Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,060

Date uploaded in London – 6 August 2026

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One Thousand Interesting Facts – Part 89

Item 727

River Vaigai  and Tolkappiar

If one looks at the River Vaigai today and compares it with the river in Paripatal, one wouldn’t believe the description in Paripatal. It has deteriorated to the extent of a gutter. And we could easily guess what happened to the ancient Vedic River Saraswati. Half of the devastation is caused by the humans and the other by nature or climate.

The poet described the beauty of Vaigai clothed with flowers. Women and men enjoy bathing in it and lovers made it a meeting point. Theu used boats to cross the river!

Here we remember the strange story of Nachinarkiniar, the most famous Tamil commentator of Sangam literature. During Vaigai floods, Tolkappiar used one stick to cross the river with Lopamudra, wife of Agastya. Tolkappiar avoided holding the woman’s hand and so he gave a long pole so that Lopamudra can hold the other end; even this gesture angered Agastya and he cursed Tolkappiar; and Tolkappiar in turn cursed Agastya for unjust behaviour. Nacchi also added Tolkappiar’s original name was Trunadumagni; unfortunately, we did not have any other personal details about the great Tamil grammarian. The Payiram/Intro of Tolkappiam says Tolkappiar’s work was approved by Acharya of Athankodu who was well versed in Four Vedas.

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Item 728 Sworn  on Tirupparankundram

In verse six, which is about River Vaigai there is a lovely argument between a lover and the lady love. She blamed him of visiting another woman and hence delay in coming to her. It is a long argument and at the end he swears on Tirupparankundram! That is the abode of Lord Muruga/Skanda. It shows the belief on God Muruga and the custom of swearing.

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Item 729

Paripatal verse 7 is also on River Vaigai .

Here are some interesting similes. The poet compared the floods to a dancer who could not dance according to rules; devastation caused by the floods is given in full details; the floods washed away the ornaments of women; vast paddy fields were submerged under water. And we come across the city name TIRU MARUTHA MUN THURAI. Scholars believe that was the original name of Madurai. And the woman who enjoyed the bathing prays that she should enjoy it for ever. Vaigai floods looked like Pandya army entering an enemy country , according to the poet.

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Item 730

Verse 10 is also on the same river where a strange custom is sung by the poet.

Vaigai water festival is narrated. People used wooden water guns to sprinkle colour water. Even today we can see water guns or squirt guns used by the villagers during Chitra festival in Madurai. It is made up of skin bag with a narrow tube to squirt water. Like Holi festival Madurai people used coloured water 2000 years ago.

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Item 731 strange custom of golden animals

In Hindu temples and in the ancient Greek temples, devotees offered golden or silver replicas of body parts to gods and goddesses as a token of thanks for curing diseases in those body parts of individuals.  Even now Tamil Hindus do this in many temples. But in ancient Madurai, women threw golden replicas of fish, crab, conches into River Vaigai , saying “let there be prosperity”.

Probably devotees do such things in other parts of India as well.

Several types of games including ball games are recounted

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Item 732

Paripatal verse five is composed on Lord Muruga/Skanda.

God’s elephant name is Pinimukham.

God Skanda has 12 arms, six faces. The demon Surapadman was in the shape of Mango Tree.

The association of the demon with Mango tree deserves more research.

Throughout Tamil Sangam  poems we see certain trees are associated with chieftains; they were guarded, respected and saluted by the common folk. Any disrespect to the Guardian Tree is not tolerated by the chieftain or the local leader.

Throughout Sangam literature a particular Mango Tree is portrayed as the Demon Sura Padman, enemy of Muruga/Skanda.

Nowadays a plantain tree is brought and planted instead of mango tree; and the tree is symbolically cut off during Skanda Sasthi festival.

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Item 733 rebirth

And in this verse five on Lord Skanda/Muruga belief on rebirth is confirmed.

One gets a good birth if one does good deeds or bad birth if one does bad deeds.

Karma theory is described thus.

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Item 734 metaphor

We come across a metaphor as follows

Brahma – charioteer;

Earth- chariot;

Vedas- horses;

Mountain – bow;

Snake- the bow string; (also in Puram. Verse 55)

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Item 735 attack on atheists (Lokayata/ Carvaka)

Those who argued that there is no rebirth are called idiots/ fools in line 76.

Parimel azakar was the commentor for Paripatal verses. He is the most celebrated commentator onTirukkural as well. He was a temple priest of Kanchipuram Vishnu Temple. He has used the same comment on Kural 281.

Lokayata or Carvaka (Sweet Talkers)

 “Indian Materialism” refers to the school of thought within Indian philosophy that rejects supernaturalism.  It is regarded as the most radical of the Indian philosophical systems.  It rejects the existence of other worldly entities such an immaterial soul or god and the after-life.  Its primary philosophical import comes by way of a scientific and naturalistic approach to metaphysics.  Thus, it rejects ethical systems that are grounded in supernaturalistic cosmologies.  The good, for the Indian materialist, is strictly associated with pleasure and the only ethical obligation forwarded by the system is the maximization of one’s own pleasure.

We see it in Valmiki Ramayana in Jabali Rishi’s argument.

Hindus are the only people who included this as a system of philosophy. But in most places, it is condemned. Patripatal poet Kaduvan Ilaveyinanar called the atheists  idiots/ false people (Madavor in Tamil)

To be continued…………………..

Tags- item 735, Tamil attacks on Atheists: Purananuru wonders-49, Tamil Encyclopedia-89 , One Thousand Interesting Facts – Part 89