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Post No. 15,566
Date uploaded in London – 2 April 2026
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
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xxxx
Purananuru Wonders -17, Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia -Part 57; One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 57
SAKUNA/OMENS AND SANSKRIT WORDS IN PURANANURU VERSE 41
(Vaidehi Herbert’s English Translation of Purananuru is used by me; thanks)
***
Item 416 Sanskrit words in Puram 41
Poet Kovur Kizar used lot of materials from Sanskrit books. In Puram 41 we see a number of Sanskrit words.
Kaala- Time; used in all Sangam works and Tirukkural
Kaalan- Yama, God of Death
Brahmins salute the Vedic Gods, Planets and Directions thrice a day in the Sandhyavandana. When they salute Yama, God of Death Facing South, they recite all the names of God of Death; and one of them is Kaala.
Disai=Dik= Direction
English word Direction and Tamil word Disaiare from Sanskrit Dik, Disaa.
Emam – Kshemam
Urkam- Ulka in Vedas
The most common Sanskrit word for meteor is ulkā (उल्का), which typically denotes a meteor, firebrand, or fiery appearance. It refers to shooting stars, often appearing in literature from the Rigveda onwards.
***
Item 417 Sakuna/Omens
Tamil commentators on Puram 41, list the omens without telling the readers that they are Bad Omens. Because Tamils already knew about bad omens and they follow this science in their life, commentators leave it without explaining.
Brhat Samhita of Varahamihira has one full chapter on Omens (Chapter 86)
Valmiki Ramayana and Mahabharata have lot of references to Omens.
Many of the things mentioned here are already in the epics.
shooting stars falling in all the eight directions, long
branches of huge trees parched without any leaves, sun with
its scorching rays burning, bird calls heard as terrifying sounds,
teeth falling on the ground, pouring oil on hair, men riding on
boars, people removing their clothes and silver hued mighty
weapons falling from an overturned cot.
***
Puranānūru 41, Kōvūr Kizhār sang to Chozhan Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan
1
O king who triumphs in battles! Even Kootruvan, the
god of death, will wait for the due time. You do not wait,
but kill, when you want, destroying fine men owing armies
with many spears!
2
You invade the lands of enemies causing distress.
In dreams and in reality, men see sights that are rare:
shooting stars falling in all the eight directions, long
branches of huge trees parched without any leaves, sun with
its scorching rays burning, bird calls heard as terrifying sounds,
teeth falling on the ground, pouring oil on hair, men riding on
boars, people removing their clothes and silver hued mighty
weapons falling from an overturned cot.
3
O King who is mighty in battles! You advance like fire combined
with wind. When they see you, your enemies who enraged you,
who do not have KSHEMAM/EMAM/protection, kiss the flower-like eyes
of their children, and hide their sorrow from their wives!
***
புறநானூறு 41, பாடியவர்: கோவூர் கிழார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: சோழன் குளமுற்றத்துத் துஞ்சிய கிள்ளிவளவன், திணை: வஞ்சி, துறை: கொற்ற வள்ளை
1
காலனும் காலம் பார்க்கும், பாராது
வேல் ஈண்டு தானை விழுமியோர் தொலைய,
வேண்டிடத்து அடூஉம் வெல் போர் வேந்தே!
2
திசை இரு நான்கும் உற்கம் உற்கவும்,
பெரு மரத்து இலையில் நெடுங்கோடு வற்றல் பற்றவும், 5
வெங்கதிர்க் கனலி துற்றவும் பிறவும்,
அஞ்சுவரத் தகுந புள்ளுக் குரல் இயம்பவும்,
எயிறு நிலத்து வீழவும், எண்ணெய் ஆடவும்,
களிறு மேல் கொள்ளவும், காழகம் நீப்பவும்,
வெள்ளி நோன்படை கட்டிலொடு கவிழவும், 10
3
கனவின் அரியன காணா நனவின்
செருச்செய் முன்ப நின் வருதிறன் நோக்கி,
மையல் கொண்ட ஏமம் இல் இருக்கையர்
புதல்வர் பூங்கண் முத்தி, மனையோட்கு
எவ்வம் கரக்கும் பைதல் மாக்களொடு 15
பெருங்கலக்குற்றன்றால் தானே, காற்றோடு
எரி நிகழ்ந்தன்ன செலவின்
செரு மிகு வளவ நிற் சினைஇயோர் நாடே.
