Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

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"Ariyar" in the Ancient Tamil Literature

K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

1. Introduction: Ever since the advent of "Ariyar" in Indian history,
the word "Aryan" has assumed significance and far-fetching linguistic
and racial connotations. Then came the advent of "Dravidians".
Caldwell's linguistic invention was given a racial twist by the
westerners and Indian scholars, though the concept of race and
language are two separate entities. Leaving these hypotheses and
theories aside, an attempt is made in this paper to study the
word "Ariyar" fund in the ancient Tamil literature, popularly known
as Tamil Sangam literature. In the process of understanding the past,
there have been persistent and insistent attempts in historiography
to import later day ideas, concepts and theories to reflect back on
the past events leading to diversified and contradicting situation.
But, here the approach has been restricted to get the meaning of the
word "Ariyar" as found in the ancient Tamil literature.

2. In the ancient Tamil literature, the
word "Ariyar", "Ariyan", "Ariya" etc., found in various places withy
their other forms and have been used both as nouns and adjectives. As
in recent times, diametrically opposite views have been expressed1
about the inclusion of the Tamil epics Cilappatikaram and Manimekalai
within the ambit of Sangam literature, the discussion is restricted
to Ettutogai (the eight anthologies), Pattupattu (the Ten poems) and
Padinen Kizh Kanakku (the Eighteen Minor works). Now, let us see,
what these poems say about "Ariyar".

3. Natrinai: It is the heading the list of Ettuttogai and its general
theme is love. The word "Ariyar" appears in the 170th poem, sung by
an unknown poet. The companion of the heroin of the poem warts that
the hero might be seduced by the beautiful lonely dancing girl. She
compares the victory of the Virali (the dancer), who came to a
festival clad in a leaf-garment, over her group to the fact that the
famous town of Mullur, the "Ariya" soldiers swarmed, but ran away
before the lance-battalion of Malayan (a Cheran), who unsheathed a
that the people who came from the north to attack Cheras were known
as "Ariyar".

4. Kuruntogai: Literally meaning `a collection of short poems', it
comes next and its theme is also love. The word "Ariyar" appears in
the verse 7, line 3. Here, it is described how "Ariyars" dance on a
tied rope according to the beatings of a drum. "The forest full of
bamboos were rattled the white ripe seeds of shivering vakai tree
(Sirisa tree) tossed by the wind like the drumming of the "Ariyar"
dancing on the rope". Therefore, here it is evident that "Ariyar"
refers to a group of jugglers or tumblers, who performed acrobatics.

5. Paditruppattu (the Ten tens): It gives more information
about `Ariyar' in historical setting. The entire extant collection of
poems with the deeds and exploits of the Chera Kings. The first and
tenth Tens are not available. In the Second Ten, the Patigam
(Preface) describes how Imayavaramban Nedunjeraladhan engraved his
royal sign `bow', which figures on his flag, on the top of the
Himalayas (lines 4-7). Having roaring oceans has his boundaries
(imizh kadal velittamizhagam), he ruled Tamizhagam (the Tamil
country) in such a way o excel the other nadus (countries). He
made `Ariyar' bow before him, who were having very great name (fame
and heritage).

5.1. In the Second Ten, the 11th verse details as how the very famous
Himalayas abound with "Ariyas". Hence, scholars give two different
meanings for the `Ariyar':

`Ariyar" = Munivar (rishis) and
"Ariyar' = `Ariya mannar' ( Aryan kings) .

The hillside was resplendent with densely and well grown trees of
erthrina indica (mullu murukka), a kind of citrus and the yak
sleeping there would dream of waterfalls and sweet smelling grass.
The Himalayas with such fertility was filled with many rishis. In
between the Himalayas (in the north) and Kumari in the South, there
wee Kings who boasted their valour but they were conquered by
Nedunjeraladhan. The meaning is thus rendered, "You quelled the
valour of those who called themselves monarchs of the land between
Camorin in the South and the famous Himalayas, where the Ariyas2
abound and yak sleeps on the hills covered thick with the Oleander
and dreams of the broad mountain stream and the narandam (lemon-
grass)"

5.2. In fifth Ten, the patigam mentions `vadavar', i,e, the people of
north and `Ariya Annal' i.e, head of Ariya Kings. It describes how
the kings of the north were afraid of Kadal Prakkottiya Senguttuvan.
He marched with his army to bring a good stone for chiseling an image
of the goddess of chastity. He came across a head or chief of Ariya
Kings, while passing through forests, and defeated him. Then, he
brought a stone and washed it in waters of the Ganges. While coming
back, he stayed at Irumbil, destroyed Viyaur and Kodungur. He also
killed a king named Pazhaiyon.

5.3. In the same fifth Ten, the 43rd verse mentions the defeat of
kings who were ruling between the Himalayas in the north and Kumari
in the south as boundaries. However, the names of the kings or the
countries thus defeated are not given in the poem. In the padigam,
the kings are mentioned as the `vadavar' (the Kings of north), the
Chiefs of `Ariyar' are called `Ariya Annal', but here they are
generally mentioned as `Ariya arasar', i.e, the Kings between the
Himalayas and Kumari.

5.4. In Seventh Ten, the 68th poem narrates how the people who were
living in the north or northern direction, were leading a fearless
and happy life. The _expression used to denote them is `vadapula
vazhnar'.

5.5. So from the description of Paditruppattu, we can see
that `Ariyar' are –

ó `the Kings of the north',
ó `Rishis of the Himalayas',
ó `the Kings between the boundaries of Himalayas and Kumari' and
ó `the people of the north or northern direction of Tamilagam'.

6. Agananuru (or Neduntogai): It also gives more details
about `Ariyar'. `Ariyars' capture elephants by the use of trained
female elephants. A public woman takes a vow that she would chain her
hero with