Thirukkural – 1082
This stunning looker looking back at my ogling gaze
is like a mighty war goddess bringing an army too.
நோக்கினாள் நோக்கெதிர் நோக்குதல் தாக்கணங்கு
தானைக்கொண் டன்ன துடைத்து.
In the previous couplet, he first sees her and is perplexed whether she is a celestial or a splendid peacock or a human. She looks back at him. Now he is sure that she is a human being. He says, “Her beauty alone is enough to knock me out. On top of that she returns my stare and looks back at me. It is like a mighty war goddess who can win a victory on her own, bringing additional armies too to battle”. Her beauty is equated to war goddess and her looking back is equated to additional armies. Ogling is implied in the original verse, not explicit.
நோக்கினாள் – நோக்குமாறு வனப்பாய் இருப்பவள் – Beautiful / looker
நோக்கெதிர் – நோக்கு எதிர் – opposite (to my) gaze
நோக்குதல் – looking
தாக்கணங்கு – தாக்கும் அணங்கு -mighty war goddess
தானை – army
கொண்டன்னது – like bringing
நோக்கினாள் is interpreted by some commentators as ‘one whom I saw’ – என்னால் நோக்கப்பட்டவள். In that case the first line will read as “This girl whom I saw looking back at my ogling gaze..”
Old Tamil Poetry 