***
Item 418 Beautiful Comparisons
Elephant- Size of Mountains
Army- Vast like ocean
Spears- Shine like Lightning
***
Item 419 Dharma Danda
Hindu Kings carry Senkol (Righteous Stick/Rod)
It is respected and revered like a divine symbol.
Madurai Nayak Kings received it from Goddess Meenakshi and the ceremony is repeated every year even today in a symbolic ceremony.
Kerala King submit it in the temple of Padmanabha Swamy in Thiruvanathapuram, when they go out of the country with a request to the God to take care of it till he comes back.
There are many instances like this in Hindu History.
Recently Indian Parliament had such a ceremony.
***
Item 420 Good Simile
The king protects his people like a tiger protects its cubs.
Item 421
Tamils’ Hospitality and Tamil Food
In the following lines Tamil food and drink that is served to guests are explained
Your citizens are hospitable to their relatives
from arid lands, and give them vālai fish that rice reapers remove
from the lower sluices, tortoises overturned by the plow blades
of those who plow, sweet juice that harvesters take from sugarcanes,
and waterlilies plucked by women on the huge shores. Like the rivers
***
Item 422 Vedic Simile
Like the rivers
that descend from the mountains, run on the land, and flow toward the
ocean, all the poets come to you
The poet has translated a famous Sansskrit saying which Brahmins recite thrice a day in their Sandhayavandana. Moreover this simile is used in umpteen places in Sanskrit books. Hindus are very familiar with geography.
The phrase “Akashat patitam toyam, yatha gacchati sagaram, sarva deva namaskaram, Keshavam prati gacchati” means that just as rain water from the sky flows towards the sea, worship offered to any deity reaches Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम् । सर्वदेवनमस्कारं केशवं प्रतिगच्छति
***
Item 423
Thaanai for Army is cognate to Senaa in Sanskrit.
Akl the T sounds are change into S sound in Tamil and English.
TION in English is pronounced as SION in English.
In Tamil Visham= Vitam; Basha= Paadai etc.
So Tamil is not a Dravidian language
Tamil and Sanskrit have come from the same root.
So Tamil and Sanskrit are Hindu /Indian languages; neither Aryan nor Dravidian.
***
Puranānūru 42, Poet Idaikkādanār sang to Chozhan Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan,
1
You are endless in charity and a leader of murderous battles!
Lord, your elephants appear like mountains! Your army roars like
the ocean! Your spears gleam like lightning! You have the ability
to make the kings of the world tremble! What you do is never wrong
and this is not new to you!
2
With your righteousness and faultless scepter, you afford protection
3
as a tiger protects its cub, and your citizens listen only to the
sounds of cool water even in dreams, and not those of warriors in your
battlefields crying, “May you live long, Valavan! Remove our sorrows!”
4
You are the ruler of a fine and greatly prosperous country with rich
towns with fields. Your citizens are hospitable to their relatives
from arid lands, and give them vālai fish that rice reapers remove
from the lower sluices, tortoises overturned by the plow blades
of those who plow, sweet juice that harvesters take from sugarcanes,
and waterlilies plucked by women on the huge shores.
5
Like the rivers
that descend from the mountains, run on the land, and flow toward the
ocean, all the poets come to you. When you glance at the countries of
the two other kings, you are like Kootruvan with great might who is
enraged, as he whirls his axe, for which there just suffering and no cure!
***
புறநானூறு 42, பாடியவர்: இடைக்காடனார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: சோழன் குளமுற்றத்துத் துஞ்சிய கிள்ளிவளவன், திணை: வாகை, துறை: அரச வாகை
ஆனா ஈகை அடு போர் அண்ணல்! நின்
யானையும் மலையின் தோன்றும் பெரும! நின்
தானையும் கடலென முழங்கும், கூர் நுனை
வேலும் மின்னின் விளங்கும், உலகத்து
அரைசு தலை பனிக்கும் ஆற்றலை ஆதலின், 5
புரை தீர்ந்தன்று, அது புதுவதோ அன்றே,
தண் புனல் பூசல் அல்லது நொந்து,
களைக வாழி வளவ என்று நின்
முனைதரு பூசல் கனவினும் அறியாது,
புலி புறங்காக்கும் குருளை போல 10
மெலிவு இல் செங்கோல் நீ புறங்காப்பப்,
பெருவிறல் யாணர்த்து ஆகி அரிநர்
கீழ் மடைக் கொண்ட வாளையும், உழவர்
படை மிளிர்ந்திட்ட யாமையும், அறைநர்
கரும்பிற் கொண்ட தேனும், பெருந்துறை 15
நீர்தரு மகளிர் குற்ற குவளையும்,
வன்புலக் கேளிர்க்கு வருவிருந்து அயரும்
மென்புல வைப்பின் நன்னாட்டுப் பொருந!
