Tamil Ships

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,422

Date uploaded in Sydney, Australia –  14 February 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx  

Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia -Part 51; One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 51

Item 355

Ships as big as Elephants

In Puram verse 26 poet Mankudi Kizaar compared ships in the Tamil Navy to the elephants in the Tamil battle field. If one expands one’s imagination one can imagine how big the Tamil Naval ships were.

Item 356 Secret of Monsoon Wind

Tamils used the wind force to sail their ships. Since they knew the direction and the force of the monsoon winds, they were able to go from the Ganges to up to Indonesia and Philippines. Hindus knew this trick from the time of Ramayana. Surphanakha and Ravana were able to sail up to Godavari river. Mahavamsam clearly explains how the Buddhist preachers used monsoon winds to come to Patna (Pataliputra) and waited for a few months to use the returning monsoon winds to go back to Sri Lanka. One Tamil idiot Ippalan (Hippalus) taught this trick to Westerners and enabled Persian king Darius and Greek King Alexander to invade India.

***

Item 357 Battle Field = Oven Simile

Tamil poets used one simile at least in five Sangam poems

They compared the battle field to cooking in the oven. Here the poet says Pandya king Nedunchezian’s battled field looked like

Heads of Enemy kings = Oven

Enemy Hands= Ladles

Enemy Blood = Water in the Cooking Pot.

***

Item 358 Great Supporter of the For Vedas

Though the poet sang abut the victorious battle, he did not forget to mention that the king was a great supporter of Vedic Brahmins who were well versed in the Four Vedas- Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Veda.

The reference to Four Vedas is sung by the poets from Tolkappiar times. Tolkappiam got the approval from the Acharya of Tiruvithankotu  who was well versed in Four Vedas. Panamparanar gave us this information to us in the Foreword to Tolkappiam.

***

Item 359 Enemies were Lucky

Poet makes a sarcastic remark that the king’s enemies must have done some penance to be killed by him. Hindus believe that Kamsa, Sisupala, Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, Vali, Kabandhan were lucky to be killed by Vishnu. They go to heaven directly. And the fact is their names will survive as long as Vishnu’s name survive.

Nedunchelian defeated Two Kings and five chieftains. Their names also survive until this day.

***

Puranānūru 26, Poet Mānkudi Maruthanār sang to Thalaiyālankānathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan,

1
Lifting your spear with a shining blade, you went on
your elephant into the wide battlefield, splitting the
enemy army like a ship a ship driven by the wind in the

huge, ocean with great depths, attacked and killed your enemy kings, and with fame, seized their royal drums.

2

Using crowned heads as stoves, you boiled their blood,
stirring it with their braceleted hands you used as ladles.
O Chezhiyan of murderous battles!  You did perfect ritual

3
offerings in battlefields, surrounded by Brahmins of
the four Vedas, calm with the breadth of their knowledge.

4

O Ruler whose sword never fails!  Your enemies have
certainly performed penances, for once they have won the
fame of being your enemies, even though they are not
victorious, they will live forever.

***

புறநானூறு 26, பாடியவர்: மாங்குடி மருதனார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: பாண்டியன் தலையாலங்கானத்துச் செருவென்ற நெடுஞ்செழியன், திணை: வாகை, துறை: அரச வாகை

1
நளி கடல் இருங்குட்டத்து
வளி புடைத்த கலம் போலக்,
களிறு சென்று களன் அகற்றவும்,
களன் அகற்றிய வியல் ஆங்கண்
ஒளிறு இலைய எஃகு ஏந்தி,  5
அரைசு பட அமர் உழக்கி,
உரை செல முரசு வெளவி

2
முடித்தலை அடுப்பாகப்,
புனல் குருதி உலைக் கொளீஇத்,
தொடித் தோள் துடுப்பின் துழந்த வல்சியின்  10

அடு களம் வேட்ட அடு போர்ச் செழிய!

3

ஆன்ற கேள்வி அடங்கிய கொள்கை
நான்மறை முதல்வர் சுற்றமாக,
மன்னர் ஏவல் செய்ய மன்னிய
வேள்வி முற்றிய வாய்வாள் வேந்தே!  15

4
நோற்றோர் மன்ற நின் பகைவர் நின்னொடு
மாற்றார் என்னும் பெயர் பெற்று
ஆற்றார் ஆயினும் ஆண்டு வாழ்வோரே.

