Episode 01 - Chapter 9 - Canto on Thara's lament.

Chapter 9 - Canto on Thara’s Lament – தாரை புலம்புறு படலம்

Kamban presents the lamentation by Thaara , Vaali’s wife in a dozen verses that would both make readers grieve with her and also bring out that character’s highly evolved intellect. We would savour just a few:

வேய்ங் குழல், விளரி நல் யாழ், வீணை, என்று இனைய நாண,

ஏங்கினள்; இரங்கி விம்மி உருகினள்; இரு கை கூப்பித்

தாங்கினள் தலையில்; சோர்ந்து, சரிந்து தாழ் குழல்கள் தள்ளி,

ஓங்கிய குரலால் பன்னி, இனையன உரைக்கலுற்றாள்:       

Thaara, with her palms clasped in obeisance, held her head with her hands, collapsed on the ground with her dark stresses falling around and lamented in a deep grieving voice, that put to shame the flute, the string instruments ‘yaazh’ and veena. (The poet brings in an interesting, apparently mis fitting, allegory: Thaara’s voice, while she lamented, was more melodious than the flute, yazh and veena.)

'துயராலே தொலையாத என்னையும்,

பயிராயோ? பகையாத பண்பினாய்!

செயிர் தீராய், விதி ஆன தெய்வமே!

உயிர் போனால், உடலாரும் உய்வரோ?

“Oh! My Lord, who wholly empathized with me, emotionally and in thoughts! (பகையாத பண்பினாய்) Would you not call me, wallowing in this endless grief, to where you are! Oh! God who took the form of Destiny! Won’t you simmer down in your anger? Would you not know that after the life departs, the body shall not survive? (The life here is Vaali and the body is Thaara).

'நறிது ஆம் நல் அமிழ்து உண்ண நல்கலின்,

பிறியா இன் உயிர் பெற்ற பெற்றி, தாம்

அறியாரோ நமனார்? அது அன்று எனின்,

சிறியாரோ, உபகாரம் சிந்தியார்?

“Did not the God of Death (Yama) remember that it was because of your grand gesture of goodwill for the Devas, by your helping in the churning of the Thirupparkadal and the rising of the divine nectar which you selflessly gave to them and made them deathless? If he did remember, was he so small-minded to consider that great help by you?”

'செரு ஆர் தோள! நின் சிந்தை உளேன் என்னின்,

மருவார் வெஞ் சரம் எனையும் வவ்வுமால்;

ஒருவேனுள் உளை ஆகின், உய்தியால்;

இருவேமுள் இருவேம் இருந்திலேம்

“Oh! The One with battle-seeking rising shoulders! If it was true that I resided in your heart, the dart that took your life, should it not have taken mine too?”

'ஓயா வாளி ஒளித்து நின்று எய்வான்

ஏயா வந்த இராமன் என்று உளான்,

வாயால் ஏயினன் என்னின், வாழ்வு எலாம்

ஈயாயோ? அமிழ்தேயும் ஈகுவாய்!

“Had Rama, who, hiding himself, shot his unfailing dart at you (instead) come to you and had asked you (anything), would you not have given him your entirelife? Did you not grant even the divine nectar to the Gods, without thinking of yourself?”

தகை நேர் வண் புகழ் நின்று, தம்பியார்,

பகை நேர்வார் உளர் ஆன பண்பினால்,

உக நேர் சிந்தி உலந்து அழிந்தனன்;

மகனே! கண்டிலையோ, நம் வாழ்வு எலாம்?

Thaara, addressing her son, Angada (who was yet to arrive there), would counsel him thus:

“My Son! Your father’s brother (Sugreeva), having been suppliant to your father all along, turned an adversary; and on that score, your father got destroyed – losing his life; and see what had befallen our lives!” தகை நேர் வண் புகழ் நின்று, தம்பியார் = Thaara uses a demeaning term – Sugreeva all along shone with borrowed feathers, thriving under Vaali’s prowess and reputation.

'அரு மைந்து அற்றம் அகற்றும் வில்லியார்,

ஒரு மைந்தற்கும் அடாதது உன்னினார்;

தருமம் பற்றிய தக்கவர்க்கு எலாம்,

கருமம் கட்டளை என்றல் கட்டதோ?'   

“The bow-wielding one (Rama), though (accredited with the reputation of) relieving everyone of their distress and pains, plotted a deed that was wholly unacceptable. Is the adage “for those who are affiliated to Dharma, their own deeds shall define that affiliation” just a bogus one?”

Hanuman, not wishing to have Thaara prolong her grieving at that place and context (as she was off and on throwing barbs at Rama in the course of her laments), had her removed to her palace with the help of her maids; he had Angada perform the funeral rites and obsequies for Vaali and then went to Rama, to report what had been accomplished.

The poet once again portrays the highly evolved person that Thaara was – in intellect, worldly wisdom and social skill-sets. Commentators of the AAadi Kaavya would elevate Thaara to the exalted club of “pancha kanyas”

ahalyaa draupAadii taaraa siitaa manDodarii tathaa | pa~nca kanyaaH paThet nityam duHsvapnam tasya na pashyati

Ahalya, DraupAadi, Thaara, Sita and Mandothari – If you recite these (lofty) pancha kanyas daily, one would not encounter nightmares in sleep.