AKAM 055

Tiṇai:

pālai

Author:

māmūlaṉār

Translation:

V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]

Original MS location:

IFP Library [TA LIT-CL 180 (1)(2)(3)]

Original data entry (VYAPTI format):

Ramya (1999-2000, IFP)

Date of last revision:

2005/03/04

Table of contents (by lines):

(1-4) Description of the desert

(5-6) Mother not feeling sorry for her daughter's elopement

(7-8) Her distress

(9-10) self-immolation of some great sould along with cēralātaṉ

(11-2) Mother disgusted with, her life

Colophon(s):

The mother who felt sorry for her daughter who went in company with her lover spoke to the ladies in the neighbouring houses. who said assuaging words to her.

Syntactical link:

see below

Difficult words:

see below

Variant readings:

see below

Notes:

see below

• The forest where the bamboos are turned into charcoal (4)
• where the sun which moves with severe heat scorching everything, splits the rocks (1)
• where the tender pith of īntū (ஈந்து) withers and decays in the entensive area of excessive heat (2),
• where nobody knows what kind of danger may befall one in any one particular place (4)
• and where the hot pebbles of chisel-like tops run into the feet and cause pain (3);
• there my daughter went with a youth of the desert tract (காளை) who can be compared to a strong male elephant. I do not feel sorry for that (5-6).
• Having stayed here by being separated from her (6),
• I breathe hot like the hole in the centre of a smith's forge for the nozzle of the bellow, and am languished in mind (7),
• and do not get sleep to rare[MS UNREADABLE??] in my dreams as my burning heart distressed by grief, resembles a thing being burnt in fire (8-10).
• When cēralātaṉ who fought against Karikāl vaḷavaṉ having shining weapons at the battle field of veṇṇi, he became ashamed of his wound; He immolated himself sitting face north wards with his sword by his side at that battle field where he was defeated (9-12)
• Like those noble souls who heard about the sad as well as pleasant news and who put an end to their own lives along with him to enter the world of which is difficult of attainment, I have disliked my life which does not like to leave my body, being desirous of the pleasures of this world.

யான்(6) என்மகள்(5) கழிந்ததற்கு அழிந்தன்றோ இலென்(6); நெஞ்சமொ எவ்சுவைப்(9) போதல் செல்லா என் உயிரொடு புலந்தேன்(17).

The words may be joined syntactically in this way also: கழிந்ததற்கு(6) உயிரொடு புலந்து(17) அழிந்தன்றோ இலென்(6). Then புலந்து is an adverbial participle.

• .8. போலு மவல நெஞ்சமொடு.

In line 13. இன்னா இன்னுரை: is paradoxical. It is sad news because a good king was immolating himself. It is pleasant news because he was putting an end to his life to wipe out the disgrace and humiliation caused by a wound

Note : In line 2, the modern commentators have split the words தெனுதலினிந்து குருகுருகும் as தேறுதலின் நீந்து குருகு உருகும் and the meaning is given as follows the birds that cross the desert suffer.
It is not good; ஈந்து குருகு உகும்: means even the tender pith of date palm withers and dies on account of the excessive heat though it is native to the soil and draught resisting) I have adopted the reading குருகுகும் It agrees with the alliteration என்றூழ் புலந்து: I person singular verb in the past tense)