Akam Conventions Thinai, Muthal,

Karu, Uri
Akam Poetic Conventions
Sangam poetry is highly conventionalized. It is best to understand the thinais
and the concepts of muthal, karu, uri and ullurai to enjoy them best.
Tholkppiyam, Kalaviyal endra Iraiyanr Akapporul, and Nampis Akapporul
Vilakkam are the three books that deal with Sangam Akam conventions.
Parts of Tholkappiyam (4th 5th centuries) dealing with akam, Kalaviyal
endra Iraiyanr Akapporul (4th 5th centuries) , and Nampis Akapporul
Vilakkam (13th century) were all written many centuries after the Sangam
poems. These akam conventions are probably much older than the poems
themselves, coming from an ancient oral bardic tradition. The authors of the
three books mention quote ancient Tamil scholars (they said so, )
from oral tradition times.
Kalaviyal endra Iraiyanr Akapporul is the first book on Akam thinais according
to Kamil Zvelebil, and it was written even before Tholkppiyam Porulathikram
section which also dealt with Akam conventions, among the many other topics.
Scholars differ on the date of Tholkppiyam. Some place it much earlier and
some place it later. Most scholars think that it has many layers, and that the
earliest parts were around 300 B.C., but the later parts came centuries later.
Scholars agree that Tholkppiyam had a few additions later in Poruliyal, and
most think that it could be as late as the 3rd century A.D., and after the
anthologies.
Ainkurunuru, Natrinai, Kurunthokai, Akannuru and Kalithokai are Akam
books. Purannuru and Pathitruppathu are Puram books. Paripdal has both
Akam and Puram songs.
Akam (interior) and Puram (Exterior) are not only thematic divisions of the
Sangam poems. They are more than that. The two categories are related to each
other by context, and by contrast.
Akam and Puram are very old Tamil words. Akam means interior, heart, mind,
self, kin, house, family, inland, settlement, earth, love poems and codes of
conduct appropriate to akam. Puram has opposite qualities to match each of
these.
Meaning of Akam and Puram
Akam interior, Puram exterior
Akam heart, mind, Puram body surfaces & extremeties
Akam self, Puram others
Akam Kin, Puram non-kin
Akam house, family, Puram house yard, field
Akam earth, Puram farthest ocean
Akam love poems & no names or person, Puram poems about war, kings,
people, names
Akam codes of conduct appropriate to akam poetry, Puram Codes of conduct
appropriate to puram poetry
Out of the ten anthologies, Kurunthokai (401 short poems), Natrinai (400 poems),
Akannuru (400 poems), Ainkurunuru (500 short poems), Kalithokai (150
poems) are akam books. Purannuru (400 poems) and Pathitrupathu (80 poems)
are puram books. Paripdal (33 poems) contains mixed songs.
AKAM THEMES CALLED THINAIS (Landscapes)
Akam is further divided into 5 divisions called thinais. The word thinai means
land. These are Kurinji, Mullai, Plai, Neythal and Marutham. Each of these
have unique characteristics not just about the tract of land that they are, but
also in the people and animals who live there, the plants, trees, flowers and
above all the feelings of the characters in the akam poems.
The Tholkppiyam classified 5 different kinds of land, but did not use the word
plai for dry land, since Tamil Nadu does not have real deserts. Instead, the
word naduvunilai was used, and the author meant that to describe kurinji and
mullai lands which were affected by droughts. The word plai was coined by
later commentators.
Some interesting elements seen in the poems:
The heroines eyes are described as having red streaks.
The heroine who is in love becomes thin when separated from her lover, and the
bangles on her arms slip down. She becomes pale and develops yellow spots on
her body. The words used to describe this are , , ,
, , , , .
The heroines friend () refers to the hero as our lover ( )
often, even though she means your lover, since the two of them are very close
friends. The heroines friend plays a very important role in the poems. She is a
friend, confidante, she arranges trysts and is a messenger between the lovers.
Heavy thunder kills or kills snakes.
Kurinji : Mountains and adjoining lands. Named after the kurinji
flower that blooms once in 12 years in mountain slopes. Kurinji and Knthal
flowers grow in the mountains. Murugan is the god of the kurinji land, and
bears, tigers and elephants, monkeys, wild pigs, parrots and peacocks live there.
Wild rice, millet, and tubers are grown. Sandal wood trees abound. Honey
collection and millet raising is done. Springs and waterfalls abound. Mountain
people called kuravars live with their families in huts in small settlments.
