Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 15,684
Date uploaded in London –1 May 2026
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Item 489 Ratha Gaja Thuruga Pathaathi
In Puram verse 63 composed by Paranar, we see the four- fold army division which is repeated from Mahabharata days; Tamils divided the army into four divisions like ancient Hindus in the north. It is used in Chess game invented by the Hindus thousands of years ago.
Many elephants died attacked by arrows, unable to perform
their war duties! Many fine horses of renown have died
along with warriors of martial courage. All the wise warriors
who came in chariots have died, shields covering their eyes.
Before Sangam poets, Kalidasa also used it- Raghuvamsam 7-37
पत्तिः पदातिम् रथिनम् रथेशस्तुरंगसादी तुरगाधिरूढम्।
यन्ता गजस्याभ्यपतद्गजस्थम् तुल्यप्रतिद्वन्द्वि बभूव युद्धम्॥ 7-37 Raghu.
pattiḥ padātim rathinam ratheśas
turaṁgasādī turagādhirūḍham |
yantā gajasyābhyapatadgajastham
tulyapratidvandvi babhūva yuddham || 7-37
The foot soldiers charging foot soldiers, chariot-warriors attacking chariot-warriors, cavalrymen aggressing on cavalrymen, elephantary assailing elephantary, there started a battle between equally matching opponents. [7-37]
This is Dharma Yuddha. Fighting according to rules without affecting common man.
In Purananuru we come across it in 72,55,197, 239, 345,351,368, 377 etc
Rathagajathuragapathathi is a Sanskrit term representing the traditional four-fold division of an army, comprising chariots (ratha), elephants (gaja), horses (thuraga), and infantry (pathathi). Frequently appearing in Indian epics, this compound describes a complete and majestic army.
***
Item 490 Anti War Propaganda
Look what happened. War has spoiled the life of women. War has destroyed the life of men points out the poet.
***
Item 491 Life of Widows
Husbands died in war and so widows are eating Flattened rice. They wear bracelet made with Aamabal, a water plant. This was the condition of Tamil Hindu widows.
***
Puranānūru 63, Poet Paranar sang for Cheraman Kudakkō Neduncheralathan and Chozhan Verpahratakkai Peruviral Killi,
1
Many elephants died attacked by arrows, unable to perform
their war duties! Many fine horses of renown have died
along with warriors of martial courage. All the wise warriors
who came in chariots have died, shields covering their eyes.
2
The respected drums of kings, tied tightly with straps,
hair on the eyes, lay ruined with no one to carry them.
Chests of kings smeared with sandal paste have been pierced
by long spears as they fought and died in the battlefield.
What will happen to their vast countries with beautiful
settlements and rich towns which used to have endless
prosperity,
3
where women pluck white waterlilies and wear
them as bracelets, and eat fresh flattened rice and plunge into cool streams?
***
புறநானூறு 63, பாடியவர்: பரணர், பாடப்பட்டோர்: சோழன் வேற்பஃறடக்கைப் பெருவிறற் கிள்ளி, சேரமான் குடக்கோ நெடுஞ்சேரலாதன்,
1
எனைப் பல் யானையும் அம்பொடு துளங்கி,
விளைக்கும் வினையின்றிப் படை ஒழிந்தனவே,
விறல் புகழ் மாண்ட புரவி எல்லாம்
மறத் தகை மைந்தரொடு ஆண்டுப் பட்டனவே,
தேர் தர வந்த சான்றோர் எல்லாம் 5
2
தோல் கண் மறைப்ப ஒருங்கு மாய்ந்தனரே,
விசித்து வினை மாண்ட மயிர்க் கண் முரசம்
பொறுக்குநர் இன்மையின் இருந்து விளிந்தனவே,
சாந்தமை மார்பின் நெடுவேல் பாய்ந்தென
வேந்தரும் பொருது களத்து ஒழிந்தனர், இனியே 10
3
என்னாவது கொல் தானே, கழனி
ஆம்பல் வள்ளித் தொடிக் கை மகளிர்
பாசவல் முக்கித் தண் புனல் பாயும்,
யாணர் அறாஅ வைப்பின்
காமர் கிடக்கை அவர் அகன்றலை நாடே? 15
***
Item 492 Interesting name of Poet Nedumpalliyathanār
What is Palliam? Year 1935 Ananda Vikatan dictionary says Music, Musical instruments. Great Tamil scholar U Ve Sa Iyer says that we come across Kurum Palliam in another Sangam work Tiru Murugatruppadai. So there might have been Nedum Palliyam. Poet’s name is Nedumpaaliathanar.
