LITERATURE-LIGHT AND DELIG
BRAHMINS IN SANGAM LITERATURE-6
Purananooru
We have a Pandya king with a very interesting and revealing title: "PAL YAAGA SAALAI" Mudukudumip Peruvazhuthi! பல் யாகசாலை முதுகுடுமிப் பெருவழுதி. The very name contains the information that he had performed many Yajnas!
ByUploadalt (Own work-photographed at British Museum) CCBY-SA 3.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons.
In poem 6, poet Kaarikizhaar காரி கிழார் recounts the glories of the king , wishes something for him to do, and expresses his benedictions.
EXTENT OF THE KING'S TERRITORY
The poet first indicates the borders of his kingdom:
Vadaa adu panipadu neduvarai vadakkum
Tenaa adu vurukezhu kumariyin terkum
Kunaa adu karaiporu thodukadal kunakkum
Kudaa adu thonrumudir pauvvattin kudakkum
வடாஅது பனிபடு நெடுவரை வடக்கும்
தெனா அது வுருகெழு குமரியின் தெற்கும்
குணா அது கரைபொரு தொடுகடல் குணக்கும்
குடா அது தொன்முதிர் பவ்வத்தின் குடக்கும்
The northern borders are north of the high mountains which always have snow on them -ie the Himalayas.
The southern borders are south of the Kumari river.
The eastern borders are east of the dug-out ocean.
The western borders are west of the ancient ocean.
So, our king seems to have been one whose reign extended over the whole country! He was a Chakravartin! Some one like what is indicated in poem 189: "Then kadal valaagam podumai inri venkudai nizhatriya orumaiyor"- தெண்கடல் வளாகம் பொதுமை இன்றி வெண் குடை நிழற்றிய ஒருமையோர் , one who ruled over the earth surrounded by the clear seas, without sharing ( podumai inri!).
In line 3 above, in respect of the eastern sea, the poet furnishes valuable information: he qualifies it as "thodu kadal", while the western sea is qualified as "thon mudir". Thonmudir means very ancient. What is thodu kadal? Thodu means 'that which is dug'. Who dug it?
This is where the poet takes us to puranic lore. The eastern seas were dug by Sagaras, sons of the King Sagara, the forefather of Bhagiratha, in search of the lost horse meant for the Aswamedha yajna. Hence, the name 'saagaram' has come to mean sea generally. In contrast, the western sea seems to be natural and much older. The poet knew the puranic account, and it is remarkable how in just one word he conveys the whole history! The Pandya king ruled over the whole country!
KING'S FAME IN THE THREE WORLDS
Keezhadu muppunar adukkiya muraimudar kattin
Neernilai nivappin keezhum, maeladu
Aanilai vulagat taanum aanaadu
Vuruvum pugazhum aagi
கீழது முப்புணர் அடுக்கிய முறைமுதற் கட்டின்
நீர் நிலை நிவப்பின் கீழும், மேலது
ஆனிலை உலகத் தானும் ஆனாது
உருவும் புகழும் ஆகி
Your fame has extended beyond this world, even below the ocean waters which cover the earth, and above in the excellent worlds of enjoyment.
In other words, his fame has spread on eath, the Patala loka and the higher worlds.
Here too the poet packs some important information. He does not merely say patalam, bhulokam and heaven. In referring to the higher worlds, he says: "Aanilai vulagu".ஆனிலை உலகு This means Golokam. கோலோகம். In our theology, it is held that heaven is merely a place (or state) of temporary enjoyment, which ends when merits are exhausted.(As Gita says, ksheene punye martyalokam visanti-க்ஷீணே புண்யே மர்த்ய லோகம் விசன்தி when the merits are exhausted, they come back to this mortal world.) But Goloka is not a place of mere enjoyment, but of Bliss, above all these swargas! The poet may be indulging in a bit of hyperbole about the king's fame, but what is important for us is that he mentions Goloka specifically, and not merely heaven in general.
The Vaishnavas have their own take on Goloka, but Dr. U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer gives references to Shivadharmottaram and Kasikandam.
KING LIKENED TO YAMA!
...................viri seerth
Therikol jnamanpola oruthiram
Patral iliyaro! Nin thiram sirakka!
................விரி சீர்த்
தெரிகொள் ஞமன்போல ஒருதிறம்
பற்றல் இலியரோ! நின் திறம் சிறக்க
May you be just and fair, without unduly siding (favouring ) anyone, like the just scale. May you grow in your justice.
Here too the poet reserves something special. The weighing scale ஞமன் can be given as an example of fairness.But this depends on human effort. There is one who is taken as the perfect example of perfect justice and fairness: Lord Yama! He is so just and fair, he is popularly called Dharmaraja! Another meaning of jnamanஞமன் is Yama! The king is so fair and just!
