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Chapter 58 - Chapter 1 - Poongkuzhali

Twilight was quiet. The sea waves had subsided on the edge of Kodikarai. Logs and boats were approaching the shore. The birds that had gone in search of prey in the sea were returning. There was white sand for some distance on the shore. Far beyond it lay the forest. The branches of the forest trees did not sway; The leaves did not move. There was silence on all sides. The god of red rays was descending quickly towards the place where the sea and the sky meet. Some of the clouds were obscuring the red rays of the sun and they too were illuminated.

A small boat floated in the sea on the shore. The gentle ripples of the sea swayed the boat slowly, like a childs cradle. There was a young woman in the boat. Seeing her, we are reminded of Senthan Amuthan's description of his uncle's daughter. Well yes; She must be Poongkuzhali. As the name suggests, her hair was adorned with a petal of a lavender flower. Her long black hair curled and fell to adorn her rough shoulders. She wore shells, shells, etc., which the waves of the sea disposed of on the shore. But all these things touched her body, and they too became beautiful, not to be said to have adorned her. If beauty itself bears a form, with what ornament can it be adorned?

Poongkuzhali reclined comfortably in the boat and sang. Perhaps the sea and the waves had receded just to hear her cry! Perhaps that was why the wind did not blow and crawled slowly. The forest trees in the distance also stood still and listened attentively to her song. The heavens and the earth must have been mesmerized by the sound and stood motionless! Even the sun seems to have reached the corner of the ocean and hesitated to drown.

You can listen to the song that floated in the sky bathed in honey.

"Why does the inner ocean rise when even the tidal sea is resting?

In the depths of silence, my heart takes flight,

Seeking the creatures of the forest's might.

Through the wilderness, they roam with grace,

Home-seeking wanderers in every place.

Gazing upon the house, the hunter's sight,

Sky and earth, in tranquility's might.

Within a maiden's glance, storms ignite,

In her heart, tempests take flight.

Bound by the rhythm of time's grand design,

The march of seasons, nature's incline.

In the embrace of the wind's gentle spin,

Carried away in its whispering hymn.

I don't know what sadness there must be in that young woman's heart! I don't know what pleasure and anguish there must have been in her voice. Or perhaps the tears are mixed with the words in the song, we do not know. But when we hear her sing that song, we feel as if our heart is bursting.

Poongkuzhali stopped the song. She pounded the oar four times. The boat came close to the shore. Poongkuzhali jumped out of the boat and landed on the shore. She towed the boat ashore. A few bundles of trees were lying on the bank. She lifted the boat to rest on them. She leaned against the reclining boat and looked around.

There was a fire in the top hall of the lighthouse. The fire burns out of flame. That torch will burn all night. It would warn ships at sea, 'Don't get close!' There is no depth in the sea on the banks of Kodikarai. Only logs and small boats can approach the shore in that area. If the ship and the tongue come close, it will run aground and bury itself in the sand. If you hit the ground too fast, the ship will split apart. Therefore, the lighthouse at Kodikarai was of much needed help to the sailors. On the other side, in the middle of a forest of dwarf trees, stood a tower. Kodikarai Kuzhagar had a temple under it. About two hundred years ago, Sri Sundaramoorthy Nayanar came to this shore. He had a darshan of Kuzhagar who had a temple alone in the middle of the forest.

"Alas! My God! Why were you alone in the middle of this coastal forest? Is there no other place to be? When there are so many places where devotees are singing your praises, why do you come to this end and have a temple alone in the terrible forest? The eyes of this flag had to see this scene too!" he sang heartily.

"On the shore where the sea breeze came

In the realm of darkness, do sins reside,

Or do they vanish in virtue's stride?

Does guilt linger where shadows dwell,

Or does redemption break its spell?

In the heart's abyss, where secrets hide,

Do they find solace or forever bide?

Questions echo in the silent gloom,

As souls wrestle with fate's dark loom.

Yet hope flickers in the dim unknown,

Guiding lost spirits to atone.

For in the depths of night's embrace,

A glimmer of light reveals grace.

The eyes of the gods

Listen, have you been by my side, my friend? Through trials and tears, did you extend? In moments dark, did you defend? Or in the light, did you still attend?

In joy or sorrow, did you comprehend? Your presence, a solace to lend, In every twist, did you transcend? Tell me true, were you my faithful blend?

In the midst of scholars, he stood tall,

Amidst the learned, he stood above all.

Amidst the chaos of bustling streets,

In wisdom's realm, where knowledge meets.

How did you rise, O paramount one?

In the realm of brilliance, how have you won?

Kodikarai Kuzhagar was in the same condition even after 200 years of Sri Sundaramoorthy Nayanar had his darshan. (A thousand years later, Kodikarai Kuzhagar is still in the same state of loneliness!) There was still a little forest all around. Owls and crows croaked in the hollows of trees in the forests. Only a few terriblelooking hunters lived in huts here and there in the middle of the forest.

Well yes; There was only one difference. When Sri Sundaramurthy Nayanar came here, there was no lighthouse. It was built a few years ago, during the reign of Parantaka I. Some tiled houses were built around it for those who worked in the lighthouse. Pattar, who was performing puja in the Kodikarai Kuzhagar temple, also came and settled there.