****

Item 360

In Puram verse 27, poet Poet Uraiyur Muthukannan Sāthanār translated Sanskrit word Satapatra Lotus as as 100 petalled flower (lotus)

சேற்று வளர் தாமரை பயந்த, ஒண் கேழ்
நூற்றிதழ் அலரின் நிறை கண்டன்ன,

Śatapatrayoni (शतपत्रयोनि) is a Sanskrit term that refers to an epithet of Brahman (the creator god in Hinduism). 

• Meaning: It signifies one who has the “hundred-petaled” (lotus) as their source or origin.

***

Item 361 Visa Free Entry to Heaven

Hindus believe that those who live like great men praised by great poets enter into heaven. No Visa is required; Valluvar beautifully said that why Hindus believe all the Avatars and all the Saivite saints are called Gods. Arunagirinathar has Sung Saivaite saint Sambandhar is Lord Muruga himself.

He who on earth has lived in the conjugal state as he should live, will be placed among the Gods who dwell in heaven- Tirukkural Couplet 50

வையத்துள் வாழ்வாங்கு வாழ்பவன் வான்உறையும்
தெய்வத்துள் வைக்கப் படும்.—50

உலகத்தில் வாழவேண்டிய அறநெறியில் நின்று வாழ்கிறவன், வானுலகத்தில் உள்ள தெய்வமாகவே மதிக்கப்படுவான்.

This is also a reference to Kannaki and Kovalan sung by Ilango.

Here the poet says

I have heard that those whose fame is sung by poets
gain chariots that fly in the sky without charioteers.

***

Item 362 Aeronautics in Tamil

The reference to Pilotless Plane shows the advancement of Hindus in Aeronautics. Valmiki Ramayana show that Rama’s plane (Originally belonged to Kubera and seized by Ravana later) was fast and expandable and thought powered. Only now we see such Drones and pilotless planes and driverless cars  in the Western world.

Kannaki and Kovalan went to heaven by pilotless plane.

***

Item 363 Lesson from Moon 

Oriental religions only believe in rebirth and Sangam literature never knew the Abrahamic religions. Sangam Tamil poems explain only Hindu way of life.

Rebirth is in Bhagavad Gita and Bhajagonindam and the poet explains it with the waxing and waning moon.

The moon god
that roams above shows clearly even to those
who don’t understand that waning is true, waxing
is true, dying is true and being born is true.

Great Philosopher Adi Sankara said it in Bhaja Govindam

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं

पुनरपि जननी जठरे शयनम् |

इह संसारे बहु दुस्तारे

कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ‖ 22 ‖

punarapi jananaṃ punarapi maraṇaṃ

punarapi jananī jaṭhare śayanam |

iha saṃsāre bahu dustāre

kṛpayā’pāre pāhi murāre ‖ 22 ‖

Birth again, death again, again resting in the mother’s womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of saṁsāra (cycle of repeated birth and death). O Murāri! by your causeless mercy please protect me (from this transmigratory process)

Before Sankara, Lord Krishna said it Bhagavad Gita

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |

तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि || 27||

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛityur dhruvaṁ janma mṛitasya cha

tasmād aparihārye ’rthe na tvaṁ śhochitum arhasi

Translation

BG 2.27: Death is certain for one who has been born, and rebirth is inevitable for one who has died. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable.

***

Item 364 Poet’s Advice to the king

Even if they have talents or not, please shower your
graces rapidly on those who come with sorrow,

This is one of the 32 Virtuous acts explained in Hindu scriptures.

 Annadhanam Pictures

AMAZING LIST OF 32 GOOD ACTIVITIES IN HINDU SCRIPTURES (Post No.7687)

March 13, 2020 9:37 am

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No.7687

Date uploaded in London – 13 March 2020

meritorious activities. Though the lists have a few changes in different texts most of them are same.

Here is the list of 32 good things with some examples:-

1.Setting up Maternity Homes

2.Providing Pre-Natal and Ante-Natal care for women

(Maternity care is provided in every culture around the world; but no one has listed it as one of the duties or as a meritorious work)

3.Piercing Ears of the Young born babies

4.Providing them Ear Studs

(Hindus have been practising acupuncture for thousands of years. I have already written how the grand old celibate of Mahabharata Bhisma lived on Arrow Bed for two months and decided the date of his departure from the earth. Hindus found out that piercing the ears in early years and wearing gold studs or at least a wooden stick will open the wisdom nerves. For women an extra piercing of nose is done when they reach teen age)

5.Giving Milk to Children

(Now we send milk powder to famine affected or economically backward countries. In the olden days provision of milk is listed as one of the 32 Dharmas (duty which earns merits).

