Maadhavi, the CilappatikAram gaNikA

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Maadhavi, the CilappatikAram gaNikA

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mAdhavi is the gaNikA's name in the twin epics

- Anklets and Girdle - in tamil. Appropriately,

the hero is called kOvalan (= tamil for cowherd,

and Krushna). Krushna's pastoral landscape, full of

his leela with gopikAs, is named "mullai". Mullai is,

in the Tamil and Sanskrit traditions, both jasmine flowers

(jasminum sambac, jasminum auriculatum, etc.) and

springflowers (gaertnera racemosa). Constrained to

choose one flower for an entire landscape, with

people of different characters, it is interesting

that "mullai" in old Tamil poetics stands for

both jasmines and springflowers. Both jasmines and

gaertneras are white, highly fragrant flowers on

creepers. MadhavI blooms in the spring, and also has

names like madhubahulA, mahAjAti,

kAmukakAnta, bhRGapriyA, bhramarotsava, candravallI,

vAsantI. Maadhava-Krushna, the pastoral god and

the gaNikA, mAdhavI's love with Kovalan-Krishna is

symbolised by her name, mAdhavi "springflower".

 

Tamil lexicon (Jaffna) lists

mAtavi (skt. mAdhavI) = 1) mullai (jasmine) 2) vanamallikai

(gaertnera).

There is a famous temple in the Kongu country,

called MurukanpUNDi. Its pastoral nature is

mentioned in Tevaram: "mullaip puRavam murukan2pUNTi"

(appar); "mullait tAtu maNaGkamaz murukan2pUNTi mAnakar"

(cuntarar). This "mullai" of murukan2pUNTi is

translated in Skt. as "mAdhavI" - Siva's local name is

*mAdhavivanezvarar*, and the temple tIrtham is *mAdhavitIrtham*.

The goddess there is called "muyaGku-pUN-mulai-ammai",

which carries the sangam poetics theme of mullai landscape

representing evening, jasmines budding and waiting wives

unite with husbands coming home in the monsoon season.

In Sanskrit also, there are instances when identical

word is used for both springflower and

jasmine. The common names are 1) mallinI 2) bhadravallI

3) vAsantI and 4) mahAjAti (note that jAti is not

just spring-flowers, jAtimullai=jAtimalli= jasminum grandiflorum

in Online Tamil Lexicon). Plausibly, Dravidian molla

became mallI in the North because of the

lack of short -o- in Sanskrit (Cf. DED entry

kokku > skt. kaGka). Jasmines and Springflowers are given

the same name and translated back and forth with identical

names in tamil and sanskrit literature.

For example, some Sanskrit lexicographers record that

gaNikA 'harlot' = jasminum auriculatum (yUthikA,

tamil Utimalli/Ucimalli/Irkkumalli). From Tamil,

mullaivAyil (a Shiva temple in Tanjore) is rendered

as skt. yUthikAvanam. So, "mullai" in tamil is rendered

as mAdhavI and yUthikA for which examples are given

above, and Sanskrit lexicogrpahers call gaNikA

harlot = wild jasmine.

 

In CilappatikAram, the gaNikA mAdhaVI sprinkles the

bed *only* with mullai and mallikai (jasmine and gaertnera)

flowers.

 

il vaLar *mullaiyoTu mallikai* aviznta

pal pUjn cEkkaip paLLiyuL polintu

cen tukirk kOvai cen2Ru Entu alkul

am tukil mEkalai acaintan2a varunta

nilavup payan2 koLLum neTu nilA muRRattu

kalavi um pulavi um kAtalaRku aLittu Agku - Cil. 14:27-32

 

Jasmines and springflowers in the bed when Madhavi and Kovalan

are intimate for the first time.

"This was the hour when the shepherd plays the song of

the forest on his flute, when the bee tumbles down,

drunk on the blood of *wild jasmine*. [...]

The couch of Maadhavi was strewn with wild blossoms

from the forest, fragrant jasmine, odorous petals. "

(Prince Ilango Adigal, The Ankle Bracelet, Penguin, p.15).

 

In Kerala, the ancient tAlikeTTu kalyANam ritual

involves keeping the tAli before mullai bushes or a vigraham.

