AKAM 269
- Tiṇai:
- pālai
- Author:
- maturai marutaṉiḷanākaṉār
- 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- V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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)
- HTML conversion, text revising & editing:
- jlc
- Date of last revision:
- 2006/04/02
- Table of contents (by lines):
- 1-2 Friend advising talaivi
- 3-5 To perpetuate the fame of Karantaiyār who rescued cows from veṭciyār and lost their lives in that act.
- 5-7 engraving the images of warriors who died in rescuing cows, in the natural stones which appear like set-up hero stones.
- 9-13 The desert where the warriors worship the hero-stones by pouring water, by garlanding and by smearing turmeric.
- 14 The fag-end of the rainy season in the month of tai (தை) (January 13th to Feb.13th)
- 15-20 Young girls bring and place the doll for their sport in the ghat where all drink water and perform the dance of Kuravai.
- 21-24 The red indian water lily flowers in the paddy fields of ciṟukuṭi belonging to vāṇaṉ, compared to talaivi's eyes
- 25 The return of talaivaṉ to wipe out the tears of talaivi.
- Colophon(s):
- The friend asseverated with talaimakaḷ when she became changed during talaivaṉ's separation
- Syntactical link:
- see below
- Difficult words:
- see below
- Variant readings:
- see below
- Notes:
- see below
TRANSLATION
- In order to perpetuate the good fame of the undaunted and courageous Karantaiyār (5)
- who laid down their lives in preventing the warrior who had victorious lances fitted into a tight hollow screw (4),
- not leaving the fighting place though the herds of cows with bulls were rescued (3)
- their comrades .... (MS UNREADABLE)
- the many idols hewn in the big space of the tall naturals stones (8)
- which appear like hero-stones set up for that purpose (7),
- in the small hillocks which have the appearance of female elephants lying on the ground (6),
- and smeared the turmeric on the wet surface, (9)
- and adorned the idols with the garlands of arrow head plant flowers of red colour (11)
- which were knitted (11)
- in a fibre of the bark of common mountain ebony which was got by cutting it with arrows, (10)
- the warriors who wearing anklets garland the stones for the bees to settle on them (13)
- and to hum (12),
- return to their places in the difficult desert (13);
- our talaivar who has crossed that desert (13)
- has returned hurriedly to wipe out the tears rolling down your eyes (25)
- which resemble the bright red indian water lily flowers (24)
- which have unfolded their petals in the cool fields yielding fresh income (23)
- where the paddy crop is bent with the weight of the ears of corn in ciṟukuti (சிறுகுடி) belonging to vāṇaṉ, a place surrounded by sea-shore grove (21)
- There the young girls of beautiful foreheads, (20)
- and waist with raised sides, on which is worn an ornament of gold coins arranged in a row (15)
- on which swings from side to side the garment made of tender leaves and bright-coloured big bunches of flowers, (16)
- place the doll for vaṇṭal game at the ghat where all drink water (19)
- to the accompaniment of the clear music produced by long bugle (18)
- whose sound can be heard at a distance, and which has a large and round mouth (17),
- and perform the dance of Kuravai (குரவை) clashing each other's hands at the fag-end of the cool rains in the month of tai (தை) (14).
- Let the bracelets rise up on the shoulders ! Let your distress be over (1)
- Adorn your black curly tresses with garlands (2)
SYNTACTICAL LINK
அருஞ்சுரம் இறந்தோர்(13) நின்(24) கண்பனிதுடை மார் விரைந்து வந்தனர்(25); (ஆதலான்) நின் தொடி தோள் இவர்க(1); எவ்வமும் தீர்க(1); கதுப்பிற் கோதையும் புனைக(2);
கடை நாளில்(14) வண்டற் பாவையை உண்துறைத்தரீஇ(19) மகளிர்(20) குரவை அயரும்(20) கானல் தழீ இய இருக்கைச்(21) சிறுகுடி(22).
VARIANT READINGS
- .9. நறுவரை.
- .21. பெருநிழற்கானல்
DIFFICULT WORDS
- இவர்க
- - Let it rise up high.
- நெறி இருங் கதுப்பு
- - black curling tresses.
- ஏறு
- Bulls
- இன நிரை
- - herds of cows.
- செறி சுரை
- - tight-fitting joint;
- மழுவர்
- - soldiers who lift cattle
- தாங்கிய தறுகணாளர்
- fearless warriors who arrested them and lost their lives in that act.
- பிடிமடிந்தன்ன குறும் பொறை மருங்கின்
- - by the side of small hillock which appear to be like female elephants in lying state
- நட்ட போலும் நடாஅ நெடுங்கல்
- - natural high stones which appear to be like the hero-stones set up in memory of warriors.
- குயின்ற
- - chiselled
- பல் பெயர்
- - many images.
- மண்ணி
- - having poured water.
- ஈர்ம் புறம்
- - wet surface
- ஆர் நார் உரிவை
- the fibre of the bark of common mountain ebony.
- தைஇ நின்றதண் பெயற் கடை நாள்
- - at the fag-end of the cool rainy season.
- அருஞ் சுரம்
- - desert difficult to cross.
- பொலங் காசு
- - gold coins.
- நிரைத்த
- - cluster arranged in a row.
- கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்
- - the waist whose sides are raised.
- மாக் குரல்
- big bunches of flowers
- குழை
- tender leaves
- துயல்வர
- - to swing from side to side.
- பாடு
- - sound.
- ஊர்பு
- - spreading
- மண்டிலம்
- - big mouth piece.
- வயிர்
- - large bugle
- தெள் விளி
- clear sound
- வண்டற் பாவை
- the idol with which girls play.
- உண் துறை தரீஇ
- - having brought it to the ghat where people drink water
- குரவை அயரும்
- performing a kind of dance clasping the hands.
- கானல்
- - sea-shore grove.
- தழீஇய
- - surrounded by
- வணங்கு கதிர் நெல்லின்
- - bent by the weight of the ears of paddy
- பணை
- - field.
- போது வாய் அவிழ்ந்த
- - the buds having blossomed.
- செங்கழுநீர்
- - red indian water lily.
- கண்பனி
- - tears flowing from the eyes.
- துடைமார்
- - in order to wipe out.
NOTES
From the first three lines we have to infer that the talaivi had become lean during talaivaṉ's absence and hence the shoulder ornaments had become loose;
she was always full of sorrow; she did not adorn herself with flowers and garlands.
Here மறவர் indicates warriors who lift cattle,
தறுகணாளர் those who went to rescue them.
The Karantai warriors having rescued the cows from vetci warriors, prevented the latter from lifting them again and in that act laid down their lives.
In order to perpetuate their memory and fame warriors belonging to their group chiselled their form in the stones and worshipped the hero-stones.
Even before the Pallavas the people who spoke tamiḻ knew to use natural stones to chisel out idols.
Young warriors used to bathe the hero-stones, smear turmeric over them, adorn them with garlands as they were considered demi-gods.
Unmarried girls used to place the doll in the ghat and play and observe fast; It is found in Kalittokai, 59.
Setting up hero-stones in memory of warriors who rescued cows and claves is mentioned in akam, stanza 131, ll.6-11;
As the friend was very sure of talaivaṉ's return, she said in the past tense instead of using the future tense.