Katal and Kamam

There are two words "ktal" and "kamam" in Tamil, the

meanings of which are worth defining. "ktal" has been
employed in Akam poetry, to denote the kindness
between all sorts of relatives including the husband and
wife. (Ain 195, Nar 241, 237, An 275, 310) Now its
meaning has gradually enlarged to express all kinds of
love, like love of God, love of language, love of country
and love of humanity. "Ktal" implied the mental
attachment between the being that loves and the object
of love. This word relates merely to mind, irrespective of
physical contact. This is plain from the use of 'ktalan' and
'ktali' for the hero and heroine. The use of these terms to
denote lovers is very appropriate, as mental union is the
chief characteristic of Ahattinai.
The word 'kmam' is now understood to mean a
reckless indulgence of the sexual impulse. In the Sangam
era, normal physical passion was meant by `kmam' (An
23). The physical union of the lovers is called
`kmakknttam' by Tolkappiyar (Tol 1037). Later, after the
Kalabari rule, 'kmam' came to denote a sense of
degradation.
Love is a compound of two distinct elements, mental
and physical. There is no one word in Tamil denoting these

two elements. 'Ktal' simply means attachment and

'kmam' passion.
"Katar kmam kamattuc cirantatu
Virupp rottu meryuru punarcci."
(Pari 9)
Finding no word to express the two essentials of
Akam theme, Kunramptanar has cleverly coined
a new phrase 'katarkamam' (Pari 6, Nar 389) by
combining the two related words 'ktal' and kmam'. The
second line clearly gives the meaning of the phrase, as
bodily union based on mutual liking.
The Value of sexual love
Akam classics do not treat directly of the mental union
of lovers; for it is the play of destiny, but they fully
describe the sexual aspects of those who are united in
hearts. In other words, the purport of Ahattinai is to show
the varying sexual phenomena of the mutual lovers. The
stress in Akam poetry that the hero and heroine should
unite in heart has a motive behind; only then, their sexual
life will be happy and perfect. Thus the emphasis on the
physical pleasure should be noted by readers of Akam
literature.
In no Sangam poem passion or kmam is despised. It is
true that the male companion or Pnkan derides the new
course of his friend as he hears of it from him. The
companion's intention is not to belittle the physical
passion but to admonish the hero, not to be misled in the

name of love; for kmam will blind a lover to direct his

erotic thought towards a person who does not realize its
value.
"Nbtak kanCe kmam yvatum
Nanrena vunrAr mttum
Cenre nirkum perump taimaitt" (Kurun; 78)
"Payaninru manramma kmam" (Kali; 142)

"Kanavin nilaiyinrr kmam"

(Do: 145)

"Araicinum anpinrm kmam"

(Do; 146)

Thus a disappointed heroine of Peruntinai whose

husband parts from her shortly after marriage criticizes
passion as futile, illusive and cruel, bringing out the
enhanced value of sensuality.

The Impulse in Women

A literature, the object of which is the treatment of
sexual behaviours of human beings, cannot but show
respect for women in general. Indeed in the Sangam
epoch, there was no superiority or inferiority of sexes. The
Tamils regarded man and woman as two different rational
beings. They entrusted the management of the family and
the bringing up of children to woman, while work outside
came to be the responsibility of man. Monogamy and
chastity were strictly enjoined on woman for, the
uninterrupted continuation of family life and for the
procreation of good and pure progeny. Thus society

depended upon the consciousness of women of their

responsibility for its stability and existence. This
dependence would be a farce, if the parents forced their
own 'choice of bridegrooms upon their daughters. Therefore society gave freedom to women to select their lifepartners and compelled others finally to consent to their
choice. Kalavu poems are illustrative of the freedom
enjoyed by women in matters of sex. We have already
seen how the parents, the neighbours, the sages and the
hero bowed their heads in reverence to the noble quality
of chastity. We have also seen that a girl after her
association with a youth keeps her loyalty at all costs,
even disregarding her parents and experiencing any
amount of hardships Therefore the main figure in Ahattinai
around which all other figures revolve, and the chief
quality to which all other qualities are attached are the
heroine and her chastity.
Her loyalty and sense of duty are vividly portrayed in
Marutam poems, when the husband seeks pleasure in the
company of prostitutes. Her resentful heart is said to
become soft at the touch of the lewd lord, like the soil
wearing away when it rains (An 26). To the request of the
maid that she should cease quarrelling with the dissolute
hero, the wife replies that she has no time left to do so, as
she is fully engaged in entertaining guests.' When the
maid speaks ill of the hero, the matron who cannot
tolerate any innuendo about her lord intelligently retorts

