Mullaippāṭṭu (Tamil: முல்லைப்பாட்டு, lit. "the forest or jungle song") is an ancient Tamil poem in the Sangam literature.[1] Authored by Napputanar, it is the shortest poem in the Ten Idylls (Pattuppāṭṭu) anthology, consisting of 103 lines in akaval meter.[2][3] It is largely an akam-genre (love) poem about a wife in grief when her husband does not return from the war front, when he promised he will. The Mullaippattu weaves her sorrow with her attempts at patience and self-control. The poem was likely composed about 230 CE or slightly later, according to Kamil Zvelebil – a Tamil literature scholar.[2][4]
Mullaippāṭṭu முல்லைப்பாட்டு
The Mullaippattu poem is named after the 'mullai' creeper (above) found in jungles.
The title of the poem Mullaippattu refers to the creeper mullai (jasmine) that carries sweet-smelling flowers in the jungles of South India, states Chelliah.[3] It metonymically connotes the jungle home and sweet wife a warrior chieftain left when he went on his military campaign. He promised to return before the rains.[5] The rains have come, are falling abundantly, but neither has her husband returned nor a word about him has come. She is worried and in grief. She and her maids pray in a temple for his return, make offerings.[5] They seek omens and words of guess. She tries to be patient but can hide her sorrow. The poem alternates lines painting her in her cycles of emotions. Then, she hears the trumpeting approach of victorious troupes, signaling the return of her husband. She is filled with joy.[5]
The poem is "one of the most beautiful of the Pattuppattu songs, states Zvelebil.[4] The akam portions of the poem paint the lover's anguish, while the puram portions describe the temporary military camp of the chieftain in the jungle.[3][4] The chieftain is reflecting on the loss of life, the injured soldiers and the crippled elephants in previous military campaigns.[3][4] His wife is worried about him.[3] The two portions – akam and puram – are woven together in the form of a mattu (linking) for a contrasting impact.[3][4] The 14th-century scholar Naccinarkkiniyar wrote a commentary on this poem.[4]
The Mullaippattu is a source of historical and social information. It is notable for its mention of yavanas (Greek-Romans, lines 61, 73–83) as part of the troupes in the Tamil kingdom's army.[2][6] It describes their dress, uses the word mileccar for them, and calls them the bodyguard of the king. The yavanas can't speak the local language and communicate using gestures, states Mullaippattu.[2][7] The mahouts (riders) of the elephants are described as "speaking the northern language".[2] The military camp is described as camouflaged, tents covered with leaves, and the entire camp surrounded by thorny cover.[8] The poem mentions water clock, different variety of flowers in the jungle, and warriors going into battle wearing a garland of flowers.[7]
The short poem mentions the Hindu god Vishnu through an elaborate simile.[9][10][11] It also mentions the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi in lines 6–7, to whom the women pray for the return of the warriors.[12][13] Lines 46–47 of Mullaippattu mentions Brahmin yogis in ochre-colored clothes carrying three staves.[14] The poem has about 500 words, predominantly Tamil. It has 13 Sanskrit loan words and 2 non-Tamil provincial words.[15]
^S. R. Balasubrahmanyam (1966). Early Chola Art. Asia Publishers. p. 5.
^Hephzibah Jesudasan; G. John Samuel; P. Thiagarajan (1999). Count-down from Solomon, Or, The Tamils Down the Ages Through Their Literature: Caṅkam and the aftermath. Institute of Asian Studies. p. 44.
JV Chelliah (1946). Pattupattu - Ten Tamil Idylls (Tamil Verses with Englilsh Translation). Tamil University (1985 print).
Edward Jewitt Robinson (2001). Tamil Wisdom: Traditions Concerning Hindu Sages and Selections from Their Writings. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.
Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983)
Pillai, M. S. Purnalingam (1994). Tamil Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 115. ISBN81-206-0955-7.
Ray, Himanshu Prabha (2003). The archaeology of seafaring in ancient South Asia. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. ISBN9780521011099.