The subject of the poems are usually the secret meeting of lovers, which might be
at the millet field, or at night when the heroine slips out of the house evading her
mother, and the mother suspects that her daughter is up to mischief. The time is
daytime or midnight. Lovers union is the main sentiment in kurinji.
Typical Kurinji Thinai scenarios Love in the mountains
The heroine chases parrots in the familys millet field
Her friend joins her often in chasing parrots
The young girls use rattles and noise producing gadgets to chase parrots
The heroine meets the hero while chasing parrots, and fall in love
The friend helps the lovers to meet
The hero comes through forest paths at night to meet his lover
The heroine worries about his safety and the friend conveys this to him
The friend arranges for day and night trysts
The heroine and her friend play with the hero at the waterfalls
The heroine and her friend play on swings
The heroine is afflicated with love and becomes thin
Bangles slip down the arms of the heroine
Her skin has become pale and yellow spots have spread on her body
The village finds out about the affair and gossips start
The heroines friend asks the hero whether they can come to his town
Heroines mother finds out about it and locks her up
The friend urges the hero to come and marry her friend
Mother arranges for a velan (Murugan priest) to heal her daughter
Velan prepares the cermonial ground with fresh sand in their front yard
Velan does veriyttam dances, and offers a goat and other things to appease
Murugan
The heroines parents try to arrange her marriage with somebody else
The heroine does not respond to the heros love
The hero threatens that he is going to climb on the palmyra palm and be drawn
around town with a photo of his beloved
The mountain dwellers plant millet and aivanam grain
They guard their crops from wild boars and elephants
Common words in Kurinji thinai: , (millet, millet field),
(millet field), (millet), (millet), (millet stubble),
(millet spears), (bamb00 rattle to chase parrots
), (noisy gadget used to chase parrots), (slingshot),
(slingshot), (mountain farmer), (mountain dweller),
(mountain dweller), (wife or daughter of mountain dwellers),
(to chase parrots and other birds that come to eat the grain), ,
, (female monkey), (male monkey),
(peacock), , , (wild pigs), , ,
(mountain springs), , , , (kino
tree), (eaglewood tree), , , , ,
, (pollen), (cloud), (the word is used for both clouds
and rain), (rain), (mountain wild rice), words for bamboo
, , , , , , (giant bamboo),
, , , , (small bamboo), (spiny
bamboo), , , , , words for guard platforms in the millet
fields , , , , , , , words for
mountains, hills etc. - (hill or mountain), (range),
(range), , (slope side of mountain), huge rock,
(mountain pass), (large boulders, hillock),
(foothill), (mountain top), (mountain slopes), (mountain
cleft), (hill or mountain), (mountain caves), (mountain
caves), (mountain cavern), (slopes), (mountain
cleft), , (peak), ( mountain), (mountain),
(mountain slopes), (peak), (peak), (peak),
(peak), , , (mountain cleft),
, , (hill), , (mountain cave),
(peak), (mountain cleft), (mountain), (mountain cleft),
(mountain caves), (mountain cave), (mountain),
(blocking mountain), words for bees , (honey
bee), (honey bee), (used for both honey bee and dragon fly)
Plai : Dry wilderness and adjoining lands. Named after the Plai tree
which grows in very dry areas. Kotravai is the goddess here. Tigers, red foxes,
vultures, eagles, pigeons and lizards live in this plai land. Iruppai, omai, and
ulignai trees grow here. Revam, kuravam and pthiri flowers bloom here.
Robbery on the roads are common. Water sources are dried springs and sunk
wells.
The hero sets out across the wilderness to elope with his beloved, or, if hes
unaccompanied, to make enough money to marry her on his return.
Occasionally the hero is married and undertakes a journey for business purposes,
or for some god. The time is midday and the season is summer. Separation of
the lovers is the theme of Plai.
