ஞானத்தேடல் - Ep 129 - சகுனம் - 2 - (Gnanathedal)

 சகுனம் - 2

சகுனம் அல்லது நிமித்தம் தமிழர் வாழ்வில் கலந்த ஒன்று அவற்றை பற்றி இலக்கியங்கள் என்ன கூறுகின்றன என்பது  பற்றி இந்த பதிவில் பார்ப்போம்...  

Sagunam (Signs/Omen) - 2

Watching for signs/omen has been a part of Tamil culture. There are a lot of literary references about these. Let's explore those in this episode

References

சகுனம்

சொல்லரியகருடன்வா னரமரவ மூஞ்சூறு

சூகரங் கீரி கலைமான்

றுய்யபா ரத்வாச மட்டையெலி புன்கூகை

சொற்பெருக மருவு மாந்தை

வெல்லரிய கரடிகாட் டான்பூனை புலிமேல்

விளங்குமிரு நா வுடும்பு

மிகவுரைசெ யிவையெலாம் வலமிருந் திடமாகில்

வெற்றியுண் டதிக நலமாம்

ஒல்லையின் வழிப்பயண மாகுமவர் தலைதாக்க

லொருதுடை யிருத்தல் பற்ற

லொருதும்ம லாணையிட லிருமல்போ கேலென்ன

வுபசுருதி சொல்லியவை யெலாம்

அல்லறரு நல்லவல வென்பர்முதி யோர்பரவு

மமலனே யருமை மதவே

ளனுதினமு மனதினினை தருசதுர கிரிவள

ரறப்பளீ சுர தேவனே. 62

இதுவுமது

நரிமயில் பசுங்கிள்ளை கோழிகொக் கொடுகாக்கை

நாலி சிச்சிலி யோந்திதான்

நரையான் கடுத்தவாய்ச் செம்போத் துடன்மேதி

நாடரிய சுரபி மறையோர்

வரியுழுவை முயலிவை யனைத்தும்வல மாயிடின்

வழிப்பயண மாகை நன்றா

மற்றுமிவை யன்றியே குதிரையனு மானித்தல்

வாய்ச்சொல் வாவா வென்றிடல்

தருவளை தொனித்திடுதல் கொம்புகிடு முடியரசர்

தப்பட்டை யொலிவல் வேட்டுத்

தணிமணி முழுக்கொழுத லிவையெலா மூர்வழி

தனக்கே நன்மை யென்பர்

அருணகிர ணோதயத் தருணபா னுவையனைய

வண்ணலே யருமை மதவே

ளனுதினமு மனதினினை தருசதுர கிரிவள

ரறப்பளீ சுர தேவனே. 63

இதுவுமது

தலைவிரித் தெதிர்வருத லொற்றைப் பிராமணன்

றவசி சன்னாசி தட்டான்

றனமிலா வெறுமார்பி மூக்கறைபுல் விறகுதலை

தட்டைமுடி மொட்டைத் தலை

கலன்கழி மடைந்தையர் குசலக்கலஞ் செக்கான்

கதித்ததில் தைல மிவைகள்

காணவெதிர் வரவொணா நீர்க்குட மெருக்கூடை

கனிபுலா லுபய மறையோர்

நலமிகு சுமங்கலை கிழங்கு சூதகமங்கை

நாளும் வண்ணா னழுக்கும்

நசைபெருகு பாற்கலச மணிவளையன் மலரிலைக

னாடியெதிர் வர நன்மையாம்

அலைகொண்ட கங்கைபுனை வேணியாய் பரசணியு

மண்ணலே யருமை மதவே

ளனுதினமு மன தினினை தருசதுர கிரிவள

ரறப்பளீ சுர தேவனே. 64

துடிநூல்

சீருடனே துடிக்கிலுச்சி யிடரேநீங்கும்

     சிறந்தவுச்சிவலந்துடிக்கி லச்சஞ்சொல்லும்

பேருடனேவுச்சியிடம் பெருமையாகும்

    பின்றலையே துடிக்கிற் சத்துருக்களுண்டாம்

சார்புடனேதலையடங்கற் றுடிக்குமாகின்

    றலைவனாற்பெருமை சம்பத்துமுண்டாம்

நேருடனேநெற்றியிடத் துடிக்குமாகின்

    நேர்வார்த்தைசம்பத்து நிறையவாமே

‘நலம் துடிக்கின்றதோ? நான் செய் தீவினைச்

சலம் துடித்து, இன்னமும் தருவது உண்மையோ?-

பொலந் துடி மருங்குலாய்!-புருவம், கண், முதல்

வலம் துடிக்கின்றில; வருவது ஓர்கிலேன்.

