Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,255
Date uploaded in London – 30 September 2026
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Pathitrup patththu , the Sangam Tamil Book called Ten Times Ten, finished with a beautiful wish! The poet wished the Chera King to live Vellam number of years! And he said it in a beautiful way. Please go to the end to get the full details.
73Purananuru wonders-73, Tamil Encyclopaedia 113, One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 113
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Item 971 -White herons flying in black clouded Sky! Lines 83/5
Here is beautiful description of dark sky with black clouds and the white water birds are flying which is compared to chariots flying with white flags along with black elephants. Unless the poet saw in real the march of the king, he could not describe it in this way.
Because famous saint Ramakrishna Paramahmsar’s life also has such a scenery! One day Sri RKP as a boy was walking in the pathway of a beautiful green paddy field with his friends. In the sky white storks were flying in the background of dark clouds. Immediately he thought of God’s beautiful creation and attained Samadhi ; friends thought he became unconscious for unknown cause. RKP recovered (came out of Samadhi) after a few days. His life shows many such incidents.
Our poet also never missed the beautiful scene but compared it to King’s march with his battalion.
In lines 84-1/7, we see King riding in his golden chariot. No wonder he did because we saw earlier, he distributed Gold Bars even to his soldiers.
And the poet one more simile; Chera King’s enemies were broken like the bamboos under the elephnats! Lines 84-8/14
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Item 972- Kudos to Brahmin Poet Kapilan
Only one Sangam poet got highest praise in Sangam Age; that was Kapilan, who contributed highest number of poems. Here the poet praised hi in lines 85-10/13.
When our poet Perunkundrūr Kizhār praised Ilanchēral Irumporai’s victory over Choza king , he said that the Choza soldiers dropped their spears and surrendered. But the number of spears were more than the towns gifted to Kapilar by this king’s ancestor Selvak Kandunko.
We could notice that the poet was so clever that he praised three people at the same time!
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Item 973- Rare Reference to Vindhya Mountain Chain and Goddess! Lines 88-1/5
Himalaya is praised by many Sangam Tamil poets, but rarely the Vindhyas. Though Tamils knew that sage Agastya laid road route for the first time through the mountain chain Vindhya, it is rarely mentioned in the Sangam poems. Here Perunkundrūr Kizhār mentioned it as the place where Goddess Durga resides. Even today people visit Vinghyavasini /Durga temple, 72 kilometres from Kasi ,near the Vindhyachal railways station in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh
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Item 974- Arundhati Star helps you to see your Life Span! Lines 89-18/20
In this Pathitrup Paththu book we saw Arundhati star earlier. During the first night on a wedding day Hindu couple are shown Arundhati Star in Ursa Major/ Sapta Rishi constellation This is to insist the chastity of the bride and the constant support of her husband to her. Because the Vasistha- Arundhati stars are part of a double star system, one revolving another. So, husband and wife should be so close like those two stars. But our poet adds some new information. It is used to find one’s life span. If you are able to see it despite your old age, you will live longer. The science behind it is very simple; if you have good eye sight you will be able to watch Arunhati star!
Our poet compared Chera king’s chaste wife to the star and added the epithet “the star which shows one’s life span”. In short if you see it brighter and easily, you will live long!
Among Hindus there is another belief if one s not able to see his own face in the mirror, he may die soon. We can easily understand the meaning. If one’s eyesight suddenly deteriorates and becomes very poor, his life is short.
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Item 975- let the day become a week; week become a month…..
Poet finished his poem with a beautiful wis. He wished the king to live for ever and he said :
May each day of your life
be long like a month! May each month become long like a year! May
each year become long like a lifetime of the earth! May each lifetime
of the earth become as long as the vellam number of years as their
limit! –Lines 90-51/57
WHAT IS VELLAM?
IT IS A BIG NUMBER.IT IS LIKE Googolplex!
OLD COMMENTARY SAYS MANY AEONS OR ERAS MAKE ONE VELLAM.
What a wonderful Birthday Greeting!
காவிரிப் படப்பை நல் நாடு அன்ன,
வளங் கெழு குடைச்சூல் அடங்கிய கொள்கை,
ஆறிய கற்பின் தேறிய நல்லிசை
வண்டு ஆர் கூந்தல் ஒண்தொடி கணவ! 50
நின் நாள் திங்கள் அனைய ஆக! திங்கள்
யாண்டு ஓர் அனையவாக! யாண்டே
ஊழி அனைய ஆக! ஊழி
வெள்ள வரம்பின ஆக! என உள்ளிக்,
காண்கு வந்திசின் யானே, செருமிக்கு 55
உரும் என முழங்கும் முரசின்
பெரு நல் யானை இறை கிழவோயே.
Even today Japanese sing their National Anthem with similar wish!
Kimi ga Yo wa
Chiyo ni Yachiyo ni
Sazare-ishi no
Iwao to narite
Koke no musu made
May your reign
Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the tiny pebbles
Grow into massive boulders
Lush with moss
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Item 976- you are Sea and Moon
You are like water since you have kindness in your heart;
you are like the vast sky since your intellect is immeasurable;
you are like the abundant ocean since you donate endless
gifts; you are like the moon amidst many stars. When you are
with your flourishing relatives, you are the most splendid of
your clan. –Lines 90-14/20
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Item 977- soldiers speak different languages in your army!
You are a Warrior King who is in the midst
of soldiers speaking in different tongues in your battle camp
filled with velai vines with white flowers, mixed with bottle
gourd creepers.
It looks like many different language speakers were recruited by the Chera King!
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Item 978- Decorated Horse!
You ride your leaping horse
decorated with a lovely yak-tail fan on its head and star-like
bright bells on its saddle, wielding spears that you throw at your
enemies with desire, causing them sorrow.
Here we finish the Pathirup paththu. The tenth part is missing; we lost the first part and tenth part.
–SUBHAM—
TAGS-73Purananuru wonders-73, Tamil Encyclopaedia 113, One Thousand Interesting Facts -Part 113, many language speakers, birthday wish, long life, item 978
