Smearing the Drums

[N. Ganesan]

N. Ganesan wrote:
 > Let me just cite two examples:
 >
 >  a) Gifting calf-cow pair to brahmins is
 >  mentioned in an ancient poem cited in the
 >  TolkAppiyam commentary (tol. poruL. 90. nac.)
 >
 >  vELvinilai
 >
 >  pon2n2iRainta poRkOTTup poRkuLampiR *kaRRA*tan
 >  tin2makizA n2antaNarai yin2puRuppar - cen2n2itan2
 >  mAnilamE yAn2ulakam pOn2Ratu vAn2RukaLpOrt
 >  tAn2ulaka maNNulakA man2Ru.

Dr. S. Palaniappan wrote:
<<
This is most likely a post-CT poem. What is being offered to the
brahmins here is a gold cow with a gold calf and not a single real
live calf.  [...]
>>

  The commentary on this poem talks of an actual cow with a calf.
  While being gifted to the brahmins, the cow's horns and the hoofs
  are covered with gold ornaments.

----

  In a puRam poem, the memorial stone erecting ceremony
  of a Chieftain is described. In this, the chief's
  ability of taking calves and their feeding
  cows ( *kan2RoTu kaRavai*) from his enemies is particularly
  praised, and the poet asks "will the bards' groups come
  today without knowing the sad news that the chief has died?".
  Is it possible that bards visited routinely chiefs
  after their winning of cows and calves?

       paral uTai marugkin2 patukkai cErtti
       maral vakuntu toTutta ce pU kaNNiyoTu
       aNi mayil pIli cUTTi peyar poRittu
       in2i naTTan2ar E kal um kan2RoTu
       kaRavai tantu pakaivar OTTiya
       neTuntakai kazintamai aRiyAtu
       in2Ru um varum kol pANaratu kaTumpu E  - puRam 264

  Regards,
  N. Ganesan

 >
 >  b) In medieval times, a bard seeking kaRRA pair
 >  from Vallaik kALatti MutaliyAr:
 >
 >    peRRA LorupiLLai yen2man2ai yATTiyap piLLaikkuppAl
 >    paRRAtu kaJci kuTikkun taraman2Ru pAlirakkac
 >    ciRRALu millaiyiv vellA varuttamun tIravoru
 >    *kaRRA* taravallai yOvallai mAnakark kALattiyE!
 >
 >  The poet describing his wife giving birth, and the
 >  pitiable poverty description of his homefront etc.,
 >  are highly reminiscent of Sangam poems of the
 >  wandering minstrels. In this poem he seeks explicitly
 >  a cow-calf pair to feed the infant.


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