Peacock feathers ~ கருங்கண் தோகை மயிற்பீலி

                                                     கருங்கண் தோகை மயிற்பீலி 

Insurers in India grappled with multiple issues while reviewing motor accident claims and among them stood out damage to cars by stray dogs, falling coconuts and even elephants, TOI reported. 

Among the peculiar incidents, claims involving animals stand out. Regions including Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu witness a significant number of accidents resulting from human-elephant conflicts. A new entrant to the market processed over 20 claims attributed to ‘depredation by elephants’. Then there were damages caused by stray dogs ! and a couple of instances of  angry peacocks pecking  at their own reflections on cars, causing damage. 

On Thaipusam day, at many religious places not only in India but Overseas too,  devotees  in yellow clothes and with bodies covered with the holy ash, carry well-decorated “kavadi”, bearing pots of milk while walking towards the temple by enduring the pain to fulfil their vows.  The Tamil term “kavadi” means a burden or load, which is carried on the shoulders as a form of sacrifice to the Hindu god Lord Murugan, as an opportunity to offer their thanks when those vows are fulfilled by their deity.  Peacock feathers add more vibrancy to kavadis and in recent times  decorations with light-emitting diode (LED) too are placed. 

 

சிறு வயதில் நம் கையில் இருந்த ஆக்ஸ்போர்ட் நிகண்டில் புரியாத வார்த்தைகளை தேடினோம் !  இன்று இணையத்தில் பல விஷயங்கள் மிக எளிதாக கிடைக்கின்றன.  எனினும்  சில சமயம் சில தேடல்கள் முடிவற்ற ஓர் எல்லையை (oxymoron!) நோக்கி நீள்கின்றன.  மிக எளிதான விஷயம் : 'மயிற்பீலி’, - -பதிவு பொருள் பற்றியதல்ல, அதை அணியும் மாயோனை பற்றியது !!! 

Peacock, any of three species of resplendent birds of the pheasant family, Phasianidae (order Galliformes). Strictly, the male is a peacock, and the female is a peahen; both are peafowl.  

மயில் இறகுகளை வாங்கி உங்கள் வீட்டை அழகுபடுத்தினால் வீடும் அழகாகும் வாஸ்துப்படி உங்களுக்கும் உங்கள் குடும்பத்தாருக்கும் பல நன்மைகள் கிட்டும் என படித்தேன் .. .. நம்புவீர்களா, இல்லையோ !! விவாதம் தேவையில்லை ! .    சிறு வயதில் மயில் இறகை புத்தகத்தினுள் வைத்து, அது குட்டி போடும் என்று நம்பி நம் பாட  புத்தகங்களின் உள்ளே  பலர் வைத்திருந்தது என்னவோ உண்மை !   

Peacock feathers, or mor pankh, மயிலிறகு, is regarded an auspicious symbol in our culture.  In school days, remember, we were happy in having small feathers inside our notebooks, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.  The peacock remains the oldest ornamental bird in the world.  The peacock could  foretell rain, by dancing before it pours.

 

Peacock feathers represent pride, and by extension, nobility and glory. Peacocks are also known to eat poisonous plants with no ill effects, making their feathers a symbol of incorruptibility and immortality. In ancient Greece, the peacock was the patron bird of the goddess Hera. According to myth, she placed "eyes" on its feathers, symbolizing all-seeing knowledge and the wisdom of the heavens.  

Pushpak Viman of Ravana was shaped like a peacock. The origin of this idea comes from an old Sri Lankan folk tale.  Nowadays, in hotels and bars around Colombo, Sri Lanka, one finds images of this flying wooden peacock, but it is not described as a creation of a carpenter. It is described as Ravana’s Pushpaka Vimana. In a recent conference, it was argued that Ravana invented the aeroplane long before the Wright brothers.  Travel guides creatively identify various natural formations of the island as the Ramayana trail. For example, the city of Wariyapola is now believed to be Ravana’s airport as Wari means “wind” and pola means “place”.     

The island was identified as Ravana’s Lanka.  Around 10^th  century,  Chola kings invaded Sri Lanka, plundered its capital, Anuradhapura, and conquered parts of it, mainly to control its copper mines and sea trading routes.  In India, Mihir Bhoja writes about such devices in his book, Samarangana Sutradhara.   

On Kanu parvettai day  occurs  the annual trip of Kachi Varadar, famously known as ‘Seevaram Paarvettai’.. (not happening this year due to Corona !!)  and at Thiruvallikkeni today is Kanu Parvettai purappadu.  Words could fail describing His beauty and grace.

 

கருங்கண் தோகை மயிற்பீலி அணிந்து .. அருங்கலவுருவின் ஆயர் பெருமான்

Periyazhwar describes Krishna  ~ that of subjects of Gokulam getting stranded on seeing the  beautiful cowherd Lord  adorned with peacock feathers having dark centre spots, and many jewels ….. when His mellifluous music pervaded, it was not only devotees even  the trees stood enchanted, and rained streams of nectar, poured flowers, and bent their upper branches in every which way the stood. 

Here are some photos of the Kanu parvettai purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni and darshan of Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman adorning ‘peacock feather’.

 
adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
16.1.2024