‘முனியொடு மிதிலையில் முதல்வன் முந்து நாள்,

துனி அறு புருவமும், தோளும், நாட்டமும்,

இனியன துடித்தன; ஈண்டும், ஆண்டு என்

நனி துடிக்கின்றன; ஆய்ந்து நல்குவாய்

‘மறந்தனென்; இதுவும் ஓர் மாற்றம் கேட்டியால்:

அறம் தரு சிந்தை என் ஆவி நாயகன்,

பிறந்த பார் முழுவதும் தம்பியே பெறத்

துறந்து, கான் புகுந்த நாள், வலம் துடித்ததே

‘நஞ்சு அனையான், வனத்து இழைக்க நண்ணிய

வஞ்சனை நாள், வலம் துடித்த; வாய்மையால்

எஞ்சல; ஈண்டு தாம் இடம் துடிக்குமால்;

“அஞ்சல்” என்று இரங்குவாய்! அடுப்பது யாது?’ என்றாள்

உள்ளகம் நறுந்தா துறைப்பமீ தழிந்து

கள்ளுக நடுங்குங் கழுநீர் போலக்

கண்ணகி கருங்கணும் மாதவி செங்கணும்

உண்ணிறை கரந்தகத் தொளித்துநீ ருகுத்தன

எண்ணுமுறை இடத்தினும் வலத்தினுந் துடித்தன

விண்ணவர் கோமான் விழவுநா ளகத்தென் 

- சிலப்பதிகாரம்

ஞானத்தேடல் - Ep 126 - நட்பின் இலக்கணம் பிசிராந்தையார் கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன் - (Gnanathedal)

 

நட்பின் இலக்கணம் பிசிராந்தையார் கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன்

காய்நெல் அறுத்துக் கவளங் கொளினே,

மாநிறைவு இல்லதும், பன்நாட்கு ஆகும்;

நூறுசெறு ஆயினும், தமித்துப்புக்கு உணினே,

வாய்புகு வதனினும் கால்பெரிது கெடுக்கும்;

அறிவுடை வேந்தன் நெறியறிந்து கொளினே,

கோடி யாத்து, நாடுபெரிது நந்தும்;

மெல்லியன் கிழவன் ஆகி, வைகலும்

வரிசை அறியாக் கல்லென் சுற்றமொடு,

பரிவுதப எடுக்கும் பிண்டம் நச்சின்,

யானை புக்க புலம்போலத்,

தானும் உண்ணான், உலகமும் கெடுமே

- புறநானூறு (184)

வரி எப்படி வசூலிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற முறையை மிக அழகாக அனைவரும் புரியும் வண்ணம் எளிமையாக இந்த பாடலில் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பாடலின் விளக்கம்: விளைந்த நெல்லை அறுத்து உணவுக் கவளங்களாக்கி யானைக்குக் கொடுத்தால், ஒருமா அளவுகூட இல்லாத நிலத்தில் விளைந்த நெல்கூட பல நாட்களுக்கு யானைக்கு உணவாகும். ஆனால், நூறு வயல்கள் இருந்தாலும், யானை தானே புகுந்து உண்ண ஆரம்பித்தால், யானை தின்பதைவிட யானையின் கால்களால் மிதிபட்டு அழிந்த நெல்லின் அளவு அதிகமாகும். அறிவுடைய அரசன் வரி திரட்டும் முறை தெரிந்து மக்களிடமிருந்து வரி திரட்டினால் நாடு கோடிக் கணக்கில் பொருள்களைப் பெற்றுத் தழைக்கும். அரசன் அறிவில் குறைந்தவனாகி, முறை அறியாத சுற்றத்தாரோடு ஆரவாரமாக அன்பு கெடுமாறு, நாள்தோறும் வரியைத் திரட்ட விரும்பினால், யானை புகுந்த நிலம் போலத் தானும் பயனடையாமல் உலகமும் (தன் நாடும்) கெடும்.

அறந்துஞ்சும் உறந்தை 

அன்னச்சேவலே! குமரித்துறையில் அயிரைமீனை விழுங்கிவிட்டு வடமலைக்குப் பறந்து செல்லும்போது, இடையில் உறையூருக்குச் சென்று, "பிசிராந்தையார் வளர்ப்புப் பறவை நான் (பிசிராந்தை அடியுறை) என்று சொன்னால் அரசன் கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன் உன் பேடைப்பறவை அணிந்துகொள்ள அணிகலன்கள் தருவான்" என்று ஒரு பாடலில் இவர் குறிப்பிட்ட உவமை கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன் மீது இவர் கொண்டிருந்த பற்றியும் நாட்டின் வளத்தையும் அழகாக விளக்குகிறது.

யாண்டு பலவாக நரையில வாகுதல்

யாங்காகியர் என வினவுதிராயின்,

மாண்ட என் மனைவியொடு மக்களும் நிரம்பினர்

யான் கண்டனையர் என் இளையரும் வேந்தனும்

அல்லவை செய்யான் காக்கும் அதன் தலை

ஆன்று அவிந்து அடங்கிய கொள்கைச்

சான்றோர் பலர் யான் வாழும் ஊரே

- புறநானூறு (191)

நினைக்கும் காலை மருட்கை உடைத்தே,

எனைப்பெரும் சிறப்பினோடு ஈங்கிது துணிதல்;

அதனினும் மருட்கை உடைத்தே, பிறன் நாட்டுத்

தோற்றம் சான்ற சான்றோன் போற்றி,

இசைமரபு ஆக, நட்புக் கந்தாக,

இனையதோர் காலை ஈங்கு வருதல்;

‘வருவன்’ என்ற கோனது பெருமையும்,

அது பழுது இன்றி வந்தவன் அறிவும்,

வியத்தொறும் வியத்தொறும் வியப்பிறந் தன்றே;

அதனால், தன்கோல் இயங்காத்தேயத்து உறையும்

சான்றோன் நெஞ்சுறப் பெற்ற தொன்றிசை

அன்னோனை இழந்தஇவ் வுலகம்

என்னா வதுகொல்? அளியது தானே!

