Old Tamil Poetry

Kambaramayanam – 4

Like a cat trying to lick dry
the glorious milky ocean*,
did I desire to tell this story
of blemish less King Rama.

ஓசை பெற்று உயர் பால் கடல் உற்று ஒரு
பூசை முற்றவும் நக்குபு புக்கு என
ஆசை பற்றி அறையல் உற்றேன்; மற்று இக்
காசு இல் கொற்றத்து அத்து இராமன் கதை அரோ.

*Ocean of milk that was churned by Devas and Asuras together to obtain the nectar of immortality.

Kamban in his foreword to Kambaramayanam says that the task before him is vast. He is trying to write the glorious story of King Rama, which is already a popular myth.

He compares himself to a small cat which on seeing the milky ocean (பாற்கடல், which contains the nectar of immortality) tries to lick it dry. It knows it cannot drink the ocean completely, yet attempts to do so. “The task before me is vast,as it is not possible for a human being to completely extol the virtues of Rama. Yet I have set out to do this because of my love for Rama. So please bear with my mistakes” he says.

Kambaramayanam – 604

As passion flooded, her body and soul waned
like her thread thin waist; love that entered
through her lengthy eyes, spread all over her,
like a drop of buttermilk that enters milk.

மால் உற வருதலும்,  மனமும் மெய்யும் தன்
நூல் உறு மருங்குல்போல்  நுடங்குவாள், நெடும்
கால் உறு கண் வழிப்  புகுந்த காதல் நோய்,
பால் உறு பிரை எனப், பரந்தது எங்குமே.

In Kamban’s Ramayanam, Sita and Rama meet the day before the Swayamvaram. As he walks through Mithila, he sees her standing in her palace. It is love at first sight. He walks away after that, without a word being spoken. She is love sick and suffers from his thought. This is one of the poems in that situation.

Due to immense passion her body and soul weakened and waned like her slender waist. Love that entered through her lengthy eyes spread through out her soul and consumed her. Love destroys her reserve and pervades her completely. It was like a drop of buttermilk that enters a pot of milk and spreads everywhere fermenting the milk.

This simile, like a drop of buttermilk in milk (பால் உறு பிரை என) is commonly used in Tamil literature. It is found 2000 year old Puranaanooru 276 (like a drop of buttermilk curdling the milk he destroyed the enemies), 1200 year old Manikkavasagar’s Thiruvasagam 21.5 (Siva is hidden like butter in fermented milk) and in Kambaramayanam itself again (as a simile for Lakshmana destroying the enemy formation in war.)

Kambaramayanam – 4182

அரசியல் பாரம் பூரித்து, அயர்ந்தனை இகழாது, ஐயன்
மரை மலர்ப் பாதம் நீங்கா வாழுதி; மன்னர் என்பார்
எரி எனற்கு உரியர் என்றே எண்ணுதி; எண்ணம் யாவும்
புரிதி; சிற்றடிமை குற்றம் பொறுப்பர் என்று எண்ண வேண்டா.

Don’t get powerdrunk and mock others foolishly,
but live without leaving the Lord’s lotus feet;
Think that a Ruler is like a bright flame and act so;
Don’t think that subjects will bear with your faults.

In Kamba Ramayanam, the monkey kings and brothers, Vali and Sugreeva fight each other. Rama, who is on Sugreeva’s side, hides behind a tree and shoots an arrow to kill Vali. Vali, in his death bed, accuses Rama of unethical warfare. Rama explains to him why he had to do so and says that Vali brought it upon himself with his acts against Sugreeva. Vali sees the light and accepts his fate. This poem is his advice to his brother Sugreeva before dying.

“Now that you have power don’t let it get to your head and mock others foolishly. Hold on to Lord Rama’s feet and live as per his advice. A ruler is like a flame. He should provide warmth to his subjects but must not singe them. Don’t think your subjects will bear with whatever you do” . Sound advice to everyone who wins an election.

Kambaramayanam – 4233

Both birth and death, if objectively analyzed,
aren’t they always the results of one’s action?
What else to add? Even the lotus born one
will face his end if he deviates from justice, ’tis said.

‘இறத்தலும் பிறத்தல் தானும்
என்பன இரண்டும், யாண்டும்,
திறத்துளி நோக்கின், செய்த
வினைதரத் தரெிந்த அன்றே?
புறத்து இனி உரைப்பது என்னே?
“பூவின்மேல் புனிதற் கேனும்,
அறத்தினிது இறுதி வாழ் நாட்கு
இறுதி; அஃது உறுதி‘‘ என்ப.

This is Rama’s advice to Sugreeva on his coronation. Rama killed Sugreeva’s brother Vali and helped Sugreeva become king. On his coronation Rama advices him to follow the path of justice. One’s birth and death are direct results of one’s action (Karma) in this world. Even Brahma, the creator of humankind (who was born in a lotus) will face his end if he deviates from the righteous path. When Brahma the creator himself is bound by Karma, the human beings have no choice but to abide by the rules.

Kambaramayanam – 31

தாது உகு சோலை தோறும், சண்பகக் காடு தோறும்,
போது அவிழ் பொய்கை தோறும், புது மணல் தடங்கள் தோறும்,
மாதவி வேலிப் பூக வனம் தோறும், வயல்கள் தோறும்,
ஓதிய உடம்பு தோறும், உயிர் என உலாயது, அன்றே.

Through pollen strewn groves and champak tree jungles,
fresh bloom ponds and lake beds with fresh sands,
creeper fenced areca gardens and fertile farmlands,
like a soul passing through various forms, flows the Sarayu.

