O YE GODS! WHERE HAVE YE GONE!!
There were thousands of pulavars or poets among the Tamils. Although they were feted and feasted in the times of yore, they reached their dogdays by the 14th century.
Most of them composed small pieces of literary work called prabanthams while others
composed puranams dedicated to the various pilgrimage centres.
Life was hard for them.
Many of them found it hard to make a living because, all they knew was Tamil literature, and as poets, they were always living in a world of their own.
Most of the time, they would be jolted into reality by the abject poverty and the naked reality of the dire circumstances.
There are many single verses which were sung on various types of occasions.
These are available as the 'Thani Paadal's.
As it is, there are a few thousand verses at the present. A small portion of them have been collected and published. But for the most part, they remain hidden and are rapidly being destroyed by the ravages of time.
Among the famous pulavars, were a duo called the 'irattaiyar' or 'irattai pulavar'.
One of them was blind and the other was lame.
The lame poet would ride on the shoulders of the blind one. He would guild the blind one and the blind one walks.
Thus they made a perfect team.
They are a standing monument for team-work.
Their modus operandi was thus:
One of them would sing the first two lines of a veNba. The other one would then complete the veNba without a pause in between.
Only once did they pause because of hunger pangs.
However, that song was completed by the great KaaLamEgam.
One day they were passing through a difficult terrain and came across a delapidated temple.
The idols were lying helter-skelter. It was very evident that no pujais had been done for many years.
The First of the irattaiyar addressing the idols, sang -
"kEtta varam aLikkum kIIrththi migu theyvanggaaL
kuuttOdu kudi enggE pOnIIr?........"
"O Deities of great fame! Who granted whatever boons and blessing were asked! Where have you migrated lock, stock and barrel?"
The second poet finished the next two lines as if the idols were answering the query.
".........Paataay kEL!
selkaalamellaam seluththinOm; al kaalam
kallaanOm sempaanOm kaaN!"
"...................- O Poet who sang thus! Listen Ye!
As long as our days were glorious, we extended our blessing and influence.
When the times became nought, we changed into stone and copper (of which we are made)".
Let us combine the lines and form the complete song.
kEtta varam aLikkum kIIrththi migu theyvanggaaL
kuuttOdu kudi enggE pOnIIr? - Paataay kEL!
selkaalam ellaam seluththinOm; al kaalam
kallaanOm sembaanOm kaaN!"
"O Deities of great fame! Who granted whatever boons and blessing were asked! Where have you migrated lock, stock and barrel?"
"O Poet who sang thus! Listen Ye! As long as our days were glorious, we extended our
blessing and influence. When the times became nought, we changed into stone and copper(of which we are made)".
Its a beautiful piece of literature depicting the gross reality of the world that we see to day.
Even gods turn into stone and copper!
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