- புறநானூறு (217)

என்று வியந்து வியந்து பாடி உருகினார்.. தானும் வடகிருந்து உயிர் துறக்க முடிவு செய்தார்.

உடனே மன்னன் தடுத்து, “உமக்கு இன்னும் மகப்பேறு இல்லை. மகப்பேறு இல்லாத மாந்தர்கள் வானவர் தம் உலகு புகப்பெறார். ஆகையால் மகன் பிறந்த பிறகு வந்து அரசனது நடுகல் இடம் கொடுக்க, வடக்கிருந்து உயிர் துறந்தார் என்பது வரலாறு.

சங்க கால புலவர்களின் வாழ்க்கை நமக்கு மொழியை மட்டும் புகட்ட வில்லை. மொழியோடு காலத்தால் அழியாத பல உண்மைகளையும் மனிதன் வாழும் நெறிகளையும், உயர்ந்த ஞானத்தையும் நமக்கு வழங்குகின்றன

Ep100 - ஞானத்தேடல் 100 - அன்பர்களுக்கு நன்றி

 

ஞானத்தேடல் 100 - அன்பர்களுக்கு நன்றி 

இது ஞானத்தேடலின் 100 வது பதிவு. ஆதரவளித்த அனைத்து அன்பர்களுக்கும் மனமார்ந்த நன்றிகளை தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறோம். 

குறிப்பாக பதிவுகள் அனுப்பி வாழ்த்து சொன்ன அன்பர்களுக்கு எங்கள் உள்ளம் கனிந்த நன்றிகள் 

- Mr. P. Soundara Rajan

- Mr. Soundararajan Kidambi

- Mr. P. Gopinath

- Dr. R. Rajesh

- Mr. R. G. Kannan

Blissful Bananas

Bananas, the universal fruit that has its place in all auspicious occasions in our culture. This is the third of the Mukkani, called the Vaazhai Pazham. It is available throughout all the seasons in the year. However, the windy season that falls around July-August is when the plantain gets destroyed by winds and that might cause a bit of lag in the arrival of bananas to the market. Its availability througout the year has made it a fruit for all auspicious occasions. Be it a marriage, a celebration or a temple festival, the banana takes the first place among all the fruits. The occasions are celebrated at least with the banana if not the other fruits.

There are many varieties that are available such as the Poovan, Moreese, Rasthaali, Robusta, Sevvaazhai, Naadan, Karpoora Valli, Nendhran, Mondhampazham. Each of these varieties has a unique taste and aroma. Poovan is the most common variety. Nendhran is the one used to make chips when it is unripe. The Karpoora Valli has a very good taste. The Naadan is a variety where people also eat, besides the fruit, the inner side of the peeled skin that has soft layer. Apart from these varieties there are varieties that grow in the mountains, called the Malai Pazham. They also have a very good taste. Normally, the word Pazham, that literally means a fruit, is used to indicate a banana in the common sense. The other fruits are addressed with their respective names like Maampazham, Palaapazham and so on. Though there is a name Vaazhai that is also common, the word Pazham is used more often to indicate it.

The speciality of banana as plant is that all the parts of the plant are used by us - the whole plant, the leaf, the stem, the bark, the flower and the fruit. The parts of the plantain plant are being used by humans since the old ages. The whole plant is used in all auspicious occasions mostly marriage and temple festivals etc. It is used to indicate the prolonged existence of the family for a generations. People tie is at the entrance where the auspicious event occurs as an indication of successful chain of existence. As the term, "Vaazhai Adi Vaazhai", which means, as the young sapling that grows beside the fully grown tree, the family would also sustain its chain the the plantain.




The plantain leaf is used a disposable plate after serving food items. People eat food being served and then they dispose it. This is the first known disposable, eco-friendly utility used by humans. Though there are others like the Paaku mattai and other leaves that are broad enough to hold food, the plantain is more common and being used widely. It is said that eating food served in has some medicinal value and keeps us young. There is even a record about a poet named Pisiraanthaiyaar, who was a dear friend of a great Chola King called Ko Perum Cholan, ate food being served only on a plantain leaf and his appearance remained young that he did not have a single grey hair till his death. Before food is being served, the plantain leaf if washed with water and then food is served. The plantain leaf is used in all occasions like marriage etc for serving food and they disposing off after the meal is over. It is the one of the hygenic ways of taking food. The plantain leaf is very fragile that it could tear off easily, and that is the reason it becomes very costly during windy season.

