viRaliyar (Musicians in the Near East)

[N. Ganesan]

Dr. Roebuck wrote:
>Perhaps they were wearing diaphanous cotton garments, as we see in
>sculptures at Amaravati and elsewhere?

Dr. Roebuck, Dr. Palaniappan,

Yes, perhaps diaphanous garments. Usually the viRaliyar, dancing girls
descriptions will include words like , " nuN izai" (=thin yarn).
"izai" has another meaning which is "strings".

Let me give two translations from G. Hart, H. Heifetz,
The four hundred songs of war and wisdom, Columbia univ.
press, 1999. My wish is more translations like these
become available.

 >       entu kOTTu alkul mukiz nakai maTavaral
 >       kUntal viRaliyar vazagkuka aTuppu E
 >                                           - pati. 18:5-6
[No translation published, Listers can give it a try.]
[...]
 >
 >       aTi varunta neTitu ERiya
 >       koTi marugkul viRaliyar um E
 >                                           - puRa. 139:3-4

      "and for my dancing womwn too, waists as thin
       as vines and their feet aching from the long climb"
       (p. 88)

 >
 >       vIgku iRai taTaIya amai maruL paNai tOL
 >       Entu ezil mazai kaN van2aintu varal iLa mulai
 >       pU tukil alkul tEm pAy kUntal
 >       min2 izai viRaliyar nin2 maRam pATa
 >
 >                                            - pati. 54:3-6
[No translation published]
 >
 >       izai aNi polinta Entu kOTTu alkul
 >       maTavaral uN kaN vAL nutal viRali
 >
 >                                            - puRa. 89:1-2
 >

   "Woman of the caste of bards! With your shining forehead
    and your eyes darkened by collyrium, with your simple
    simple manners and your sloping mons glowing with a
    string of pearls, ..." (p. 64)

The words used here in the description of the dancers are
alkul 'mons pubis' and mulai 'breast'. I guess in the
agricultural civilization around the beginning of CE,
fertility was significant to the society, and dancers
added auspicious lustre to the kings and heros of war.

Since 'alkul' and 'mulai' are employed, the scholar
Prof. J. V. Chelliah wrote his logical conclusion:
>"The songstress seems to have been quite naked, as otherwise
>her whole body could not have been described."
>(J. V. Chelliah, Pattupattu, SISS society, Madras, 1962, p. 55)

Regards,
N. Ganesan






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