Ponni's Beloved Volume 1: New Floods

by Kalki

Ponni’s Beloved Volume 1 – New Floods AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF KALKI KRISHNAMURTHY’S PONNIYIN SELVAN by Sumeetha Manikandan

“My dear, don’t try to fool me. I know that you don’t have any particular love for the Chola Kingdom because the real ‘Chola Kingdom’ that you are in love with, has gone to Elangai to fight. Do you think I don’t know your secret?”

“You made a big mistake, Thambi. You should have listened to it. You are such a brave soldier, but if you wish to grow in life, you must pay attention, whenever somebody talks about the affairs of the Kingdom.”

“Thambi! Sailors who travel by ship depend on the compass to know the direction. Sometimes the lighthouse is also there to guide them. But in the middle of the sea, where you see water in every direction, the sailors depend on only one thing to learn the direction, and that is the pole star. Even the Saptarishi Mandal [85], changes direction but

the pole star is anchored in one place. Prince Arulmozhivarmar is like that pole star. His ideals, bravery, and knowledge are unparalleled in this world. If young men like you follow his ideals, you will achieve your goal in life.”

“Oh, Heavenly stars! I know you must be laughing at the stupidity of us human beings. You have all the reasons to laugh at us. You have been here since time immemorial. And you have seen the terrible war that happened here. You must be thinking as to why we human beings kill each other like this. And they call this ‘bravery.'”

Vandiya Devan remembered an incident that happened when he was young. He was passing through a forest when he suddenly came upon a snake. It had spread its hood and was dancing before him. He was so awestruck by its beauty that he couldn’t take his eyes off. Whenever the snake moved, his body too moved in the same direction. Vandiya Devan remembered that he had felt the same way that afternoon when he had met Nandini.

Not everybody can be a good soul like Senthan Amuthan. Some people plot against one other and try to harm others. People need a king to protect them and kings need an army of bodyguards like the Velkarars to protect them from enemies. They also need messengers like me. Yes, today I will have to meet the Emperor at any cost before Periya Pazhuvetarayar returns.

At this point, Vandiya Devan got up and said, “My Lord, you cannot call this poem a lie! If an ordinary man says something that’s not true, then it is known as a ‘lie.' If people who run a kingdom say the same thing, it is called ‘strategy’, but if a poet said the same thing, it is called ‘imagination.'”

He instinctively felt that she was more dangerous than the Pazhuvur brothers, and their soldiers put together. In their presence, his senses were alert, and he could use his sword, as well as his brain, which was sharper than his sword. But in front of this seductress, he felt that his sword might slip from his hand; his mind refused to think; he found himself wanting to agree with whatever she said.

Don’t you know that there is no one as dangerous as a man, who gets married to a young woman?”

A woman, no matter how beautiful she is, will always feel jealous of another woman’s beauty.