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Mirror of Tamiḻ and Sanskrit
R. Nagaswamy
8. THE EPITOME OF SILAMBU
8.1. A Study in the Nūl-kaṭṭurai of Cilappatikāram
This study is made to understand the main aim of writing the great text Cilappatikāram through the own words of the author, as found in the Nūl-kaṭṭurai at the very end of the text. It is mainly intended to reflect the classical life of Tamiḻ culture in all its aspects including, literature, music and dance, and is perhaps the only ancient text that is comprehensive in all fields of Tamiḻ society as it existed at the time of its composition. It is known that Ilaṅko aṭikal, the author of the text has given at appropriate places some aspects of the composition and his aim in writing this work. Many eminent Scholars have interpreted the text from these passages. My study is based on the Nūl-kaṭṭurai at the end of the text that gives the summary of the text, that has been rightly called the “Epitome of Cilappatikāram” by V.R.R Dikshitar, who has translated it into English. However, there is a tradition to call this an epic in general, but I would like to call it a Dance composition Nāṭaka kāppiyam as the whole work was intended to be enacted as a drama. Dramatic art was always a part of the dance tradition in ancient India.
That this was a dramatic composition was known to ancient commentators like Aṭiyārkkunallār who specifically mentions it a number of times as Nāṭaka kāppiyam. Even at the time of the author, Iḷaṅkō the usage Nāṭaka kāppiyam was known as seen from Maṇimēkhalai. Further Aṭiayārkkunallār mentions five works, Indra-kāḷiyam, Pañca-maṟabu, Bharata-senāpatiyam, and Naṭaka-tamiḻ-nūl that were aware of the concepts of dramatic poems but he uses them in his commentary as there are many common factors between them and Silambu. Aṭiyārkkunallār also claims that there were two other texts namely Bharatam and Akattiyam in Tamiḻ that were lost at the time of the composition of Cilappatikāram. The name Bharatam by Aṭiyārkkunallār would suggest that i
t was a Tamiḻ rendering of the Sanskrit text Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra. Another important factor mentioned by Aṭiyārkkunallār is that Tolkāppiyam was the basic text at the time of the composition of Cilappatikāram and evidently used by Iḷaṅko as it was the complete text in all aspects. It is therefore evident that the Tamiḻ grammar Tolkāppiyam itself was a treatise, like Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra, a work on dramas. Tolkāppiyam is not a grammatical work like Pāṇini’s Sanskrit grammar, but is a work like the Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra, dealing through its use in Naṭya tradition. It may be remembered that Bharata’s work is not confined to dance alone but deals with language, the composition of poetry, embellishment (alamkaras), the rasa theory, musical compositions, instrumental music, different kinds of dramas, and so on. It is known that most of Sanskrit poetics developed out of Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra.
8.1.2. Kaṭṭurai
The term Kaṭṭurai is used to summarize the text at the end either at the end of a kāṇḍam or the whole text. The Cilappatikāram consists of three kāṇḍams, puhār-kāṇḍam, maturai-kāṇḍam, and vañci-kāṇḍam. We find one kaṭṭurai at the end of each kāṇḍam in which the main theme of the kāṇḍam is given. A kaṭṭurai is found at the end of the whole work which is called nūl-kaṭṭurai which summarises the whole text. The kaṭṭurai of pūhar-kāṇḍam has been commented on by Aṭiyarkkunallār, though no commentary is available for the other two kaṭṭurais of the maturai-kāṇḍam and vañci-kāṇḍam. No commentary has also survived for the nūl-kaṭṭurai. There is no reason to believe that these were not by the author.
8.1.3. Three Kaṭṭurais
Of the three kaṭṭurais relating to the three kāṇḍams, we find that each of them is in two parts. The first part is a repetition in all three generally extolling the respective region where the drama takes place, and the greatness and prosperity of the subjects. The second part introduces the specifics of each kāṇḍam. For example the first kaṭṭurai extols Karikāla Cōḻa and praises the river kāvēri which plays a vital role in the kāṇḍam. In addition, it also mentions that the first kāṇḍam used a vṛtti (modes of expression) named Bhārati vṛtti. The second kaṭṭurai praising maturai and its ruler Pāṇḍyāṉ Neduñceḻiyaṉ, mentions that two vṛttis namely Ārabhaṭi and Sāttvati vṛtti were the main mode of expression in that kāṇḍam. The third one does not mention any vṛtti but states that the kāṇḍam used puṟat-tuṟai as the theme. What are these Bhārati, Ārabhati, and Sāttvati modes of expression that have been employed by Ilaṅko-aṭikal? Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra speaks of four vṛttis including three mentioned above, a fourth one called Kaisiki vṛtti. Ilaṅkō-aṭikaḷ has employed three of the vṛttis defined by Bharata.