The mAdhavi flowers seem to be remnants of ancient matriarchial

systems as in the Nayar sambandham weddings. The ancient Tamils in

Kerala still practice a wedding which is possibly closer to dancer

weddings. Kerala had till recently a wedding system

very unique in the whole world: "Perhaps the only recorded

society with no form of marriage has been the Nayar of Malabar

coast of India. Until the 19th century, Nayar girls underwent

an initiation rite before the onset of menstruation. Each girl

was secluded with an adult male sponsor, who deflowered her.

The sponsor might later become her lover, and she and her

children had to perform mourning taboos on his death, but aside

from this, they had no claims on him nor he on them."(C. Bishop,

Ecstasy and Transcendence, Little, Brown & Co.).

 

In Tamil and Sanskrit, springflowers full of honey

are called mAdhavI, kAmakAnta, vasantapuSpa, vAsantI,

navamallI, vanamallI, vasantakAlamallikai, vasantamullai,

Aptly, the gaNikA was named after mAdhavI flower in CilappatikAram.

Because mAdhavI(=atimuktalataa) flowers are creepers, they cling to

mango(cUta/sahakAra) trees (Cf. AzvaghoSa, SaundaranandakAvya

(ed. Johnston) 7.8; KAlidAsa, MAlavikAgnimitra (ed. Scharpe) 4.13;

3. KAlidAsa, AbhijnAnazakuntalA (ed. Scharpe) 3.14/15 (Prakrit prose).

mAdhavI:cUta pair is the likely metaphor for gaNikA:sUta

(=narttakI:nATyAchArya) pairs. In sangam texts, maGkai

seems to describe auspicious woman with dance, and mango leaves,

devadasis, turmeric (tam. maJcaL) and pUrNakumbhams are symbols

at the toraNa entrances. AmrapAlI the name of the harlot may have

something to do with mango tree's auspiciousness.

For maGkai in sangam texts:

INDOLOGY/message/375

 

vAsanti means "actors and dancers" along with jasmine,

and spring-flower. Sanskrit dictionaries like those

of Hemacandra, and MedinIkoSa, describe "mAdhavI" as

"procuress" of women, and in several sangam poems viRali danseuses

are portrayed in this particular role. Because of the

danseuse-danceteacher relationships, madhu plausibly refers

to the asura trying to disturb Narayana's yoganidra.

Madhu and KaiTabha:

INDOLOGY/message/455

 

Jasminum auriculatum is "ambaSTha" in Sanskrit.

ambaSTha 'son of a Brahmin and a low caste woman' (Gautama

4,16). In Diighanikaaya, the story is told of

an ambaTTha brahmin, and in tamil, antaNan2 is

comparable with ampaTTan2, the ancient bard/doctor/priest.

INDOLOGY/message/210

 

Also, relevant is the name puNDra for spring-flower.

The Srivaishnava mark, resembling springflower, is also called

puNDra. Of course, puNDra folks, are outsiders in old Sanskrit

literature along with dravidas, andhras, etc.. In myth,

puNDRa is the son of Bali demon who stole LakshmI away, and

VishNu fights with Bali . Since Mayrhofer lists bali as non-IE,

tamil word "poli" and Skt. "bali" must be compared.

"Poli" is what the local priests shout at animal sacrifices,

and they are bards as well. Besides "pole" means

blood in Dravidian. Also, "pollam" = leather, gut string

in CT lutes. Bards and danseuses are musicians

par excellence in sangam poetry throughout. And,

Prince Ilango chose the gaNikA name as mAdhavi.

mAdhavI flower is "atimuktA" (=seedless) and in Vaishnava

theology the 'seedless' mAdhavI has philosophical meaning.

The realm of KaNNaki's "sovereignity" (both in Cilap. and

earlier puRam poems) has to do with hierarchy, whereas

mAdhavi's "sweetness" (mAdhuryam/kAmam) is against any

hierarchy. One of the names of Maadhava is achyuta

'unfallen' - the one whose seed is unfallen, but retained.

Supposed to be eternal pleasure of Kovalan(Krishna) with the

nityasumangali named Maadhavi.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

 

Reference: Renate Syed, Die Flora Altindiens in Literatur

und Kunst, Thesis Munich 1990.

My heartfelt thanks for

the Indologist who gave all these information from Sanskrit

literature.

 

Matrilineal weddings and ViRali dancers:

INDOLOGY/message/264

 

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