Selby, Martha Ann (2011) Tamil Love Poetry: The Five Hundred Short Poems of the Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, an Early Third-Century Anthology. Columbia University Press, ISBN9780231150651
Takanobu Takahashi (1995). Tamil Love Poetry and Poetics. BRILL Academic. ISBN90-04-10042-3.
Eva Maria Wilden (2014). Manuscript, Print and Memory: Relics of the Cankam in Tamilnadu. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN978-3-11-035276-4.
Kamil Zvelebil (1973). The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. BRILL. ISBN90-04-03591-5.
Kamil Zvelebil (1974). Tamil Literature. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN978-3-447-01582-0.
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Mullaippaṭṭu Tamil ம ல ல ப ப ட ட lit the forest or jungle song is an ancient Tamil poem in the Sangam literature 1 Authored by Napputanar it is the shortest poem in the Ten Idylls Pattuppaṭṭu anthology consisting of 103 lines in akaval meter 2 3 It is largely an akam genre love poem about a wife in grief when her husband does not return from the war front when he promised he will The Mullaippattu weaves her sorrow with her attempts at patience and self control The poem was likely composed about 230 CE or slightly later according to Kamil Zvelebil a Tamil literature scholar 2 4 Mullaippaṭṭuம ல ல ப ப ட ட The Mullaippattu poem is named after the mullai creeper above found in jungles AuthorNapputanarWorking titleMullaippaattuCountryIndiaLanguageOld TamilSeriesTen Idylls anthology of the Eighteen Greater Texts seriesSubjectAkam love genre 1 GenrePoetrySet inPost Sangam era c 230 CE or slightly later Topics in Sangam literatureSangam literatureAgattiyam TolkappiyamEighteen Greater TextsEight AnthologiesAiṅkurunuṟu AkanaṉuṟuPuṟanaṉuṟu KalittokaiKuṟuntokai NatṟiṇaiParipaṭal PatiṟṟuppattuTen IdyllsTirumurukaṟṟuppaṭai KuṟincippaṭṭuMalaipaṭukaṭam MaturaikkanciMullaippaṭṭu NeṭunalvaṭaiPaṭṭiṉappalai PerumpaṇaṟṟuppaṭaiPoruṇaraṟṟuppaṭai CiṟupaṇaṟṟuppaṭaiRelated topicsSangam Sangam landscapeTamil history from Sangam literature Ancient Tamil musicEighteen Lesser TextsNalaṭiyar NaṉmaṇikkaṭikaiIṉṉa Naṟpatu Iṉiyavai NaṟpatuKar Naṟpatu Kaḷavaḻi NaṟpatuAintiṇai Aimpatu Tiṉaimoḻi AimpatuAintinai Eḻupatu Tiṇaimalai NuṟṟaimpatuTirukkuṟaḷ TirikaṭukamAcarakkōvai Paḻamoḻi NaṉuṟuCiṟupancamulam MutumoḻikkanciElati KainnilaieditThe title of the poem Mullaippattu refers to the creeper mullai jasmine that carries sweet smelling flowers in the jungles of South India states Chelliah 3 It metonymically connotes the jungle home and sweet wife a warrior chieftain left when he went on his military campaign He promised to return before the rains 5 The rains have come are falling abundantly but neither has her husband returned nor a word about him has come She is worried and in grief She and her maids pray in a temple for his return make offerings 5 They seek omens and words of guess She tries to be patient but can hide her sorrow The poem alternates lines painting her in her cycles of emotions Then she hears the trumpeting approach of victorious troupes signaling the return of her husband She is filled with joy 5 The poem is one of the most beautiful of the Pattuppattu songs states Zvelebil 4 The akam portions of the poem paint the lover s anguish while the puram portions describe the temporary military camp of the chieftain in the jungle 3 4 The chieftain is reflecting on the loss of life the injured soldiers and the crippled elephants in previous military campaigns 3 4 His wife is worried about him 3 The two portions akam and puram are woven together in the form of a mattu linking