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In this episode, we listen to an account of a young soldier’s actions in war and peace, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 302, penned by the poet Veri Paadiya Kaamakanniyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Thumbai Thinai’ or ‘Battle of two kings’ and etches the perceived compassion and courage of the protagonist.
வெடி வேய் கொள்வது போல ஓடி,
தாவுபு உகளும், மாவே; பூவே,
விளங்குஇழை மகளிர் கூந்தல் கொண்ட;
நரந்தப் பல் காழ்க் கோதை சுற்றிய
ஐது அமை பாணி வணர் கோட்டுச் சீறியாழ்க்
கை வார் நரம்பின் பாணர்க்கு ஓக்கிய,
நிரம்பா இயல்பின் கரம்பைச் சீறூர்;
நோக்கினர்ச் செகுக்கும் காளை ஊக்கி,
வேலின் அட்ட களிறு பெயர்த்து எண்ணின்,
விண் இவர் விசும்பின் மீனும்,
தண் பெயல் உறையும், உறை ஆற்றாவே.
A soldier’s valour, as seen by someone who lived in the past, is detailed here. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Like how a bamboo pulled backwards springs forth when let go, his horses leaped and jumped. To maiden, clad in radiant jewels, flowers were rendered; To bards, wearing garlands delicately tied with many strands of bitter orange flowers and holding small lutes with curving stems and strings that move as one with the fingers of these bards, many farmland villages with unfilled paths were rendered; All this was done by that young, bull-like man who kills enemies, who dare look at him. With eagerness, if one were to count all the elephants felled by his spear, even the twinkling stars that spread in the sky, or the raindrops in a moist downpour, would be no match!”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet starts by sketching a dynamic action in a bamboo forest. If the bamboos there were pulled with force backwards and then let go, how it would dash to the front with great momentum because of its flexibility! Just like that, horses pounced on the battlefield, relates the poet, giving another instance of these plant-animal parallels that Sangam folks were experts at! Moving on, the poet then talks about flowers being gifted to rich women and entire farming villages given to bards, who are portrayed as wearing bitter-orange flower garlands and holding lutes in their hands. Incidentally, this ‘bitter-orange tree’ has spread from South east Asia all the way to Europe and beyond. In our travels abroad, we came across this tree in the city of Nafplio, which our Greek guide and friend informed us was called ‘Nerantzi’. Note how close its name is, to the Sangam Tamil name of this fruit – ‘narantham’, which echoes exchanges between these two cultures in the ancient world.
Returning from our meandering, we hear from the poet that it’s a young soldier, who has previously been so generous to the maiden in his village and the bards who had come seeking his patronage. From his activities during peacetime in the past, the poet turns to the soldier’s present in the battlefield and concludes by saying that if one were to count all the elephants killed by this young man’s spear, then even the stars in the sky, and the drops in a downpour, would pale in comparison!
Shocking to think that such cruelty to these gentle animals was considered courage in the past! No doubt the poet exaggerates to extol the strength and fierceness of this soldier. Still, it’s hard to accept when we take in these lines with our modern eyes, which have seen and understood the warmth and goodness of this wild animal! Even as I write this, I know the future too will look at something we take for granted today, and say, “How could they?” Hope someday the human race reaches an age of wisdom and clarity, so that their lives leave nothing for the future to rebuke them about!
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