6.Constructing Choultries

(From the period of Asoka till the Muslim and British occupation of India ,Hindu kings constructed Free Boarding and Lodging facilities for travellers, particularly pilgrims. My home town Madurai was famous for Mangamma Chattiram (choultry) very near Railway Station. About 100 years ago everyone stayed free of cost in the huge building with 100s of rooms. Very near that was a Marwari Choultry for people travelling to Rameswaram and Kanyakumari. I myself have taken 100s of pilgrims for Free lodging during the Opening Ceremony of Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari. Several Tamil towns still bear the suffix Chattiram/Choultry in Tamil Nadu until this day reminding us of the golden days of free lodging and free boarding service)

7.Constructing Mutts

Mutts are religious centres with one religious head where Tamil or Sanskrit hymns are taught. They provided free hostel stay for students. Like the Christian parish, each Mutt has its own catchment area.

8.Pillars for Cows

Hindus’ greatest contribution to the world is domestication of cows and horses (and Decimal System). They worshipped Cow as goddess. So they constructed pillars to cows where they can rub their bodies to relive itching. And in such places water tanks provided continuous water supply for cows, horses and birds.

9.Setting up brothels

The needs of amorous men should not affect common men. To save the family women and teenage girls, Hindus provided (or allowed) separate places for Devadasis. Sangam Tamil Literature provides the pictures of Paraththai Cheris (Para Stree became ‘Paraththai’ in Tamil and Prostitute in English; cheri is  locality)

10.Provision of Dhobis/ Laundry Service

11.Provision of Barbers

Both these services were available free of cost for mendicants and ascetics. Others supported them by giving money or all the provisions for their families.

12.Provision of Mirrors

(When Hindu women celebrate some auspicious events in their houses they always invite young and teenage girls and provide them mirrors, combs and Kunkumam. So provision of mirrors is considered one of the good things. Till this day women are doing it during Navaratri, Durga Puja and several other women only events)

13.Water Distribution from Thatched Sheds

(From Mahabharata Sallian to Apputhi Adikal of Periya Purana in Tamil, we see people setting up water distribution sheds to provide good, clean and sweet water to everyone. Even today during Hindu festivals , hundreds of such thatched sheds are constructed to distribute water, butter milk (diluted Yogurt) and Panakam (sweet liquid with jaggery, cardamom and other spices. In a tropical country like India pilgrims desperately need this. Hindus follow this custom even in London ; during Tamil Temple festivals, Hindus distribute water bottles, juice cartons and butter milk.)

14.Help to have oil bath

(India is a tropical country lashed out by two monsoons. Therefore, dust is unavoidable. Every Hindu man is supposed to have an oil bath on Saturdays and every woman on Fridays. They apply gingelly oil or coconut oil with or without herbs and take a bath. This relives the body of dirt and pain. So provision of such service to poor people is considered a great act of merit. In Madurai there was a freedom fighter(A V Vaidhyanatha Iyer) who used to provide such service to children of slum dwellers. Now a days the concept and habit of oil bath is disappearing with the advent of shampoo culture.)

15.Fodder to animals and Food for Birds

(Every Hindu is supposed to do Pancha Yagna / Five Sacrifices every day and one of them is Bhuta Yagna. That is to feed the pet animals, cow and birds in the vicinity and ants in the ground. Every housewife draws beautiful Kolams in the front of the house every morning. The Kolam/ Rangoli flour they use feed the ants. Then they cook rice and provide it to the crows. Others sprinkle grains for the birds. Feeding cows is a ritual for orthodox Hindus)

16.Cremating Dead Bodies

(If anyone who has no relatives dies, one or two take the responsibility of cremating the body with all due honours. Though it is a hard job, every town had some gooid people who did such work without expecting any money.)

17.Constructing Tanks, Lakes

(India is an agricultural country. Water is needed for irrigation. So kings constructed tanks and lakes in temples and outside the town. It helped irrigating the temple Parks called Nandavanams. It maintained the water table in every well at the back of the house. Now wells are replaced by taps. But yet tanks and lakes are needed for saving water. The town council maintain them. Sometimes they themselves construct them).

18.Saving Life

(Every day we read in news papers some stories where some people save the life of others. They become great heroes. If they survive then they get medals. Saving life is appreciated in every culture. In Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states every region has some Hero Stones for the heroes who saved the town from some dangers. Hindu epics and Puranas have lot of stories about saving even animals. Story of Sibi is in 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature and earlier Puranas.)