The stem of the plant called the Vaazhai Thandu, is also used as a recipe. The common recipe is the Kootu, Porial. It is more fibrous and good for health. People cut is across and then into small pieces and collect a fibrous thread that appears while cutting across and then they soak it either into the water in which the rice was washed called the Kazhani Thanni or simple plain water or in the water mixed with dilute curd, so that its colour does not become pale after chopping. It is recommended as a medicine for people who have kidney stones. The Vaazhai Thandu has the ability to dissolve kidney stones, and also alleviate the problem if it is worse. The juice extract is also recommended for these patients. It is also used as a medicine to stop severe diarrhoea. The fibrous thread that comes out when the stem is cut across is collected, dried out and used as a oil-wick for lamps

The bark is stripped of the plant, dried out and then torn vertically as strings that is used to make garlands that is used to decorate the Idols, Statues of Gods in temples. It is called the Vaazhai Naar. Even today it is used by many to make garlands.

The flower called the Vaazhai Poo, is also used as a recipe. People pull out a strong string like structure from each bud of the flower and then cut it across into small pieces and they put it either into the Kazhani Thanni or Plain Water or in the water mixed with dilute curd. The Vaazhai Poo is used as a cure to constipation and his a healthy diet.

There is also another way where the banana is consumed; it is taken as a medicine. That is called the Baspam, the ash after incinerating a thing. There are many baspams the famous one is the gold baspam, very rare and very hard to prepare but very potent. The gold baspam has very strict procedures for consuming, if not followed it could be fatal. But proper usage is more powerful and enables healthy living. The Vaazhai baspam, is very difficult to prepare that many researchers have failed to prepare it. Their attempt resulted in the banana being charred and not being converted into ash. But our siddhars had an easy way of converting the banana into ash that is very cheap and simple that it uses, just the bark of the neem tree and the cloth that is soaked in red soil called Semmann and some camphor to burn it. That ash is consumed to live a healthy life. There is even a medical preparation with the banana that reduces body heat that works well than any other preparation. Also to have easy digestion, people eat a banana after their meal.

The most important preparation out of the banana is the Panchamirdham, that consists of 5 items that are sweet. Its ingredients are the Banana, Dates, Vellam (Kandhsari Sugar), Kalkandu, Honey. Of all the Panchamirdhams, the Palani Panchamirdham is the most popular one.

So the banana is such a divine fruit that the plant gives itself as a whole for the benefit of the people. There are many literary contexts of the banana used in Tamil Literature, some of which are as follows.

The song by Avaiyar in her work, Nallvazhi sings the following song that mentions the plantain






"Nandu Sippi Vei Kadhali Naasamurum Kaalathil
Konda Karuvalikkum Kolgaipol OneThodee
Podham Dhanam Kalvi Pondravarum Kaalam Ayal
Maadhar Mael Vaippar Manam"

meaning, like the Crab, Clamshell, Vengai (a species of tiger in which the cub is born by tearing its mother's stomach) and the Plantain, that dies when its offsprings arrive. Men will destroy themselves when a mind offsprings a thought for other women than their own.

The famous Kaalamegam also compares, a banana and a snake, in his pun filled poem





"Nanjirukkum Tholurikkum Naadharmudi Mael Irukkum
Venjinathil Pall Pattaal Meelaadhu Vinju Malar
Thaenpaayum Solai Thirumalairaayan Varayil
Paambaagum Vaazhai Pazham"

the meaning, first about snake - It has poison (Nanju). It sheds off skin (Thol). It is on top of Lord Shiva's head (Naadhar Mudi). If it strikes with its fangs in anger, then the poison would kill the person. Likewise for the banana - It would seems as if crushed, when it is ripe (Nanji Irukkum). You have to peel the skin to eat it. If hit goes between the teeth of a person, the banana is crushed. It stays on top of the Shiva Lingam as Panchamirdham. So by comparison, in the mountains of Thirumalairaayan, the snake is same as the banana

Both Avaiyar and Kambar have used the following lines when they realised that have to learn a lot besides being great poets.



"Karungaali Kattaikku Vaai Naana Kodari
Ilam Vaazhai Thandirkku Vaai Naanitru"

meaning, the axe that did not give up even for the hardest Karungaali (a tree) wood, gave up for a tender plantain (banana tree) stem. Actually it is hard to cut the banana stem across with an axe that is capable of cutting the hardest woods.

There are even, negative comparisons to the plantain too. For people who are the slow learners and not as smart, they are compared to Vaazhai Mattai (The bark of the banana tree). The mediocres are compared to wood, and the really smart people are compared to camphor. This comparison is based on the burning ability the above.

The other one is about the benefit derived out of friendship. The people who give are close and give benefit only if well tended and maintained are compared to the plantain. The people who help out if they are just well fed are compared to the coconut tree. The people who help out without any expectations are compared to the palm tree.

Though there are good and not good contexts about the banana. It forms a staple diet for the people in our country. The greatness of the blessed fruit that brings joy to all who eat it is a bliss for a lifetime to remember. And its place as a fruit for all auspicious occasions confers the honour for the fruit that has brought joy for generations since the old days. This post completes the information about the Mukkani (Maa, Palaa, Vaazhai).

More to come, until then...

