Post No. 13,880
Date uploaded in London – 12 November 2024
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First part was posted yesterday with Kalidasa’s dream references.
Dance dramas were enacted during Vedic Days. About twenty dialogue poems in the Rig Veda, the oldest book in the world, are a summary of those dance dramas. And 2000 years ago, Bharata Muni created the science of dance drama, and he put his treatise in 6000 Sanskrit slokas.
Kalidasa and his predecessors have dealt with dreams in their dramas. Tamil references are available from the oldest Tamil book Tolkappiam. He refers to dreams at least in three places in the third chapter or section called Porul Adhikaram. This section is considered a later addition. But one interesting comparison with Kalidasa is available.
Tolkappiyar says that a love sick lady talks in sleep dreaming about her lover.it is in Sutra 1061. காதல் கைம்மிகக் கனவில் அரற்றலும் – தொல்.1061
Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsa Kavya says a lovesick husband who has many concubines also do the same.
स्वप्नकीर्तितविपक्षमङ्गनाः
प्रत्यभैत्सुरवदन्त्य एव तम्।
प्रच्छदान्तगलिताश्रुबिन्दुभिः
क्रोधभिन्नवलयैर्विवर्तनैः॥ १९-२२
svapnakīrtitavipakṣamaṅganāḥ
pratyabhaitsuravadantya eva tam |
pracchadāntagalitāśrubindubhiḥ
krodhabhinnavalayairvivartanaiḥ || 19-22
His mistresses even without uttering a word severely rebuked him who called out the names of their rivals in dream, by rolling away from him in the bed on which they shed tears on the coverlet, and smashed their bracelets in anger. [19-22]
He named and called them in his dreams. His wives rebuked him.
கண்துயில் மறுத்தல் கனவொடு மயங்கல் — தொல்.1216
Tolkappiam sutra 1216 may also be compared with Megaduta of Kalidasa. The lovesick lady is sleepless and bemoans she couldn’t even see her lover in the dream because of no sleep.
Sangam Tamil books which are nearly 2000 years old have got about 40 references to dreams; following are the books and the verses where we come across dreams:
Kuruntokai – 148, 30
Natrinai – 87, 175
Ainkurunuru – 234
Akananuru – 141; 303; 353; 379; 132; 170
Pathitruppathu – 19; 20; 44; 79; 89; 98; 11
Purananuru – 377; 387; 390
Paripatal- 8-77; 8-103
Kalittokai- 90-22; 144-5; 147-57;
Porunar atruppadai- line 98
I will give you only the interesting points:
In Ainkurunuru verse 234 we see a woman sleeps very little; if at all she sleeps she sees her husband in the dream; when she wakes up after a short while she suffers more because her lover is not nearby. She becomes thinner and thinner in course of time.
கனவிற் காணும் இவளே
நனவிற் காணாள் நின் மார்பே
****
Purananuru poet sings about the generousness of the Choza king who performed Rajasuya Yagna in verse 377. One of the compliments is that the king gave gold and gems which one sees only in dreams.
புறநானூறு Purananuru 377
சோழன் இராசசூயம் வேட்ட பெரு நற்கிள்ளி நள்ளிரவில் கொடை வழங்கிப் பாதுகாத்தான்.
கனவில் கண்டாங்கு, வருந்தாது நிற்ப,
நனவின் நல்கியோன், நசைசால் தோன்றல்;
****
Verse 387 in praise of Chera king is also in the same tone. Whatever one dreams such as elephant, horse, cows, huge quantity of grains – all was given to the poor by the king.
புறநானூறு Purananuru 387
செல்வக்கடுங்கோ வாழியாதன்
திறை கொடுக்கும் மன்னர்கள் தம் மன்னனை வாழ்த்த வேண்டும் என்று புலவர் வாழ்த்துகிறார்.
ஆங்கு அவை, கனவு என மருள, வல்லே, நனவின்
நல்கியோனே, நசைசால் தோன்றல்,
****
Famous Tamil poetess Avvaiyar sings about the tight security in the palace of Athiyaman Neduman Anji, a famous chieftain. Only his supporters can enter the palace compound. His enemies can never reach it even in their dreams (Puram 390).
புறநானூறு Purananuru 390
அதியமான் நெடுமான் அஞ்சி
பொருநன் ஒருவன் அதியமானைப் பாடித் தன் வறுமையைத் தீர்த்துக்கொண்டதைக் கூறுவதாக ஔவையாரின் இந்தப் பாடல் அமைந்துள்ளது.
ஆர்வலர் குறுகின் அல்லது, காவலர் 5
கனவினும் குறுகாக் கடியுடை வியல் நகர்,
****
We see the same approach in other poems as well.
But there are some verses where we see rare things about dreams.
If one sees a ghost in the dream that person hides it from others and never talk about it -Akam 303
பேய் கண்ட கனவில்
****
Wealth never stays with a person for ever. It comes and goes like one sees it in dreams- Akam 379
நனவில் இயன்றதாயினும் கங்குல்
கனவின் அற்று அதன் கழிவே – அகம் 379
****
Another poet bemoans that whatever good we see in dreams never comes true
கனவு அழிந்தனையவாகி நனவின்
நாளது செலவும் மூப்பின் வரவும் – அகம்353
****
There are more references in Post Sangam books like Tirukkural and Silappadikaram. Let us look at them.
To be continued…………………………..
Tags- Sangam Tamil, Literature, Dreams, Tolkappiam, comparison, with Kalidasa, Raghuvamsa, Meghadutam
Tamil and Vedas 