Dignity to not grieve over one who caused them grief
is not something a love sick person knows.
செற்றார்பின் செல்லாப் பெருந்தகைமை, காம நோய்
உற்றார் அறிவது ஒன்று அன்று.
He has been away from her for long. She is angry with him for making her suffer. Yet, she cannot dismiss him from her thoughts. When her friend asks her to forget him, she says lovesick persons lack such dignity.
Her governess says after she has eloped:
When I tried to hug her again, she said “I’m sweaty”;
now I realise the reason why she,
fresher than lily flowers
and smelling of venkai** and kaantal**
in Āy’s* cloudy hills, was irked.
செவிலித்தாய் கூற்று:
பெயர்த்தனென் முயங்க, ”யான் வியர்த்தனென்” என்றனள்;
இனி அறிந்தேன், அது துனி ஆகுதலே-
கழல்தொடி ஆஅய் மழை தவழ் பொதியில்
வேங்கையும் காந்தளும் நாறி,
ஆம்பல் மலரினும் தான் தண்ணியளே.
*Āy – One of the seven benevolent chieftains in Sangam poetry.
** Venkai – yellow flower of Indian Kino (Venkai) tree
*** Kaantal – Flame lily flower
She has eloped with her lover. Her Governess laments and looks back at any hints that she had missed. “Yesterday when I tried to hug her repeatedly she said she was sweaty and pushed me off. I didn’t know the reason then why she who was fresh and fragrant, put me off. Now I realise the reason. She who valued the hug of her lover didn’t felt averse to me”
The word used for ‘fresh’ is தண்மை which literally means ‘cool’. In the temperate climate of Tamilnadu, being cool is pleasant. However in English translation, ‘ she was cool’ might be misread as being aloof. Hence I used fresh. King Āy is described as Arm band wearing Āy. I skipped that to maintain the brevity of the poem as in original.
Some Sangam poems are so cryptic that I depend on the commentaries to decipher them. In this poem there is no direct mention of Governess (செவிலித்தாய்) or daughter. The 11th century commentary for Kurunthokai has not been found. These are interpretations by commentary writers in 20th century. They were rigorous researchers and compared previous commentaries and cross verified before making these notes. The poem is classified under ‘Paalai Thinai’ (Arid landscape) associated with long journey across dry land. But What if it isn’t a Governess’ lament but a man grieving over lover’s tiff? The poem takes a different meaning. It is interesting to think so, though the purists would club me in the head.
Beauty of waist, shoulders or wealth,
of gait, coyness or shapely neck,
these are not real beauty; Beauty
of words and numbers is real beauty.
இடை வனப்பும், தோள் வனப்பும், ஈடின் வனப்பும்,
நடை வனப்பும், நாணின் வனப்பும், புடை சால்
கழுத்தின் வனப்பும், வனப்பு அல்ல; எண்ணோடு
எழுத்தின் வனப்பே வனப்பு.
This poem in Elaadhi (ஏலாதி) one of the books in the 18 post Sangam poetic works (பதிணென் கீழ்க் கணக்கு). Written by KaNimEdhaiyaar (கணிமேதையார்), it is considered to be one of the latter day works, dated around 5th Century CE.
In this poem the poet says the external beauty or aspects of a person is not real beauty. One’s learning is the real beauty. The poet introduces two qualities – wealth and shyness- along with physical appearance. I have no idea of the reason behind it. Literal meaning of ‘எண்ணோடு எழுத்து’ is ‘Number (logic) with words’. The commentary for the poem interprets ‘numbers with words’ as ‘literature as per rules’. I have gone with the literal meaning. Also the original poem has the word ‘Beauty,(வனப்பு) attached to every external aspect. As it will be unwieldy to read in English, I have used ‘Beauty’ as a common descriptor for all aspects.
Similar thoughts are echoed in poem number 36 of Sirupanchamoolam, another one of the 18 post Sangam poetic works.
O’ Bard, you are not unlike the man who sells
small eyed needle in blacksmith’s street
at inflated prices! – tell us the real message
sent by the man from paddy field ringed village.
கொண்டுழிப் பண்டம் விலை ஒரீஇக் கொற்சேரி
நுண் துளைத் துன்னூசி விற்பாரின், ஒன்றானும்
வேறு அல்லை,-பாண!-வியல் ஊரன் வாய்மொழியைத்
தேற, எமக்கு உரைப்பாய், நீ.
He has been away at his courtesan’s house for long. Now he wants to return back to his house. Afraid of his wife’s anger he sends his bard to appease her. She refuses to hear the flowery words of the bard. She says to him, “You are not much different from the man who sells small eyed thin needles at inflated prices in blacksmith’s street. I know the value of what you are selling. So don’t waste my time but tell me the real message that he sent across.”
Selling needle in blacksmith’s street is the equivalent of selling coal to Newcastle. The proverb is a common usage in Tamil even today. (கொல்லன் தெருல ஊசி வித்த கதையா).
Her friend says :
Thinking scanty water in the pond isn’t enough
and wanting his doe to drink her fill,
the buck pretends to drink – so dry’s the way
your beloved has chosen to cross, they say.
தோழி கூற்று :
சுனை வாய்ச் சிறு நீரை, ‘எய்தாது’ என்று எண்ணி,
பிணை மான் இனிது உண்ண வேண்டி, கலைமா தன்
கள்ளத்தின் ஊச்சும் சுரம் என்பர், காதலர்
உள்ளம் படர்ந்த நெறி.
