AKAM 126

Tiṇai:

marutam

Author:

nakkīrar

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V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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

2005/03/23

Table of contents (by lines):

(1-2) talaivaṉ rebuking his mind

(3-5) the floods in the Kaviri battering the shore in the sea

(6-9) Girl of pāṇar caste selling fish caught by her brothers at night

(10-12) evvis (எவ்வியது) territory in which the girl of pānar caste refuses to accept old paddy as price for her fish but accepts pearls instead

(13-6) talaivaṉ's heart would die like aṉṉi (அன்னி) who would not be pacified by the good advice of evvi (எவ்வி), coveting the puṉṉai (புன்னை) belonging to titiyaṉ (திதியன்)

(17-21) The beauty of talaivi and the talaivaṉ's heart begging her humbly for a favour.

Colophon(s):

This stanza may mean any of the three ideas :-
(1) During sulkinesss of talaimakal which could not be removed by convincing words talaimakaṉ spoke to his heart
(2) talaivaṉ lost heart when he was misled at night by the occurrence of signs other than his own, happening casually
(3) talaimakaṉ spoke to his mind which was begging a favour from the companion.

Syntactical link:

see below

Difficult words:

see below

Variant readings:

see below

Notes:

see below

• My ignorant mind which does not like to stop from begging humbly the young girl of a talaivi (22)
• who has red lips that speak sweet soft words like the parrot (17-8),
• has eyes like big carp and coated with collyrium each looking as if it is fighting with the other, (19)
• black hairs of several locks and five divisions which fall flowing on the back, resembling the sable cloud, (19-20),
• a waist which can be compared to lightning (21)!
• You think of many things and consider your idea as true, and suffer having a heavy heart (1-2)
• On account of the swollen floods which was connected with the peaks of mountains and roll down (3),
• the flowers that blossomed the previous day shine in the cool ghat (துறை) of the Kāviri (4);
• the Kāviri batters against, and destroys, the shore (5).
• In that big river (5)
• the brothers of the girls belonging to pāṇar caste (7)
• go out at midnight when there is pitch darkness, (7)
• and stir the water in the deep pool where minute black sand stretches to a great distance (6),
• and catch the fat scabbard (வாளைமீன்) fish with well-shaped lines on its body (8)
• and return with their catch in the morning (8).
• That girl who speaks beautiful words and has a beautiful, circular navel (9)
• sells it in the street with plenty of liquor shops where the tall flag is waving (10).
• She does not accept several measures of the old red and superior variety of paddy which is given in abundance but accepts as price jewels of fine workmanship and pearls of the size of molucca beans (கழங்கு) (11-2);
• Evvi (எவ்வி) possessing many weapons of vēl who has such fertile places (13)
• tried to pacify the anger of aṉṉi (அன்னி) by good words of right principles (14).
• He would not submit and be restrained and, desiring to cut down the mast-wood tree which has bunches of fragrant flowers resembling gold in colour fought with titiyaṉ (திதியன்) and died. Would you perhaps, die like him ? (15-7)

குறுமகள்(21) பின்னிலை விடா நெஞ்சே (22)! நீ(1) பெரும்புன்பைதலையாய் வருந்தல் அன்றியும்(2), புன்னை வெஃகித்(15) திதியனொடு பொருத அன்னிபோல(16) விளிகுவை கொல்லோ(17)?

• .1. நின்செயல்.
• .3. செனீத்தம்.
• .4. தண்குறைப்பரப்பி.
• .6. அறல்வாழ்.
• .7. போசியதன்னையர்.
• .12. கலந்தஉம்; கலம்பொரூஉம்.
• .17. சொன்மோ.

Cutting down the pet tree (காவல்மரம்) of the enemy king was considered as an act of valour in tamiḻnātu in olden times