Chera King inside jail was denied water.

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,745

Date uploaded in London –16 May 2026

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Item 520 Similes

Puram verse 73 was composed by Choza king Chozhan Nalankilli; it has got two beautiful similes. Kings says if one comes and asks gently, I will give my kingdom and even my life. But if any idiot (enemy king) tried to take it by force, that fellow will suffer like a blind man going into the cave of tiger. He is sure to be mauled to pieces. Second simile is like that; an enemy will suffer like the thorn under the foot of an elephant. Both the similes show the force and conviction of the king

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Item 521 Tamils’ great Virtue

Tamil kings were ready to give their kingdom, even their life if someone asked for it. We see this in the case of chieftain and great philanthropist Pari. Brahmin poet Kapilar told the three great Kings of Chera, Choza, Pandya kingdoms who laid a siege around Pari’s Parambu hills, that Pari had already donated all the 300 towns in his country. In Mahabharata we see King Karna giving away the life protecting magical shield to a Brahmin.

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Item 522 Moral of Tamil King

All the Hindu kings from Himalayas to Kanyakumari were allowed to marry more than one woman. This was a must in ancient India to muster strength from as many countries as possible, during war time. They married princesses from neighbouring countries or powerful kingdoms. We see this in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Tamils also did this. But they never went to the prostitutes. Here the king says if he does not defeat the enemies let his garland be crushed by the hugging prostitutes.  This is the moral stature of Hindu kings.

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Puranānūru 73, Poet: King Chozhan Nalankilli,

If they walk gently and bow down before my fine feet, and plead
with me to grant them gifts, then I will give the rights to my
kingdom embodied by this renowned royal drum.  If they were
to ask me for my sweet life, I would give it to them.  But that fool
who does not praise those with strength in this land and disrespects
me, like a blind man stumbling on a tiger that is clearly seen by
others, will not be able to escape me!

If I do not advance and assault him and cause him distress like
that caused by a thick, long thorn stuck in a foot of a mighty,
bamboo-eating elephant, may my garland be crushed in
the embraces of many women with thick, dark hair who do not
care for me and have no love for me in their faultless hearts!

***

புறநானூறு 73, பாடியவர்: சோழன் நலங்கிள்ளி, திணை: காஞ்சி, துறை: வஞ்சினக் காஞ்சி
மெல்ல வந்து என் நல்லடி பொருந்தி,
ஈயென இரக்குவர் ஆயின், சீருடை
முரசு கெழு தாயத்து அரசோ தஞ்சம்,
இன் உயிர் ஆயினும் கொடுக்குவென், இந் நிலத்து
ஆற்றல் உடையோர் ஆற்றல் போற்றாது, என்  5
உள்ளம் எள்ளிய மடவோன், தெள்ளிதின்
துஞ்சு புலி இடறிய சிதடன் போல,
உய்ந்தனன் பெயர்தலோ அரிதே, மைந்துடைக்
கழை தின் யானைக் கால் அகப்பட்ட
வன் திணி நீண் முளை போலச் சென்று அவண்  10
வருந்தப் பொரேஎன் ஆயின், பொருந்திய
தீது இல் நெஞ்சத்துக் காதல் கொள்ளாப்
பல் இருங்கூந்தல் மகளிர்
ஒல்லா முயக்கிடைக் குழைக என் தாரே.

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Item 523 Ancient custom of premature births

We already saw poems by Pandya and Choza kings. Here is poem by Chera king Cheraman Kanaikkāl Irumporai- Puram verse 74. He mentioned the ancient custom of Hindu kings followed when a child was born prematurely. Hindu smritis (law books) say that anyone dies before the age of five, must be buried without any ritual; cremation is not required. But if it is the child of a king, then it is buried with the ritual prescribed for an adult king. Kings are supposed to have battle injuries on their bodies; front of the body and not the back. If any one does not have such injury, then the body is cut with a sword symbolically and buried. This was followed even for the foetus. Puram verse 93 also confirms it.

