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(Narrinai is one of the anthologies in Sangam Tamil Literature)

From HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF THE TAMILS

K K PILLAY, MJP PUBLISHERS, CHENNAI, 1979

“Karpiyal or the wedded life of the married couple invariably followed Kalaviyal. Theoretically the observance of a moral code in conjugal relationship was enjoined on men no less than on women. But there seems to have existed a gulf between theory and practice. Man appears to have often deviated from the lawful path. According to the prescribed tradition of the Tamils ideal love is of the AINTINAI type. Both Kaikkilai and Perundinai were not suited for the higher sections of society. One form of Perundinai was man’s relationship with Parattaiyar or public women. Therefore, connections with Parattaiyar or concubines was looked down upon as unnatural and unbecoming of elegant men. Tolkappiyanar and Tiruvalluvar condemn this illicit relationship in unmistakable terms. Nevertheless, Narrinai no less than the other classics of love, reveals, in actual practice harlotry has become a well-established institution; several men fell victims to the paramours of the public women .

It is notable that during the period of pregnancy and confinement of the wife the man was inclined to seek sexual indulgence at the hands of Parattaiyar 53. It was but natural that the lawfully wedded wife became furious when she came to know about it. Public opinion, too, condemned  such immoral relationship. The Panan ( paanan)  and Virali served as the mediators between the man and the Parattaiyar. Later, too, when the wedded wife protested and evince her wrath the Panan tried to intervene and restore cordiality between the husband and wife 54.

Often there sprang up acute rivalry and ill feeling between the Parattai and who had enticed the man and his lawful wife. There is an interesting instance of a Parattai inciting the hatred of the wife against her husband by causing his attachment to herself to be made known to the wife. 55

She sent the word that it was he , who, out of infatuation had seized her sweet smelling tuft of hair. Evidently the Parattai wanted to sow discord between the man and his legitimate partner so that he permanently come under her own influence.  A more or less similar idea is found in stanza 225 in which it is stated that the Parattai openly accused the man  for having voluntarily sought her association.

In one case on behalf of the mistress her companion burst out furiously against the week minded man who had fallen a victim to the amours of a Parattai, and she scornfully asked him to gratify his physical lust as he liked and never to return to the house of his mistress. Even more attesting is the righteous indignation of a devoted wife who refused to touch her husband on account of  his association with Parattai. She reproached him by saying that touching of a person who had illicit connection with a Parattai is like touching the discarded pots.56

Parattayar seems to have vied with each other  in winning the affliction of affluent men. Unseemly quarrels and bitter rivalry arose between two Parattayar who competed in capturing the heart of  one and the same person. Certain stanzas 57 of Narrinai refer to the piquant situations which arose when a Parattai who had won the heart of a man found to her utter discomfiture that a rival had entered the field.

It is notable that among the Parattayar there are two categories known as Cherri Parattai and Kadal Parattai- (kaadal). The Cherri Parattai appears to have been a public harlot, while the Kaadal Parattai preferred to have relationship with a single individual of her choice. More often than not, she led virtuous life characterised by fidelity to the chosen person. Little wonder than, of the two classes the Kaadal Parattai occupied a higher social position than the Cherri Parattai.

On the whole it is clear that Parattayar constituted stain on society. married women sedulously tried to protect their husbands from the seductions of Parattayar.58

While recognising the existence of this foul institution it would be improper to over emphasise the position it occupied. It is of supreme importance to realise that the Parattayar have received a great attention at the hands of the poets because of the piquant situations which arose when dealing with men. From the number of stanzas devoted to the handling of themes connected with Parattayar it would be totally improper and unfair to exaggerate the role played by them in social life of the day. Indeed, it would not be too much to say ti was because of social disapprobation that poets found a special interest in handling of themes connected with this blot on society.

An outspoken characterisation, breathing a bitter condemnation of this social stain is of a piece with the forthrightness of the poets. It is because society has built up some standards of conduct that deviations from them  received an excessive  and almost a disproportionate attention at the hands of the poets of the age. False conversions of depicting the rosier side of life and ignoring the darker one was totally alien to the tendencies of those times.

Narrinai References

53- Narrinai stanza 380

54- stanza 30

55- stanza 100

56- stanzas 350, 260, 340, 360

57- stanzas 300, 320

58- stanza 20.

***

P T SRINIVASA IYENGAR ON TAMIL PROSTITUES

Tamil historians and Tamil scholars are scared to touch this subject . P T Srinivasa Iyengar in his book HISTORY OF THE TAMILS devote only nine lines in a book of 635 pages! So scared to touch this topic. He says,” Married life though commenced under such auspices, often did not run on even course. Post nuptial love was often put to a temporary or permanent end by the wiles of harlots who seduced husband from the path of faithfulness to the wedded wife. The instruction of harlotry- parattamai- was peculiar to the agricultural tracts, for during the periods of enforced idleness when the grain is ripening in the fields and when the fields lying fallow after harvest Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do.”

***

Dr S Ramakrishnan on Tamil Prostitutes

Out of 966 Karpial (Family life) poems, 279 poems are about Parattai (prostitutes, harlots or public women). If we take it literally it appears that Tamil society consists of 50 percent prostitutes and 50 percent family women. But it is obvious that did not exist in any society. So, it will be a blunder to consider these imaginary scenes as actual portrayal of the society.

(English translation is mine)

***

My comments

Prostitution existed in all societies, cultures. One should not exaggerate it out of proportion. Foreigners took one reference in the Vedic literature about any bad thing and wrote absurd things in volumes. We must always remember this.

Word prostitute came from Sanskrit word Para Stri /other woman; and the Tamil word Parratai is also derived from this Para Stri. But there are many words in Tamil and English to describe public women.

***

Tiruvallluvar on Public Women

CHAPTER 92

PROSTITUTES

911. Behold the women that desire a man for the sake of his gold and not for the sake of love : their cajoleries will lead only to misery.

912. Behold the women who speak honeyed words, but whose thoughts are ever fixed on their own profit : consider their ways and keep them at a distance.

913. The prostitute pretendeth love when she embraceth her lover : but in her heart she feeleth even as one who hath touched a stranger dead body in a dark room.

914. Behold the men whose hearts are inclined to deeds of purity: they defile themselves not with the touch of harlots.

915. Behold the men who add deep study to a clear understanding: they defile themselves not with the touch of women whose charms are free to all.

916. Behold the men that have a regard for their own good : they touch not the hand of wantons who put up their lewd charms for sale.

917. Behold the men who are light-minded: they will seek the women who embrace with the body while their heart is somewhere else.

918. Behold the men who have not a discriminating understanding : the embraces of wily women are to them even as the fascination of the siren of the solitudes.^[1]

919. The soft arms of the well-decked harlot are the filthy ditch wherein contemptible fools drown themselves.

920. Women of two hearts, drink, and the dice-table, these are the delights of men when fortune forsaketh them.

–subham—

Tags-  Tamils, Sangam Age, Prostitution, Parattai, Harotry, concubines,Narrinai, KK Pillai, PTS, Prostitution , Ancient Tamil Nadu, Public women,  Tiruvalluvar, Tirukkural , SRK