Akam (320)

AKAM 320

Tiṇai:: neytal
Author:: maturaikkūllavāṇikaṉ cittalaiccattaṉār
[variant reading: citaṅkañcāttaṉ; (சீதங்கஞ்சாத்தன்)]
Translation:: V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:: 2004/11/08
Table of contents (by lines):: (1-5). Description of the maritime tract of talaivaṉ where girls of the fishermen caste sell fish caught by their brothers in their boats.; (6-7). talaivaṉ became unfaithful to his word as not to remove the distress of talaivi and the scandal of the village.; (8-10). The description of the big ghat on the sea-shore.; (11-12). talaivaṉ coming in his chariot so as to destroy the doll made on the sand during talaivi's play.; (13-14). talaivaṉ swearing before the god of the sea on the first day of meeting. Friend questioning whether it was also a false one.
Colophon(s):: The friend urged talaimakaṉ about celebrating marriage, when he came to the appointed secret place by day.
Syntactical link:: see below
Difficult words:: see below
Variant readings:: see below
Notes:: see below
:

TRANSLATION

Chief of the maritime tract having small hamlets surrounded by sea-shore groves (5)
where the petted sisters who wear on their waist a garment of leaves (3)
sell in the streets where festivals are celebrated (4)
the ferocious and strong fish caught by (their brothers) in their boats (2)
dragging the fishing nets with great force in the expanse of the rising waves in the ocean (1)!
Even if you become unfaithful to your word by not bestowing your grace on my friend (7),
who has eyes ((that are)) as beautiful as flowers and ((that are)) taking in collyrium (6),
to remove her distress (6)
and the scandal of the village folk (7),
Is the oath that you swore (14)
on that day when you had first union with her (13),
coming in your tall chariot having a part resembling lotus bud, cutting the loose fine sand (11)
so as to destroy the doll made of sand during play (12)
in the big ghat which was made beautiful by the pollen of the puṉṉai tree (புன்னை; mast wood tree) of curved stature (10),
where the swan of short legs (18)
adjusts its feather with its beak and dries them (9)
(eating the fish) after stirring the long back-water (for fish), (8)
sitting on the mound of sand on which the creeper of aṭumpu (அடும்பு) is resting (9),
also false (14)
for which the sea bore a witness (14) ?

SYNTACTICAL LINK

சேர்ப்ப(5)!! எம் தோழி எவ்வமும்(6) வாய் அலரும் நீங்க நீ அருளாய் பொய்ப்பினும்(7), நெடுந்தேரில்(11) வண்டற் பாவை சிதைய வந்து நீ(12) (இவள்) தோள் புதிது உண்ட ஞான்றைக் (கூறிய) (13) சூளும் பொய்யோ(14)?

VARIANT READINGS

.3. செல்வர் தங்கை.
.4. விலையெனநுவலும்
.8.9. அன்னக்கடும் பூர் எக்கர் ஒருசிறை.
.14. கடல் எறிகடனே.

DIFFICULT WORDS

ஓங்கு திரைப்பரப்பின்: - in the expanse of the sea of rising waves.
வாங்கு விசைக் கொளீஇ: - dragging the fishing nets with great force.
திமிலோன் தந்த: - brought by the owner of the fishing boat.
கடுங்கண்வயமீன்: - ferocious and strong fish.
தழை அணி அல்குல செல்வத் தங்கையர்: and petted sisters wearing on the waist a garment of leave.
விழவு அயர் மறுகின்: in the streets where festivals are celebrated.
விலை எனப்பதரும்: - selling the fish quoting the price for each kind.
கானல் அம் சிறுகுடி: - small hamlets surrounded by fore-shore garden.
பெருநீர்ச் சேர்ப்ப: - chief of the maritime tract.
மலர் ஏர் உண்கண் என் தோழி அவலம்: - the distress of our friend who has eyes coated with collyrium and resembling flowers.
வாய் அலர்: the scandal indulged in by the women-folk of the village.
நீங்க: - to remove.
அருளாய் பெர்ப்பிறும்: - though you failed without being gracious.
நெடுங்கழி துழைஇய குறுங்கால் அன்னம்: - the swan of short legs which stirred the long backwater (for fish).
அடும்பு அமர் எக்கர்: - the creeper (அடும்பு) (atumpu) resting upon the mound of sand.
அம்சிறை உளரும்: - sitting on that (the swan) adjusts its beautiful feathers by drilling through with its beak and dries them.
தடவு நிலைப் புன்னை: - the puṉṉai tree of curved stature.
தாது அணி பெருந்துறை: - (in) the big ghat which is adorned by the pollen.
நடுங்கு அயிர் போழ்ந்த கொடுஞ்சி நெடுந்தேர் வந்து: - coming in the tall chariot which has an ornamental lotus bud, and cuts the fine sand.
வண்டற் பாவை சிதைய: - to destroy the doll made on the sand during the time of making toy-houses.
தோன் புதிது உண்ட: - when you had first union with this lady.
ஞான்றை: - on the day.
சூளும் பொய்யோ: - is the vow too made by you false?
கடல் அறிகரியே: - the sea bore witness to that.

NOTES

திமிலோன் - here means the brothers who own fishing boats, as in the 3rd line their sisters are mentioned.

கடுங்கண் வயமீன்

- may mean shark. After stirring the back-water for fish the feathers become wet; so the swan adjusts its feathers and makes them dry.

Talaivaṉ coming to meet talaivi when she was playing with her mates is mentioned in akam, 110-7-9.

தோன்புதிது உண்டரான்றை - a polished of saying `having had union!;

புதிது உண்ணல் - enjoying the fresh thing;
""உழாஅது வித்திய பரூஉக்குரற் சிறுதினை, முந்து வினையாணர் நாட்பு திது உண்மார்'' (puṟam, 168-6-7);
""உய்யாமல் மலைந்து உமர்'' ஆருயிரை, மெய்யாக இராமன் விகந்திடவே, கையாரமுகந்து கொடந்தகனார், ஐயாபுதிது உண்டது அறிந்திலையோ'' (Kamparāmāyaṇam, catāyu uyir nītta patalam, 96).

சூள்: the oath that talaivaṉ swore; He banished talaivi's doubts by saying, `I won't part from you; if I do that I shall be committing sinful acts". This is mentioned in akam, 5-16-17 as ""அறத்தாறு அன்றென மொழிந்த தொன்று படுகிளவி''.

கடல் here means the deity that resides in the ocean;
""கரியமலர் நெடுங்கட் காரிகை முன் கடல் தெய்வம் காட்டிக் காட்டி, அரிய சூள் பொய்த்ததார் அறனிலர் என்று ஏழையம் யாங்கு அறிகோ ஐய'' (cilappatikāram, 6-5, ll.1-2) also substantiates this.

The oath may be this also; `Talaivaṉ said at the time when he had the union with talaivi (இயற்கைப் புணர்ச்சி) "I shall marry you and lead a house-holder's life"

As it is a grave error to go back on one's oath the friend urged talaivaṉ to marry talaivi as early as possible.