A brief study on the great Tamil Poetess Avvaiyaar

[virarajendra]

Author - Virarajendra

A brief study on the great Tamil Poetess Avvaiyaar

"Thirukkural" is an 'ancient treatise' on the Code of Ethics - from "Tamil Nadu" South India, being the 'great sayings' of the Tamil Sage/Poet Thiruvalluvar (B.C.30-A.D.40)" on various aspects of the human life. . Thurukkural was staged at the Third Thamil Sangam in the presence of the Paandiya king in his capital city Mathurai (Madurai) of Tamil Nadu and the vast number of Poets of the Thamil Sangam who were researching and developing Tamil Studies. Many poets had their own two or four line appreciation in Tamil which too were staged at the Sangam. The Tamil Poetess Avvaiyaar too was present at this gathering and staged her two lined verse in appreciation of Thirukkural composed by the Sage/Port Thiruvalluvar which was as follows.

அணுவைத் துளைத்து ஏழ் கடலைப் புகட்டிக்
குறுகத் தறித்த குறள் - ஒளவையார்

Hence we are very certain that the great Tamil Poetess Avvaiyaar too lived during the period of Sage/Poet Thiruvalluvar in Tamil Nadu within or around the period B.C.30-A.D.40



Further Poetess Avvaiyaar has been a frequent visitor to the kingdom of Thakadur [Thagadur] of the present Villupuram District of the Malaiyamaan kings. The Malaiyaman king who ruled this kingdom during this period of Avvaiyaar was Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji, who was a great patron of this Poetress. She too has sung on his glory and on his son Athiyamaan Elini very many poems more than any other kings of Tamil Nadu of that period, complied into a single work of the Thamil Sangam Poems known as "Puranaanooru". At one time king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji caring for her welfare and long life provided a fruit known as "Nelli Kani" which is said to give a long life to the consumer of same.



Evidences for the above References

"......maal varaik kamal poonj chaaralkaviniya Nelli
amilthu vilai theem kani, Avvaikku eeththa
uravu chinam kanalum oli thikal neduvel
aravakkadal thaanai Athikanum......"

Sirupaanaraatrupadai - by Naththaththanaar, line.....

In the recent times a Tamil-Brahmi Inscription has been discovered in a cave on a hill named Dasimadam in the Jambai in Thirukoyilur Taluk in Villupuram by an Archaeologist & Epigraphist, which reads as follows:



"ஸதியபுதோ அதியந் நெடுமாந் அஞ்சி ஈத்த பாழி" meaning "Satiyaputo Atiyan Nedumaan Anjji itta Paali"



From the above Inscription is of the period of first century B.C. as per thr Epigraphist in the above Video, most possibly in the latter half of the first century B.C.

All the above goes to prove the king - Malaiyamaan Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji, the poet - Thiruvalluvar, and the poetress - Avvaiyaar all lived more or less within or around the period B.C.30-A.D.40 - "but they were no kith & kin among themselves or born to one and the same Brahmin Father and Sudra Mother" as referred in the small Tamil work named "Kapilar Akaval" of much later period.

It is very clear that this work has been composed by a Brahmin of Tamil Nadu of latter period with the main aim "to dimune and degrade the status of the famous Kings and great Tamil Poets of the Tamilians of the Third Thamil Sangam period - Tamil Nadu, referring to them as the children of a (low caste) Sudra Mother, and that they shone in their respective fields as their Father has been a (high caste) Brahmin". Further there are no evidences whatsoever other than the "Kapilar Ahaval" to indicate that King Athiyamaan, Poet Thiruvalluvar and Poetress Avvaiyaar were all born to the one and the same Father and Mother, and hence the contents of "Kapilar Ahaval has to be totally rejected.

Further many Literary Scholars and Historical Scholars have made statements that there had been either two or three Avvaiyaars, a theory which has to be totaly rejected. In fact there has been only one Avvaiyaar who existed in Tamil Nadu that too was in the period between late first century B.C. and early first century A.D.





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