Indian Antiquary Vol 61

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 16

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JANUARY, 1932
Leaving his nephews, be calls his sister, who hears of his resolve to lead a sannyasi's life with eyes suffused with tears. She hands him over some gold fanams to serve for emergencies. He sets out as a pilgrim equipped as follows Erara Kambulla vatiyeduttu
Takes a stout staff of seven joints and a half, Karimbadam onnu idukkunnundu Provides himself with a blanket, Vechunnan chittu tali onnetuttu And & brass pot to cook food; Channana nåți onnetuttu
Takes a sandalwood measure, Kavi vastravum itukkunnundu
And a saffron-dyed cloth, Vellam kutippanâyi môntetuttu A vessel to drink water from, Bhanavum tanne kettunnundu
And makes up all into a bundle. After offering prayers to the gods in the central room of the house, the Kaimal walks out with the invocation "Hara, Hara! Siva, Siva !", the bundle slung over his shoulders, and umbrella and stick in hand. On the way ho pays & visit to his two daughters at their maternal home. Uņņiamma, seeing her father coming, calls to her mother: "My father is coming, not in his usual attire, but in the garb of a sannyasi." With these words she runs inside and sweeping the floor of the tekkina (southern room), lights the silver nilavilakku, and spreads the grass mat. Approaching her father with water in a kindi,& she relieves him of the bundle and washes his feet. She brings betel nut, when the father remarks : "When one becomes a sannydsi, one has to eschew betel." . At this the daughter prepares ganja, and gives him some to smoke. The daughter bemoans their fate at his leaving them, when he consoles her, saying that they have everything to make them happy, excepting that they have not had pudamuri, which he has arranged with his two nephews. With strict injunctions not to go against his wishes, he takes leave of them. The daughter presses him to take food, when the following dialogue ensues :
Tirttam tiraññu puraepettennal “When on pilgrimage Vittilum vechålum undukůda
"Nothing can be taken that is cooked in a house." Nan kulichu vechutarikam acha "Father, I shall bathe and cook for you." Pennunnaļu vechalum undukuta "Nor can one take food cooked by women." Ariyum uruliyum tarikAmach
"Father, I will fetch you rice and a vessel to
cook in." Appo! parayunnu achanalló
The father replies : Tirttam tiraññu purappettunan "I am a pilgrim Divasattilorikkalê undukātu
"And should eat but once, Innêtte ûnum kapiññu môle
"And, my daughter, this day's meal is over." Finding it of no avail to persuade her father to take food, she goes inside and presents him with a rosary of 101 beads and a gold-mounted rudraksham, 10 which the father gladly accepts. She falls at his feet, when he blesses her :
Nerukayil tottu varam kotuttu. Blesses her, touching the crown of her head.
The Kaimd!, taking final leave of them, departs, and they stand watching his form receding in the distance until he is quite out of sight. He travels far and wide and roams over distant lands, until his stick of seven joints and a half in length has worn down to three, and the bottom has gone out of his brass cooking-vessel. Physical exhaustion overpowers him, and his limbs refuse to function. Nevertheless he stumbles on his weary way, until he falls prostrate at the gates of the naduvärill of the place. On making enquiries about his ante. cedents, the tamburan hastens to send word to both his nephews. Unichandra Nayar, with
7 Ceremonial standing lamp.
Bell metal water vessel with a spout. A drug prepared from hemp (Cannabis sativa). 10 Seed of Elmocarpus lanceolatus, used as beads for rosaries.
11 In olden days each state was ruled by a Raja. The state was divided into ndde, corresponding to counties, ruled over by a magnato.called nddudsi. Each of the ndda in turn consisted of a number of Hebame, under dedaudis.