My comment
Through out Sangam literature we come across names of Kings and poets describing their body features, particularly, handicapped condition. For example, Mudath Thirumaran, Perum Kannan etc. So, it may be due to his long and protruded teeth he was called Nedumpalliyathanār
Another meaning is Lord Narasimha with Nedum Pal=long Teeth
The phrase “Chatur-Damshtrah” (चतुर्दंष्ट्रः) appears in the 82nd Sloka of the Vishnu Sahasranama, specifically in the 15th line of the main hymn, highlighting one of the attributes of Lord Vishnu.
Meaning: “Chatur” means four, and “Damstra” means fangs or teeth. It refers to Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha Avatar (the man-lion incarnation), specifically referencing the four prominent fangs that accentuate his fierce form. He had a face of a lion.
***
Item 493 Musical Instruments
It is interesting to note that the three musical instruments carried by the nomadic bards and dancers are not used anymore. If we say these words to anyone, they wouldn’t even know that they are musical instruments.
…..good yāzh, ākuli and pathalai drums and visit him
Yaaz (yaal) is replaced by Veena.
***
Item 494 Poverty in Ancient Tamil Nadu
The nomadic bards were suffering without proper food. Their food was watery gruel.
***
Puranānūru 64, Poet Nedumpalliyathanār sang for Pandiyan Palyākasalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi
1
O virali wearing sparse bangles! Shall we pack our
good yāzh, ākuli and pathalai drums and visit him
2
who spends time on the lands of his enemies,
after his herds of elephants have waged battles and
vultures in the sky hover over fresh flesh? If we go
to see our king Kudumi who invades enemy lands,
we can eliminate our life of poverty eating watery gruel.
***
புறநானூறு 64, பாடியவர்: நெடும்பல்லியத்தனார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: பாண்டியன் பல்யாகசாலை முதுகுடுமிப் பெருவழுதி, திணை: பாடாண், துறை: விறலியாற்றுப்படை
நல் யாழ், ஆகுளி, பதலையொடு சுருக்கிச்,
செல்லாமோ தில் சில் வளை விறலி,
களிற்றுக் கணம் பொருத கண் அகன் பறந்தலை
விசும்பு ஆடு எருவை பசுந்தடி தடுப்பப்,
பகைப் புலம் மரீஇய தகைப் பெருஞ்சிறப்பின் 5
குடுமிக் கோமான் கண்டு,
நெடுநீர்ப் புற்கை நீத்தனம் வரற்கே?
***
In Puram verse 65 we come across a strange custom that was followed in Ancient India from epic period.
“ashamed for the wound in the back,– ruler with martial courage,– Cheraman Peruncheralathan -is sitting facing north near his sword to die.
Item 495 Facing North and Fast unto Death
since the ruler with martial courage is sitting facing north
with his sword, to die, embarrassed that he took a wound
on this back from a spear thrown to his front by a king,
This custom was practised from Ramayana, Mahabharata days. Tamils also followed their brother Hindus in the north. South is the direction of Yama, God of Death. But North is the holy direction. Pandavas in Mahabharata. walked towards North till they fell to the ground one after another.
Sitting facing North and fast unto death is called Praayopavesam in Ramayana.
Kailash, abode of Lord Siva, Holy Ganges and Holy Himalayas are in the North.
Kopperum Chozan and Pisir Anathaiyar did this and sacrificed their lives to honour the age-old principles.
Tolkappiya Vrddhi by Siva Gnana Munivar also praised North when he explained why Panamparanar in his Payiram to Tolkappiam said Vada Venkatam ( Northern Venkata Hills) first.
***
Item 496
What happens when such Prayopavesam is done in a city is beautifully described by the poet. The opposite of this will happen in any happy town.
Clay drums have been forgotten, yāzhs that play music
have been forgotten, huge pots are placed upside down
and butter churning has been forgotten, farmers have
forgotten their work, relatives have forgotten to drink
bee-swarming liquor, and small towns with
broad streets have forgotten to celebrate festivals,
huge pots are placed upside down is a notable point.In funeral ceremonies, pots and vessels are placed upside down. This is practised by Brahmins even today.
***
Item 497 Two Kings= Sun and Moon
Poet Kazhāthalaiyār copied it from the greatest Indian poet Kalidasa.
