the Tamil land and through forests infested with wild animals. That paalai was understood to be more dangerous and more fearful than neytal which implied long voyages across the ocean, is probably explained by the fact that the land journeys across the Deccan forests, the home of ferocious animals and wild tribes, were considered more pregnant with danger than the voyages over familiar waves with familiar winds to guide them.

The yearly seasons allotted to paalai were early summer and the advanced summer and by exception, also the late dew season, for these are the seasons during which the heat of the sun dries up vegetation and creates temporary deserts.17 To make the scene even drearier and more desolate, the period of day allotted to paalai was mid-day when the sun is blazing warm. As an appropriate setting to the poetry on separation, the desert is most appropriate because it symbolizes the dreariness of the heart within.

The puṛam division corresponding to paalai is vaahai named after the white crest-like flower of the vaahai tree, the mimosa flectuosa, one of the shadiest in the landscape, but dreary-looking in summer. The significance of this division is victory achieved in war or in any of the other laudable walks of life, victory that entitles one to the praise and glory of his fellow-men. The vaahai garland was worn by armies when they returned victorious from the battle-field. The reason for the choice of the desert was, as the temporary desert may occur in any of the other four regions, victory too may be obtained in any of the other four strategic movements. While the other four puṛam divisions are exclusively limited to warfare, the vaahai division extended to the victories of both war and peace, and could include also any eulogistic poem.¹⁸

Lastly, there is the separation that takes place due to courtezans, which results in a "wife's sulkiness." The misconduct of the husband may be real, or it may be an unfounded suspicion on the part of the wife, but since ill-temper due to jealousy plays a large part in the course of conjugal love, it was allotted a division by itself. To it was prescribed the marutam or the agricultural plains. The Tamil cities and

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