Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki (+2 bonus books)
- professor trashraf
- Nov 30, 2022
- 5 min read
I mentioned at the end of my Babel review that I am reading this. I am only halfway through volume 3 but I am happy to report that this is already my favorite book of the year. Ponniyin Selvan is a Tamil-language literary classic written by Kalki, who was an Indian writer, journalist, and freedom fighter. It was serialized in the 1950s in Kalki’s weekly magazine, then bound and sold in book form. I am currently reading Indra Neelameggham’s translation but there are several different translations available.
Ponniyin Selvan follows the warrior Vallavayaran Vandiyadevan as he journeys through the 10th century Chola Empire in order to help the Chola royal family. There are conspiracies, betrayals, friendships, questions of lineage and who is truly fit to rule, and plenty of shenanigans to balance it all. Since Vandiyadevan is an outsider, the reader discovers the Chola Empire and its key players naturally along with him. Vandiyadevan is a lot of fun as a protagonist. He’s funny, courageous, good-hearted, loyal, and always ready for the next adventure.
The book is lengthy and the plot complex, but it flows very well and is easy to follow thanks to the even pacing and structure of each chapter (probably due to the fact that it was serialized weekly, so each chapter has to gently remind the reader of previous events and leave us wanting more). Kalki balances history, action, politics, and humor with a deft hand. In one moment I’m delighted by the pretty description of the landscape; in another moment I’m frantically tearing through the paragraphs to watch Poonkuzlali run from an evil conspirator then confront him with her dagger; and in the last moment I’m snickering because she’s telling Vandiyadevan that he’s got a face like an owl.
The characters are distinct and memorable, even the women, which is no small feat for any author, much less a male one in the 1950s. Some of my favorite of the women are:
-Poonkuzlali: a boat woman strong enough to row across the ocean by herself. She is ferocious, headstrong, funny, melancholy. She is quick to help animals, whip out her dagger in the face of danger, and trap men in quicksand.
-Kundavai: a princess. She is clever, independent, stern with men but playful with her friends. She can out-smart any politician or conspirator and handles difficult situations while the king is ill.
-Nandini: the primary antagonist. She is clever, articulate, resourceful, vengeful, and wants to bring down the Chola Empire at any cost. She is the head of the conspirators and pulling all the strings behind the scenes.
The narrator is their own character as well, which adds to the smooth flow of the book. One of my favorite moments is in volume 1, when the narrator explains the scene as though they’re a friend pointing something out to you as you walk together:
"Today seemed to be the day of some carnival. Men, women and children were dressed in beautiful clothes and jewels as they wandered about the streets. People gathered in groups here and there at street crossings. In the midst of such groups one could glimpse players in vivid costumes performing some mime or play.
Let us watch. Yes; these actors seem to be dressed and made up like Krishna and his cowherds. Who is that in the middle of that group? It seems like Lord Krishna standing there with a mountain lifted up in his hand! Look, the King of Devas, Lord Indra, is coming up and bowing to him! Look over there! Brahma with four faces seems to be talking to little Krishna! Oh! It's clear now: today is Sri Jayanthi, the birthday of Lord Krishna! The people are celebrating that holiday with all these festivities and enthusiasm."
The narrator also likes to quietly roast the characters, such as in this scene in volume 1, when Lord Pazluvoor is carrying on in a fanciful manner about all his supposed past lives with Nandini:
“As the Elder Lord Pazluvoor was recounting the tales of his past births, Nandini had turned her face away looking into the darkness. Because of this, Lord Pazluvoor did not notice the changing expressions on her face. It is doubtful if he would have continued talking in the same fashion if he had seen them.”
The character relationships are varied as well: there are friendships, alliances, romance, enmities, betrayals, and everything in between. There are also several relationships that I would count as homoerotic, though of course that is up to individual interpretation. I could write a whole essay on that aspect of Ponniyin Selvan but for now I’ll leave you with the following three quotes:
1. From Volume 1:
“Kandamaran took hold of his friend's hand and led him hastily into the castle. His feet did not stay put on earth; and his heart danced with joy. What can captivate the heart of a youth more than a true friendship from his youthful days? Yes, of course there is a thing called kaadal (love). But being in love has as much sadness and pain as joy and pleasure. In the cheerful friendship of youth there is not even a shadow of sadness. All is heart pleasing happiness.”
2. From Volume 1:
"Akka, does it mean that you will never leave these Chozla Territories?"
"Never will I leave. Even if they offer to crown me as a queen of the heavens, I will not leave!"
"Now I am quite happy."
"How is that?"
"If you move to another kingdom, I will have to follow you. I cannot be parted from you. At the same time I have no heart to leave this bountiful Chozla land!"
3. From Volume 2 (Vandiyadevan and Prince Arulmozli’s relationship and this entire rescue sequence had me absolutely riveted)
“Vandiya Devan is a hasty and imprudent youth. How could you become responsible for dangers that he tempts upon himself? How does betrayal of friendship come into the picture here? Prince, I do not even like the fact that you should embrace some wandering fortune seeker as a dear friend! Only men of equal status can become friends."
"Commander, I have no time to waste on word duels. Even if I should not call him friend, I am beholden to him. What have all the ancients, including Valluvan the poet said? Chozlas never forget a favor! I shall not violate that fame. I have to leave now and look for that ship."
"How shall you go? Where would you look?"
"I shall go in that boat you came in…"
"How can you hunt a lion with rabbits? How could you hope to find a sailing ship on the high seas with this tiny rowboat? Even if you do find the ship, what can you do?" asked the bewildered Commander.
"I can go in the boat! If the boat collapses, I shall tie myself to a log raft and swim! Even if that ship carrying away Vandiya Devan has crossed the seven seas, I will follow it. After that, if I am unable to save my friend, I shall give up mine own life in the attempt. Where is that boatman?" said an empassioned Prince.
I think I’ve written quite enough about this book so I’ll stop here. If anyone is interested in trying out Ponniyin Selvan, you can read Indra Neelameggham’s English translation of the first 3 volumes legally for free through Project Madurai, which is a volunteer-run site that posts Tamil literary classics in both Tamil and English translation. I will link the sections because they are not listed together and can be hard to find:
Other books that I’ve enjoyed lately:
Originally I’d planned to write a little about these books as well, but in true Professor Trashraf fashion I talked about Ponniyin Selvan for too long, so I’ll just list them here.
-Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata, trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori (I love anything that Sayaka Murata writes)
-Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park, trans. Anton Hur
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