8.1.4. Nūl-kaṭṭurai
The Work
Ilaṅkō-aṭikal spells out in detail the main aim of his Cilappatikāram which was meant to depict the classical nature of Tamiḻnāṭu and its people, like reflecting a great hill in a mirror. “centamiḻ iyaṟkaiyil kāṭṭuvār pōla karuttu veḷippaṭuthu” mentioned here stands for ‘depicting mainly the nature of classical Tamiḻ, it's land and people’. It is thus the most comprehensive text on ancient Tamiḻs. In the preceding lines Iḷaṅko-aṭikal details about the Tamiḻ land, which included both the areas where chaste Tamiḻ and colloquial Tamiḻ were prevalent, the five-fold divisions of regions as mullai, kuṟiñci, marutam, neital and pālai as defined by the grammarian, Tolkāppiyar.
Iḷaṅkō-aṭikal also mentions the structure of the Classical Tamiḻ language classified under eḻuttu, col, and poruḷ. These were utilized by the author to compose flawless poetry, meant for the two major divisions of Tamiḻ poetry, namely aham and puṟam poems. The poems were set to music and recited in appropriate rāgas (Tunes) in what was called araṅgoli ceyyuḷ, vilakku and āṭal and danced through kuṟavai, vari and cēdam. Thus, the whole purpose of communicating the Classical Tamiḻ through dance, utilizing all the detailed classifications provided in the Tolkāppiyam is achieved. The commentator Aṭiyarkkunallār points out that when the Cilappatikāram was written Tolkāppiyam was the basic text that was followed by Iḷaṅkō-aṭikal as it was the only complete text available while the other available texts were incomplete. This makes us believe that the Tamiḻ grammar Tolkāppiyam itself was a great text dealing with literature, music and dance (muttamiḻ - iyal, isai, naṭaka poruḷ, a text similar to what was obtained in Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra in Sanskrit.
8.2. The Cilappatikāram is a Creative Poetry and not History
We may examine a few points of importance before we see the full text of the nūl-kaṭṭurai. It is clear that the Cilappatikāram is a creative poetry and not a historical epic. The choice of the three kingdoms Cōḻa, Cēra, and Pāṇḍyā for enacting the drama and also the selection of the three most celebrated kings Karikāla, Neduñceḻiyaṉ, and Ceṅkuṭṭuvaṉ who were made parts of the dramatic personae and also the careful weaving of aham theme in the first and second kāṇḍam and the puṟat-tuṟai in the third kāṇḍam and also the poems of songs like pāṭal, ēḻal, paṇ and pāṇi with aṟaṅkoli ceyyuḷ, vilakku, and āṭal, rendered into musical tunes, to project dance would show that the whole text was a deliberate choice by Iḷaṅko-aṭikaḷ to make a fine drama. His intention (karuthu) as set forth in the nūl-kaṭṭurai was to reflect the classical Tamiḻ culture, making it a unique work that gives the holistic view of the lifestyle of the Tamiḻ people.
8.3. Epitome of Silambu
Now we may deal with the whole nūl-kaṭṭurai in detail. At the beginning, the poem gives a framework within which the events are located, which is called the Tamiḻ land, within the broader earth, bounded by Kumari in the south, the Veṅkaṭam hill in the north, the eastern sea, and western sea. While the pāyiram of Tolkāppiyam begins the boundary from the Veṅkaṭam in the north and goes on to describe Kumari in the south and the western and eastern seas Iḷaṅkō begins the Tamiḻ land from Kumari. Iḷaṅkō makes it a point to mention that Tamiḻnāṭu is not an isolated space but part of a whole.
Further Iḷaṅkō also says that Tamiḻ land consisted of two language groups the chaste Tamiḻ region and the colloquial region, centamiḻ, koduntamiḻ enṟu iru pakuti. Within this bounded space he spreads a canvas of the five tiṇais - mullai, kuṟiñci, marutam, neital and pālai wherein men and celestials followed a common disciplined life and enjoyed justice, wealth and love (aṟam, poruḷ and inbam). By this Iḷaṅkō says that both men and gods are bound by a common code of family life and that gods cannot have exclusive privilege.
