AKAM 275
- Tiṇai:
- pālai
- Author:
- Kayamaṉār
- 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- V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:
- 2005/03/16
- Table of contents (by lines):
- 1-3 talaivi playing with ball in the pantal created by the purslane creeper which was grown by her in an earthern pot.
- 4-6 The mother rebuking talaivi for her girlishness even at an advanced age.
- 7-8 talaivi replying in prattling soft words.
- 9-15 talaivi eloped the previous day with talaivaṉ in the desert and the description of the desert.
- 16-19 Mother inviting neighbour ladies to see the figure drawn by talaivi's fingers
beneath the shrub of chaste tree from which she removed leaves for her garment of leaves.
- Colophon(s):
- The mother who was the cause for the elopement of her daughter spoke thus. (variant reading : செவிலிசொல்லியது)
- Syntactical link:
- see below
- Difficult words:
- see below
- Variant readings:
- see below
- Notes:
- see below
TRANSLATION
- When I rebuked talaivi (6),
- ``Dear one who has a right to be the mistress of the opulent house (4)!
- Having filled to capacity the creeper of purslane in the high jars (1)
- and having reared them by pouring water drawing it in the vessel of kuṭai (2)
- [(குடை) an improvised vessel made of palmyra leaves)]
- the purslane grew like pantal (3).
- In that you played with the ball throwing it and you are still girlish and you are fond of wandering outside the house (5).
- Let your feminine qualities perish, (5)
- '' she who has a beautiful forehead (8)
- replied without using harsh words, in her sweet prattling words as to become one with my soul (8).
- She did not remain with us in this house where everyday a large number of guest are fed on a lavish scale (9).
- She was desirous of the love of a stranger (10).
- Leaving us to remain here (13)
- my daughter (17)
- of great tenderness went yesterday (15)
- in the forest of many difficulties (12)
- thinking of which the people of this world heave a sigh out of fear (14)
- and which has difficult ways by the side of scorched hills (13)
- where the group of cubs of black bear eat with relish (12)
- the white flowers of mahua tree of round trunk, having holes (11)
- Those who have eyes to see (19)!
- please see the vaṇtal drawn by my daughter (19)
- by her small fingers, having red palms beneath the chaste tree which is short or has been removed of all its leaves (17),
- which she used to make the garment of leaves which she wears on her beautiful and broad waist (16).
SYNTACTICAL LINK
யான் தற்கழறும் காலை(6) தான் மழலை இன்சொல்(7) கூறி(8), இவன் இராஅன்(9),
காதல் நம்பிக்(10) கானம் போகிய(15) என்மகள்(17) சிறுவிரல் வரித்த(18) வண்டலும்(19) கண்ணுடையீர்! காண்டிரோ(19)
VARIANT READINGS
- .3.பரந்த பயலைப் பந்தெநிந் தூடி.
- .4.வமைனை கழிப்பி.
- .7.கழறலையின்றி.
- .12.எண்கினிருங்கிளை.
- .13.வெம்முனை அருஞ்சுரம்.
DIFFICULT WORDS
- ஓங்குநிலைத் தாழி
- - pots of great height
- மல்கச் சார்த்தி
- - crammed to its full capacity
- குடை
- - an improvised vessel of palmyra leaves.
- மடையினள் எடுத்த
- - poured and grown
- பந்தர் வயலை
- - purslane creeper which grows like a pantal.
- பந்து எறிந்து ஆடி
- - having played throwing the ball.
- இளமைத் தகைமையை
- - you are still girlish.
- பிதிர்வை நீரை
- - you have a nature of wandering in your behaviour
- பெண் நீறு ஆக என
- - Let your feminine qualities perish.
- கழறும் காலை
- - when I rebuked her.
- மழலை இன் சொல்
- - sweet prattling words.
- கழறலின்றி
- - without speaking harshly.
- இன்னுயிர் கலப்பக் கூறி
- - spoke words that mixed with my soul.
- பெருஞ்சோறு இல்லத்து
- - in the house where guests were entertained on a lavish scale.
- இவண் ஒருங்கு இராஅள்
- - the without being here with us.
- ஏதிலாளன் காதல் நம்பி
- - trusting in the love of a stranger.
- திரள் அரை
- round trunk.
- தொள்ளை
- - hole
- வான்பூ
- - white flowers.
- குருளை
- - cubs of bear.
- ஈரிமை
- - big or black group
- வெம்மலை அருஞ்சுரம்
- - difficult desert situated in the hole mountain.
- நம் இவண் ஒழிய
- - leaving us to stay here.
- இருநிலம்
- - the people of the wide world
- உயிர்க்கும்
- - heaved a sigh with fear
- இன்னாக் கானம்
- - forest with dangers.
- பெருமடத்தகுவி
- - my suitable daughter with great tenderness.
- ஐது அகல் அல்குல்
- - beautiful and broad waist.
- தழை அணி கூட்டும்
- - plucking leaves for her garment of leaves.
- கூழை நொக்சிக் கீழது
- - that which is beneath the short chaste tree (நொச்சி).
- செம்புடைச் சிறு விரல் வரித்த
- - drawn by the small fingers having red palms.
- வண்டல்
- - figure drawn on sand.
NOTES
Flower plants and other kinds of creepers were grown in earthern jars.
குடை is an improvised vessel made of palmyra leaves to drink water as a vessel to eat food,
to drink liquor, water to gather flowers to keep flowers;
This can be known from the following passages in caṅkam literature :-
""பல்குடைக் தன்னின் வண்மகிழ்ப் பாரி'' (நற்றிணை, 253-7); ""ஆறு செல் மாக்கள் சோறு பொதி வெண்குடை'' (அகம் 121-12);
""பைஞ்ஞிணம் பெருத்த பசுவெள் லிமலை.....இரும்பனங் குடையின் மிசையும்'' (புறம். 177-14-16);
""அவல் வகுத்த பதங்குடையாற், புதல் முல்லைப் பூப் பறிக்குந்து'' (புறம். 352-3-4)
""தோள் நலம் உண்டு துறக்கப்பட்டோர், வேள் நீர் உண்ட குடைஓரன்னர்/.'' (கலித்தொகை, 23-9);
""அடகு பறித்தக் கொண்டு அட்டுக் குடைகலனா உப்பிலிவெந்தை தின்று'' (நாலடியார், 289)
This Kuṭai is used to water the plants.
பந்தர் வயலை should be changed into வயலைப்பந்தர்.
The mother rebuked her for wandering outside, playing with the ball
and for being girlish, though she was of an age to become the mistress of the house.
So she said, `Let your feminine nature perish !''
The mother rebuking her daughter for wandering outside the house has been mentioned in akam, 7 as follows,
""பேதை அல்லை, மேதை அம் குறுமகள், பெதும்பைப் பருவத்து ஒதுங்கினை புறத்தென்''
பெண் here refers to feminine qualities;
""கண்ணார்ந்த......பெண்ணன்று புனையிழாய் நமக்காயின்'' (கலித் தொகை, 60-5-7).
பெண் ணீறாகென may also be split as பெண் ஈறு ஆக எண
கூழை நொச்சி may be taken as chaste tree the leaves of which have been removed to prepare a garment of leaves and flowers.
By கண்ணுடையீர் is meant, ``If you see the vaṇṭal drawn by my daughter you too will be unable to bear the sorrow''.