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Item 524 Honour is greater than life

Ancient kings never hesitated to commit suicide if they lose their respect due to a mistake or a misunderstanding. In the previous Purananuru wonders we saw two kings faced north and starved themselves to death. Here is another sad story in Puram verse 74. Chera king Kanaikkal Irumporai was defeated and imprisoned. He was suffering from thirst and so asked for water. The jailor delayed it just to disrespect. Then he starved himself to death; refused to take the water served late. Justice delayed is justice denied. This anecdote shows the moral calibre of Tamil kings

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Item 525 Dog simile

Imprisoned Chera king rightly compared himself to a dog. It is a common saying among Tamils to say suffering like a dog (நாய் பட்ட பாடு Naay patta paadu in Tamil )

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Puranānūru 74, Poet: King Cheraman Kanaikkāl Irumporai, Thinai: Pothuviyal, Thurai: Muthumozhikkānji

1
If an infant died or if a foetus was born as a mass of flesh,
even though they were not adults, my ancestors
treated them as such and cut them with swords. 

2

 It has
now come to this, and I’m sitting here suffering like a
dog in chains, not cut up like a hero, without any mental
strength, and having to plead for water to enemies without
generosity, to calm down the fire in my stomach.  Do parents
in royal families bear children in this world for this?  No!

***

புறநானூறு 74, பாடியவன்: சேரமான் கணைக்கால் இரும்பொறை, திணை: பொதுவியல், துறை: முதுமொழிக் காஞ்சி

1
குழவி இறப்பினும், ஊன் தடி பிறப்பினும்,
ஆள் அன்று என்று வாளின் தப்பார்,

2
தொடர்ப்படு ஞமலியின் இடர்ப்படுத்து இரீஇய,
கேள் அல் கேளிர் வேளாண் சிறு பதம்,
மதுகை இன்றி வயிற்றுத் தீத் தணியத்  5
தாம் இரந்து உண்ணும் அளவை,
ஈன்மரோ இவ் உலகத்தானே?

***

This is the only poem written by this king.  He wrote this after he was defeated by Chozhan Chenkanān at Kazhumalam.   Legend says that ‘Kalavali Nārpathu’ was written for him after he lost the battle and was imprisoned.  His friend Poykaiyār apparently wrote it as a way to free him from the Chozha king.  There is no mention of this in any of the Sangam poems. Poet Poykaiyār in Natrinai 18 describes the king Cheran Kanaikkāl Irumporai as having plucked the teeth of Moovan, a small-region king and had it embedded on his fortress gate.

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Item 526 Taxation Policy

Hindu Kings’ taxation policy is mentioned here. In Purm verse 75 King Nalamkilli himself says too much taxation is the policy of inexperienced kings if anyone gets the kingship by sheer luck, that king will collect too much tax.

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Item 527

Nalamkilli used a rare simile of Netti plant ; வெண்கிடை – sola pith plant, netti plant, கிடேச்சி, Aeschynomene aspera,

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Puranānūru 75, Poet: King Chozhan Nalankilli,

If a small-minded man who has received sovereignty
since Kootruvan took his ancestors and destiny passed
to him the benefits of ancient victories,
lacks manliness and implores his subjects to pay heavy
taxes, his kingship is a very burdensome one.

But kingship is light as a small piece of delicate netti
twig, that dried in the hot sun, that floats in a pond with
scant water,

for a superior man who faces battles with bravery and puts
in great effort with strength.
That is the wealth of kings who own drums and faultless
white umbrellas that rise up to the sky.

*** 

புறநானூறு 75, பாடியவன்: சோழன் நலங்கிள்ளி, திணை: பொதுவியல், துறை: முதுமொழிக் காஞ்சி

மூத்தோர் மூத்தோர்க் கூற்றம் உய்த்தெனப்
பால் தர வந்த பழ விறல் தாயம்
எய்தினம் ஆயின், எய்தினம் சிறப்பு என
குடி புரவு இரக்கும் கூரில் ஆண்மைச்
சிறியோன் பெறின், அது சிறந்தன்று மன்னே,  5
மண்டு அமர்ப் பரிக்கும் மதனுடை நோன் தாள்
விழுமியோன் பெறுகுவன் ஆயின், தாழ் நீர்
அறு கய மருங்கின் சிறு கோல் வெண்கிடை
என்றூழ் வாடு வறல் போல, நன்றும்
நொய்தால் அம்ம தானே, மையற்று  10
விசும்புற ஓங்கிய வெண்குடை
முரசு கெழு வேந்தர் அரசு கெழு திருவே.

To be continued……………….

Tags- Item 527, Purananuru wonders-26, Tamil Encyclopedia-66  , animal and plant similes , Sad Story of Chera King, Kanaikkal Irumporai