மலையின் இழிந்து மாக் கடல் நோக்கி
நிலவரை இழிதரும் பல் யாறு போலப் 20
புலவரெல்லாம் நின் நோக்கினரே,
நீயே மருந்து இல் கணிச்சி வருந்த வட்டித்துக்
கூற்று வெகுண்டன்ன முன்பொடு,
மாற்று இரு வேந்தர் மண் நோக்கினையே.
***
Item 424 Narasimha in Puranauru
Puram verse 43 is composed by Poet Narasimha!
Thāmarpal Kannanār is Tamil Translation of Narasimha.
The reason for my interpretation is the subject he is dealing with- Vaalakilya Rishis
Thaamappal means sharp teeth ;Kannan is Vishnu
Narasimha Gayatri Mantra (Sanskrit):
ॐ वज्रनखाय विद्महे तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राय धीमहि तन्नो नृसिंहः प्रचोदयात्॥
Narasimha Gayatri Mantra (Transliteration):
Om Vajranakhaya Vidmahe Tiksnadamstraya Dhimahi Tanno Narasimhah
Meaning:
Om: The sound of the universe.
Vajranakhaya Vidmahe: “Let me contemplate on the Man-lion form of the Lord who has nails as strong as the Vajra (thunderbolt)”.
Tiksnadamstraya Dhimahi: “Let me meditate on the one who has sharp teeth (which pierce the veil of ignorance)”.
Tanno Narasimhah Pracodayat: “May that Lion god (Narasimha) be pleased to illuminate my intellect/mind and guide me”.
****
Item 425
Sibi Chakravarthy (Dove and Hawk) is story is repeated by this poet as well. Chozas came from Northwest of India. They are not Tamils.
Those who argue they ruled that part of India from Tamil Nadu have no historical or literary proof. Tamils didn’t even know Indus river.
***
Item 426 No one hurts Brahmins
Poet and the king were playing Chess. The king threw a coin on the poet. The poet became angry and said I doubt your birth (meaning you are a low born fellow). The king could have chopped poets head immediately. But he did not do it and felt ashamed about his behaviour. Immediately the poet praised him for not cutting off his head.
Here we know homw much respect Brahmins had in those days. It also shows the patience of the king
***
Item 427
The Poets praise
May your life be splendid for more days than the number of sands
heaped in the dunes by River Kāviri with sweet abundant waters!
Is in Tamil and Sanskrit books. Poets wish someone’s life should be like the number of stars in the sky or the number of sand particles on the shore or the number of rain drops
310). மணலினும் பலவே: அகநானூறு 93 – தண் ஆன்பொருநை மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 9- நன்னீர்ப் பஃறுளி மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 43 – எக்கர் இட்ட மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 55 – வடு ஆழ் எக்கர் மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 136 – நுண் பல மணலினும் ஏத்தி, புறநானூறு 363 – இடு திரை மணலினும் பலரே, புறநானூறு 387 – கல்லென் பொருநை மணலினும், மதுரைக்காஞ்சி 236 – திரை இடு மணலினும் பலரே, மலைபடுகடாம் 556 – வடு வாழ் எக்கர் மணலினும் பலரே.
***
Item 428 MOST IMPORTANT REFERENCE TO VALKHILYA RISHIS
to the amazement
of sages with glowing hair who live with air as food and roam
around absorbing the heat of the scorching rays of the sun,
to end the sorrow of those who live on the land!
I have already written the following on Sec.31 ,2011 on the Munis:
Valakhilyas: 60,000 thumb-sized ascetics who protect Humanity
Jonathan Swift has taken the idea of Lilliputians for his novel Gulliver’s Travels from Valakhilyas!!
