In this episode, we perceive the thoughtful generosity of a much-celebrated king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 390, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse talks about all the ways the leader allayed the suffering of a supplicant.

அறவை நெஞ்சத்து ஆயர், வளரும்
மறவை நெஞ்சத்து ஆய் இலாளர்,
அரும்பு அலர் செருந்தி நெடுங் கால் மலர் கமழ்,
விழவணி வியன் களமன்ன முற்றத்து,
ஆர்வலர் குறுகின் அல்லது, காவலர்
கனவினும் குறுகாக் கடியுடை வியல் நகர்,
மலைக் கணத்து அன்ன மாடம் சிலம்ப, என்
அரிக் குரல் தடாரி இரிய ஒற்றிப்
பாடி நின்ற பல் நாள் அன்றியும்,
சென்ற ஞான்றைச் சென்று படர் இரவின்
வந்ததற் கொண்டு, ‘நெடுங் கடை நின்ற
புன் தலைப் பொருநன் அளியன்தான்’ என,
தன்னுழைக் குறுகல் வேண்டி, என் அரை
முது நீர்ப் பாசி அன்ன உடை களைந்து,
திரு மலர் அன்ன புது மடிக் கொளீஇ,
மகிழ் தரல் மரபின் மட்டே அன்றியும்,
அமிழ்து அன மரபின் ஊன் துவை அடிசில்
வெள்ளி வெண் கலத்து ஊட்டல் அன்றி,
முன் ஊர்ப் பொதியில் சேர்ந்த மென் நடை
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் பெரும் புலம்பு அகற்ற,
அகடு நனை வேங்கை வீ கண்டன்ன
பகடு தரு செந்நெல் போரொடு நல்கி,
‘கொண்டி பெறுக!’ என்றோனே உண் துறை
மலை அலர் அணியும் தலை நீர் நாடன்;

கண்டாற் கொண்டும் அவன் திருந்து அடி வாழ்த்தி,
………………………………………………………………………
வான் அறியல என் பாடு பசி போக்கல்;
அண்ணல் யானை வேந்தர்
உண்மையோ, அறியல்? காண்பு அறியலரே!

It’s another nuanced poem by the prolific female poet Avvaiyaar, celebrating her friend and king Athiyamaan. In this verse, she chooses the voice of a male drummer, arriving at the gates of this king to etch the leader’s personality vividly. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:

“Herders of cattle with hearts of righteousness and denizens of small hamlets with thriving hearts of strength hold festivities in wide areas, which are fragrant like the blooming, tall-stalked flowers of the ‘Serunthi’ tree. Akin to this, was the entrance to his well-protected, wide palace that supplicants can reach with ease, but enemies cannot come close even in their dreams. Making the tall mansion resound like the mountains, I beat upon my sharp-toned ‘thadari’ drum with vigour and sang there. This, I did not even have to do for many days, but on the very day I reached there, when night fell, he said, ‘The sparse-haired supplicant standing at the tall gates is to be pitied’, he wished for me to go near him. And when I did, he removed my garment, akin to moss that spreads on water standing for long, and made me wear a new cloth, akin to a soft and gentle flower. He offered me not only ecstasy-endowing, fine toddy, but delicious meat and rice, akin to ambrosia, in a glowing white silver vessel. Not only that, to end the suffering of my huge group of kith and kin with weak gaits, assembled at the common area of the town, making them feel as if they were seeing ‘vengai’ flowers with moist cores, he rendered unto them, red paddy ploughed by oxen, in huge mounds, and said, ‘Take all of this”. He is the lord of the country, where gushing streams decorate their shores with lush mountain flowers.

When seeing him, blessing his perfect feet… Those hungry souls who lament that the sky does not see their suffering, are those who know not this great king, who owns esteemed elephants many, or they have not yet seen him!”

Time to unravel the nuances in this wordsmith’s creation! The poet starts by talking about cattle herders and those who live in small villages. The first group she characterises as people having just hearts and the latter as people having strong hearts. However, the reason for this classification is not evident. Moving on, she has referred to these people to bring to fore the festivities they hold in their town, and she qualifies the fragrance of these festivities to the ‘Serunthi’ or ‘Golden Champak’ flowers, also curiously called ‘Mickey Mouse flowers’, owing to the curious features that form on these flowers to attract bees. Returning, we learn that the poet has mentioned that fragrant and festive area, only to call it in parallel to the entrance of this king’s palace, which he says has the contrasting qualities of being welcoming to supplicants and unapproachable to enemies.

The poet, speaking in the voice of the drummer, says he beat upon his ‘thadari’ drum with such force, making the mansions echo like mountains, and stood there singing. He did not even have to wait for days together to gain the attention of the king. That very night, the king took pity on this sparse-haired supplicant at his gates, called him in, and immediately changed the drummer’s mossy clothes to new clothes with a flower-like softness. After attire, food in the form of intoxicating toddy and elixir-like meat and rice was offered to the drummer. Not only that, thinking about the relatives of this poet, who were waiting at the town centre, the king seems to have showered them with heaps of red paddy, akin to the moist inner core of Kino flowers. Thus, in every possible way, the king seems to have allayed the suffering of the drummer, and he, in turn, paints a vivid image of the king’s country by describing how the rivers that flow decorate the shores there with beautiful mountain flowers. Imagine the taste and fragrance of that water! 

The drummer then goes on to talk about praising the feet of this king but the line that follows is lost in time. The poet, speaking in the voice of the drummer, concludes that if anyone is complaining about the skies disappointing them or not caring about their plight, it can only mean that they do not know about this king or they have not seen him yet. A verse that minutely etches the thoughtful ways this king attends to the needs of a supplicant. The ruler doesn’t make the drummer wait for long, makes him respectable with a clean attire, offers food and drink for his famished body, and most of all, goes beyond the artist, and thinks of the drummer’s family and ends their suffering, which is what the drummer ultimately wants. No wonder the artist is so touched by all these caring moments that he declares that anyone complaining about lack in their lives is sure to be someone who know not this generous king or have not yet had the fortune of meeting him. A female poet, from two thousand years ago, assuming the stance of a male drummer, to render this intricate song of praise, filled with picturesque similes, makes this verse unique and noteworthy!