Kalidasa in his works compared Rama and Parasurama in this way when they fought with each other. This is not the only place. More than 200 similes and imageries of Kalidasa were copied by the Sangam poets.
Kalidasa lived in the First or Second century BCE, just before the Sangam Age.
(Please see Kalidasa by Prof. Chandra Rajan, Penguin Publications)
Raghuvamsa- 11-82 and 8-15
प्रशमस्थितपूर्वपार्थिवम् कुलमभ्यद्यतनूतनेश्वरम्|
नभसा निभृतेन्दुना तुलामुदितार्केण समारुरोह तत्॥ ८-१५
praśamasthitapūrvapārthivam kulamabhyadyatanūtaneśvaram|
nabhasā nibhṛtendunā tulāmuditārkeṇa samāruroha tat || 8-15
That dynasty with the erstwhile king Raghu betaking to a life of spiritual tranquillity and the newly crowned king Aja just entering upon his regal career seemed like unto the sky with the moon almost gone down and the sun embarking onto it. [8-15]
***
तावुभावपि परस्परस्थितौ
वर्धमानपरिहीनतेजसौ।
पश्यति स्म जनता दिनात्यये
पार्वणौ शशिदिवाकराविव॥ ११-८२
tāvubhāvapi parasparasthitau
vardhamānaparihīnatejasau |
paśyati sma janatā dinātyaye
pārvaṇau śaśidivākarāviva || 11-82
The people saw them both standing face to face against each other, the one having his glory increased and that of the other proportionately decreased as if they were the moon and the sun on a conjunction day in the evening, where moon’s glow increases when sun decreases or vice versa, and where Dasharatha-Rama is analogous to the waxing moon, while Bhargava-Rama to fading Sun. [11-82] Raguvamsa
***
Puranānūru 65, Poet Kazhāthalaiyār sang for Cheraman Peruncheralathan,
1
Clay drums have been forgotten, yāzhs that play music
have been forgotten, huge pots are placed upside down
and butter churning has been forgotten, farmers have
forgotten their work, relatives have forgotten to drink
bee-swarming liquor, and small towns with
broad streets have forgotten to celebrate festivals,
since the ruler with martial courage is sitting facing north
with his sword, to die, embarrassed that he took a wound
on this back from a spear thrown to his front by a king,
like the sun which hides behind the mountains in the
evening time when the full moon appears, after both orbs
in the sky look at each other.
Day time with the sun will not be the same as before for me!
***
புறநானூறு 65, பாடியவர்: கழாத்தலையார், பாடப்பட்டோன்: சேரமான் பெருஞ்சேரலாதன், திணை: பொதுவியல், துறை: கையறு நிலை
மண் முழா மறப்பப் பண் யாழ் மறப்ப,
இருங்கண் குழிசி கவிழ்ந்து இழுது மறப்பச்,
சுரும்பு ஆர் தேறல் சுற்றம் மறப்ப,
உழவர் ஓதை மறப்ப விழவும்
அகலுள் ஆங்கண் சீறூர் மறப்ப, 5
***
உவவுத் தலைவந்த பெருநாள் அமையத்து
இரு சுடர் தம்முள் நோக்கி, ஒரு சுடர்
புன்கண் மாலை மலை மறைந்தாங்குத்,
தன் போல் வேந்தன் முன்பு குறித்து எறிந்த
***
புறப்புண் நாணி மறத்தகை மன்னன் 10
வாள் வடக்கிருந்தனன், ஈங்கு
நாள் போல் கழியல ஞாயிற்றுப் பகலே.
***
LIST OF TAMIL BATTLES
‘Perumtholāthan’ was beaten by Karikālan at the Venni battlefield. Poet Kazhāthalaiyār wrote Puranānūru 62, 65, 270, 288, 289 and 368. This poet wrote poems for both this king and for his ancestor Kudako Neduncheralathan, who lived for only a short time since he died battling Chozhan Verpahradakkai Peruviral Killi. Both kings died in battle (Puranānūru poem 62).
Chozha king Karikālan beat a Pandiyan king, Cheraman Peruncheralathan and 11 Vēlirs at the Venni battlefield in the Chozha country. There are references to this battle in Akanānūru 55, 246, Puranānūru 65, 66 and Porunarātruppadai 147.
–Subham—
Tags- Ancient Tamil Poets Copied Kalidasa -Purananuru wonders-23, Tamil Encyclopedia-63, Item 497 , LIST OF TAMIL BATTLES
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