Joyous Jackfruit

The onset of summer indicates the arrival of the Mukkanis - Maa, Palaa, Vaazhai - (Mangoes, Jackfruits and Bananas). Of course, bananas are available throughout the year. The other two are not as plenty as bananas. The Jackfruit, called Palaa Pazham, in Tamil is the second of the Mukkani. The sweetness of the Jackfruit is a hallmark of its popularity. The Jackfruit is available throughout the summer season and once the rain arrives, the jackfruits are not available and the onset of rain decreases the taste in the fruit and are not tasty as the ones in the mid-summer. Biologically, a multiple fruit, the jackfruit forms part in auspicious festivals, esp the Tamil New Year, that usually falls on April 14th, where people offer the Mukkanis, esp the Jackfruit. The mirror is placed as a God Image and the Mukkanis along with other sweet and auspicious offerings are kept the night before the Tamil New Year and people wake up looking into the mirror. This practice has many indepth meanings. First, when people wake up looking into the mirror, it shows their reflection, it means to search the God within themselves and not elsewhere. Second, let the reflections of the auspicious things placed in front of them mirror bestow happiness throughout the year. Third, as the mirror that reflects the whatever is placed before it, let your presence reflect all happiness and sweetness as the Mukkanis in front of the mirror. And so on...

The Jackfruit takes a predominant position as a fruit in the South Indian delicacy. Even the tender Jackfruit, called the Palaa kaai, is used as a spicy recipes like Kootu and other cuisine. The presence of jackfruit trees, each with a bunch of jackfruits, in a country indicates the country's fertility in those good old days. And in many songs, the jackfruit is mentioned as a part of fertility and the richness of the plant life in the country. Even in many pasurams by Thirumangai Azhwar in Naalayira Dhivya Prabandham, he mentions about jackfruit soaked in honey. Well that is one good combination to eat jackfruit. The taste of jackfruit soaked in honey is unmatched and out of this world. There is yet another comibination in which people eat jackfruit, they pour a teaspoon of ghee, and that too the ghee taken from cow's milk and not from buffalo's milk, in each fruit and then eat it. These combinations really make many mouths to water.

There is even a short fable from the Mahabharatha, when the Pandavas were on an exile. They had to live in the forest for a year and they had the magical vessel, the Akshaya Paathiram, that would give any food item they wished. And during lunch, Bhima would request the jackfruit soaked in honey from the Akshaya Paathiram. So that itself explains the combination of jackfruit with honey.

There is a riddle that would mean the jackfruit. The riddle goes like this



"Appan Soriyan
Aathaal Sadaichi
Pullai Sakkaraikutti"

meaning the father is a man with itches, the mother is a woman with a lot of hair, but the kid is as sweet as sugar. This riddle is told to indicate contradictions of things. Like a father with itches and mother with lots of hair have a sweet kid. But this neatly explains the structure of a jackfruit. The coarse rough, thorn like outer skin, that is the protecting layer like the father for the fruit inside. The string like things that is between the fruit that feeds the fruit that grows inside is like the mother. And the kid, the actual fruit, called the Palaa Sulai, sweet as sugar.

Not only the fruit, but all the seeds and sometimes even the outer skin is used in the cuisine. The seeds are cooked, roasted and used in combination with Pulikkulambu (Tamarind Gravy), Karuvaadu Preparations (Dried Fish) and of course other spicy varieties like Sundal etc, but the only problem with the seeds is that is creates Vaaivu, that is it forms gas inside the stomach. So people add ginger and garlic to mitigate the effect of gas formation by the seeds .

The Jackfruit grows in the plains as well as the mountains. But the ones that grow in the mountains are more tasty than the ones that grow in the plains. The jackfruit grows at various places in the jackfruit tree, in the branches, near the stem and even in the roots, below the ground. The ones that grow in the roots are called as Vaer Palaa. Vaer means root, so Vaer aa means the one the grows in the root. This is not known until the aroma of the jackfruit comes from the underground. This Vaer aa is very rare, unlike the ones in the branches, because it could be easily reached by animals and those animals would eat them once they detect the aroma of the ripe fruit inside the ground. Also being inside the ground adds more taste to the fruit when it ripens.

The Jackfruit arrives to the market from various places, but the ones from Panruti is famous. Those varieties have big Sulais (single fruit of the jackfruit) and are more tasty than the other varieties.

There is even one song that is taught for the kids in the kindergarden that mentions about the jackfruit especially the Vaer Palaa. Sorry that I could not recollect the entire song. I am posting what I could recollect. I would be thankful to the reader who remembers that song and posts it in the comments. The song goes like this



"... Enna Pazham? Palaa Pazham
Enna Palaa? Vaer Palaa
Enna Vaer? Vetti Vaer
Enna Vetti? Viragu Vetti
Enna Viragu? Mara Viragu
Enna Maram? Maa Maram
Enna Maa? Amma"

The song goes like a chain riddle that ends with the word that means mother. The rough translation is as follows

What fruit? The Jackfruit (Palaa)
What Palaa? The Vaer Palaa (The jackfruit that grows in the root)
What Vaer? Vetti Vaer (An aromatic root soaked in water to prepare a juice that cools down the body heat during summer)
What Vetti? Viragu Vetti (Vetti also means cutter, so the question is which cutter, the answer is Wood (viragu) cutter)
What Viragu? Mara (Tree)
Viragu What tree? Maa Maram (Mango Tree)
What Maa? Amma (Mother)

Though this song is rhymes with the last word of the previous question, it emphasizes the jackfruit and especially the Vaer Palaa. So the Jackfruit has pervaded the minds of many since the good old days. So lets try the combination of jackfruit with honey and jackfruit with ghee this season. There yet another combination the one with coconut oil. It adds a good taste to the jackfruit clubbed with the aroma of cocunut oil, but too much is not recommended as it might add cholestrol. So, only little quantities in this comibination are recommended. Lets taste these combinations with the gifted jackfruit and enjoy this season of jackfruits before the rains arrive.