Valakhilyas are thumb sized ascetics accompanying the sun in its everyday travel in the sky. They are protecting the humanity by taking all the extra heat and act like the ozone layer. They are 60,000 in number they are shining like brilliant lights because of their severe penance. They used to hang upside down in the trees while doing penance—these are some of the interesting facts that are found in the Vedas, the epics and the mythologies. Tamil literature adds more details about these strange kinds of ascetics.
Valakhilya hymns, eleven in number, are the appendix of the eighth Mandala of the Rig Veda. But famous commentators like Sayana rejected them as interpolations. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata have a lot of references to the Valakhilya Rishis. They may be considered the forerunners of English folklore: ‘Tom Thumb’ and the Lilliputians of the famous satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. English newspapers and magazines were publishing a lot of stories about India in the 1700s.
Ancient Sangam Tamil literature refers to Valakhilyas in Puranaanuru (verse 43), Tirumurugatrup patai (lines 16-109), post Sangam book Silappadikaram (Vettuvavari 15) and in the poems of middle age poet Arunagirinathar.
Valakhilyas were born to Kratu and Kriya. Once Kasyapa did a Yagna (fire sacrifice) to beget children. He invited all the Devas and Rishis to help him in the task. Everybody readily agreed. Mighty Indra, the King of Heaven, brought wood for the ceremony. Valakhilyas were emaciated due to severe penance. They were hardly able to lift anything but leaves. Even when they were moving leaves like ants, they fell into rainwater puddles, because they were so tiny. It amused Indra and he laughed loudly. Valakhilyas were very much offended. They made a vow to do a separate yagna to create another Indra. When Indra listened to their vows, he was afraid and ran to Kasyapa to explain what had happened.
Kasyapa lent a patient ear, but warned that he could not stop the powerful Valakhilyas. But he gave an assurance to Indra that he would find a compromise. When he met Valakhilyas he requested them to drop the yagna to create a new Indra. He also assured them that whoever they create will be the Indra of the birds and Valakhilyas agreed to this new plan.
After the yagna Valakhilya’s prasad (food offering) was given to Vinata, one of the two wives of Kasyapa. She gave birth to two children Aruna and the most powerful golden-hued eagle, Garuda. Long after this Garuda flew to Indraloka to get Amrita and defeated Indra. The Second wife of Kasyapa Kadru gave birth to the Nagas or the Snake race. Garuda on his way back sat on the tree where Valakhilyas were doing penance. The tree broke into many branches, but Garuda lifted all the ascetics with the branch and put them in a safe place.
The Rig Veda says that they sprang from the hairs of Prajapati Brahma. They are the guards of the Chariot of the Sun. They are also called the Kharwas. The Vishnu Purana describes them as pious, chaste and resplendent as the rays of the sun.
Tamil literature is very clear in saying that the main task of the short and smart ascetics is to prevent human beings from being scorched. So they absorb the excess heat from the sun by travelling in front of him. Tamil books also add they were in turn given energy by Lord Skanda and Goddess Durga. Even the hunters in the forest pray to Durga for this. Another Tamil poet compares the sacrifice of the Valakhilyas to the sacrifice of the Emperor Sibi who gave his flesh to an eagle to save a pigeon. The famous story of Sibi was referred to in four Sangam Tamil books. Sibi was praised as the forefather of the famous and powerful Tamil Chola dynasty. The food of Valakhilyas is only wind.
Another story in the Hindu mythology is that the sun has to fight a set of demons called Mandokarunar on a day-to-day basis for survival. Valakhilyas stand beside the Sun in battle. We don’t know whether there is scientific basis for this story. Mandokarunar maybe a reference to the dangers of solar flares or magnetic storms. In any case, it is crystal clear that the Valakhilyas act as the ozone layer to protect us from harmful ultraviolet rays. Too much ultraviolet rays will cause us skin cancer and other health problems.
We must be grateful to the authors of the Vedas, Puranas, Epics and Tamil commentators Nachinarkiniyar and Adiarrku Nallar for creating awareness about the dangers of ultra violet radiation. In western countries people are warned to use special creams whenever they sunbathe.
