Akam (356)

AKAM 356

Tiṇai:: marutam
Author:: Paraṇar
Translation:: V. M. Subramanya Ayyar (1975) [IFP, unpublished]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:
Date of last revision:: 2004/05/21
Table of contents (by lines):: 1-4. The description of the village of talaivaṉ.; 5-7. An incident mentioned by the friend.; 8-11. Friend guarded her tongues strongly from telling mother about that.; 12-15. The enemies of vallam Kiḻavōṉ trying to capture him.; 16-17. It would not appear as a defect even if talaivaṉ afflicted them.; 18-20. Addressing talaivi and questioning her about her idea.
Colophon(s):: The friend who consented to make up the wants of talaimakaṉ who begged humbly for a favour, requested the talaivi to accept it.
Syntactical link :: see below
Difficult words :: see below
Variant readings:: see below
Notes: :: see below
:

TRANSLATION

Lady, with cool and shining tresses of hair (20),
who can be compared to the paṟampu mountain of naṉṉaṉ (19),
which has a ghat (துறை) in the front portion of which āmpal flowers grow abundantly where the mountain streams are swollen with water (8)
The chief of the village (5)
where the vessels into which toddy are poured are washed in the upper portion of the tuṟai (துறை: ghat) (1),
the tortoise with a splitted mouth (2)
leaps like the drum of clear eye fastened tightly (by straps) (4),
to drink the turbid water mixed with toddy (2)
in the lower portion of the tuṟai (துறை) (1),
the water fowl acting as a drummer, saw me quickly in the middle of the long street (5)
and caught hold of my forearm wearing gold bangles (6)
I shouted `mother' without leaving the desire which he had since a long time, he released my hands. I, having guarded my tongue strongly like the whetting stone (10)
made by the low whetstone-maker who mixes glue with stones (9)
in the paṟampu mountain of naṉṉaṉ (8).
I did not tell mother about it (11).
The descendant of Coḻar who have furious male elephants (12)
and good chariots (11),
who is the chief of Vallam(வல்லம்) which has paddy of long ears (13),
and though he has good qualities his enemies (14)
try to capture him (15);
Leaving it aside (15),
one who has luxuriant tresses of hair (16)!
even if he afflicted us (17)
without any grace (16),
it will not be a defect (17)
what is your idea ? (please tell me) (20)

SYNTACTICAL LINK

மின் ஈர்ஓதி(20)! ஊரன்(4) இடை நெடுந்தெருவில் என் கை பற்றினன் ஆக(6) "அன்னாய்' என்றனென்(7); நசை காவாமை(8) அவன் கைவிட்டனன்(7); மற்று அது(10) கற்போல் நாவினேனாகி(10) யாய்க்குச் செப்பலென்(11); அவன் நம்வயின் அருளாது(16) கொன்றனனாயினும், கொலைபழுது அன்று(17) நின் குறிப்பு என்னை?

VARIANT READINGS

.8. சாலாமை
.14. நல்லளி; ஒன்னார்
.15. கதவம்
.19. ஆய் பிரம்பன்ன.