8.4. The Main Aim of Silambu is to Portray Tamiḻ Culture Through Dance
The poem describes the grammatical structure of the language as eḻuttu, col, and poruḷ which is a reflection of Tolkāppiyar’s treatment of the language. The language is formed by syllables that create words from which meaning arises and these are composed into flawless aham and puṟam poetry which is in turn set to music as songs (pāṭal) musical renderings as eḻal (eṭuppu), tunes (paṇ) and tāḷa time measure, (pāṇi) which are happily blended with a special type of music suited to aham and puṟam themes known as araṅgoli ceyyuḷ, vilakku of puṟam compositions and āṭal - dance. These musical renderings play an accompanying role for dance, in the well-known forms vari, kuṟavai, and cēdam the last one being an abridgment of story suited to dance. The language structure, the division of the compositions into aham and puṟam, and the poems rendered into musical tunes and instrumental play that mainly serve in an accompanying role for the dance, were meant to convey the Classical Tamiḻ culture through the medium of dance, which is the visual and emotional art. Thus, the nūl-kaṭṭurai confirms that the whole text employs all that is said in Tolkāppiyam as a limb of dance. Art is generally mentioned as a reflection of real life and itself is not life. Iḷaṅkō clearly brings forth this idea at the end, mentioning that the text aims at showing the classical life of the Tamiḻs through the media of dance in the same manner a lofty hillock is reflected in a mirror.
8.5. Aham and Puṟam Poems are Meant for Dance
In defining the various dances, both the commentators Arumpada-urai-āciriyar and Aṭiyārkkunallār mention again and again, the twofold classifications of aham and puṟam dance (ahak-kūttu and puṟak-kūttu). This suggests that the Saṅgam classification into aham and puṟam was mainly intended for dance. As such songs are adapted to dance, they need to be embellished and are not a recitation of factual events, but must be considered creative poems and not historical renderings. While the Saṅgam poems, in most cases, take one or two events and situations and weave poetry around them, it is only in Cilappatikāram one can find all aspects of Tamiḻ poetry, music, dance, and grammatical situations as depicted in Tolkāppiyam. Quite appropriately and correctly pointed out by Aṭiyārkkunallār this text is the most complete and at the same time beautiful composition of Tamiḻ culture.
Nūl kaṭṭurai - நூல் கட்டுரை
குமரி வேங்கடம் குண குட கடலா
மண் திணி மருங்கில் தன் தமிழ் வரைப்பில்
செந்தமிழ் கொடுந்தமிழ் என்றிரு பகுதியில்
ஐந்திணை மருங்கில் அறம் பொருள் இன்பம்
மக்கள் தேவர் என இரு சார்க்கும்
ஒத்த மரபின் ஒழுக்கமொடு புணர
எழுத்தொடு புணர்ந்த சொல்லகத்து எழு பொருளை
இழுக்காய் யாப்பின் அகனும் புறனும்
அவற்று வழிப்படூவும் செவ்வி சிறந்து ஓங்கிய
பாடலும் எழாலும் பண்ணும் பாணியும்
அரங்கு விளக்கே ஆடல் என்று அனைத்தும்
ஒருங்குடன் தழுவி உடம்பட கிடந்த
வரியும் குரவையும் சேதமும் என்று இவை
தெரிவுறு வகையால் செந்தமிழ் இயற்கையில்
ஆடி தன் நிழலில் நீள் இரும்குன்றம்
காட்டுவார் போல கருத்து வெளிப்படுத்து
மணிமேகலை மேல் உரைபொருள் முற்றிய
- சிலப்பதிகாரம் முற்றும்
8.6. Comparative Study of Tolkāppiyam and Silambu
In the light of the nūl-kaṭṭurai, we may examine how Tolkāppiyam is the basic text for the Cilappatikāram in a broad overview. We confine here to the salient points. Dr.U.V.Swaminatha iyer has pointed out in his introduction to Silambu that the commentator Aṭiyārkkunallār has demonstrated in his introduction the application of five grammatical forms of literary poems, musical poems, and dance poems through appropriate citations.
iyal tamilākiya aintiḷakkaṇam, icaittamiḻ, nātakatamiḻiṉ pakutikaḷaiyum pala merkōl mūlamāka viḷakkukirār
However, we are studying this text in relation to an overview of this text and its relation to Tolkāppiyam in the light of nūl-kaṭṭurai. As already mentioned this drama is located in Tamiḻnāṭu in which classical Tamiḻ culture was prevalent. The drama takes place in the three kingdoms of Cōḻa, Pāṇḍyā, and Cēra and finally, the Goddess Pattini temple was built in all three kingdoms which means she became the Goddess of whole Tamiḻnāṭu. In the end, Kaṇṇaki is claimed as the daughter of all the Tamiḻ kings. In a significant statement, Kaṇṇaki herself says when she became a goddess, that the Pāṇḍyā who killed her husband unknowingly had done nothing wrong and that he had reached heaven the abode of gods. It is an extraordinary tolerance exhibited that enhances her greatness further, and as a daughter of all three kings, she goes beyond political frontiers. Among the three kingdoms of the Tamiḻs, Iḷaṅkō names three well known kings of each kingdom, Karikāla Cōḻa, who conquered the Northern country, the Pāṇḍyā Neduñcheḻiyaṉ who won a signal victory over the Āryan army, and finally Ceṅkuṭṭuvaṉ who was the greatest conqueror among the Cēra and who went to the Himalayas to bring a stone to carve the image of Kaṇṇaki, thus the drama relates to the entire Tamiḻ country and its people.