Poongkuzhali leaned against the boat on the beach and looked around. She looked at the lighthouse and wondered if she should go that way. Then Kuzhagar looked at the gopuram of the temple. At that time, Poongkuzhali heard the sound of semangalam beating in the temple and came to a decision. What was I to do when I got home? Let's go to the temple! You can ask Pattar to sing Thevaram. Then you can also buy prasadam.

Having decided like this, Poongkuzhali walked in the direction of the temple. She walked, dancing, singing, jumping. On the way, she saw a herd of deer. The deer were crossing the sandy plain towards the forest. Along with seven or eight big deer, a small fawn was running away. Poongkuzhali was excited when he saw the herd of deer. She continued to jump and run as if she were going to catch them. But can you compete with deer no matter how fast you run? The herd of deer overtook Poongkuzhali.

The deer in front lifted all four legs and leaped a long distance as if they were flying in the sky. Poongkuzhali guessed that there was a quagmire there. All the big deer jumped over the pit in one leap and landed safely. But the fawn could not cross completely. On the other side, its hind legs got stuck in a puddle of mud. The deer planted its front legs on the bank and tried to climb up to the shore until it became a fawn. But its hind legs were sinking deeper and deeper into the mud. The mother deer stood on the bank and looked anxiously at the cub's condition. She couldn't help her cub.

Poongkuzhali saw all this in a second and found out where the mudslide ended. She ran to the side of the grave, crossed the hard spot and approached the spot on the opposite side, where the fawn was stuck in the mud. The mother deer was frightened at first. Poongkuzhali must know the language of a deer! She said something in a soft voice and the mother deer was overcome by fear. Poongkuzhali sat on the edge of the quagmire with her forelegs folded, stretched out her arms and grabbed the fawn and pulled it ashore. The mother deer must have stood beside him and sniffed it and said courage! That's all! The next moment the mother and cub galloped again.

"! Ungrateful animal creatures!" said Poongkuzhali to herself. "But these deer are no worse than humans!" she consoled herself.

Then she walked back to the Kuzhagar temple.

After crossing the sandy plain we had to go through a forest of trees. We had to climb the ridge and go down the ditch. That forest is one of nature's oddities. There are no rocky mountains or hills. It's just a sandy plain. The sand dunes had hardened into hills with plants and trees sprouting on them. There were also ditches beside the hills. It was no easy task to find a way in such a forest. It would seem that a long way has been done; But again and again we will come back to where we started!

Poongkuzhali entered the forest path and walked very quickly to the temple. Outside the temple and in the inner prakara, Konnai, Paneer and other trees were growing and blossoming. Poongkuzhali went into the temple. Pattar smiled at her. Those who come to the temple for darshan of the deity are fantastic. So isn't it natural for Pattar to be happy to see someone who comes along?

He brought coconut lid and prasadam and gave butter. "Mom, are you waiting? I too am locking the sanctum sanctorum and coming home!" It was difficult to go through the forest after dark. But if Poongkuzhali is there to guide them, there is no worry.

"I am, sir! I am in no hurry. Slowly finish the temple kainkariyams and leave!" said Poongkuzhali and came to the temple prakara. Holding on to a branch of a tree, she jumped over the wall of the courtyard. There was a huge statue of Nandi in the corner of the wall. She leaned slightly against the statue and stretched out her legs on the wall. She scraped the coconut lid with her teeth and began to eat.

As Poongkuzhali watched the strange darkness enveloping her on all sides, she heard the horse's footsteps. She looked eagerly in the direction from which the sound came. The sound of horses footsteps awakened in her mind some old memories and transported her to a dreamland. From somewhere an unknown sadness came and choked his heart. Who could it be? What do we care if someone it is? New people have been coming and going for some time. They come as a diplomatic mission; They are going. Yesterday also two people came. It was disgusting to see them. They asked my brother to sail the boat and went to Eelam. They also gave a lot of money. Let thunder fall on their money! Who needs money! What is to be done with money in the middle of the forest? But both brother and sister-in-law have the same desire for money. I don't know why! They put it together and bury it.

The sound of horses footsteps is getting closer. Not a horse; Two horses seem to be coming. Here they are. They are slowly climbing up the ridge from the ditch. Tired horses from long journeys. On each horse comes a man. The first to come on the horse is a young man. He looks good; He is also stubborn and has a majesty on his face. But where was the beauty and majesty of the other face that dwelt in the depths of her heart? Where is his face? Isn't his face as shapely as an owl's face in a hole in a tree?

Of the two on horseback, the first to arrive was our old friend Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyathevan. The one who came later was the doctors son. Both of them are tired and tired by the time they reach here from Pazhaiyarai. However, Vandhiyathevan's face brightened a little when he saw Poongkuzhali leaning against the temple wall with her legs stretched out. When he saw that she was staring into his face, he felt a natural surge of excitement. He, too, stopped and began to look at her face with curiosity. If he had known that she was comparing his face to that of an owl in a hole in a tree, he would not have been so excited. How advantageous is it that one mind cannot be fully understood by another?

Poongkuzhali knew that the man on the horse was staring at her. She thought of herself holding a coconut in her hand and scraping it with her teeth. Suddenly a sense of shame came out of nowhere and seized her. She jumped out of the courtyard wall onto the white sand. She began to run along the wall.

Seeing this, Vandhiyathevan also felt like jumping off the horse. He wanted to jump up and run after Poongkuzhali to catch him. So he chased her and ran. Who can find out the reasons for this senseless act? It is to be said that it was nature that made Poongkuzhali run and that is what made Vandhiyathevan chase.