ABOUT THE POEM:
The poem THE UNFORGIVING BRAVE CONQUEROR vividly describes the devastating campaign of a formidable warrior whose unmatched prowess and merciless strategies laid waste to a once-flourishing land. Leading a cavalry force as swift and skilled as storm-laden clouds, he attacked with unrelenting ferocity, breaking the defenses of his enemies. The poem portrays his actions in graphic detail:
His horses grazed in the fertile fields of his conquered foes, symbolizing his complete domination over their resources.
The trees from their homesteads were chopped and burned, reducing their shelters to ashes.
In a show of unchallenged supremacy, he bathed his elephants in the guarded waters, mocking the defenders’ futile attempts to safeguard their lands.
The warrior's destruction was apocalyptic. His fires blazed so fiercely during the day that the skies turned red, likened to a fiery sunset painting the heavens. His army, vast and boundless, spread across the land like an unstoppable force, leaving only dust and ruin in its wake.
What makes him even more remarkable is his self-reliance. He fought alone, needing no allies, and achieved victory through sheer determination and strength. His physical and symbolic portrayal is striking—he wields a blood-stained sword, his chest adorned with sandalwood paste, and his demeanor reflects the wrathful yet divine countenance of Lord Murugan, the Tamil god of war.
In his campaigns, he reduces lush agricultural lands—rich with creepers, water lilies, wildflowers and sugarcane to ashes, leaving behind a barren landscape. His elephants play a pivotal role in this fiery desolation, cementing his reputation as a ruthless yet legendary conqueror.
The poem highlights not only the warrior’s might and ferocity serving as a glorification of his strength but also the irrevocable toll of war, leaving behind a barren, lifeless expanse where prosperity once reigned. It serves as both a glorification of his strength and a lamentation of the destruction wrought by his ambition.
THE UNFORGIVING BRAVE CONQUEROR
A force of steeds with skill so grand,
Like storm-clouds dark, his armies raged;
He fought till foes could barely stand,
Their fertile fields to ruin engaged.
His horses grazed where crops once grew,
Their trees he felled for flames to feed;
By guarded streams, his elephants slew,
And bathed with might in their watery deed.
At noon, his fires consumed the skies,
Like sunsets red that evening bring;
A boundless army spread to rise,
To dust and ash did havoc cling.
Alone he triumphed, none to share,
With blood stained sword and sandal-smeared chest;
Lord Muruga's wrath his form did bear,
Both fierce and bright, in war's fierce quest.
Vine, lily, wildflower, sugar cane - fields of green
Were scorched to waste by his unforgiving hand;
His elephants helped in the fiery reign,
Thus leave but ruins across the land.
PURANAANOORU 16
POET: Pandarang Kannanar
PATRON: Choḻan Irajasūyam Vetta Perunarkilli