"It is not graceful for us who are burdened with manifold

duties of household."
"Itumar revan tli
Tirumanaip palkatam pnta
Perumutu pentire mkiya namakk"
(Ku 181)

Sex-education
Tamil scholars of different schools have unanimously
expressed the view that there is no place in Ahattinai for
the treatment of love relating to heavenly or supernatural
or imaginary beings. In the ninth Pariptal, the envious
quarrel between the two wives of Lord Murugan, the deity
of Kurinci region is picturesquely related. But this
mythological description is outside Akam. Akam poetry is
a poetry of human sexual love. It is purposely devised for
the realistic portrayal of the sexual life of human beings.
The entry of the elements of mythological and
legendary .characters into the subject matter of Ahattinai
is carefully prohibited by Tolkippiyar and the Sangam
poets. In dealing with the sexual impulse of mankind too,
Akam poetry eschews love-aspects which are abnormal,
irregular or peculiar to individuals. In fine, the theme of
Akam literature is the simple course of love common to
the ordinary people of all times. No love theme is adopted
merely for the sake of poetry and interesting themes
which may vitiate the aim are completely omitted. The
Tamil genius found in poetry a proper and easy medium
for initiating the youths in the art of love. In doing so,

Sangam poets picture emotionally all normal sexual

aspects relating to human psychology based on biology
and sociology. They do not touch upon the anatomical and
physiological details, lest poetry should become a manual.
Perfect sexual enjoyment is the key-note of the
treatment of love in Akam poetry. Literary legislation,
natural description, poetic imagination etc., have this end
in view.

Monogamy
Monogamy is the only kind of marriage recognised in
Ahattinai:
(Kali; 114)
Thus Nalluruttiranr expresses in plain terms the
greatness of the institution of monogamy. The shocking
nature of 'rival proposal should be viewed from the
monogamous angle. The heroine's expression of constant
fear of the hero's life, when he comes through the
dangerous path in the darkness during the secret course,
or when he has to traverse the desert to earn wealth in
the married state should also be viewed from this angle.

Separation
The sexual behaviours or uripporul of Ahattinai are of
five kinds viz., union, separation, patience, suffering and
sulking. The latter four aspects are mainly described to
make the union of separated lovers more ardent and

pleasurable. Though unbroken intimacy will not affect the

mutuality of the young couples, it will certainly blunt the
keenness and freshness of their passion. To take the hero
away from the heroine, various kinds of separation are
dealt with in Akam classics. In the class of poems relating
to the theme 'vinai murriya talaivan pkarku uraittatu
( the hero's speech to the charioteer, after the completion
of the -work) the hero's fresh enthusiasm to meet his
beloved at home is vividly brought out. A lady' who
experiences an intense pleasure on the night on which the
hero returns, suddenly feels the day-break on hearing the
cock crowing. She childishly thinks that the advent of
dawn is due to its cry and curses it to become the prey of
the wild cat:
" Katunavaip patiiyarb niy netunir
Ynar ranotu vatinta
Ema intuyil etuppi yy"
(Kurun: 107)
Like uninterrupted association, sudden separation and
prolonged absence too will be disastrous to the normal
sexual course of married couples. This aspect is brought
out in poems of Peruntinai by Nallantuvanr.

