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**softy54534** · 03-03-2006, 08:00 AM

That was the greatest incident of pure, true friendship in all of history , in all world civilisations!

I've tried to translate some of the songs in the Purananuru which speak of how Piciranthaiyar joined Kopperunchozhan in committing vatakkirutthal:

Song 215
As Kopperunchozhan sits in vatakkirutthal, he speaks to the men around him who say "Picirantaiyar will not come", and says that he will come.

In the good land of the southern lord
where the hunger of labourers picking beans
is slaked by a porridge of mashed tamarind and millet grains
cooked by the daughter of the cattle-grazers
who drops into white curds the white petals of the velai flower
which blooms in profusion along the cowdung-strewn streets;

they say Piciron is there, and that sustains my life
for he, who stayed away at a time when all was mine, [celvakkAlai]
will not stay away at a time when I have nothing [allarkAlai].

Song 216
Kopperunchozhan, who is sitting in vatakkirutthal, tells those with him to make room close to him for Picirantaiyar, who will come

"We have heard of him, but never seen him
though many years have passed.
He knows he has the rights of a faultless friend
And, O king, may he not use them?"

O you wise ones who offer these doubts!
He is beyond reproach, he is loving, he is my friend
He has no need of false shameful conduct
Whenever he names himself he says,
"En peyar pethai chozhan".
Yes, he bears the right of the highest love, but above all that,
he will not stay away at a time like this.
He will come now. Make room for him.

Song 217
Piciranthaiyar comes exactly as Kopperunchozhan had said he would. Pottiyar sings of his wonder at the greatness of such people

My mind is amazed, when I think,
that he sits here starving, renouncing all splendour.
Yet I am even more amazed when I think that a great man
from a distant land, mighty in renown, of high splendour
comes here at such a time
with friendship as his walking stick.
The greatness of the king who said "he will come"
and the wisdom of he who came, so that it would not be a lie,
lead one to wonder and wonder, until one passes beyond wonderment.

And when it has lost a king of such glory
that he commands the heart of a poet
who lives in a land where his power does not reach
what will become of this world?

It will be a most pitiable place.

Song 218
The song sung by Kanakkanar, when he saw that Picirantaiyar had joined Kopperunchozhan in vatakkirutthal.

Gold, and red coral, and pearls
and the lovely gems that form in the eternal mountains
are born far apart, yet when the time comes
to be joined into an ornament of great value
their paths come together. And so it is
that the great are the companions of the great
and the despicable find the company of the despicable.

Kopperunchozhan's vadakkirutthal is the theme of several songs in the Purananuru, 191, 214-219 are directly concerned with it, 213 give some background, and 212 is a song written by Piciranthaiyar in prasie of Kopperunchozhan.

A sequel to this incident is contained in songs 220 - 223. Pottiyar, who was Kopperunchozhan's court poet, sought his leave to sit in vadakkirutthal along with him. Kopperunchozhan refused, because Pottiyar's wife was then pregnant. He told Pottiyar to come back after the baby was born. Pottiyar returned shortly after his son's birth, but Kopperunchozhan was dead. Pottiyar sat by his "nadukkal", and sang asking him to make room for him to sit. According to the purananuru, the natukkal of Kopperunchozhan made room for Pottiyar, who sat there and killed himself by vatakkirutthal.

The other king who inspired such loyalty was Vel Pari - Kapilar, considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest poet in the Tamil language, killed himself by vatakkirutthal after Pari's death.

03-03-2006, 08:00 AM	#14
softy54534 Join Date Apr 2007 Posts 5,457 Senior Member	That was the greatest incident of pure, true friendship in all of history , in all world civilisations! I've tried to translate some of the songs in the Purananuru which speak of how Piciranthaiyar joined Kopperunchozhan in committing vatakkirutthal: Song 215 As Kopperunchozhan sits in vatakkirutthal, he speaks to the men around him who say "Picirantaiyar will not come", and says that he will come. In the good land of the southern lord where the hunger of labourers picking beans is slaked by a porridge of mashed tamarind and millet grains cooked by the daughter of the cattle-grazers who drops into white curds the white petals of the velai flower which blooms in profusion along the cowdung-strewn streets; they say Piciron is there, and that sustains my life for he, who stayed away at a time when all was mine, [celvakkAlai] will not stay away at a time when I have nothing [allarkAlai]. Song 216 Kopperunchozhan, who is sitting in vatakkirutthal, tells those with him to make room close to him for Picirantaiyar, who will come "We have heard of him, but never seen him though many years have passed. He knows he has the rights of a faultless friend And, O king, may he not use them?" O you wise ones who offer these doubts! He is beyond reproach, he is loving, he is my friend He has no need of false shameful conduct Whenever he names himself he says, "En peyar pethai chozhan". Yes, he bears the right of the highest love, but above all that, he will not stay away at a time like this. He will come now. Make room for him. Song 217 Piciranthaiyar comes exactly as Kopperunchozhan had said he would. Pottiyar sings of his wonder at the greatness of such people My mind is amazed, when I think, that he sits here starving, renouncing all splendour. Yet I am even more amazed when I think that a great man from a distant land, mighty in renown, of high splendour comes here at such a time with friendship as his walking stick. The greatness of the king who said "he will come" and the wisdom of he who came, so that it would not be a lie, lead one to wonder and wonder, until one passes beyond wonderment. And when it has lost a king of such glory that he commands the heart of a poet who lives in a land where his power does not reach what will become of this world? It will be a most pitiable place. Song 218 The song sung by Kanakkanar, when he saw that Picirantaiyar had joined Kopperunchozhan in vatakkirutthal. Gold, and red coral, and pearls and the lovely gems that form in the eternal mountains are born far apart, yet when the time comes to be joined into an ornament of great value their paths come together. And so it is that the great are the companions of the great and the despicable find the company of the despicable. Kopperunchozhan's vadakkirutthal is the theme of several songs in the Purananuru, 191, 214-219 are directly concerned with it, 213 give some background, and 212 is a song written by Piciranthaiyar in prasie of Kopperunchozhan. A sequel to this incident is contained in songs 220 - 223. Pottiyar, who was Kopperunchozhan's court poet, sought his leave to sit in vadakkirutthal along with him. Kopperunchozhan refused, because Pottiyar's wife was then pregnant. He told Pottiyar to come back after the baby was born. Pottiyar returned shortly after his son's birth, but Kopperunchozhan was dead. Pottiyar sat by his "nadukkal", and sang asking him to make room for him to sit. According to the purananuru, the natukkal of Kopperunchozhan made room for Pottiyar, who sat there and killed himself by vatakkirutthal. The other king who inspired such loyalty was Vel Pari - Kapilar, considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest poet in the Tamil language, killed himself by vatakkirutthal after Pari's death.
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