for a contrasting impact 3 4 The 14th century scholar Naccinarkkiniyar wrote a commentary on this poem 4 The Mullaippattu is a source of historical and social information It is notable for its mention of yavanas Greek Romans lines 61 73 83 as part of the troupes in the Tamil kingdom s army 2 6 It describes their dress uses the word mileccar for them and calls them the bodyguard of the king The yavanas can t speak the local language and communicate using gestures states Mullaippattu 2 7 The mahouts riders of the elephants are described as speaking the northern language 2 The military camp is described as camouflaged tents covered with leaves and the entire camp surrounded by thorny cover 8 The poem mentions water clock different variety of flowers in the jungle and warriors going into battle wearing a garland of flowers 7 The short poem mentions the Hindu god Vishnu through an elaborate simile 9 10 11 It also mentions the goddess of wealth Lakshmi in lines 6 7 to whom the women pray for the return of the warriors 12 13 Lines 46 47 of Mullaippattu mentions Brahmin yogis in ochre colored clothes carrying three staves 14 The poem has about 500 words predominantly Tamil It has 13 Sanskrit loan words and 2 non Tamil provincial words 15 See also EditPattuppaṭṭu Sangam literatureReferences Edit a b Kamil Zvelebil 1974 pp 25 26 a b c d e Kamil Zvelebil 1973 p 61 a b c d e f JV Chelliah 1946 pp 81 84 a b c d e f Kamil Zvelebil 1974 p 25 a b c JV Chelliah 1946 pp 81 82 G John Samuel 1977 Studies in Comparative Literature Tamil Malayalam amp English Mani Pathippakam p 92 a b JV Chelliah 1946 pp 83 84 JV Chelliah 1946 pp 82 84 JV Chelliah 1946 pp 84 90 94 S R Balasubrahmanyam 1966 Early Chola Art Asia Publishers p 5 Hephzibah Jesudasan G John Samuel P Thiagarajan 1999 Count down from Solomon Or The Tamils Down the Ages Through Their Literature Caṅkam and the aftermath Institute of Asian Studies p 44 JV Chelliah 1946 pp 84 94 K V Raman 2006 Temple Art Icons And Culture Of India And South East Asia Munshiram Manoharlal pp 141 151 note 3 ISBN 978 81 88934 31 7 JV Chelliah 1946 pp 84 91 94 JV Chelliah 1946 pp 85 Bibliography Edit JV Chelliah 1946 Pattupattu Ten Tamil Idylls Tamil Verses with Englilsh Translation Tamil University 1985 print Edward Jewitt Robinson 2001 Tamil Wisdom Traditions Concerning Hindu Sages and Selections from Their Writings New Delhi Asian Educational Services Mudaliyar Singaravelu A Apithana Cintamani An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature 1931 Reprinted by Asian Educational Services New Delhi 1983 Pillai M S Purnalingam 1994 Tamil Literature Asian Educational Services p 115 ISBN 81 206 0955 7 Ray Himanshu Prabha 2003 The archaeology of seafaring in ancient South Asia Cambridge Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge ISBN 9780521011099 Selby Martha Ann 2011 Tamil Love Poetry The Five Hundred Short Poems of the Aiṅkuṟunuṟu an Early Third Century Anthology Columbia University Press ISBN 9780231150651 Takanobu Takahashi 1995 Tamil Love Poetry and Poetics BRILL Academic ISBN 90 04 10042 3 Eva Maria Wilden 2014 Manuscript Print and Memory Relics of the Cankam in Tamilnadu Walter de Gruyter ISBN 978 3 11 035276 4 Kamil Zvelebil 1973 The Smile of Murugan On Tamil Literature of South India BRILL ISBN 90 04 03591 5 Kamil Zvelebil 1974 Tamil Literature Otto Harrassowitz Verlag ISBN 978 3 447 01582 0 Zvelebil Kamil 1992 Companion studies to the history of Tamil literature BRILL p 73 ISBN 90 04 09365 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mullaippaṭṭu amp oldid 1119551520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