This is a poem in Ainthinai Aimbathu (50 poems on 5 landscapes), one of the 18 post Sangam collections. Maran Porayanar is the author of these poems. Each of the five landscapes has 10 poems. The above poem is from Paalai (Arid landscape). The leitmotif of this landscape is separation of lovers.
In this poem, he has left her to go and earn money. For that he has to cross dry arid lands. She is upset about their separation. Her friend says the land he is crossing is dry and water is scarce. When two deer come to the pond, the buck thinks that the water there is not enough for both of them. Hence he pretends to drink and lets the doe have her fill. So dry is the land.
The implied meaning is seeing the compassionate deer, he will be reminded of his lover, change his mind and come back to her. Even if the wealth they have is very little, couples can manage with that instead of being separated in order to earn wealth.
Vedic priests never ate fish, neither then nor now,
isn’t fish inhabited water what they drink and bathe in?
Vedic priests never ate deer meat, neither then nor now,
isn’t sacred thread worn over deer skin*?
Vedic priests never ate goat meat, neither then nor now,
isn’t goat meat offered in your worship though?
Vedic priests never ate cow meat, neither then nor now,
isn’t cow meat the manure in which vegetables grow.**?
மீனிறைச்சி தின்றதில்லை அன்றுமின்றும் வேதியர்
மீனிருக்கும் நீரலோ மூழ்வதுங் குடிப்பதும்
மானிறைச்சி தின்றதில்லை அன்றுமின்றும் வேதியர்
மானுரித்த தோலலோ மார்புநூல் அணிவதும்.
ஆட்டிறைச்சி தின்றதில்லை அன்றுமின்றும் வேதியர்
ஆட்டிறைச்சி அல்லவோ யாகம்நீங்கள் ஆற்றலே
மாட்டிறைச்சி தின்றதில்லை அன்றுமின்றும் வேதியர்
மாட்டிறைச்சி அல்லவோ மரக்கறிக் கிடுவது.
Siddhar Sivavakkiyar, dated to around 10th Century CE was one of the leading rebel poets in Tamil literature. Siddhars were iconoclastic rebels whose thoughts were against the organized Vedic religion. In these two verses he mocks the Vedic priests who abhor meat. He says they abhor meat and flesh, but isn’t it part of their daily lives.
Siddhar songs are written in simple words but no commentary is available. So it is up to individuals to interpret it. The words themselves aren’t difficult and are still in use even now. But interpretation might vary.
*Krishnajina – deer skin over which sacred thread is worn.
**My interpretation – Dead cows were buried in the farms in which they were raised. Hence they became manure for vegetables that vegetarians eat.
* Eclipse is explained as snakes swallowing the Sun and the Moon.
கயல் எழுதி, வில் எழுதி, கார் எழுதி, காமன்
செயல் எழுதி, தீர்த்த முகம் திங்களோ, காணீர்!
திங்களோ, காணீர்-திமில் வாழ்நர் சீறூர்க்கே
அம் கண் ஏர் வானத்து அரவு அஞ்சி வாழ்வதுவே!
எறி வளைகள் ஆர்ப்ப, இரு மருங்கும் ஓடும்,
கறை கெழு வேல் கண்ணோ கடுங் கூற்றம், காணீர்!
கடுங் கூற்றம், காணீர்-கடல் வாழ்நர் சீறூர்க்கே
மடம் கெழு மென் சாயல் மகள் ஆயதுவே!
புலவு மீன் வெள் உணங்கல் புள் ஓப்பி, கண்டார்க்கு
அலவ நோய் செய்யும் அணங்கு இதுவோ, காணீர்!
அணங்கு இதுவோ, காணீர்-அடும்பு அமர் தண் கானல்
பிணங்கு நேர் ஐம்பால் ஓர் பெண் கொண்டதுவே!
This is from the greatest Tamil epic Silappathikaaram. Silappathikaaram is dated to 2nd Century CE. It’s themes and characters are part of public discourse in Tamil Nadu. These three verses are sung by Kovalan when he visits the beach with his courtesan, Madhavi. These verses cause them to bicker with each other and makes him leave her to go back to his wife Kannaki.
During Indira Vizha (festival of Indra), Kovalan and Madhavi go to the beach at Kaveri Poompattinam (current day Poompuhar). River Cauvery joins the sea here. He takes the harp and starts singing. These three poems are him singing in praise of an imaginary girl at the beach. Madhavi thinks that he is in love with another girl and has a tiff with him.
First verse – Her eyes are fish shaped, brow is like a curved bow and tresses are dark like clouds. Her face makes men yearn for her. Her face is a moon, that now lives in the fisherman’s hamlet because it was afraid of snakes in the sky swallowing it. Solar and Lunar eclipses were explained as a snake in the sky swallowing the moon. So Kovalan says this girl’s face is like a moon. But why did the moon come down to earth. It must have been to escape the snakes.
Second verse – The sea is throwing up conch shells which roar with noise of the sea. Hearing that she is afraid and her eyes swing either way. Her eyes are reddened. Those red eyes look like blood stained spears that take the life of him. He says her eyes are the weapons with which she kills him. She is death incarnate living like a soft spoken tender girl in this sea side village.
Third verse – She is chasing away birds that come to steal dried fish that are white in color. Seeing her move about causes distress to him. She is misery incarnate in the form of a girl wearing plaits in the flower filled backwaters.
 | Arunan on Kulasekara Alwar – … |
 | Brindha on Thirukkural 675 |
 | Old Tamil Poetry on Kurunthokai 126 |
 | dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
| dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
Old Tamil Poetry 