Typical Plai Thinai scenarios Separation
The hero leaves, passing the wasteland, to earn wealth (except in Akananuru 255,
the only poem in Sangam poetry where the hero goes on a ship
The hero and heroine elope and go through the wasteland paths
The foster mother goes in search of the heroine
Passers-by give advice to the hero and heroine
The heroines mother is very hurt since her daughter has eloped
The hero goes alone in search of wealth, leaving behind the heroine
The heroine is afraid that he has to go through paths with bandits and wild
animals
The heroines friend consoles her
The heroine is distressed and bangles slip down her forearms
The hero speaks to his heart about his feelings
The heroines mother pleads with the crow to caw and bring her daughter back
Common words in Plai thinai: (harsh path), (wasteland),
(wasteland), , (harsh wasteland), (tribes
living in the wasteland), , , (big garden lizard),
(summer blooming flower), (cactus), , , ,
, , , , (neem),
, , , (red fox), , , ,
(leaf heap, usually a shallow grave), , ,
, (), words for path , , , ,
, , (difficult path), (path)
Mullai : Forest and adjoining lands. Named after the jasmine, and the
plant grows wild in forest areas, especially in the rainy seasons. The god is
Myon (the dark one), and cattle, deer, rabbits, and wild fowl live there. Wild
grain and millet is grown. Flowers are jasmine and thonral, trees are kondrai and
ky. Forest streams are active in the rainy season.
The heroine waits for her man to return from a journey. Some poems in this
category describle union. All concern the fertitility of the rainy season in the
forest meadows. Rainy season is the period. The time is usually evening.
Patient waiting by the young woman is the theme of Mullai.
Typical Mullai Thinai scenarios Patient waiting
The hero has gone on a personal business trip, and is expected at the start of the
rainy season
The hero has gone on the kings business, and is expected at the start of the rainy
season
The heroine awaits his arrival when the rainy season arrives
The heroine is upset that the rainy season has started, and her man has not
returned
The heroine is in denial that the rainy season has started and blames the trees for
showing signs of the season
The heroines friend consoles her when she is worried
The hero is anxious to get back home once his business is over
The heroine is upset when rainy season has started and the hero has not returned
The hero talks to his charioteer on his way back
The rains start and forest is filled with ky, kondrai, mullai and other flowers
The hero eventually reaches home and tells the heroine how happy he is to be
back
Common words in Mullai thinai: (mullai land), (mullai
land), , , (), , , flowers , ,
, , , , (chariot), ,
, , (cattle herders), , , (peacock),
(clouds, rain), ,
Neythal - : Seashore and adjoining lands. Named after the blue water
lily that grows near the seashore. Varunan is the god. Fish catching and salt
making is done here. Blue water lily grows in the ponds. Cormorant is the bird
and crocodiles, sharks and buffalo that carries salt bags live here. Screw pine
trees grow, water wells and salt water ponds are here. Fishermen community
called parathavar live in nearby settlements with their families.
The subject is often separation, during which the unmarried woman believes that
her lover has abandoned her. Occasionally, neydal poems concern the journey of
the hero along the beach in his chariot as he comes to see his beloved. The time
is afternoon, evening or occasionally night. Anxious waiting is the theme of
neythal.
Typical Neythal Thinai scenarios Anxious waiting
The heroine and her friend dry fish on the seashore
Their fathers and brothers go into the ocean to fish
The heroine plays with her friends on the seashore
The heroine waits anxiously for the hero who is away
There is gossip in their settlement when the love affair is known
The heroines friend assures her that the hero will come on his chariot
The heroines body becomes pale and weak due to the separation
The heroine is unable to sleep at night
Common words in Neythal thinai: , , , , ,
, (grove near the seashore, ),
(boat), (boat), (settlement) , , , (fragrant
screwpine), , (fragrant screwpine), , (salt
merchant), (salty waters), , ( ),
(), (a creeper with beautiful pink flowers), (purple
water lily), (white waterlily), (conch shell), (conch shell),
, , , , words for ocean , (sea,
wave), , (sea, wave), , , , ,
, , , words for waves , , ,
Marutham : Paddy fields and adjoining lands. Named after the
flowering marutham tree which grows in agricultural areas. Indiran is the god
here, white and red rice are grown, Water buffalo is the animal, and lotus and
lilies are the flowers. The trees are vanji, kanchi and marutham. Wells, ponds,
rivers, and streams are all over the place. The birds here are pelican, waterfowl
and swan. People work in the fields planting, weeding and cutting the rice stalks.
After marriage and usually after the couple have a child, the hero leaves his wife
and begins to live with courtesans. The time is day. Lovers infidelity and the
beloved womans resentment are the themes in marutham.