***
Puranānūru 43, Poet Thāmarpal Kannanār sang for Māvalathān, the younger brother of Chozhan Nalankilli,
1
O heir of a powerful man with endless generosity who saved
a dove with small strides that came to him for protection,
afraid that it might be killed by a kite with curved wings
and sharp claws, and entered a scale,
2
to the amazement
of sages with glowing hair who live with air as food and roam
around absorbing the heat of the scorching rays of the sun,
to end the sorrow of those who live on the land!
3
O younger brother of Killivalavan with chariots and great wealth!
O Lord of warriors with long arrows and curved bows! O leader
with strong hands and swift horses! I said this making you hate me,
4
“I have doubts about your ancestry. Your ancestors who wore
mountain ebony garlands did not hurt Brahmins. How can you?”
I had wronged you and was mistaken, but you did not take offense.
You were very embarrassed as if the fault was entirely yours.
5
O Lord
who tolerates mistakes of those who have hurt you! O Lord who has
admirable strength worthy of your clan! I survived because of you!
6
May your life be splendid for more days than the number of sands
heaped in the dunes by River Kāviri with sweet abundant waters!
***
புறநானூறு 43, பாடியவர்: தாமற்பல் கண்ணனார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: சோழன் நலங்கிள்ளி தம்பி மாவளத்தான், திணை: வாகை, துறை: அரச வாகை
1
நில மிசை வாழ்நர் அலமரல் தீரத்,
தெறு கதிர்க் கனலி வெம்மை தாங்கிக்,
கால் உணவாகச் சுடரொடு கொட்கும்,
அவிர் சடை முனிவரும் மருளக்,
2
கொடுஞ் சிறைக்
கூர் உகிர்ப் பருந்தின் ஏறு குறித்து ஒரீஇத், 5
தன்னகம் புக்க குறுநடைப் புறவின்
தபுதி அஞ்சிச் சீரை புக்க
வரையா ஈகை உரவோன் மருக!
3
நேரார்க் கடந்த முரண் மிகு திருவின்
தேர் வண் கிள்ளி தம்பி வார் கோல் 10
கொடுமர மறவர் பெரும! கடுமான்
கை வண் தோன்றல்! ஐயம் உடையேன்,
“ஆர் புனை தெரியல் நின் முன்னோர் எல்லாம்
பார்ப்பார் நோவன செய்யலர் மற்று இது
நீர்த்தோ நினக்கு?” என வெறுப்பக் கூறி, 15
4
நின் யான் பிழைத்தது நோவாய் என்னினும்,
நீ பிழைத்தாய் போல் நனி நாணினையே,
தம்மைப் பிழைத்தோர்ப் பொறுக்குஞ் செம்மல்
இக்குடிப் பிறந்தோர்க்கு எண்மை காணும் எனக்
காண்தகு மொய்ம்ப! காட்டினை ஆகலின் 20
5
யானே பிழைத்தனென் சிறக்க நின் ஆயுள்,
மிக்கு வரும் இன்னீர்க் காவிரி
எக்கர் இட்ட மணலினும் பலவே!
310). மணலினும் பலவே: அகநானூறு 93 – தண் ஆன்பொருநை மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 9- நன்னீர்ப் பஃறுளி மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 43 – எக்கர் இட்ட மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 55 – வடு ஆழ் எக்கர் மணலினும் பலவே, புறநானூறு 136 – நுண் பல மணலினும் ஏத்தி, புறநானூறு 363 – இடு திரை மணலினும் பலரே, புறநானூறு 387 – கல்லென் பொருநை மணலினும், மதுரைக்காஞ்சி 236 – திரை இடு மணலினும் பலரே, மலைபடுகடாம் 556 – வடு வாழ் எக்கர் மணலினும் பலரே.
பார்ப்பார் நோவன செய்யலர் – they did not hurt Brahmins, றக்க நின் ஆயுள் மிக்கு வரும் இன்னீர்க் காவிரி எக்கர் இட்ட மணலினும் பலவே – may your life flourish for more days than the sands brought and heaped by Kāviri with sweet waters .
-Subham—
Tags- Purananuru Wonders -17, Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia -Part 57, One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 57, Sakuna, Omens, Valakhilya muni, Hurting Brahmins, Item 428

















