குறள் மேல்வைப்பு வெண்பா - ( Kural Stories )- 2

 Dear All

Thanks for the response for the first post on Kural and the stories. Enthused by the response , I am posting the second kural.

This one is from the Chapter entitled ' Honour "  ( Manam- மானம் ).The story referred to is that of the Pandiya king known as Korkaip Paandiyan. He was responsible for murdering Kovalan , the husband of Kannagi. The King wrongly orders Kovalan to be executed and when Kannagi proves to him that Kovalan is innocent, he is filled with remorse and dies on the spot saying -

" யானோ அரசன் ? யானே கள்வன் ! ' ( Am a a King ? No, I myself am the thief! )

A more detailed version of the story is in given as a foot  note. 

Now for the poem in four lines, with the Kural in original forming the third and fourth lines. 

Dr.Kanniappan, an avid tamil enthusiast and poet, tells me that this type of writing, where you superimpose your own creation on the top of an existing creation and create a Venba,  is called மேல் வைப்பு வெண்பா.

Accordingly I have titled this as  குறள் கருத்து மேல் வைப்பு வெண்பா.

கோணிற்றென் கோலென்று  கண்டுணர்ந்த பாண்டியனும்

வீணினிநான் .வாழ்வதென நாணியுயிர் விட்டான்.. 

மயிர்நீப்பின் வாழாக் கவரிமான் அன்னார்

உயிர்நீப்பர் மானம் வரின்.  

* கோணிற்றென் கோல் -- The scptre which I hold as a mark of Justice has got " bent " as I have erred.      

                              

The English version in poetic form :

The poetic English version given this time, is by the Tamil Poet Sutthanandha Bharathiaar.  I find his translation better and to the point than the much acclaimed version of Rev.Pope ! However the meaning is as given in the version by Rev.Pope and associates.

Honours Lost , the noble expire ,

Like the yak that looses its hair.

Meaning : Those who give up their life when their honour is at stake, are like the Yak ( kavari maan ) which kills itself at the loss of even one of its hair.

I request you to  forward this to your friends so that they also may get exposed to / get reacquainted with the Tamil Classic. 

V. Ramesh

The Kovaklan story :

Kovalan and his wife Kannagi, who had lost all their wealth and had fallen on bad times due to the wrong deeds of Kovalan come to Madurai from Thanjavur to make a living. Kovalan, in order to raise some money, tries to sell the anklets of Kannagi at the local market when the kings soldiers, searching for the missing anlklet of the queen, mistakenly arrest him and produce him before the King. The King, without proper enquiry, orders Kovalan to be executed. On hearing the death of her husband, Kannagi rushes to the Kings court and proves that her husband is not a thief. The King, overcome with remorse at his hasty action, dies on the spot.                                                 

V.Ramesh

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