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In this episode, we observe a leader’s courage in the battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 330, penned by the poet Madurai Kanakkayanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Vaagai Thinai’ or ‘Victory’ and reveals the economic status of a town.
வேந்துடைத் தானை முனை கெட நெரிதர,
ஏந்து வாள் வலத்தன் ஒருவன் ஆகி,
தன் இறந்து வாராமை விலக்கலின், பெருங் கடற்கு
ஆழி அனையன்மாதோ என்றும்
பாடிச் சென்றோர்க்கு அன்றியும், வாரிப்
புரவிற்கு ஆற்றாச் சீறூர்த்
தொன்மை சுட்டிய வண்மையோனே.
A tiny song with a simple core! The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“As the enemy king’s army crowds around densely before the front lines, single-handedly, with a raised sword in his hand, he stands blocking them from crossing over, akin to the shore that stops the huge ocean. A small town that has enough only to donate to singing bards but not enough to be taxed for its farmlands, is the domain of this strong man from an ancient lineage!”
Time to delve into the details. The poet talks about a moment in the battlefield when the enemy king’s army seems to have the upper hand, crowding around and destroying the front lines of the opposite army’s defence. At that point, this leader rushes to the front, a sword raised high in his hand, and single-handedly, stops the advance of the enemy army, the poet describes, connecting his stance to that of a seashore blocking the advance of the roaring ocean. After that graphic simile, the poet goes on to talk about the town of this leader saying that it was such a small town which had resources to be able to render unto supplicants but was not considered rich enough to be taxed for its farmlands by the king. Humble though the town of this leader maybe, he comes from such an ancient lineage and he’s a man of valour, the poet concludes. In yet another verse, it’s stressed courage soars not only where riches and prosperity abounds but in unlikely places with scanty resources too. The other thing that is of interest in this verse is the mention about the leader’s ancient lineage. I wonder if these ancients maintained a record of births tracing the origins of leaders of many towns, and what a valuable resource that would be, if discovered, to help us understand the history of this region!
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