More to come, until then...

Mirthful Mangoes

Come summer! bring the sweetness of Mangoes to the country. Mangoes, the first of the Mukkani (The three prime or sweetest fruits, the others being Jackfruit and Bananas), forms a major part in the Indian delicacy, esp Tamil Nadu. Being a seasonal fruit, both ripe and unripe forms take a major place in everyday cuisine during the season. Apart from that Mangoes have sayings that are both favourable and against it. It has been a main fruit since the good old days where there was a split in Lord Shiva's family. That is one good story that has been passed on for generations and the main reason for Lord Murugan establishing Palani as one of his Arupadai Veedu (Six houses).

The story goes like this. Saint Naradha brought a special mango for Lord Shiva and both Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga contested for the mango. And Lord Shiva announced, whoever circles the world first would receive the mango. Lord Murugan shooted first with mount the peacock to go around the world and win the fruit, but Lord Ganesha with his hefty body and a small mount the Moonjoor Rat, thought for a moment and went around Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi considering them to be the world. Lord Shiva pleased with the wisdom of Lord Ganesha, gave him the mango. And when Lord Murugan returned, he felt deceived because he was the one to encircle the world first, and he gave away all the wealth and position he had and stood as an Aandi (person who has nothing to his name) on top of a mountain called Palani, a place near Coimbatore. This story is told in order to emphasise the importance that one's parents must be revered and worshipped in the first place. But a mango getting a place in this story is its taste and the importance being given in the cuisine.

The ripe mangoes form an industry themselves and yields a major revenue for the country through exports too. Senthuram, Neelam, Malgova, Salem Gundu, Aapoos, Roomania, Imambus, Banganapalli, Alphonso, Gudhadhath, Manjal Naari are some major varieties that are sold both inside and exported out of the country. And India is a largest producer of mangoes in the world.

The ripe form, Maambalam, does not need a reason to be the prime fruit, but the unripe mangoes, Maangai, are also a major part South Indian cuisine. It forms part of the cuisine in various forms

Vadu Maangaai - Small mangoes that haven't grown yet, the ones that are a few days of forming into a fruit, rather tender mangoes. The preparation is almost similar to the spicy pickles, but they are just soaked in spicy water that is a mixture of chilly powder, mustard and fenugreek powder, gingelly oil, turmeric powder etc. This forms a good combination for all recipies prepared out of curd - plain curd, More kulambu etc. It really makes the mouth water for many people when they hear this combination, because the taste is irrestible. There are many varieties in Vadu Maangai like the Thirumoorthi variety, Palakkad variety, Go Maangai variety, but the Thirumoorthi mountain variety (Thirumoorthi malai vadu maangaai) is the most aromatic and tasty. The others are equally tasty but Thirumoorthi mountain variety is more popular. Even Kaalamega Pulavar has
mentioned about the Vadu Maangai, his song goes like this.



"Thinga Nudhalaar Thirumanam Polae Keeri
Pongu Kadal Uppai Pugatiyae Engalida
Aachaalukku Oorugaai Aaagamal Yaarukku
Kaaichaai Vadu Maangaai"

meaning, the ladies with the forehead, that resembles the moon after 3 or 4 days after the new moon, would split the vadu maangai and put the salt that is obtained from the uproarious seas, and then prepare the pickle for the elderly
mother. But the trees that Kaalamegam saw had vadu maangais still left in the
branches. So the poet asks, for whom did the mangoes grow in the tree and whom
are they waiting for instead of being a vadu maangai pickle for the mother of
their place


Mango Pickles - The next form of cuisine is the most common form - pickles. This does not need much explanation as mango pickles are popularly available. Avakkai - The most popular form of mango pickles, where raw mangoes are cut into small pieces being soaked in spicy masala.

Maangai Thokku - This form is more or less a pickle, but in this, mostly the fleshy part of the mango is used, boiled and cooked with spices and salt added. And this is great combination for all food items.

Maangai Vathal - Mangoes are dried out in the sun after soaking in salt water. And used in various food items whenever required. This form will be best for use, for many months, even years.

The other preparations include Maangai Pachadi, Fish - both dried and fresh - Kulambu, More Kulambu, Aviyal and many other mouth watering recipies that are seasonal as the mangoes are. Though recipes like More Kulambu, Aviyal are prepared without mangoes too, but the sour taste of the Maangaai, added more flavour that is irrestible to many mouths in the country.

Apart from it, Maangaai, is used as a cure for cold. This might sound counter-intuitive, because most people say that eating maangaai (unripe form) makes people catch cold, but there are people who use it for a cure too. The preparation is that the mango is cut and cooked in plain water. After being cooked, the cooked maangaai along with the water being used to cook and it is said to relieve people of cold.