19.Giving Eatables/Anna Dhanam

Providing sweets and other unavailable eatables to poor children is a good deed. During Deepavali (Diwali) sweets are distributed. Annadhanam , that is provision of food, is done in every temple.

20.Provision of Betel, Areca Nuts and Lime

Chewing betel leaves and Supari smeared with calcium hydroxide is a typical South Asian custom. This is considered one of the good things.

21.Helping the needy

It may be in the form of providing them food, attire, shoes/sheppals, specs, money. May even include psychological consultation. Consoling the bereaved.

22.Setting up Parks

Ancient Hindu literature, particularly, Buddhist Jataka Tales, give graphic accounts of big parks. Every South Indian Temple has attached Parks/ Nandavanam. People enjoyed going there. They served as rendez vous for lovers according to Sanskrit dramas. Hindus are environmentally conscious and allocated one particular tree for every temple.

23.Constructing Temples

India has over two lakh temples. Tamil Nadu alone has 45, 000 temples. They are huge architectural wonders. They serve the spiritual, religious, psychological, wander lust needs of Hindus.

24.Provision of Medicines

Jains of India set up hospitals even for birds and animals. All service is given free.  We read from inscriptions that hospitals were also constructed by Hindu Kings.

25.Food for Students

Students who studied the Vedas and its allied six subjects went round the towns and begged for food. They collect freshly cooked food and share it with their Gurus. Buddha followed this custom and banned cooking inside Viharas, monasteries etc. In Madurai, the Vedic students from Dhanappa Mudali Street and Rameswaram patasalai near River Vaigai used to come to my house for (begging) food. They must go to Brahmins houses and beg with the words Bhavati Biksham Dehi. Manu Smrti says that students of three castes must do it. Only the three words were used in different order.

26.Constructing Roads or Tom Tomming

There is a word in Tamil (araithal) which may mean constructing roads or  providing communication facilities like Tom Tom. In the olden days Orders of the Kings were communicated to people by drum beats. When I was a student, Madurai city faced Cholera disease. Then the tom tom man came and announced it by beating little drum. When ban orders under section 144 were proclaimed they did tom toming. So the word Araithal may be announcing, proclaiming or constructing roads with sand and stones.

27. Helping Prisoners with Food

Even community service to prisoners is listed as one. Tamil epic Manimekalai described the good service done to prisoners. Though they were named as criminals, Hindus never attached any taboo. Manu Smriti says the minute one undergoes punishment, the sin attached to the crime is done away.

28.  Helping Beggars

Lame, Dumb, Blind and disabled or invalids beg for food. Hindus are asked to help them.

29.Helping to get Married

Nowadays we see Costly matrimonial service. In the olden days, some good hearted men and women helped youngsters to get married. They did not stop with exchanging horoscopes. They went all the way to cook food for hundreds of people who attend the wedding ceremonies. They collected money for  the minimum gold jewels and the Mangala Sutra (Thali).

30.Feeding the Ascetics

Adi Shankara streamlined Hindu worship into six divisions; Providing them food for those is considered a great religious duty. Even Buddhis followed this. They went to monasteries and provided food to the monks.

31 and 32. In the above listing piercing ear and providing ear stud is given as one itme. But it is given as two different duties or meritorious acts in the Tamil verse. And in the same way provision of betel leaves and Lime are given as two different duties.

32 அறம்

1).வண்ணான் புன்னாவிதன் காதோலை சோலை மடந்தடம் வெண்

சுண்ணாம் பறவைப் பிணஞ்சுடற் றூரியஞ் சோறளித்தல்

கண்ணாடி யாவிற்குரிஞ்சுதல் வாயுறை கண்மருந்து

தண்ணீர் பந்தற் றலைக்கெண்ணை பெண்போகந் தரலையமே

2).மேதகுமாதுலர்க்குசாலை யேறுவிடுத்தல் கலை

யோதுவார்க் குண்டி விலங்கிற் குணவோடுயர்பிணிநோய்க்

கிதன் மருந்து சிறைச் சோறளித்தலியல் பிறரின்

மதுயற்காத்தநற்கந்நியர் தானம் வழங்கலுமே

3).கற்றவறுசமயத்தார்க் குணவு கருதும் விலை

உற்றதளித்துயிர் மீட்டல் சிறார்க்குதவனற்பான்

மற்று மகப்பெறுவித்தல் சிறாரை வளர்த்த்லெனப்

பெற்றவிவற்றினையெண்ணான்கறமெனப் பேசுவாரே

–உபமானசங்கிரஹம், இரத்தினச் சுருக்கம்

32 அறச் செயல்களின் பட்டியல்:-

1.ஆதுலர்க்குச் சாலை (ஏழைகள்=ஆதுலர்)

