Post No. 15,158
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Part 30; Item 180 (Egyptian ‘Ba’ in Akananuru)
180
Akananuru verse113 composed by Kalladanar (kallaadanaar) gives us an interesting simile which is found in Valluvar’s Kural 338 and Egyptian Book of the Dead
Ancient Egyptians called a bird with human head BA. It is the symbol of soul. Valluvar and Kalladanar also compared the soul or life breadth to a bird. When a man dies it flies away from the cage, that is human body.
அறுதுறை அயிர் மணற் படுகரைப் போகி,
சேயர்’ என்றலின், சிறுமை உற்ற என்
கையறு நெஞ்சத்து எவ்வம் நீங்க,
அழாஅம் உறைதலும் உரியம்-பராரை
அலங்கல் அம் சினைக் குடம்பை புல்லெனப்
புலம் பெயர் மருங்கில் புள் எழுந்தாங்கு,
மெய் இவண் ஒழியப் போகி, அவர்
செய்வினை மருங்கில் செலீஇயர், என் உயிரே— அகநானூறு 113
The disembodied human soul is depicted as a bird with a human head. It was other way round in pre- historic drawings. The soul flew away with a bird head and human body.
***
Tiru Valluvar in Kural 338 says,
குடம்பை தனித்துஒழியப் புள்பறந் தற்றே
உடம்பொடு உயிரிடை நட்பு— குறள் 338
The nexus between the soul and the body is as between the fledgling bird
And its erstwhile nest, from which it flies away -338
Earth is a temporary abode for the soul in its passage through eternity.
Dr.S M Diaz ( D I G of Police) in his excellent book on Tirukkural compared it with Longfellow’s poem Slave’s Dream:
For death had illumined the land of sleep
And his lifeless body lay
A worn out fetter, that the soul
Had broken and thrown away.
And in Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna gave us another comparison,
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि |
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा
न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही || B G 22||
vāsānsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛihṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śharīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānya
nyāni sanyāti navāni dehī (BG.2-22)
Translation
Bhagavad Gita 2.22: As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one.
****
181
In Akam verse 83, Kalladanar described the forest in the Venkatam Hills controlled by chieftain Pulli. The hunters living there captured an elephant calf and tied it in front of the toddy shop in the village. When this male calf grows as an adult they get good money through its tusks.
***
182
In Akam verse 199, we get some important historical details. Poet reports two scenes from the forest. In the gusty winds, the white flowers from the white Kadampa trees fall on the ground and the thirsty elephants run for them mistaking them for rain drops or hail storm.
Another picture drawn by the poet is wild dogs attacking the herds of deer. After that, the male deer calling their dear ones who ran away fearing the attack. This is the voice the hunters use to catch the deer. It is described by Adi Shankara and others.
Vaakai Paranthalaai Battle
The historical account is about a Chera King called Kalankai Naarmudich Cheral . he defeated Nannan, a chieftain, and recovered the lost land. Chera king’s forefathers had lost them to Nannan
Here we get some interesting details. The place where the battle took place is known as Perunthurai and Vaakaip Paranthali. Since Nannan hd Vaakai Tree as his symbol that was destroyed by the Chera King That Vaakai tree was covered with God!
We are told by another Sangam book Pathirup Paththu that the Chera king was called KalamkaaiNaarmudich cheral because at the tie of coronathion he did not have his propwer crown. So he was crowned with a fibre crown and with agarland of Kalam Kai
199 கரைபாய் வெண்திரை கடுப்பப், பலஉடன்,
……………………..
– நெஞ்சே!- வேய்போல்
தடையின மன்னும், தண்ணிய, திரண்ட,
பெருந்தோள் அரிவை ஒழியக், குடாஅது,
இரும்பொன் வாகைப் பெருந்துறைச் செருவில்,
பொலம்பூண் நன்னன் பொருதுகளத்து ஒழிய, 20
வலம்படு கொற்றம் தந்த வாய்வாள்,
களங்காய்க் கண்ணி நார்முடிச் சேரல்
இழந்த நாடு தந்தன்ன
வளம்பெரிது பெறினும், வாரலென் யானே. 24
***
183
In Akam verse 171, we see bears climbing the Iruppai trees and consumed its flowers because the hunters chased them away.
***
184
Lizard Omens, Predictions
Tamils believe in Lizard Astrology . They listen to the clicks of house lizards and find out whether it is good or bad. It is based on the direction of the lizard voice, tee number of clicks etc. Even today Tamil almanacs have this lizard omens. In another verse we even read that a boar went back into its cave because it heard negative signs. In Akam verse, the woman in the house listens to the lizard clicks and feels hay. She hopes that her lover would return soon from his foreign trip.
In describing some natural sceneries in the forests, the poets indicate hidden meanings. For instance, if a male and female animal enjoy life in the forest, it reminds the traveller about his wife or lady love in the house.
துனைபரி துரக்கும் துஞ்சாச் செலவின்
எம்மினும், விரைந்துவல் எய்திப் பல்மாண்
ஓங்கிய நல்லில் ஒருசிறை நிலைஇப்
பாங்கர்ப் பல்லி படுதொறும் பரவிக்
கன்றுபுகு மாலை நின்றோள் எய்திக் 20
—subham—
Tags- Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia -Part 30; One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 30 , Egyptian Ba, Lizard omen, Bird, cage, Soul, Kural, Longfellow
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