Spgm 043 - The Determination Of Kownthi Adigal Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Kownthi Adigal heard what the leader said.
He held his hands o'er his head and said,
'My ears will never open
To innocence, lust and passion.'

'My tongue will not say other than
Thousand eight names of Arugadevan.
My eyes will not see other than
His holy feet, the only vision.'

'When I'm not aware of His presence,
My body on this earth is useless.
My both hands will never join
To worship other than Arugadevan.

'My head will never bow
Other than His lotus feet from now.
My mind will never miss
His words of endless happiness.'

She expressed her feelings,
In so many words like this.
Saranars felt happy to hear
And they all blessed her.

'Your attachment on this earth
Is the cause for repeated birth.
Detached life has no such birth
And is free from birth and death.'

So saying they flew away,
And disappeared in the sky.
'For us too no attachment from now, '
Kovalan and Kannagi took this vow.

THE RUMOUR-MONGERS' WILD GOSSIP

Then, the three took a small ferry,
And crossed the River Cauvery.
To a flower garden they went.
There some time they spent.

Just then came a vamp-woman
Hugging closely her day's man.
She asked Adigal, 'The beautiful pair
With you why are they here? '

Adigal replied, 'My people they're.
Very much tired now they're.
So, please go away from here
Let them stay free there.'

'Your people you say,
Born with you are they?
Are you leading a family life,
With those husband and wife? '

She said this sarcastically,
Addressing Adigal particularly.
What an unscrupulous woman
Who criticized another holy woman?

THE CURSE AND ITS MITIGATION

Hearing the adverse comment,
Kannagi felt bad that moment,
And closing her two ears,
She expressed her own fears.

Kounti Adigal cursed them both,
'As cunning foxes henceforth
In the forest you shall roam.'
As foxes they then became.

Kannagi and Kovalan were afraid,
When the foxes' howling they heard,
And they pleaded for mitigation
From the curse, as a retribution.

'They'll hide in the graveyard.
Their twelve months' life shall be hard,
Then be released from the curse, '
The Adigal so reduced her curse.

THE END OF PUGAR CHAPTER