Well, enough of this mouth watering cuisine! We have aberrated too much from what we were about to look, the sayings that are both favourable and unfavourable to the mango. First, lets look into the favourable saying. It goes like this



"Maatha Ootadha Soru, Maangaai Ootum"

meaning, The mango will feed the food that one's mother does not feed. This had two meanings in it. The first one being the quantity of food intake, esp by children. The taste of the various forms of mango cuisine makes people, esp children to take in more food that helps them in their growth. The saying is because, the children or people who don't listen to their mother's request to eat a little more food would eat just for the taste of Maangaai. The second meaning being, the richness minerals and vitamins that the mango delivers is not attained by the normal food that one's mother provides.

Maatha - Mother
Ootadha - negative Ootum meaning Feeding
Soru - Food
Maangaai - unripe mango
Ootum - feeding

How true about the aforesaid saying. Now what is it about the saying that is unfavourable. The saying goes like this



"Naa Ularum, Pall Koosum, Maangai Unbaare Maru"

meaning, the tongue will start to blabber, the teeth will feel more sensitised. So, the eaters of mango please avoid it. This might be counter-intuitive about the mango, but it is indeed true. The sourness of the mango makes the tongue stiff that is will not be able to utter some words that requires turning and curling of the tongue. Also the sourness will make the teeth feel more sensitised and to most people it is not tolerable, however they cannot resist the taste and will not stop eating.

Though both the sayings are true indeed, Mangoes are a primary part of our daily delicacy during the mango season. As rightly classified by our ancestors as the first of the Mukkani (Maa, Palaa, Vaazhai - Mango, Jackfruit, Bananas), the mango is truly a great fruit to be relished when it is becomes available. Don't miss the mangoes this season!!!

More to come, until then...

If only I could turn back time....

If I could turn back time, i.e., travel back in time. I would like to meet at least the following 3 persons from the past

1. Thirumoolar
2. Thirumangai Azhwar
3. King RajaRaja Cholan

Why I chose these three people was because of their masterpieces that they have created or in fact have bestowed for us and the generations to come!!!

Thirumoolar - famous for his exemplary masterpiece, The Thirumandhiram - stands out of the crowd because I am surprised at how he visualised and found great things that scientists of this modern era have found out after years of research. For e.g. he mentions the size of a human cell, with that of a cows hair, being divided into 1,00,001 parts is the size of the cell. However, I have not actually compared his measurement with the actual human cell's size. In spite, I am amazed at the way he says the proportion he mentions. In addition, he mentions that the pituitary gland is the control centre of the human body and he even infers it as the third eye of the human and compares it to Lord Shiva who is said to have 3 eyes. In fact, the reason, why Hindu women apply kumkum or stick the bindi and the men apply the holy ash on their forehead is to stimulate the pituitary gland that maintains the hormone levels intact and this helps prevent children attaining physical maturity at an early age. There are many interesting things to explore in his exemplary work. Nevertheless, the reason why I want to meet him is that I want to know, where he learnt all these great information from and who is his Guru? How long did he take to understand and get the knowledge of the things he mentions? Is it possible for us humans to attain such knowledge in our lifetime? More about him in the next blogs...

Thirumangai Azhwar - The most well known of the 12 Azhwars, the devotees of Lord Vishnu venerated as saints. His original name being Kaliyan, he was an army chief of the Chola king and then he was crowned as a king for a small land called Thirumangai. And hence the name, Thirumangai Mannan (means King - in Tamil). He has sung so many songs in praise of Lord Vishnu. I am really astonished how a normal man who plundered, had weakness for women and what not.., was able to be exalt himself to a position of an Azhwar. I have read a few of his pasurams and it really stands out of the crowd. The reason why I would like to meet him is because his attitude to accept all the mistakes and crime plainly without any justification to his act is simply the most divine aspect of a human. Most of us usually try to justify our mistakes but no one accepts them plainly that they have done a mistake/crime. One example of his pasuram is

Kondraen palluyirai kurikol ondrillamayinal....

meaning, "I have killed lots of lives, without any reason......"

Maanay kann madavar mayakirrpattu maanilathu naanay naanavidha naragam pugum pavam seidhaen...

meaning, "For the love of women, I committed sins that would take me to all the four types hell.."

The absolute surrender to GOD accepting all his mistakes and crimes without any justification has exalted him to an Azhwar. I really admire him for his devotion to GOD and his pasurams are really out of this world. You need to read them, understand them, feel them to realise the ethereal and blissful connection with GOD, and hence the name Dhivya Prabandham, for all the pasurams by all the Azhwars.

King RajaRaja Cholan - I really admire this great Chola king for many things esp, the magnificient masterpieces that he has left for the his next generations and the generations to come. What really make me think that i need meet him are

• His passion to construct the stupendous masterpiece of all times, The Brahadeeshwara Temple at Thanjavur (Tanjore) - The Granary India.
• The engineering behind the great temple and the massive efforts
• The administrative skills becoz without it, it is almost impossible to build such a massive architecture within 6 years, yes I mean SIX years.

It is simply awe-inspiring to just even imagine these details. Some thought provoking questions arise viz.,

1. How was he able to have such great engineers, called Sthabadhees, at that time?
2. What tools did they use to decide the plan, select the land, transport such heavy granites?
   
