நெடுநல்வாடையில் இயற்கைப் பதிவுகள்

Natural Imagery in Nedunalvadai: A Study

Abstract

: Sangam literature serves as a literary repository highlighting the lifestyle, culture, and relationship with nature of ancient Tamils. Among these works, Nedunalvaadai, one of the Ten Idylls (Pattupattu), is a remarkable text that intricately records natural scenes. Authored by Nakkeerar against the backdrop of the severe cold and chilly north wind of the winter season (Koothir), this work portrays the heroine's sorrow of separation and the hero's duties in the military camp. Right at the beginning of Nedunalvaadai, various natural elements such as rain, dew/frost, wind, water, birds, and animals are featured. The text illustrates different states of nature, including fields flourishing due to rain, people shivering from the cold, and the normal behaviors of animals altering due to the chilling weather. This research paper examines Nedunalvaadai across various dimensions, including weather, rain, dew, wind, water resources, trees, plants, birds, animals, and the lifestyle of the people in harmony with nature. Furthermore, it explores how nature functions not merely as a background, but as a literary technique to express the heroine's inner grief and as a setting that emphasizes the hero's wartime duty. In this regard, Nedunalvaadai stands as a crucial literary proof to understand the nature-aligned lifestyle of the Tamils of the Sangam era.