The poor mother dropped a hint at her baby boy about the family’s poverty by asking him how he would pull faces at his penniless father.
The practice of mothers using the Tamil expression ‘Puli varuthu’ (Here comes the tiger) to scare their kids and stop their weeping has been in vogue for several centuries in the Kongu region However, can a poor child, which cries in hunger, shut its mouth by the mother’s playful intimidation?
Long ago, a baby boy, who could obtain little milk from his mother’s breasts, cried in hunger. He looked for food inside the utensils, but in vain. The poor mother, who was pale and weak, consoled him with various means to stop his crying. She pointed at the bright moon, asked him to look at its beauty and even playfully threatened him by saying that a tiger would come and bite him if he did not stop crying. Still, the boy continued crying. Pained by this, the mother dropped a hint at her little son on the family’s poverty by asking him how he would pull faces at his penniless father.
The painful scene appears in the 160th song of Purananuru, a Sangam period literature, as Tamil poet Perunchithiranar sang the verse to the Kongu chieftain and popular philanthropist Kumanan, explaining the poverty in his family. Besides describing the pathetic state of his wife and the little son in his verse, the poet paints a vivid picture of his ageing mother, who wants to escape pangs of hunger through death. Despite the poet’s request to the philanthropist king to give him a gift, he did not let down his self-respect. In the 159th song of Purananuru, the same poet addresses Kumanan that he would be glad to accept even a small gift if he gave him with a smile but was ready to decline even a valuable gift like an elephant if he presents it in an unfriendly manner.
But, king Kumanan, who ruled a hill called Mudhiramalai between Palani and Udumalpet in the Kongu region centuries ago, is popularly known for his philanthropy, as many Sangam poets composed poems on him. However, his younger brother Elangumanan, who was jealous of Kumanan’s reputation among the people, conquered his kingdom and sent him into exile. He also put a price on Kumanan's head.
But, Kumanan’s philanthropic nature did not cease even during his exile in a forest. When poet Perunthalai Chathanar met him in the woods, he was unable to help the bard. However, he gave his sword to the poet and asked him to kill him and take his head to Elangumanan, so that the poet would get at least the reward, which Kumanan carried on his head.
Long ago, a baby boy, who could obtain little milk from his mother’s breasts, cried in hunger. He looked for food inside the utensils, but in vain. The poor mother, who was pale and weak, consoled him with various means to stop his crying. She pointed at the bright moon, asked him to look at its beauty and even playfully threatened him by saying that a tiger would come and bite him if he did not stop crying. Still, the boy continued crying. Pained by this, the mother dropped a hint at her little son on the family’s poverty by asking him how he would pull faces at his penniless father.
The painful scene appears in the 160th song of Purananuru, a Sangam period literature, as Tamil poet Perunchithiranar sang the verse to the Kongu chieftain and popular philanthropist Kumanan, explaining the poverty in his family. Besides describing the pathetic state of his wife and the little son in his verse, the poet paints a vivid picture of his ageing mother, who wants to escape pangs of hunger through death. Despite the poet’s request to the philanthropist king to give him a gift, he did not let down his self-respect. In the 159th song of Purananuru, the same poet addresses Kumanan that he would be glad to accept even a small gift if he gave him with a smile but was ready to decline even a valuable gift like an elephant if he presents it in an unfriendly manner.
But, king Kumanan, who ruled a hill called Mudhiramalai between Palani and Udumalpet in the Kongu region centuries ago, is popularly known for his philanthropy, as many Sangam poets composed poems on him. However, his younger brother Elangumanan, who was jealous of Kumanan’s reputation among the people, conquered his kingdom and sent him into exile. He also put a price on Kumanan's head.
But, Kumanan’s philanthropic nature did not cease even during his exile in a forest. When poet Perunthalai Chathanar met him in the woods, he was unable to help the bard. However, he gave his sword to the poet and asked him to kill him and take his head to Elangumanan, so that the poet would get at least the reward, which Kumanan carried on his head.