8.6.1. Aintiṇaikaḷ - Marutam
Iḷaṅkō aṭikaḷ spreads the drama in the broad canvas of Aintiṇai classified by Tolkāppiyam namely, marutam, neytal, palai, mullai and kuruñci. Aṭiyārkkunallār has an extraordinary researched commentary of the whole text which he calls “poruḷ ārāycci”.
The story begins in Puhār which is essentially the capital of the fertile Cōḻa country with plenty of water supplied by the Kāvēri which had a role to play in the story. The capital had on its borders, cool cultivated fields and thus is an illustrious region of marutam, suggesting maruta-tiṇai in poetic parlance. The presiding deity (karup-poruḷ in Tolkāppiyam) was Indra who is the giver of rain. The festival named indra-viḻa is celebrated for the welfare of the kings and their subjects. Indra is also the King of gods and would give prosperity to the people when propitiated with great pomp and show. Marutam land symbolically stands for sexual pleasures enjoyed with a duly wedded wife. Kaṇṇaki was the legally married wife with whom Kōvalaṉ spent his life with great affection for some years. The author therefore calls the chapter “manai aṟam” the righteous life of enjoyment. Pūmpuhār represents the maruta-tiṇai with its presiding deity Indra. Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar, another great commentator, on the grammatical work of Tolkāppiyam, in its ahat-tiṇai, specifically cites the festival of indra-viḻā organized by the people of Puhār, enhances love in union and love in separation (kūṭal and ūṭal) in what he calls kāmac-ciṟappu, i.e., the greatness of love. He also cites the indra-viḻā in the Cilappatikāram as an illustration of the maruta-tiṇai.
8.6.2. Neital Tiṇai
Iḷaṅkō locates the second tiṇai also in the same place at Puhār in which he brings in the worship of lord Varuṇa, the god of the sea by the fisherwomen, nulaicciyar, who sing and dance by planting a horn of the Sura fish on the coastal beach of Puhār. The coastal region is the next one called the neital which stands for love in waiting. Iḷaṅkō brings in the accomplished dancer Mātavi who was honoured by the ruling king, Karikāla Cōḻa with a title and also a present of a golden chain made of one thousand and eight kaḻañcu of gold on her maiden performance of dance at Puhār. This caused the separation of Kaṇṇaki and Kōvalaṉ who then went after Mātavai. He paid one thousand and eight kaḻañcu per day for Mātavi’s company and lived with her enjoying conjugal pleasures. The commentator says that parattaiyar’s (public girls) love and pleasures rise and fall soon. Soon we find Kōvalaṉ and Mātavi part ways that evoke our sympathy. Mātavi was not the usual public girl for she never took anyone else as her partner except Kōvalaṉ, who once broke from her, did not return. After his separation from Mātavi, Kōvalaṉ reunited with Kaṇṇaki but by then Kōvalaṉ had lost all his fortunes. The neital-tiṇai is poetically symbolic of iraṅkal (sympathy) according to Tolkāppiyam and Iḷaṅkō-aṭikaḷ rightly points out the worship of Varuṇa on sea coast at Puhār by nulacciyar as an illustration of neital-tiṇai.
8.6.3. Pālai Tiṇai
The third tiṇai Iḷaṅkō uses is the pālai-tiṇai. The reunited Kaṇṇaki and Kōvalaṉ decided to go to Maturai in search of a fortune and on the way had to pass through a terrifying forest. This episode is found at the beginning of the maturaik-kāṇḍam. The severe drought conditions brought disaster even as the heat was unbearable. (11-203-206). There was located a temple of Goddess Koṟṟavai, called vana-nāṭi. The pālai is called in Tolkāppiyam as the naduvaṉ-tiṇai middle among the five tiṇais. The presiding deity of pālai is mentioned as kādukāl. Closely following the Tolkāppiyam, Iḷaṅkō places this tiṇai in the middle preceded by marutam and neital and followed by the other two tiṇais, mullai and kuruñci. The hunters called veṭṭuvar and eyinar arrange for a special worship to koṟṟavai with “veṭṭuva vari” dance. An interesting mention of Kaṇṇaki as koṟṟavai during the worship is a suggestion that became true at the very end. The pālai-tiṇai is a poetic symbol of separation (piṟivu). Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar holds pālai would serve as a cause (nimitttam) for an impending separation to follow. (P 97) The pālai in the Cilappatikāram foretells the tragedy that is to take place for Kōvalaṉ.
