I swam the stream of love but unable to find its shore,
at this midnight hour, I’m all alone.
காமக் கடும் புனல் நீந்திக் கரை காணேன்,
யாமத்தும், யானே உளேன்.
He hasn’t come to meet her as promised. So she says I’m unable to bear this burden of passion and am awake at this midnight hour.
One shouldn’t sulk even a grain sized portion-
when seized by palm tree sized passion.
தினைத் துணையும் ஊடாமை வேண்டும்-பனைத் துணையும்
காமம் நிறைய வரின்.
He has been away for long. She’s waiting for him to come back. She is telling to herself, “when he comes back don’t start sulking and spoil the mood, especially when your passion is growing leaps and bounds.” தினை (thinai) – millet and பனை (panai) – palm are used to quantify the sulking and lust.
Fear while going in; fear while returning;
fear during intimacy; fear while guarding secrecy;
as it begets fear all the time, why does one
unwisely covet other man’s wife?
புக்க இடத்து அச்சம்; போதரும் போது அச்சம்;
துய்க்கும் இடத்து அச்சம்; தோன்றாமைக் காப்பு அச்சம்;
எக் காலும் அச்சம் தருமால்; எவன்கொலோ,
உட்கான், பிறன் இல் புகல்?
This Naaladiyaar poem is straight forward. Naaladiyaar is an anthology of poems by Jain monks, compiled around 3rd Century AD. Coveting other man’s wife makes one fearful all the time. There’s no pleasure in it.
If I fear slander, my passion will weaken;
if I give it up to avoid censure,
what’s left is just modesty;
You see, my friend!
Like a fibrous branch an elephant broke,
hanging precariously but not falling down,
is my virtue that he partook.
கௌவை அஞ்சின், காமம் எய்க்கும்;
எள் அற விடினே, உள்ளது நாணே;
பெருங் களிறு வாங்க முரிந்து நிலம் படாஅ
நாருடை ஒசியல் அற்றே-
கண்டிசின், தோழி!-அவர் உண்ட என் நலனே.
They have consummated their love and he has left. She is pining for him. Her neighbours have started gossiping about her.
She says “If I fear the gossip of these people, I have to hide my passion and it will weaken. If give up my passion completely to stop their reprimands, then all I will have left is only modesty. He has already taken my virtue. He has consummated our love and I can’t forget him now.
An elephant bends branches to eat leaves. The broken branch cannot regain its shape. It hasn’t fallen down but hangs precariously by slender fibres. Because it is still attached to the tree, there’s a hope that it can grow leaves again. Similarly he has consumed me and left me. So I am suffering. But if he comes back, I will bloom again. This passion is what keeps me alive.”
Precariously is not explicit in the original poem. I have added it for better readability in English. (பெண்மை)நலன்(ம்) – virtue / beauty is a poor substitute.
Here is a video link of a wild life camera capture of an elephant breaking a branch and eating leaves. http://www.africam.com/wildlife/tm_11_oct_2014_06_10_46flv
I do try to hide my lust; but it shows up
despite my intention, just like a sneeze.
மறைப்பேன்மன் காமத்தை யானோ; குறிப்பு இன்றித்
தும்மல்போல் தோன்றிவிடும்.
This couplet is under the chapter நிறை அழிதல் – losing her reserve. He has been away for long time. She is waiting for him to come back, and losing control of herself. When her friend advises her to conceal her feelings she replies saying “I do try to hide. But this lust comes upon me suddenly, like a sneeze that one cannot control even if one tries to.”
Who has the ability to know
what’s there in another’s heart?
Ruler of hills where gems glitter! listen :-
people’s thoughts and actions differ.
யாஅர், ஒருவர் ஒருவர்தம் உள்ளத்தைத்
தேரும் துணைமை உடையவர்?-சாரல்
கன மணி நின்று இமைக்கும் நாட! கேள்:-மக்கள்
மனம் வேறு; செய்கையும் வேறு.
This poem in Naaladiyaar talks about how difficult it is to judge people. The poet says people think something, but do something else. Be wary of judging them too soon based on their good deeds. Take your time to understand them. It is like gems glittering in your hills. They look appealing, but the way to reach them is treacherous.
The fire of lust that grabs one’s thought
and sizzles like a flame in his heart –
trying to douse it by physical union
instead of cold waters of renunciation
is like trying to dam the waters of a flood
with another flood, who can do that?
அனல்என நினைப்பில் பொத்தி
அகம் தலைக் கொண்ட காமக்
கனலினை உவர்ப்பு நீரால்
கடையற அவித்தும் என்னார்
நினைவிலாப் புணர்ச்சி தன்னால்
நீக்குதும் என்று நிற்பார்
புனலினைப் புனலினாலே
யாவர் போகாமை வைப்பார்.
Kundalakesi is a Tamil Buddhist epic, written before 5th Century AD. Only a part of it is available today.
Lust is a fire that gets hold of one’s thought and burns intensely in his heart, consuming him fully. The only way to put it out is by complete renunciation. Instead of that if one thinks that a physical union with their object of desire will cool the ardour of lust he is a fool. That is like trying to dam a flood with another flood. It will only increase.
What the courtesan said:
The man from the town where fish in canals
grab sweet ripened mangoes that fall off trees,
talks much when he’s in my house,
but in his house,
like an image in a mirror repeating
the actions of one in front of it,
acts as per the wish of his son’s mother.
பரத்தை கூற்று:
கழனி மாஅத்து விளைந்து உகு தீம் பழம்
பழன வாளை கதூஉம் ஊரன்
எம் இல் பெருமொழி கூறி, தம் இல்,
கையும் காலும் தூக்கத் தூக்கும்
ஆடிப் பாவை போல,
மேவன செய்யும், தன் புதல்வன் தாய்க்கே.
Courtesans (பரத்தை) appear often in Sangam poetry. Most of the agrarian landscape (மருதம் திணை) poems are about the interactions between him, her and the courtesan.
In this poem the courtesan mocks him for making tall promises when with her, but losing his voice in front of his wife. He becomes a mirror image of his wife and does what she wants him to do. The first part of the poem about his town seems superfluous at first. What’s the need to bring in mango trees and fish? What she implies is “In his town they are lazy and don’t pluck the fruit, letting it fall into canals. Similarly he is lazy and waits for things to happen on their own”. Also saying son’s mother is a derisive way of calling the wife an old hag.
Look, look at these men whose faces glow
as vultures and eagles prey on their body,
like patrons whose smiling faces are aglow
when thronged for food by guests and needy.
விருந்தினரும் வறியவரும் நெருங்கி யுண்ண
மேன்மேலும் முகமலரும் மேலோர் போலப்
பருந்தினமும் கழுகினமும் தாமே யுண்ணப்
பதுமமுகம் மலர்ந்தாரைப் பார்மின் பார்மின்.
Kalingathup Parani is a poem written in 12th century about the exploits of Chola general Karunakara Thondaiman in the Battle of Kalinga (present day Orissa). First part of the long poem has the poet calling women to open their doors and let their victorious lovers into their homes. Next is about the reasons for the battle and battle itself. Final part is about ghouls feasting on dead warriors in the battle field. This part is full of gory and vivid imagery.
Dead bodies of soldiers are strewn across the battlefield. Vultures and eagles are having a veritable feast preying on the bodies. As they crowd and prey on the entrails, it is like a patron feeling happy as he is thronged by guests and the needy for food.
 | 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 