INTRODUCTION TO
THE STUDY OF TIRUVALLUVAR
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A Lecture by Prof.Avvai Duraisami Pillai
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Part – 88
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This sort of constant thinking of love raises it to the climax and the lover being unbearable of the painful delay in getting the consent of parents of his ladylove thinks of proclaiming his love in public. This is called Madal (மடல்) in Tamil. Marriage celebrations among Tamils were preceded by the open consent of the maiden “and her parents and therefore the lover insisted upon the preparation of the mind of the parents to accept his proposal. In most cases the companion herself would prevail upon him to initiate the marriage proposal. Anyhow, a considerable period of time is required for their endeavours to bear fruit. In the meantime the feeling of love in the hearts of the lovers swell to the point of bursting. He says that he was once an embodiment of the high sense of honour and manly vigour and hence he restrained himself from transgressing the social conventions but then he had nothing but stoop to accept the madal—the last resort to effect forcible marriage.
When the love of the lady is communicated to her parents and they are ready to accord consent, the lover may take sometime by way of preparation to go to her house with the elite of the village. This period of suspense may aggravate the intensity of her love and even drive her to consider herself the feasibility oi the madal but in those days ladies were exclusively forbidden to adopt madal or express their love publicly. Considering her limitations the lady love bewails that she is unable to control her feelings and too frail to withstand the pain of love, but her love on the other hand takes off the veil and proclaims itself in public.
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