   For splitting apart massive pieces of granite, the technology is from Avaiyar's song
   
   "Methenavai Vettenavai Vellavam Vezhathil
   Patturuvum Kol Panjil Paayaathu
   Nettirupaaraikku Nekku Vida Paarai
   Pasumaraththu Verukku Nekku Vidum"
   
   meaning, "Hard and Aggressive things will never win over Soft and Humble things. The spear that pierces through an elephant will never pierce through cotton. Likewise, a hard rock that never gives way to strong iron crowbar gives way to the slender root of a green tree". Amazed!!!!. Still to come, but how did this song help him!!!, The thing is that the rock was cut with such a precision, where the rock was selected and lots of small shaft like holes were made in the rock across a stretch and then in those holes, tree roots were driven and water was poured into it. As water, soaks the root, the root starts to expand and that would slowly break the rock apart. And those large rocks were transported the temple spot using elephants. More about this in the next blogs...
   
3. Where did he learn the technology from?
   I guess it should be anscetral, as there is a literature and rules on how to build temples called Aagama Vidhis
   
4. Who was behind him to build such a massive piece of architecture?
   I found that the person behind him was his sister Kundavai Naachiar and his grandmother Chembian Maadevi
   
5. How was he able to handle such a great kingdom and then administer the temple building activites?
   

For some of the questions, that I have provided the answers by probing into Tamil Literature and many other books to find answers to those questions, but for the rest that are unanswered, I have to meet him...

More to come in my next blogs, until then....

Fascinating Thirumandhiram

Thirumandhiram, the name seems to sound like something that is involved with some magic etc. But it is a great work that describes various parts of the human life - Birth, Living, Death. Not only the book describes a great deal of Science that really makes me wonder, how it was possible to ponder about such things at that time , having no modern tools or technological advances as we have now. Thirumandhiram is written by a Siddhar (loosely a saint, rather a discipline one), Thirumoolar, whose real name was Sundarar and then later due to reason that he had to transfuse his soul into to the body of a sheperd named Moolan, he got the name Thirumoolar. But the work that he has given to the work is an extraordinary piece of work, that even if he is reborn, it is a doubt that he could produce such a work. It is vast and cannot be explained in just one blog entry like this. His work consists of medical information, human virtue, scientific terminology and many others that one has to delve deep into it to understand and realise the truth he has described. For example, he states that human's have 10 senses, contrary to what the world believes, six. The song that says this is

"Uttrarivu Ainthum Unarntha Arivu Arum Ezhum
Kattrarivu Yettum, Kalantha Arivu Onbadhum
Pattriya Pathum Pala vagai naazhigai
Attrathu Ariyathu Azhigindra Vaaray"

The five senses, Vision, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Hearing is inbuilt. The sixth one being Common Sense. The seventh one that you get out of Experimenting. The eighth one is the one you get by Experience. The ninth one being Public Relations. The tenth one being realisation of GOD. And it takes a long time to attain all these. So don't let bad things disturb you in the process of attaining these senses.

Not only this, he gives the size of human cell, the position of the pitutary gland, the components of the gene ( A,C,T,G), in such a simple manner that I really wonder how he got the knowledge and how he was able to identify them. Apart from the physiological aspects of humans. He also describes about the practices of Yoga and how that would have a positive impact on the life of humans.

More to be explored. Lets do that in the upcoming blogs. Till then take a look at Thirumandhiram by downloading it from the site

Proud to be an Indian!!!

I am proud to be an Indian, because India has a very long tradition and heritage and numerous things that makes the people of the world wonder. From art, architecture, engineering, medicine, mathematics and what not. For art, Ajanta Ellora caves are the best examples and the arts; for Architecture and Engineering, the various temples built across the subcontinent - the Meenakshi Temple - Madurai, The Brahadeeshwara Temple - Tanjore, The Srirangam Temple - Srirangam - to name a few, and the various dams, the Kallanai for example across the Cauvery. For medicine- Ayurveda, Siddha - these medicinal treatment are known to cure most diseases without any side effects. For mathematics, many stalwarts Aryabhatta (for PI), Bhaskara (Calculus), Bramhagupta (for the numbers that we are using even today) and so on. And the list grows on. Not only in these fields, there were people who mastered astronomy. Infact, the father of surgery, Sushrutha did many complicated surgery even before others civilisations knew that humans could be cured by operating them. if we consider the engineering and architecture of the temples, it is a herculean task to move the massive granite rocks. But how did they cut such huge rocks and shaped them without any tools that are available today and how they transported. In fact, I know how they cut it the rocks so precisely, the technology is from Avaiyar's song and they transported the them using elephants It is still a wonder how these people gained the knowledge. There are answers to these and more informations to be posted in this blog. But for the lack of time, I will continue posting them as i find time. A lot of people need to be described and made known to the world. Their achievements, works are what they have left for us and the generations to come. Lets unravel them in the days to come. Until then read more in Wikipedia

Hello World!!!!!

As the subject itself implies, I am a programmer, and every programmer starts with the Hello World Program 😊. So do i started this blog. Will post more info abt many things that i aspire, wonder and yearn to know how it happened.... Coming soon on these blogs.... Till then view my homepage at its initial stages.