Tiruvalluva Maalai


Tiruvalluva Maalai, literally 'Garland of Valluvar', is an anthology of ancient Tamil paeans containing fifty-five verses each written by different poets praising the ancient work of the Kural and its author Valluvar. With the poets' time spanning across centuries starting from around 1st century CE, the collection is believed to have reached its present form by 11th century CE. With the historical details of the ancient philosopher and his work remaining obscure, much of the legend on the Kural and Valluvar as they are known today are chiefly from this work. The collection also reveals the name of the author of the Kural text as 'Valluvar' for the first time, as Valluvar himself composed the Kural text centuries earlier without indicating his name anywhere in his work. Reminiscing this, Monsieur Ariel, a French scholar of the 19th century, famously said of the Tirukkural thus: Ce livre sans nom, par un autre sans nom.

Traditional account

Legend has it that, after writing the Kural text, Valluvar left for Madurai on the advice of his friends to “triumph over the college of the doctors” at the Madurai College. On the way to Madurai, at Idaykarlyi, he met Avvaiyar I and Idaikkadar and revealed the purpose of his journey and they joined him, too, in his journey to the College of Madurai. Upon reaching the Madurai College, Valluvar submitted his text, calling it as Muppāl, before Lord Somasundara, in the hearing of the Pandiyan king and his ministers, chiefs, and scholars. This alarmed the assembly of professors. Legend has it that forty-nine professors “sat as kings of the sweet tongue” on the bench of poets, known as Sanga palagai, by the tank covered with the golden lotus at the Madurai temple. The scholars there were adept at finding errors in the most skillful compositions. This is well known by the account of Nakkirar II, one of the later scholar of the Madurai College lineage who even dared to say to Lord Shiva, "Though you show us your frontal eye, a fault is a fault", on his appearing to favor an amateur poet named Dharumi. The assembly of scholars said to have doubted Valluvar erudition and said to him that the bench on which they sat will make room for the best treatise in high Tamil, which shall be taken as a sign of acceptance of his work. When Valluvar laid his book thereupon, the seat immediately contracted itself to the size of the work throwing all the professors into the lotus pond. Scrambling out of the water, the forty-nine scholars pronounced a stanza each in praise of Valluvar and his work. Idaikkadar and Avvaiyar, who accompanied Valluvar in the journey, couldn't remain silent and gave their opinion in the form of poetry. With four more verses adding to the corpus, including that by divine elements such as the voices of the Oracle, Naamagal, and Iraiyanar, the collection came to be known as the Tiruvalluva Maalai or "the garland to Valluvar".

The work

Tiruvalluva Maalai is a collection of verses said to have been composed by gods, goddesses and poets of different times, all belonging to the legendary Tamil Sangam at Madurai. A total of 55 poets have composed their encomia in 55 verse in the collection, all written several centuries after the composition of the Kural text. With the exception of Avvaiyar and Idaikkadar, both of whom composed their verses in Kural venpa metre, all the 53 poets have written their composition in the Venpa form.
The Tiruvalluva Maalai refers to the Kural text mostly as Muppāl, a name preferred by Valluvar himself. The name appears in 15 different places, including verses 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 30, 31, 39, 44, 46, 49, and 53, indicating the title of the work.
Following is a sample verse in quatrain from the collection, written by poet Kapilar :
Original:
தினையளவு போதாச் சிறுபுல்நீர் நீண்ட
பனையளவு காடும் படித்தால் — மனையளகு
வள்ளைக்கு உறங்கும் வளநாட! வள்ளுவனார்
வெள்ளைக் குறட்பா வரி. 		Meaning:
As the tiny dew upon the blade of a grass reflects
The whole of a tall palm tree nearby,
So the pithy Kural couplets of Valluvar reflect
The wholesome thoughts of humanity.

Contributors

Contributors of the Tiruvalluva Maalai include three divine poets and 52 Sangam poets.
  1. Asariri
  2. Naamagal
  3. Iraiyanar
  4. Ukkira Peruvaluthiyar
  5. Kapilar
  6. Paranar
  7. Nakkirar I
  8. Mamulanar
  9. Kalladar
  10. Seethalai Sathanaar
  11. Marutthuvan Dhamodharanar
  12. Nagan Devanar
  13. Arisil Kilar
  14. Ponmudiyar
  15. Kodhamanar
  16. Naththathanar
  17. Mugaiyalur Sirukarunthumbiyar
  18. Aasiriyar Nallanthuvanar
  19. Keerandhaiyar
  20. Sirumedhaviyar
  21. Nalgur Velviyar
  22. Thoditthalai Viluthandinar
  23. Velliveedhiyar
  24. Mangudi Marudhanar
  25. Ericchalur Malaadanar
  26. Pokkiyaar
  27. Mosikeeranar
  28. Kaari Kannanar
  29. Madurai Tamil Naganar
  30. Baratham Paadiya Perundevanar
  31. Uruthirajenma Kannar
  32. Perunchithiranar
  33. Nariveruvu Thalaiyar
  34. Madurai Tamilaasiriyar Sengunrur Kilar
  35. Madurai Aruvai Vanigan Ilavettanar
  36. Kavisagara Perundevanar
  37. Madurai Perumarudhanar
  38. Kovoor Kilar
  39. Uraiyur Mudhukootthanar
  40. Ilikat Perunkannanar
  41. Seyir Kaviriyar Maganaar Saathanar
  42. Seyalur Kodum Senkannanar
  43. Vannakkan Saathanar
  44. Kalathur Kilar
  45. Nacchumanar
  46. Akkaarakkani Nacchumanar
  47. Nappalatthanar
  48. Kulapathi Nayanar
  49. Thenikkudi Keeranar
  50. Kodi Gyalanmaani Boodhanar
  51. Kowniyanar
  52. Madurai Paalasiriyanar
  53. Alangudi Vanganar
  54. Idaikkadar
  55. Avvaiyar I

    Commentaries

There are several commentaries to the Tiruvalluva Maalai, interpreting the meaning of the verses, written over the centuries. The first commentary on the work was written by Tirutthanigai Saravanaperumal Aiyar.

Citations