குறுந்தொகை - 1

D01114 - குறுந்தொகை - 1

In this and the next two lessons the sangam work of குறுந்தொகை is taken up for our discussion. As before, the contents, techniques and format of select poems are explained. Thirteen poems find place in this lesson. One of them is very popular because it is the source of an interesting debate in திருவிளையாடற் புராணம். The legendary question was whether the hair of a woman have natural fragrance. And another poem speaks of the traditional cultural tenet of a woman wishing her lover to be her loving husband in the future births also.

Most of these poems are songs on the despair of heroines in separation or of heroes unable to get their heroines as wives.

This lesson puts forth several moot points in Tamil culture for elaboration and illustration. Waning beauty of a heroine in the absence of her hero nearby, possible loss of life of the heroine due to her intense love for the hero and unpredictability of the bond of love are some of the other ideas treated in the select poems. As usual, the three units deal with the poetic scenes, techniques and forms with reference to the select poems.

கொங்குதேர் வாழ்க்கை, யாயும் ஞாயும் and இடிக்கும் கேளிர் are popular poems among the connoisseurs of Tamil Literature. The poets include even divine persons like இறையனார் or Lord Siva himself, and sangam poets like பாலை பாடிய பெருங்கடுங்கோ, கபிலர் and ஒளவையார். Cross reference to திருக்குறள் and திருவிளையாடற் புராணம் and poets named after the metaphors created by them like செம்புலப் பெயல்நீரார், job-titled poets like வடம வண்ணக்கன் தாமோதரனார் and biographical poetess like வெள்ளிவீதியார் figure in this lesson dealing with some of their poems. Each poem is mentioned by its beginning phrase, followed by a short note on the poet, the landscape environs for the poetic theme and the context and content summary. Even a prostitute happens to be the medium for poetic expressions like the analogy of ஆடிப்பாவை.

Love life against natural background has been treated in the short poems of குறுந்தொகை also. Giving vent to the deepest feelings of heroines through these poems is enjoyable. Art and literature from time immemorial are concerned with emotions of love as researched by scholars almost eternally. Thiruvalluvar’s term ‘செவ்வி’ referring to the maturity of love is used by ‘Kabilar’ also. குறுந்தொகை is also a fine example for the use of the excellent form of ஆசிரியப்பா.

You will understand the esteem enjoyed by love in and the inseparability of nature from human life.