2.ஓதுவார்க்கு உணவு (மாணவர்களுக்கு)

3.அறுசமயத்தோர்க்கு உண்டி (உணவு)

4.பசுவிற்கு வாயுரை (உணவு)

5.சிறைக் கைதிகளுக்கு உணவு

6.ஐயமிட்டு உண் (பிச்சை போடுதல்)

7.திண்பண்டம் நல்கல் (விழாக் காலங்களில் பொங்கல், வடை)

8.அறவைச் சோறு (அன்னதானம்)

9.மகப்பெறுவித்தல் (பிள்ளை பெறுதல்)

10.மகவு வளர்த்தல் (பிள்ளைகளை வளர்த்தல்)

11.மகப்பால் வார்த்தல் (அவர்களுக்கு பால் வழங்கல்)

12.அறவைப் பிணஞ்சுடல் (அனாதைகள் இறுதிச் சடங்கு)

13.அறவைத் தூரியம் ( தூரியம்=மேள வாத்தியம்

அளித்தல்)

14.சுண்ணம் அளித்தல்

15.நோய்க்கு மருந்து வழங்கல்

16.வண்ணார்

17.நாவிதர்

18.காதோலை

19.கண்ணாடி

20.கண்மருத்து

21.தலைக்கு எண்ணெய்

22.பெண்போகம்

23.பிறர்துயர் காத்தல்

24.தண்ணீர் பந்தல்

மடம் அமைத்தல்

26.குளம் வெட்டல்

27.பூங்கா வைத்தல்

28.ஆவுறுஞ்சுதறி (பசு முதலிய பிராணிகளுக்கு நீர்)

29.விலங்கிற்குணவு

30.ஏறுவிடுத்தல் (இனப்பெருக்கத்த்துக்கு காளைகள்)

31.விலைகொடுத்துயிர்காத்தல்

32.கன்னிகாதானம்

***

Puranānūru 27, Poet Uraiyur Muthukannan Sāthanār sang to Chozhan Nalankilli,

1

When one counts those born in fine, noble families,
only a few have gained fame and songs by poets,
like a row of flowers with many petals, shining
brightly, yielded by lotus plants that grow in mud.
Many have vanished like the leaves of lotus plants.

2

I have heard that those whose fame is sung by poets
gain chariots that fly in the sky without charioteers.

3

My Lord!  O Chētchenni Nalankilli!   The moon god
that roams above shows clearly even to those
who don’t understand that waning is true, waxing
is true, dying is true and being born is true.

4

Even if they have talents or not, please shower your
graces rapidly on those who come with sorrow,
looking at their thin waists.  May those who oppose
your unspoiled strength, remain without generosity!

Ms Vaidehi Herbert’s Translation is used; thanks.

புறநானூறு 27, பாடியவர்: உறையூர் முதுகண்ணன் சாத்தனார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: சோழன் நலங்கிள்ளி, 

1

சேற்று வளர் தாமரை பயந்த, ஒண் கேழ்
நூற்றிதழ் அலரின் நிறை கண்டன்ன,

வேற்றுமை இல்லா விழுத்திணைப் பிறந்து,
வீற்றிருந்தோரை எண்ணுங்காலை
உரையும் பாட்டும் உடையோர் சிலரே,  5
மரை இலை போல மாய்ந்திசினோர் பலரே,

2
புலவர் பாடும் புகழுடையோர் விசும்பின்
வலவன் ஏவா வான ஊர்தி
எய்துப என்ப தம் செய் வினை முடித்து எனக்
கேட்பல், எந்தை சேட்சென்னி நலங்கிள்ளி!  10

3
தேய்தல் உண்மையும், பெருகல் உண்மையும்,
மாய்தல் உண்மையும், பிறத்தல் உண்மையும்,
அறியாதோரையும் அறியக் காட்டித்,
திங்கட் புத்தேள் திரிதரும் உலகத்து
வல்லார் ஆயினும் வல்லுநர் ஆயினும்,  15

4
வருந்தி வந்தோர் மருங்கு நோக்கி
அருள வல்லை ஆகுமதி, அருளிலர்
கொடாஅமை வல்லர் ஆகுக
கெடாஅத் துப்பின் நின் பகை எதிர்ந்தோரே.

 —Subham—

Tags-Purananuru Wonders 11; Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia  Part- 51, Tamil Ships, Naval attacks