KING AS ROBINHOOD!
Seivinaikku edhirndha thevver daeyettuk
Kadarpadai kulippa mandi.......
Avveyil konda seivuru nankalam
Parisin maakkatku varisaiyin nalgi
செய்வினைக்கு எதிர்ந்த தெவ்வர் தேயத்துக்
கடற்படை குளிப்ப மண்டி......
அவ்வெயில் கொண்ட செய்வுரு நன் கலம்
பரிசின் மாக்கட்கு வரிசையின் நல்கி
You fought with the kings who chose to oppose you and destroyed their armies, extensive as the ocean.All their wealth that fell into your hands, you gave away as gifts to those who approached you!
So we have here the oldest historical forerunner of the later day Robinhoods!
BOW YOUR HEAD,
STAND UP AND FOLD YOUR HANDS!
.......... Nin kudaiye munivar
Mukkann selvar nagarvalam seyarke
Yirainjuga peruma!
..............நின் குடையே முனிவர்
முக்கண் செல்வர் நகர்வலம் செயற்கே
இறைஞ்சுக, பெரும!
May your Regal Umbrella be lowered (only) when you circumambulate the temple of the Three-eyed Lord, praised by the Munis. ( or when the procession of the Lord comes out in the streets of the city).
..................nin chenni siranda
Naanmarai munivar yaendukai edirey!
...................நின் சென்னி சிறந்த
நான் மறை முனிவர் யேந்துகை எதிரே
May you bow your head and fold your hands only before the Brahmins vell-versed in the four Vedas, while they pronounce blessings on you!
So, we find here that there was the practice of the King going round the temple and the Deity taken in procession through the streets!
The practice of Vedic Brahmins pronouncing blessings with Vedic mantras (Aasir Vachanam) ஆசீர் வசனம் is very ancient. At such times, people stand up with folded hands. It can be seen even now when mantras like "Na Karmana" ந கர்மணா, மன்த்ர புஷ்பம் முதலியன, Mantrapushpam, etc are recited.
The king also is expected to follow this practice and it was so followed, as we see from Padhitruppattu:63.1"Paarppaark kalladhu panipari yalaiye"
பார்ப்பார்க் கல்லது பணி பரி யலையே
(You don't know to bow to anyone except Brahmins)
So, this is what we get!
Thus, we gather much information in this poem about Brahmins, Puranas, practices connected with temples, etc.
- Thodukadal kunakku: Bay of Bengal was dug by Sagaras.
- Neernilai nivappin keezhum :Paatala
- Aanilai ulagam : Golokam
- Mukkan selvan nagarvalam: When Shiva is taken round in procession.
- Naanmarai munivar yaendukai: This reveals that there was the practice of Vedic Brahmins blessing the king with Vedic mantras. That the head is bowed then actually shows the respect for the Veda, more than for the Brahmins themselves.
- Golokam is different from and superior to heaven.
- The very name of the king reveals that he had performed many Yajnas.
- Tamil kings controlled large parts of India. In fact, the boundaries of countries were quite flexible then and rulers changed as we see even within old Tamilnad, when one of the three kings had annexed the other territories. There are other poems in this collection which reveal that at times the rulers of North India were afraid of the might of the Tamil kings.
- That Tamil kings had ruled over North and had extensive connections with those rulers is revealed in poem 17 also.
The poem clearly reveals that the same lore and legend was shared by the whole country. All kings were Kshatriyas and they had extensive contacts- both through war and peace.Some times, Tamil kings ruled other areas; at other times, others ruled over here.They shared the same Deities, rituals and practices. The language was different, the substance was the same, with local variations. This is what we see even today.
Too bad that a Pandya king, the traditional custodian of Tamil through Sangam, had performed too many Yajnas and attained a reputation for that! He must have patronised lot of Brahmins as only they conduct Yajnas! And Vedic studies must have flourished as Veda is the foundation of all Yajnas! I mean, too bad for the comfort of modern Dravidians!
Note:
Almost no edition of Purananooru gives word-for-word meaning. Present day writers tend to summarise and in the process, leave out vital details. No one gives alternate or additional meanings or interpretation.For all these reasons, the edition of Dr.U.Ve.Swa. is important, and invaluable. He has supported almost evey important word with extensive quotations from ancient Tamil literature itself! It is thus an authoritative source of traditionally accepted meaning. It contains a glossary of over 70 pages containing important and difficult words. It contains brief details of the poets and those on whom the poems were composed. I have the 1963 edition and I am not aware when the last edition was brought out. I urge all friends to get this book as a source of authentic information, specimen of stunningly deep and extensive scholarship, and also as a mark of our respect for Dr.Iyer but for whom this work would not have seen the light of day! It is a bit tough in style, but rewarding.
No comments:
Post a Comment