As governance depends on ministers acting as his eyes,
A ruler should surround himself with ministers wise.
சூழ்வார்கண் ணாக வொழுகலான் மன்னவன்
சூழ்வாரைச் சூழ்ந்து கொளல்.
Governance of a country depends on the ministers who act as a Ruler’s eyes. They take information to him and advice him in people’s mood. So a ruler should surround himself with the wisest if ministers.
சூழ் – advice.
சூழ்வார் – advisor / minister.
My friend! I too do not want bangles to slip out of my arms
Or my skin to become pale, thinking of my lover,
In whose cloudy hills wild rice is grown with water from falls;
My passion though, is immense.
கை வளை நெகிழ்தலும் மெய் பசப்பு ஊர்தலும்,
மை படு சிலம்பின் ஐவனம் வித்தி
அருவியின் விளைக்கும் நாடனொடு,
மருவேன்-தோழி-அது காமமோ பெரிதே.
Her lover from the hills hasn’t come to ask her hand in marriage as he promised. She is pining for him and is becoming sickly. Her friend says “Get out of this funk”. She replies to her friend “I too do not want my arms to be so weak that bangles slip out of it. Or pallor to spread across my skin. In my lover’s hills when people notice clouds encircling the hills, they sow wild rice, as they are sure that water from rain fed water falls will help them to harvest rice. Similarly I trusted him and fell in love with him. I still trust him. My anemic state is because of the passion in my heart, that is too immense to keep in check”
நெகிழ்தல் – weaken (and slip out)
மெய் – body
பசப்பு – pallor
மை படு சிலம்பு – cloud covered hill slope
ஐவனம் – mountain rice
வித்தி – sow
விளைக்கும் – grow
மருவேன் – மருவ மாட்டேன் – do not want to be
பெரிதே – immense
Like a bird flying away discarding its eggshell
Is the relationship between body and soul.
குடம்பை தனித்து ஒழியப் புள் பறந்தற்றே –
உடம்பொடு உயிரிடை நட்பு
This Kural is under the chapter நிலையாமை – Impermanence. Valluvar equates a soul like a bird that discards its shell and flies away. This physical body is nothing but a shell.
For those who can read Tamil – The word குடம்பை can mean either ‘nest’ or ‘shell’. Devaneya Paavaanar explains here why he treats it as shell while some commentators treat it as nest. https://t.co/jgxSH2dS9s
குடம்பை – egg shell
புள் – bird
Without realizing who I am,
I thought I was on my own;
But all that I am is you, all that’s mine is yours,
Oh’ Celestial ruler, bowed to by one and all!
யானேயென்னை அறியகிலாதே,
யானேயென்தனதே யென்றிருந்தேன்,
யானேநீயென் னுடைமையும்நீயே,
வானேயேத்து மெம்வானவரேறே.
In this verse, Nammalvar submits himself to Lord Vishnu completely. He says, “Oh’ Lord of the celestials, to whom all gods bow to! When I was born in this world, I didn’t realize my inner true self. I thought that what I am was created by myself. I have lost this arrogance now, as I realize all that I am is you. All that I consider my belongings are nothing but you. So I give myself up completely to you”
யான் – My self
அறியகில்லாதே – அறியாமலே – without knowing / realizing
என் தனதே – I am my own
உடைமை – belongings
வானே ஏத்தும் – woshiped by celestials (I took liberty to translate it as one and all)
வானவர் ஏறு – Ruler of celestials
One who doesn’t delight in times of delight
Isn’t distressed in times of distress.
இன்பத்துள் இன்பம் விழையாதான், துன்பத்துள்
துன்பம் உறுதல் இலன்.
One who doesn’t get overjoyed and take joy to heart in times of joyousness, will not take the sorrow to heart too in times of suffering. He knows that these are but illusionary and he will be balanced at all times. Valluvar repeats the words twice in the first line and second. I have tried to bring the same in translation too, using them as both verb and noun.
While reading this Kural, I was reminded of the famous lines of Rudyard Kipling from the poem ‘If’, are written on the wall of the players’ entrance to the Centre Court at Wimbledon.
“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;”
இன்பம் – joy / delight
விழையாதான் – one who doesn’t covet
துன்பம் – grief / distress
உறுதல் – feel
Like herds of small headed white goats
that roam in Poozhi country,
the grove fringed water front
is filled with fish hunting egrets;
At this water front, even at midnight,
-when white screw-pine flower shrubs are swayed by waves-
Your plaintive cry is still heard;
Oh’ Sea! For whom do you pine and suffer?
யார் அணங்குற்றனை-கடலே! பூழியர்
சிறு தலை வெள்ளைத் தோடு பரந்தன்ன
மீன் ஆர் குருகின் கானல்அம் பெருந்துறை.
வெள் வீத் தாழை திரை அலை
நள்ளென் கங்குலும் கேட்கும், நின் குரலே?
She is pining for him. She misses his love and passion, and is awake at midnight. Every one else is asleep. The roar of the sea is her only companion. She asks the sea “Your water front is overrun by white egrets hunting for fish. They look like the white goats found everywhere in Poozhi country. In this water front, where high tide brings the waves to sway white screw pine flower shrubs in shore, you are still awake and I can hear you plaintive cry. I am awake because I miss my lover and suffer on his behalf. On whose account to you suffer, Oh’ Sea?”
Poozhi Country is thought to be present day Kozhikode in Kerala coast. There is another Poozhi country in areas around Tirunelveli, but that is not close to the coast.
அணங்கு – suffer
பூழியர் – Poozhi country
சிறு தலை வெள்ளைத் தோடு – herd of small headed white goats
பரந்து – widespread
மீன் ஆர் குருகு – fish hunting egrets
கானல் – grove
பெருந்துறை – wide water front
வெள் வீத் தாழை – white screw pine flower shrubs
திரை – waves
அலை – அலைக்கின்ற – shake / sway
நள் – mid
கங்குல் – night
 | ramachandran narayan… on Nattrinai – 172 |
 | The last time I writ… on Puranaanooru – 242 |
| An Introduction… on Puranaanooru – 192 | |
 | Terrence on Kambaramayanam – 619 |
 | adityacholan on Kurunthokai – 133 |
Old Tamil Poetry 