Season and Time

It is fully recognized by Akam poets that the season of
the year and time of day have their influence of the sexual
instinct. It is true that the allotment of land and time to
each sexual behaviour in Akam grammar is artificial.
Some poets, as shown in the fifth chapter, have described

all sexual topics, in one and the same landscape. Yet the
appropriateness of such allotment to a particular mood is
not questionable. Lovers will really enjoy an unrelaxed
embrace without fatigue, if the pleasant night of the cold
season, the period fixed for kuriiici is available (Kurun
270). There are innumerable subtle references in Akam
poetry to the technique of love making, a know ledge of
which will be useful for men and women to augment the
pleasure of union. The use of flowers-and sandal paste is
frequently mentioned in poems. of union as an effective
stimulant of sexual joy.. That the Tamil society had
perfectly understood the unrestrained influence of smell
on sex is evident from the custom of wearing only a few
broken flowers by wives in separation (Nar 42)
Tmpy yonp narumpala ataicciya
Knntal mellanait tufici "

(Akam: 308)

" Konkumukait tanna kuvimulai ydkattu Intuyil

amarntanai " (Akam: 240)

Sexual Impulse of Man and Woman

The fragrant tresses and growing breasts of the girl
serving as a soft pillow for the hero in a happy mood are
mentioned in the above lines. Sangam poets describe the
sexual impulse of man and woman and their thought and
speech on the basis of their distinct characteristics.
(Nar; 94)

A passionate girl of the clandestine course tells her

maid that when agitated by sexual impulse it is fitting for
a man to disclose his urge in words, but her feminine
modesty does not allow her to do so and that the hero
who does not by himself understand the feelings of those
who are smitten by his broad chest is not a gentleman. It
is always the hero who is described as starting the lovemaking in Akam poems. As soon as he meets the lass in
the millet field or in the sea shore or on the street, he
begins to make some inquiry. When the girl and her maid
are reticent, he pours out voluptuously pleasing words:
(Akam; 48)
The hero, at the sight of the companion voluntarily
discloses his new experience and plainly begs his friend to
help him to meet his beloved again. It is the hero who
showers words full of sexual significance on his lady,
before and after the physical joy. All these expressions
point to the masculine .characteristic of forwardness and
taking the initiative in sexual conduct. The hero attracts
his lady at all times by his alluring speech, just as she
attracts him by her lovely movements.
On the other hand, modesty colours the sexual feeling
of women. The heroine does not voluntarily let out her
association with the hero even to her bosom friend, the
maid. The maid too dares not to ask the girl about her
gloom. She tries to guess it indirectly. The fear of the

mother to question her daughter has been described

before. There are nearly 30 poems dealing with a theme in
which the maid who consents to the request of the hero
intimates it to the heroine. In all these lyrics, the maid
cautiously proceeds to inform the girl how the hero
approaches her and expresses his desire to her. The
reason for the maid's prudence is that the heroine will
become more shy to think that her secret course is
discovered by the maid and that it is her own modesty
that has induced her lover to reveal their love to the maid.
(Kali; 47)
In this way, the maid impresses upon the girl the
eagerness of the hero for a meeting.
A woman wishes at heart that her husband should infer
her sexual urge, in spite of her prudery and that her
modesty should be availed by him, as a means of
intensifying the joy of the sexual act. The sexual life of
inexperienced young couples will be marred for ever, if
the lover misconceives the passive attitude of his girl as
frigidity and coldness, and his entreaties to her as
disgraceful to his manhood. In Kali. 128 Nallantuvanr
reveals the desire of a girl that her lover should submit
himself to every humiliating act during sexual enjoyment.
In Kurincippttu, Kapilar describes the delight of a girl of
the mountain region, when the youth embraced her,
paying no regard to her modesty.

He stood still there not daring her to touch.

She prompted by her modesty and fear
Attempted flight, but he prevented this
And where he stood he clasped her to his breast.
A fine insight into the subtle feelings of his wife
is necessary for the husband to make sexual life a
success. A contented sexual life is the index of the happy
blend of many fine qualities. Discontent and lack of sexual
enjoyment will impair the happiness of married life. A wife
criticises the separation of her husband in the pursuit of
wealth in the prime of youthfulness as the discarding of
feeling and affection (Kurn 20) Tolkppiyar, the great Tamil
grammarian and sexologist finds in Aintinai, bliss, wealth
and virtue (Tol 1037) Sexual life is a part of spiritual life
and sexual education is a part of soul-education. All these
citations and explanations will corroborate the statement
that the aim of Ahattinai and the composition of Akam
literature of the Sangam Age is the enlightenment of men
and women in matters of sex.