8.6.4. Mullai Tiṇai
The mullai pastoral land was located at the outskirt of Maturai that was a colony of cowherds and where Kaṇṇaki was entrusted for safety by Matari, a cowherd women. She noticed bad omens for Kaṇṇaki and exhorted all fisherwomen of that region to arrange for special worship and festival to the presiding deity of the pastoral land, Kṛṣṇa. Āycciyar, as they were called arranged for a worship of Kṛṣṇa, the god of mullai land with the dance of āycciyar kuṟavai. This is again depicted in the backdrop of Tolkāppiyam.
8.6.5. Kuṟuñci Tiṇai
The last tiṇai that is introduced by Iḷaṅkō is kuṟuñci the hilly region whose presiding deity was Murugaṉ. The kunṟavar men of the hilly region saw Kaṇṇaki coming to their hill when the gods came along with her husband and carried her to heaven. So, they propitiated Murugaṉ by arranging the kunṟak-kuravai. While the veṭṭuva vari and āycciyar kuṟavai are included in the maturaik-kāṇḍam the kunṟak-kuṟavai is included in the vañci kāṇḍam. Kuṟuñci in poetic parlance stands for union. In the present situation, kuruñci stands for the union of Kaṇṇaki and Kōvalaṉ in their heavenly abode.
While the four tiṇais mentioned earlier barring kuṟuñci, are set against the love themes of the hero and heroine in conjugal life and therefore falls under aham classification, they are posted in the state of union in heaven as deities in kuṟuñci.
There is another important point that deserves attention with reference to kuṟuñci-tiṇai here. Kaṇṇaki becomes a deity as a vīra-mā-pattini. She is deified by erecting a stone image of her that was worshipped as a goddess. So, Iḷaṅkō uses another device namely the puṟat-tuṟai that depicts external heroism. Kaṇṇaki is a vīra-pattini. The puṟat-tiṇai of kuruñci is called veṭci-tiṇai in Tolkāppiyam. There are many heroic deeds listed in veṭci, but the last one described is installing a stone image of her called naṭukal (Hero stone or Memorial stone) which is described in Tolkāppiyam in stages. When a hero dies, people select a suitable stone, soak it in water, carve his image, install the stone, praise his heroic deeds, and arrange for his worship. The Tolkāppiyam says the whole process of planting the sculptured memorial stone is called kallotu puṇarttal meaning “uniting the dead with the stone as God” (kallotu puṇarttal - this would show that the word puṇarttal is used not only for sexual union but also in other forms of unions). As vetci is puṟam of (external counterpart of) kuṟuñci that speaks of sexual union the vetci speaks of divine union. The stages of this process are mentioned by Tolkāppiyar as kātci (selection of stone), kālkōl, the beginning of the festival. In vetci (soaking in water) naṭutal planting the stone, and a great offering and praise of him called vāḻttal. Iḷaṅkō has given the same classifications as titles to the kāthais (chapters) for the process of deifying Kaṇṇaki as; Kātcik-kātai,; kālkōl-kātai; nīrpaṭai-kātai; naṭukal-kātai, and vāḻttu-kātai. Perumpaṭai and vāḻttu prayer are brought under vāḻtthuk-kātai which again illustrates the Cilappatikāram used Tolkāppiyam as the basic text.
While I have mentioned only the broad categories, a careful study of the Cilappatikāram will show other aspects mentioned in Tolkāppiyam like trees, animals, birds, men and women, drums tunes and so on are appropriately incorporated by Iḷaṅkō in the respective tiṇai. We may also say the Ffive tiṇais and their role in the development of the story are not essential and if one removes them the story will stand by itself. But the poetic appeal and aesthetics with which Iḷaṅkō has used all the five tiṇais and accompanying devices are so extraordinary and pleasing that it is almost impossible to think of the Cilappatikāram without them. The deliberate choice of all these devices would immediately suggest that the Cilappatikāram is a creative poetry of unsurpassed excellence in all aspects of ancient Tamiḻ culture.