in the rain, he will shield you, O lord, from the spears that target you!”
Time to delve into the details. The poet begins by telling the king, one who owns many dashing chariots and fighting elephants, that he should first give the bowl of toddy to that particular warrior and then drink it, outlining the process of preference that we saw in the previous verse. Then, the poet rewinds to the past and talks about how this young man’s grandfather had fought along with this king’s grandfather and when spears came pouncing at that ancient king, that young man’s grandfather stepped forward and accepted those spears on his chest, looking like a wheel hub attached with spokes. Such is the great clan this young man comes from, the poet continues, and says the young man relies not only on his family’s honour but he himself has made a name for his courage in the battlefield. She concludes assuring the king, just like how a tightly stitched palm umbrella protects one from the falling rain, this young man would protect the king from the spears that target his chest.
His grandfather gave his life for your grandfather and this man will not hesitate to give his life for you, the poet implies. Although we have already encountered the simile of a wheel hub with spokes for a warrior’s chest pierced with spears, the simile of a palmyra umbrella to protect from the rain is refreshingly new. It also gives us an idea about an environmental-friendly rainy weather product that can be made from palm fronds. A verse that reads like a modern letter of recommendation for the suitability of a candidate!
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