Avvaiyar were female poets, their poetry is included in Purunanuru – Group of ancient Tamil poems. Avvaiyar literally means ‘Respectable Woman’ was the title of more than one female poet who were active during different periods of Tamil literature. They were some of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon.
One of the Avvaiyar wrote a beautiful poem, of a brave mother.
The plot of the story is on the background of war situation. Tamil people are basically warrior. They are brave and fought for the motherland. Generations of Tamil people have sacrificed their life for Motherland.
This story by Avvaiyar is of a Mother who has sacrificed life of her father, husband and elder son. She adorns her young son of tender age of 5 with bow and arrow and bids adieu to him for the war. In the evening she hears some whispers from the villagers that her son was running away from battel field. In those times when an arrow hits the back of a soldier was considered as one who was running away from battlefield. Mother of the young soldier, did not believe this and proclaims that her son wouldn’t be the one who will run away from battlefield. She takes the sword in her and takes her way to the battlefield. She says to all “If her son would have been one who was running away from the battlefield, she will cut the breast off which fed milk to her son”. When she reaches the battlefield, she was a joyful mother looking at the dead body of her son. The arrow had hit the chest of her son and he had sacrificed his tender life for the motherland.
This poem of Mother and Son is 295th Canto of Purunanuru (Sangam Literature).
Translation of this piece of poem
In the midst of a battle,
Like an ocean that rose up,
He turned his sharp spear
Forged in fire toward enemies,
Guided his warriors through
The battlefield where spears
And arrows were thrown, split
The advancing forces, blocked
Them standing between armies
And got chopped up, a great man.
On seeing his dead body,
His mother with a strong will,
Saw his nobility, felt tender, and
Her withered breasts secreted milk!
Another Purunanuru Poem written by Ponmudiyar is 310th Canto. This is the voice of a mother whose son was killed in the war. Mother is comparing situations before the death of her son on battlefield and now when he is dead. She says about the situation when she used to threaten him when he would refuse to drink milk, and now when he has killed enemies and has taken a death for motherland. She talks about the tender love and brave heart of her son in two situations.
O my mind! You are in pain and distress!
Before… if I gave him milk to drink, he would not drink.
Without getting angry, I would lift a small stick
And threaten him, and he would be afraid.
Now, The young man with a thin beard and hair
Tuft like that of a horse’s mane, who killed
Elephants with spots and was not satisfied, the son
Of a brave man who fell in battle the previous day,
Who said he was not aware of the arrow that had
Pierced and wounded him, lays fallen on his shield.
Author; Dr.Sandeep Sadanand Chaugule, you may reach out to him on Twitter @sandipchaugulie
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