AKAM 321
- 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- V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:
- 2àà4/10/22
- Table of contents (by lines):
- 1-3. The echo made by the west wind.
- 3-5. The love of the stag for its female deer.
- 7-9. The female elephant feeling with its trunk for water in the well dug by cowherds.
- 10-14. Foster-mother's thoughts about what talaivi, would do in the desert.
- 15-17. Talaivi going beyond the mountain, having removed the anklets, so as not to arouse any suspicion about her movement.
- Colophon(s):
- The foster-mother who was the cause for her daughter to go into the desert spoke thus.
- Syntactical link:
- see below
- Difficult words:
- see below
- Variant readings:
- see below
- Notes:
- see below
TRANSLATION
- Having removed the choice anklets in which metal pieces were put and closed (15),
- being afraid of her mother knowing it going out, (16)
- my daughter went beyond the mountain where in the adjacent hills bamboos grow to a very great height (17).
- The clear sound of the west wind enters into, and comes out of, the dried-up mountain pool (2)
- which can be compared to the eye of the hungry and emaciated elephant,
echoes in the cleft of the mountain like the sound of the paṟai which is tightly fastened by leather straps (3).
- The loving stag (4)
- does not eat the white flowers of the iruppai (mahua tree) which has a trunk as big as the earthern receptable for storing grain (5),
- in order that its beautiful female (which has legs as thin as the spinner's spindle, should eat it (4) ,
- calls it by its distinguishing masculine voice (6).
- Will my daughter stay with her lover (11)
- temporarily in somebody's hamlet of the little village which has beautiful dwellings
and an assembly hall under the tree which has lost its brilliance (10)
- which is distant from here (6)
- where the female elephant having a calf feels with its trunk in the company of the male elephant (9)
- the well dug out by breaking the land left uncultivated (9)
- by the cowherds, from which turbid water flows, in order to quench the thirst of the herds of cows which have sounding bells (7)
- and big udders (6)
- or will she walk in front of the ferocious Kāḷai (talaivaṉ known by this name when he goes in the desert)
who is not afraid of people having arrows (highway robbers) (12)
- (at night)? (13)
- or what else will she do? I suffer here. (14).
SYNTACTICAL LINK
யாய் அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி(16), சிலம்பு கழீஇ(15) மலை இறந்தோள்(17) சேண்பால்(6)
சீறூரில்(10) எல்லி(13) துணையொடு துச்சில் சேக்கும் கொல்(11)? காளைமுன் உறச் செல்லும் கொல்(13)?
எவ்வினை செய்யும் கொல்(14)? யான் நோகு(14)
VARIANT READINGS
- .6. வியன்சுவல்
- .8. கலுழ்கற்கூவல்
- .16. யாய் அறிந்து உணர்தல் அஞ்சி.
DIFFICULT WORDS
- பசித்த யானைப் பழங்கண் அன்ன
- - like the eyes of the emaciated and hungry elephant.
- வறுஞ் சுனை முகந்த கோடைத் தெள் விளி
- - the clear sound of the west wind which enters into, and comes out of, the dried up mountain pool.
- வசித்து வாங்கு பறையின்
- - like the sound of the paṟai (பறை - drum) which is tightly fastened by leather straps.
- விடரகத்து இயம்ப
- - makes an echo in the cleft of the mountain.
- கதிர்க் கால் அம் பிணை
- - the beautiful female deer of lean and long legs like the spinner's spindle
- உணீஇய
- - in order that it should eat.
- புகழ் ஏறு
- - the loving stag.
- குதிர்க்கால் இருப்பை வெண்பூ
- - the white flowers of iruppai (இருப்பை: mahua tree) having a trunk like the earthen receptable for storing grains
- ஆண்குரல் விளிக்கும்
- - from where it calls by its masculine voice.
- சேண் பால்
- - at a great distance
- வியன் சுரைப் படு மணி இனம் நிரை உணீஇய
- - in order that the herd of cows having a big udder and bells making sound might drink.
- கோவலர்
- - cowherds.
- விடு நிலம்
- - land left uncultivated, gifted by kings as pasture land
- உடைத்த கலுழ் கண் ஊறல்
- - the turbid water of the well which was dug by breaking and splitting the earth.
- கன்றுடை மடப்பிடி
- - the female elephant which has a calf.
- களிறொடு தடவரும்
- - feels along with its male with its trunk.
- புன்றலை மன்றத்து
- - the common village assembly under the tree which has lost its brilliant places.
- அம்குடிச்சீறூர்
- - the small village of beautiful dwellings.
- எல்லி
- - at night.
- துணையொடு துச்சில் சேக்கும் கொல்
- - will she remain in a temporary abode with her lover ?
- கணையோர் அஞ்சாக் கடுங்கண் காளையொடு
- - in company with the Kaḷai (chief of the desert) who is not afraid of the arrows (of the highway robbers)
- முன் உறச் செல்லும் கொல்
- - or will she walk in front of him ?
- எவ்வினை செய்யும் கொல்
- - what else will she do ?
- யான் நோகு
- - I suffer.
- அரிபெய்து பொதிந்த தெரி சிலம்பு கழீஇ
- - having removed the choice anklets into which pieces of metal were put and closed.
- யாய்
- - the mother of talaivi.
NOTES
The eyes of the old and emaciated elephant will be hollow-sunken and without beauty;
so they are compared to the waterless mountain pool.
விசித்து வாங்கு பறை - This may meann the paṟai which is beaten with the stick with great force.
The flowers of iruppai are not sufficient to both the stag and female deer;
so the stag did not eat it and calls its female;
cf: ""சுனைவாய்ச்சிறு நீரை எய்தா தென்று எண்ணிப், பிணைமான் இனிது உண்ணவேண்டிக்-கலைமாத்தன்,
கள்ரித்தின் ஊச்சும் சுரமென்பர் காதலர், உள்ளம்படர்ந்த நெறி'' (aintiṇai aimpatu; 38).
The stag calls the female deer to come near it by its distinguishing masculine voice
thereby indicating that there is no danger
சேண்பால் விளிக்கும்: can be interpred this way also; calls from a great distance.
For the reading "வியன் சுவல்' the meaning is `in the big neck.'
விடு நிலம் - This may mean land granted by Kings and set apart for cattle to graze;
""விடுநிலமருங்குற் படுபுல்லார்ந்து'' (maṇimēkalai, 13-51).
The female elephant which has a calf feels with its trunk in company with its male,
means that there is no water to quench the thirst of any one of them.
The talaivi removed her anklets so that when she moved out of the house the sound might not wake up her mother;
""வைகுபுலர் விடியல் மெய் கரந்து தன்கால், அரிஅமை சிலம்பு கழீஇ..... செல்வோள்'' (naṟṟiṇai, 12-4-7)
துச்சில் - living in another's house as a tenant;
""புக்கில் அமைந்தின்று கொல்லோ உடம்பினுள், துச்சில் இருந்த உயிர்க்கு'' (Kuṟaḷ 340);
Both the acts of staying in another's house with her lover and walking with him in the desert
would make her suffer; so the foster-mother thought what she would do.