The ‘Parai’ used by AndaaL! (part-1)

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The

Paavai nOnbu is associated with the beating of the parai by the girls.

 

 

If

we probe what this 'parai' was, we would be surprised to know that many types

of 'parai' were used in those days, depending on the appearance, occasion and

the need.

Going

through the instances of 'parai' as found in Sangam literature, we are able to

identify the parai that AndaaL had used.

 

 

To

begin with let us see the meaning of Parai.

PaRai has three meanings in Tamil lexicon.

"parai parai vachanatthOdu

parakkum puL-iRagu mup-pEr"

says

ChoodamaNi Nigandu.

 

 

 

PaRai

means

(1)

the drum called paRai.

(2)

'word' and (3) 'bird's wing'.

 

pRaidhal has its origins in this word and

it

means to announce or declare or convey something.

 

This

paRai as an instrument to convey something was very much part of life of

ancient Tamils.

12 different types of paRai are found in Pura naanUru.

The

types are dependent upon the occasion the parai is used and also its appearance

and the quality of sound.

They

are as follows.

 

(1)

Ari-p-paRAi :- The sound of this is that of

rubbing something on some soft surface (aritthal).

It

is comparable to the sound of the rub of the

bird's wing on the plants of the field when it flies off the field

This

appears in texts as a comparison with some soft sound, say, the sound of

ornaments rubbing with each other.

 

(2)

Anathan paRai :- This has a dull sound but not

an auspicious one.

This

paRAi is usually beaten by haunted women

who

beat this parai after smearing the blood of the dead fallen in the battle

field,

on

their hair!!

Vultures

get attracted to this paRai and reach the battle field.

 

(3)

AaguLi-p-paRai

 

and

(4)

Siru paRai :- Both these are small in size, can

be easily held in hand and used along with singing.

 

Mostly

the singers (paaNar) in olden days

carry

this paRai along with 'yAzh' (a kind of light veena that can be hung on the

shoulder.)

Both

Yaazh and this paRai are used simultaneously or separately while singing.

From

different texts of yore,

it

is known that this parai is usually beaten in early hours

before

sun rise in praise of the king or God.

 

(5)

Salli-p-paRai :- This is also known as 'perum

paRai', a big drum –

used

at the time of processions and for making announcements.

 

(6)

Saa-k-kaattu-p-paRai :- This is used only at the

time of death.

Is

also known as saavu-p-paRai.

 

(7)

Cheru-paRai :- This is beaten when the king goes

out to the battle field.

This

PaRai is carried by drum-beaters

in

front of the elephants that go to the war-front.

 

(8)

pOr-p-paRai :- This is also beaten at times of

war.

This

is to announce that the king had started for the battlefield to snatch victory.

 

(9) Neidhal paRai :- This is similar to

Saa-k-kaattu-p-paRai, beaten at the time of death.

This

paRai was used by the people of Neidhal -

those

living on the sea shore.

 

(10)

Thadaari-p-paRai :- This is the common drum used

by many in the ancient land of Tamils.

This

is also known as 'kiNai-p-paRai' or

'pambai-p-paRai'

or

'udukkai'.

This

is the drum held by Shiva during his cosmic dance.

The

image of Nataraja holds this.

 

 

 

(11)

Oru kaN

paRai. This means the one-eyed drum!

This

is a big-sized drum, with an eye that resembles the foot of an elephant.

This

was used in wars and for making announcements.

 

(12) MaNa-p-paRai :- This is the drum used in marriages.

 

 

Apart

from the above,

each

of the 5 land forms

of the Tamils had

their

own characteristic parai, yaazh (hand held veena) and paN (song)

 

Those

in hill tracts (kurinji) used 'Thondaga-p-parai'

(this

is in places ending with the word 'kudi', like sirukudi, kunna-k-kudi etc)

 

 

 

Those

in desert areas (paalai) used 'thudi-p-parai'

 

Those

in forest tracts (mullai) used 'yEru kOt parai'

(

places end with 'paadi', chEri' and 'paLLi', like vaazhappaadi, aayar paadi

etc.)

 

Those

in plains (marudham) used 'maNa-p-parai ' and 'kiNai-p-parai'

(places

end with 'voor', like putthur, maNavoor etc.)

 

Those

in sea shores (neidhal) used 'meen kOt parai'

(places

ending with 'pattinam' and 'paakkam'.

Chenna-p-pattinam

– former name of Chennai – belongs to this area.)

 

 

From

these information, some idea of the kind of parai

that AndaaL has mentioned in her Thiruppavai can be inferred.

 

At 9 places, the word paRai has been mentioned by AndaaL

1.

parai tharuvaan,

2. paddi-p-parai kondu,

3. pOrra-p-parai tharum,

4. arai parai,

5. parai thaaruthiyaagil,

6. saala-p-perunm parai,

7. undrannai paadi paraikondu,

8. nee thaaraai parai

9. irrai parai kolvan

 

Let

us now see what parai was carried by

the

aayar girls and AndaaL during their month-long vratham.

The

parai used for singing the praise of god in early hours of the day (before

sunrise)

was

'aguLi-p-pari'

or 'siru parai'.

It

was a small and easy to hold drum.

It

is possible to assume that this would have been the choice of

young

AndaaL and her friends.

 

There

is another way to think if that Andaal had used the parai

that

was characteristic of her land, namely Villiputthur.

 

(putthoor

in the name indicates that the place of AndaaL was in marudham or plains).

 

The

parai of her land was, 'kiNai-p-parai' or 'udukkai' or 'tadaari-p-pari'

which

was meant for worship of Shiva and

AndaaL

would not have used that for the worship of Thirumaal.

There

is yet another one, "mana-p-paRai" for Marudham

lands.

But

that was used only during marriages.

So

that is also ruled out.

 

The

easy to be held parai

which

goes well with singing the praise of God in the early hours of morning

is

the " aguLi-p-paRai "

also

known as " siru

paRai "

It is therefore proper to assume that AndaaL

used Siru parai.

 

But

here again a doubt comes.

At

one place AndaaL mentions 'saala-p-perum parai'.

Is

this the parai she used?

It

can not be.

Because

from the meaning of 'saala-p-perum parai'.

it

is known that it is the big parai (perum parai)

the

Salli-p-parai, which is used in processions.

AndaaL

has mentioned 'Saala-p-perum parai' in "MaalE maNi vaNNa" paasuram.

She

also mentions about the recital of 'Pallaandu'

to the beating

of

the saala-p-perum parai!

This

is indicative of a procession, 'Purappaadu'

with

all accompanying recitals and auspicious music.

In

all probability it is about the Garuda Sevai she

witnessed on that day,

that

is most likely to be the day of Vaikuntha Ekadashi.

We

will analyze it on the day of Maale Manivanna!

 

In

the present context, we know that AndaaL used Siru parai,

AndaaL

has also given a clue about what exact message is conveyed by her parai.

We

all know that it is about the 'pEru'

or 'kataaksham' or 'blessings' or 'servitude' etc

But

the mention of Arai

paRai (paasuram 16)

which

has specific application in Tamil lexicon,

reveals

the exact message given by Narayana that

AndaaL

along with the aayar girls had been spreading by beating the paRai!

It

will be discussed in the next post.

(to be continued)