Typical Marutham Thinai scenarios Infidelity and hurt
The hero takes a concubine
The hero plays with his concubine/concubines in the river
The heroine is very sad and hurt
The heroines friend accosts the hero
The concubine talks about her feelings
The concubine talks about the heroine
The hero uses a messenger bard to send word to the heroine
The heroine tells the bard about her sad feelings
The heroine tells the hero how hurt she is
The heroine tells the hero about gossips
The heroine tells the hero that he was seen with his concubines
The friend speaks her mind to the bard
The friend refuses the hero entry into the house
Common words in marutham thinai: (field), (field),
(field), (field), words for ponds , , , , ,
, , , (those who cut the grains, those who
harvest), , , , , ,
(otter), (white waterlily), , , , , ,
, (buffalo), , , (fig
tree), , , , , ()
The Akam Poem: Tholkpiyam lists the three components of akam poems as
follows:
Verse 3, Akathinai Iyal



On examination, when we list them,
the entities which constitute the poem
are, excelling in order,
mutal, karu and uripporul.
Muthal means first or principal, and refers to the setting in time (pozhuthu)
and place (nilam) where the activity of the poem takes place. Time is conceived
in two aspects, the time of the year or season, and the time of the day or night.
Land refers to kurinji, mullai, marutham, neythal and plai lands.
Karu means embryo or nucleus and it refers to the fauna, flora, inhabitants
and artefacts which are native to the thinai or lands.
Uri refers to the distinctive mood of that thinai.
The following poem is a good one to look at muthal, karu and uri. Muthal is the
physical location and it is the pond in this poem. Karu is the vlai fish, mango
trees and the mangoes. Uri is the infidelity that we see here.
Kurunthokai 8, langudi Vangnr, Marutham Thinai What the jealous
concubine said about the hero
Hes from the town
where pond vlai fish
catch sweet mangoes that drop
from trees in the nearby fields.
He talks big while at my place.
When he is at his home,
hes a mirror image
that lifts its hands and legs,
reflecting his sons mother. Translated by Vaidehi
Thurai or colophons notes attached to the akam poems: Considerable number
of conclusions drawn by modern scholars with regards to akam poetry have
been based on secondary material, that is thurai attached to the poems. Thurai is
where the reader is given information about who the speaker is and who it was
spoken and under what circumstances. These were not written by the author.
These were added many centuries later. Dr. Takanobu Takahashi is of the
opinion that these colophons were added between the 4th century A.D. and the
7th century A.D. Sometimes, more than one colophon was added to a poem by
different commentators and at different times. Those who added only guessed
what the authors intent was, based on what they had learned and experienced.
It is very possible that the later commentators were not always perfect in their
interpretation. Thurais guide us in interpreting the poems in a very balanced
manner for the most part. However, they do leave questions for doubts in a few
poems, especially about the speaker of the poem.
The elements of thurai are the kootru (speaker), ketpor (the listener), viri (the
specific theme) and the way the message is conveyed by the speaker to the
listener. The colophon is usually the notes above the poem see the poem
below. The words, What the foster mother said about the heroine when she got
married to her beloved is the colophon.
Dramatis Personae: The voices of akam poems are the hero, the heros friend, the
heros charioteer, the heroine, the heroines friend, the heroines mother, the
heroines foster mother, and passers by. In akam poem, the poet does not
address the reader. Also, there are no names for the characters in these poems.
Names of leaders, kings or kingdoms will appear once in a while, and they can
be used as long as they are used as references, and are not the main characters of
the poem. For example, kurunthokai 15 has a reference to the Kosar tribe.
Kurunthokai 15 Poet Auvaiyar What the foster mother said about the
heroine when she got married to her beloved
He wore beautiful war bracelets
and his white spear
had a red tongue
for a blade,
and she had bangles decked
on her hand.
Her love has come true
like the infallible word
of the Kosars from the four villages
gathered under the ancient banyan;
as the wedding drums thunder
and the conch shell trumpets blare,
her love is made good and true.
Ullurai Inner meaning Many Akam poems have inner meanings, like the one
that follows. Learn to look for that. Its amazing how the poets use nature to
express many levels of meanings.
105, ,






.
I get teary eyed when I think of my friendship
with the man from the mountain filled with gods.
I shiver with pain like the innocent peacock
that panics
after it eats the golden tiny millet
left as offering to the gods in the mountain kuravars fields,
and trembles like a beautiful veriyttam dancer in a ritual.
,
,
,
,
(), ,
,
,
,
Ullurai here is that the heroine worries about her lover not marrying her, and
she trembles in fear like a peacock. Just as the peacock innocently eats the
offerings , she innocently got into this relationship in a trusting manner,
unaware of the consequences, and is in fear now.