This is Kamban describing River Sarayu that flows through Kosala country. The capital city of Ayodhya is situated on the banks of  Sarayu. During its course it runs along groves, jungles, ponds, pools, fenced gardens and farm lands. Though the scenario along its banks changes, the river is the same. Kamban equates it to a soul passing through various physical forms as defined in scriptures. ‘The universal soul’ is the corner stone of all ‘Vedanta’ philosophies.

Kambaramayanam – 14

பம்பி மேகம் பரந்தது, ‘பானுவால்
நம்பன் மாதுலன் வெம்மையை நண்ணினான்;
அம்பின் ஆற்றதும்’ என்று அகன்குன்றின்மேல்
இம்பர் வாரி எழுந்தது போன்றதே.

Clouds crowding to spread over the peak
was like seas rising atop the mountain
saying, “our father-in-law suffers from heat
because of the sun; let’s cool him down”.

In the epics the river was considered as wife and the ocean as husband. Since the river is born in the mountains, the mountains became father in law for the ocean. The poet imagines that the clouds spreading over the mountain are but sea water that has come in aid of its father in law.

Kambaramayanam – 75

Women’s sharp eyes mock comparisons;
their gait mocks female elephants;
pair of breasts mock lotus buds;
their face mocks the flawless moon.

விதியினை நகுவன அயில் விழி; பிடியின்
கதியினை நகுவன அவர்நடை; கமலப்
பொதியினை நகுவன புணர் முலை; கலை வாழ்
மதியினை நகுவன வனிதையர் வதனம்.

Introducing the country and praising it (நாட்டுப் படலம்) before starting an epic is the regular structure in Indian epics. Here Kamban is describing the bounty of Kosala country before telling us the story of Rama.

The women of Kosala are so well formed that their body parts mock the objects they are compared with. Their sharp eyes mock all objects they are compared to. Their graceful walk mocks the walk of the female elephant, their breasts mock the lotus buds and their face mocks the moon that is perfect in all aspects.

Comparing a woman’s walk to the gait of a female elephant is fairly common in classical Indian literature, though it might sound odd for people from other countries.

Kambaramayanam – 1070

As they cause red lips to pale, mouth to drool,
knots on bodice and skirt to unravel,
swaying hair to unbraid, and a smirk to arise –
copulating husband and intoxicating toddy are alike.

இலவு இதழ் துவர் விட. எயிறு தேன் உக.
முலை மிசை. கச்சொடு கலையும் மூட்டு அற.
அலை குழல் சோர்தர. அசதி ஆடலால்.
கலவி செய் கொழுநரும் கள்ளும் ஒத்தவே.

This poem is in Revelry chapter (உண்டாட்டுப் படலம்) in Kamba Ramayanam written in 12th century. These set of poems detail the drunken revelry of women who accompanied Dasaratha as he went to Mithila for the wedding of his son Rama.

Kamban equates copulation and drinking as both make lips go pale, mouth drool, clothes to loosen, plaited hair to come undone and a silly smile to appear.

‘இலவு இதழ்’ – Lips like the petals of Java Cotton / Ceiba tree. In Tamil it is இலவம் பஞ்சு மரம்.

Source: Wikipedia images

‘Intoxicating’ is not explicit in the original. I have added it for better readability.

Kambaramayanam – 1047

Like an abundance of white colored toddy,
like spreading of a tangible melody,
like spilling over of heart’s hidden carnality,
did cool moonlight suffuse the world in entirety.

வெண்ணிற நற நிறை வெள்ளம் என்னவும்,
பண் நிறம் செறிந்து இடை பரந்தது என்னவும்,
உள் நிறை காமம் மிக்கு ஒழுகிற்று என்னவும்,
தண் நிறை நெடு நிலா தழைத்தது எங்குமே.

This is the first verse in Revelry chapter (உண்டாட்டுப் படலம்) in the first part of Kamba Ramayanam. King Dasaratha and his entourage is on their way to Mithila for Rama’s wedding with Sita. This chapter details the merry making of the entourage during their night stay.

In this verse Kamban uses toddy, melody and lust as similes for moonlight. It is a hint of the merrymaking to follow in the next verses. Moon light is like an abundance of toddy, like melody that has taken physical shape and spread across the world, and over-spilling lust hidden in the hearts of all human beings.

Kambaramayanam – 1595

Who can describe the King’s torment
as he collapsed to the ground wallowing in agony?
Singed by intense grief, he breathed feverishly,
like a flame under a blacksmith’s blowpipe.

பூதலம் உற்று அதனில் புரண்ட மன்னன்
மா துயரத்தினை யாவர் சொல்ல வல்லார்?
வேதனை முற்றிட வெந்து வெந்து கொல்லன்
ஊது உலையில் கனல் என்ன வெய்து உயிர்த்தான்.

Kaikeyi has asked King Dasaratha to redeem the two boons he had promised her earlier. Unsuspectingly he agrees. She asks 1) the heir apparent Rama to be exiled to forest and 2) her son Bharatha to be made King. Dasaratha whose life was looking so good till that moment, is felled by her demands.

In this poem Kamban describes how Dasaratha wallowed in agony. Hearing Kaikeyi’s demands he collapsed to the ground and lay thrashing about. His heart could not withstand the grief. The simile Kamban uses is vivid. Dasaratha breathes feverishly. It is like air out of blacksmith’s blowpipe. The flame in his heart doesn’t burn continuously and finish him. As a wave of pain peaks and subsides, he expects this to be a nightmare he can wake out of. Then he realizes it is not so and the next wave starts. Just like the flame in a blacksmith’s foundry burning furiously when the blacksmith blows the blowpipe and cooling down when he stops. “கொல்லன் ஊது உலையில் கனல் என ” – like a flame under a blacksmith’s blowpipe.