Puranaanooru 159 – Gift with a smile

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‘வாழும் நாளோடு யாண்டு பல உண்மையின்,
தீர்தல் செல்லாது, என் உயிர்’ எனப் பல புலந்து,
கோல் காலாகக் குறும் பல ஒதுங்கி,
நூல் விரித்தன்ன கதுப்பினள், கண் துயின்று,
முன்றில் போகா முதிர்வினள் யாயும்;

பசந்த மேனியொடு படர் அட வருந்தி,
மருங்கில் கொண்ட பல் குறுமாக்கள்
பிசைந்து தின, வாடிய முலையள், பெரிது அழிந்து,
குப்பைக் கீரை கொய்கண் அகைத்த
முற்றா இளந் தளிர் கொய்துகொண்டு, உப்பு இன்று,
நீர் உலைஆக ஏற்றி, மோர் இன்று,
அவிழ்ப் பதம் மறந்து, பாசடகு மிசைந்து,
மாசொடு குறைந்த உடுக்கையள், அறம் பழியா,
துவ்வாளாகிய என் வெய்யோளும்;

என்றாங்கு, இருவர் நெஞ்சமும் உவப்ப கானவர்
கரி புனம் மயக்கிய அகன்கண் கொல்லை,
ஐவனம் வித்தி, மையுறக் கவினி,
ஈனல்செல்லா ஏனற்கு இழுமெனக்
கருவி வானம் தலைஇ யாங்கும்,
ஈத்த நின் புகழ் ஏத்தி, தொக்க என்,
பசி தினத் திரங்கிய ஒக்கலும் உவப்ப
உயர்ந்து ஏந்து மருப்பின் கொல்களிறு பெறினும்,
தவிர்ந்து விடு பரிசில் கொள்ளலென்; உவந்து, நீ
இன்புற விடுதிஆயின், சிறிது
குன்றியும் கொள்வல், கூர் வேல் குமண!
அதற்பட அருளல் வேண்டுவல் விறல் புகழ்
வசை இல் விழுத் திணைப் பிறந்த
இசை மேந் தோன்றல்! நிற் பாடிய யானே.

From the external and past world of seven kings who rendered plenty, this poet turns inward to the present and to his family in this verse. His words can be translated as follows:

“Saying, ‘Although the days I have lived are many, still my life does not part away’, my elderly mother laments, and walks with many, tiny steps, her walking stick turning into her leg. Her hair lies about akin to unspooled strings. The lack of sight in her eyes leaves her unable to walk to even the front yard;

With pallor-coated skin and sorrow spreading all over her, as many little children she carries by her side suckle them dry, with tired breasts, stands my wife. Suffering greatly, she goes to pluck common greens at spots, where it has already been plucked, and manages to find only immature, sprouting leaves. Bringing this, even without adding salt, she boils it in plain water, and without buttermilk or cooked rice, she offers this food of greens to others, without eating any herself. She wears only stained and scanty clothes. And, in spite of all this, she is a just and loyal wife to me;

To make both their hearts happy, I arrived here. In the wide fields burnt and cleared by jungle folk, along with wild rice, black and beautiful, grows the millet. But when it’s unable to fruit out owing to the heat, along with lightning and thunder, the skies pour down. Akin to that, I know that your famous generosity can make my hungry and suffering kin smile again. However, even if you give me a killer elephant with a long tusk, I shall not accept that gift if given to me without good will; However, if you offer with affection, even a small rosary bean will do, O sharp-speared Kumanan! Keeping that in mind, render your grace, O famous scion of a blameless ancestry, when I sing of thee!”

Time to delve into the details of this intricate verse. The poet starts with the words of a person who says they have lived a long time and yet, their life does not seem to part away. One can sense the dejection of old age in these words, and indeed, these are the words of the poet’s mother, whom he says, walks with small steps, with a stick becoming her leg. He talks about the flowing white hair of this lady, an indication that there’s not enough oil to tie it and be well-presented, Sangam style. The poet adds about how eyesight has forsaken his mother and so she does not even prefer to walk to the front yard of their house. 

From his mother, the poet then turns to his wife and talks about how her skin is coated with pallor. The children she’s carrying on her hip suckle on her breasts ceaselessly leaving her tired out. Being a wife in the Sangam era meant that this person was solely responsible for the food in the family, and as expected, the poet offers insight about what’s cooking in his home. Apparently, all this lady has to cook are what is referred to as ‘Kuppai Keerai’, which literally translated is ‘trash greens’. The exact plant and its qualities, we’ll explore shortly. But before that, we see the lady plucking these greens where it already has been plucked by others and all she finds are thin and immature sprouts. Not having the luxury of choice, she brings them over and boils them in water, without even adding salt, for she doesn’t have any. Next, without the regular accompaniment of cooked rice or butter milk, she offers the food to others and has nothing herself. And yet, she is my patient and loyal wife, the poet concludes with affection.

An intention to end this sorry state of his family is foremost in the mind of the poet. He hears of the fame of this king, who will pour down his generosity on his suffering family, akin to how a rain cloud showers upon a thirsty and dry millet crop, unable to bloom. While that is true, if the king were to have some reservations in his heart about gifting this poet, then even if it’s a long-tusked, war elephant offered as a gift, he does not want that, says this poet. On the other hand, if the king were to give with a smile, then even a small bean would do, he clarifies. The poet ends with the words to the king, whom he describes as one of noble birth, requesting him to remember this vital thing when the king offers a gift to the poet, in return for the songs sung to him.

Returning to that mention of ‘Kuppai Keerai’ that the poet’s wife cooks, I learnt that this is the variety of greens with the scientific name ‘Amaranthus viridis’ called as ‘mulai keerai’ in Tamil. The curious connection I found is that even today this is referred to as ‘Kuppacheera’ in Malayalam, no doubt originating from the same Sangam Tamil word mentioned here. Although it is but a common weed, it has a high ratio of protein and is said to be equivalent to spinach in its nutritional value. And thus, we see how, even in the midst of having no fancy foods, the lady provides something healthy and nutritious for her family. This etymological foray into food aside, we see in this verse, how the poet is not focused on the materialistic even though he is in such a dire state of suffering. Whatever you give me, give me with your full heart, says the poet to the king and shows us how integrity can soar sky high even amidst the wrecking presence of poverty!