DIFFICULT WORDS

மேல் துறைக் கொளீஇய கழாலின்: - as the vessels containing toddy our washed in the upper portion of the tuṟai (துறை: ghat)
கீழ்த்துறை உகுவார் அருந்த: - in order to drink the trickling flow of turbid water down the tuṟai (ghat)
பகுவாய் யாமை: - the tortoise of splitting mouth.
கம்புள் இயவனாக: - the water fowl being the drummer
விசிபிணித்தெண்கண் கிணையின் பிறழும் ஊரன்: - the chief of the village where (the tortoise) leaps (flops) like the drum of clear eye, which is tightly fastened (by leather straps)
இடை நெடுந்தெருவில் கதுமெனக் கண்டு: - seeing me quickly in the middle of the long street
என் பொன் தொடி முன்கை பற்றினனாக: - as he caught hold of my forearm wearing gold bangles.
அன்னாய் என்றனென்: - I shouted "அன்னாய்' (mother!)
தொல் நசை கவாமை: - without leaving the desire which he had since a long time.
அவன்கை விட்டனன்: He released my hands.
நன்னம் பறம்பில்: - in the paṟampu, (a mountain) belonging to naṉṉaṉ
சிறு காரோடன் பயினொடு சேர்த்திய கல்போல்: - like the whetting stone made by the low whetstone-maker by mixing glue with stone.
நாவினேன் ஆகி: - having strongly guarded my tongue.
அது யாய்க்குச் செப்பலென்: - I did not tell mother about it. (the reason for that is)
நல்தேர்க்கடும்ப கட்டு யானைச் சோழர் மருகன்: - the descendant of the coḻa line, who has good chariots and ferocious male elephants.
நெடுங் கதிர் நெல்லின் வல்லம் கிழவோன்: - the chief of vallam (வல்லம்); - which has paddy of long ears.
நல்லடி உள்ளானாகவும்: - though mallati was there
ஒன்னார் கதுவ முயறலும் முயல்ப: - the enemies tried to capture him ?
[[For the reading கதவ முயறலும் the meaning is trying to force open the door. ]]
அதாஅன்று: - leaving it alone
ஒலி பல் கூந்தல் நம் வயின் அருளாது: - without bestowing grace on us who have many thriving locks of hair
கொன்றனன் ஆயினும்: - though he afflicted
கொலை பழுது அன்றே: - it will not be considered as a defect (therefore)
அருவி ஆம்பல் கலித்த முன்துறை நன்னன் ஆய் பறம்பன்ன மின் ஈர் ஓதி: - lady with cool and shining tresses of hair like the beautiful paṟampu mountain belonging to naṉṉaṉ, which has in front of it a tuṟai (துறை) where āmpal flowers grow luxuriantly in the place where the mountain streams are swollen with water.
என்னை நின் குறிப்பு: - what is your idea? please tell me.

NOTES

கொளீஇய

- the vessels that were used for pouring toddy; this is a verbal noun. $$l$$l 1-2,
cf. ""செம்பூத்தூய செதுக்குடை முன்றில், கள்ளடு மகளிர் வள்ளம் நுடக்கிய, வார்ந்துகு சின்னீர்'' (perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 338-340).

The tortoise drinking the water where the cups are washed is mentioned in akam;
""வள் உகிர் யாமை...அகன்துறைப், பகுவாய் நிறைய நுங்கிற் கள்ளின், உகுவார் அருந்தும்'' (256-2-5).
The tortoise opens its mouth to drink the water mixed with toddy.
The tortoise is compared to the Kiṇai, a kind of drum;
The point of comparison is with regard to shape;
""கயத்துவாழ் காழ் கோத்தன்ன நுண்கோல், தகைத்த தெண்கண் மாக்கிணை வலைஞர் அரிக்குரல்'' (""யாமை), மிளிர'' (puṟam, 70-2-3, 249-4);
ஆமை அகடு போல் அங்கண் தடாரி'', ""யாமை அள்ளகட்டன்ன அரிக்கிணை'' (puṟapporuḷ veṇpāmālai, 186, 206).

There is a variant reading in line 8 as "சாலாமை', for that also the meaning is `without guarding what is to happen'.

Line 9. This simile is found in a previous stanza in akam itself;
""சிறுகாரோடன், பயினொடு சோத்திய கற்போற் பிரியலம்'' (1-5-6)

The aṉpil plates give the name of cenkaṇāṉ's son, nallatikkōn (K. A. N. Sastri, The Coḻas p. 53; 2nd edition 1955 (Revised) Kulottunka III - V.R. Ramachandra Dikshitar p.10. 1941. If the person mentioned here is the same one mentioned in those plates this verse should have been composed after his time. It is worth noting that he is mentioned as a descendant of the Coḻa line. The enemies āriyar, besieging vallam and fleeing has been mentioned in akam verse, 336-20-22). There is a variant reading for line 14, it is better to adopt the reading நல்லடி in preference to நல்லளி; Then we get the proper name lso fo the chief of vallam.

Though talaivaṉ who deserted us inflicted make it as an evil act. The question "what is your idea" means that talaivi should consent to fulfil talaivaṉ's desire. The variant reading in .14. ஒல்லார் agrees in rhyme with நல்லடி; it is a better reading.