Periannan Chandrasekaran

Osai:
akaval (peacock's vocal sound).
That this type of pA, unlike other types of pAs, is called "akaval" after its cadence seems to say a lot.

There are four major categories of pAs and their respective Osais:

• veNpA - cheppal Osai
• AciriyappA - akaval Osai
• kalippA - thuLLal Osai
• vanjchippA - thUngkal Osai.

For those new to marabuppA, please see the page created by Balaji for the basics.

Unlike veNpAs, AsiriyappA is not all that restrictive. Predominant in sangkam era works but later on (Asiriya/kali) viruththams and veNpAs have replaced the AciriyappA as the staple of Tamil poets.

sIr and thaLai:
Mostly Irasai sIr (2-asai) with occasional mUvasai (3-asai) sIrs.

AsiriyappA should in general have predominantly AsiriyaththaLais; that is:
mA mun n-Er [n-EronRAsiriyath thaLai]
and
viLam mun nirai [n-iraiyonRAsiriyath thaLai].

But veNtaLais are common too, especially the mA mun nirai and viLam mun n-Er thaLais [iyaRchIr veNtaLais]. Other thaLais such nEr mun nirai also not prohibited. but generally nirai mun nirai, 4-asai sIrs are frowned upon.

1. All 2-asai sIrs.
2. All thaLais involving 2-asai sIrs.

Occasionals:

3. The following 3-asai thaLais:

1. 1 asai sIrs.
2. kani sIrs. i.e, 3-asai sIrs ending in nirai asai: thEmAngkani, puLimAngkani, kUviLangkani and karuviLangkani.
3. 4-asai sIrs [occur in vanjchippAs].

Length of adi:
rules vary with the subtype of Asiriyappa.
some allow variable length adis from 2 sIrs to 5 sIrs
while others require uniformly 4 sIrs.
In general 4-sIr adi is the norm.

adi (length):
minimum of 3 adis and maximum is 1000 [as per tholkAppiyam].

n-ilai maNdila AsiriyappA: All adi's are 4-sIr and the whole pA must end in the word "en". Common in cilappathikAram, maNimEkalai etc, where whole chaptersare single n-ilai maNdila Aciriyappas giving the apperance that it is mainly used for such long poems.

n-Erisai akaval (or AsiriyappA) :
Its penultimate adi must be a 3-cIr adi. The last two adis are are expected to bear ethugai to each other. The whole pA ends with the sound "E"; all the poems that I have seen from sangkam era end without fail in "E". But I have not seen a rule to that effect. I would guess that it is good to end a n-Erisai akaval with "E" only until we get more info on this.
n-Erisai akaval is the most common akaval subtype found. Was the staple of cangkam era poets [to conclude from whatever littleis available now of that era].

iNaikkuRaL AsiriyappA:
Has a variable format. As the word "iNai" implies, 2-sIr adis are allowed. with adis with 3 and even 5 sIrs (not so rare) also interleaved with the standard adi (aLavadi) of 4-sIrs. Must end in the standard 4-sIr adi. and survey shows that, as usual, the preferred sound for ending the akaval is "E".

• adi maRi maNdila AsiriyappA:
  /* Will post more on this as I get details. I request viewers to post the definition of this subtype if they know it.*/

Please try to compare critically the cadence of these akavaRpAs with any veNpA to get a feel for the difference. The last time I heard a peacock akaval was when I was a kid. If any of you do remember the akaval Ocai of a peacock, please comment whether AciriyappA is appropriately identified to have akaval Ocai. I can feel the cheppalOcai of veNpA...as though addressing someone in front of you.

We shall start with a beautiful Aciriyam which is a katavul vAzththu on Murukan for the akam anthology

"kuRun-thokai"
by
pAratham pAtuya perun-thEvanAr

thAmarai puraiyum kAmar cEvatip
pavazath thanna mEnith thikazoLik
kunRi yEykku mutukkaik kunRin
n-enjcu pakaveRin-tha cenjcutar n-etuvEl
cEvalang kotiyOn kAppa
Ema vaikal eythinrAl ulakE.

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puraiyum = pOlum; kAmar = azakiya;
kunRi = kunRi maNi (or kuNrip pU = a mullai flower)
Eykkum = pOlum; utkkai = dress;
paka = so as to split; cEvalam = cock; Emam = inpam;
vaikal = vAzn-AL;
eythinRAl = eythinRU + Al = eythiyathu = peRRathu

note that there are mostly Aciriyath thaLais [mA mun n-Er and viLam mun n-irai] with some veNTaLais here and there as well a few 3-asai sIrs. Note also the 3-sIr penultimate adi as well as the ethukai between teh last two adis. cEval & Emam.
[remember that m and v are members of the same "equivalence" class for mOnai/ethukai purposes].

One of the all time Tamil masterpieces by chempulappeyal n-Iraar (iyaR peyar therin-thilathu)
—œÅ½Ò¿—ºÆÖ ÿÌ‘Ñ (ƒÆí —ºÆÑ —°Í¹±Ò³)

yaayum nyaayum yaaraa kiyarO
en-thaiyum n-un-thaiyum emmuRaik kELir
chempulap peyaln-Ir pOla
anputai n-enjchan- thaamkalan- thanavE.


yaay = en thAy; nyaay = un thAy;
en-thai = en than-thai; n-un-thai = un than-thai;
kELir = uRavinar; chempualm = semmaN n-ilam.

ati maRi maNtila AsiriyappA:

Difficult to find a complete short example as instances of this subtype of akaval occurs as very long poems as the whole chapter in in kAppiyams such as cilampu etc.

From cilampu:chapter 3(arangkERRu kAthai):
last 2 dozen adis along with the chapter closing veNpA which, after reading 20+ adis of akaval, should bring out the contrast in the cadence:

chilampu: arangkERRukaathai:
ati 164 muthal

n-URupath thatukki yettuk katai n-iRuththa (164)
vIRuyar pachumpon peRuvathim maalai
maalai vaangkun-ar chaalumn-am kotikkena
maanamar n-OkkiOr kUnikaik kotuththu
n-akara n-ampiyar thiritharu marukil
pakarvanar pOlvathOr paanmaiyin n-iRuththa
maamalar n-etungkaN maathavi maalaik
kOvalan vaangkik kUni thannotu
maNamanai pukku maathavi thannotu
aNaivuRu vaikalin ayarn-thanan mayangki
vituthal aRiyaa viruppinan aayinan
vatun-Ingku chiRappinthan manaiyakam maRan-then.

[kAthai iRuthi veNpaa:]
eNNum ezuththum iyalain-thum paNn-aankum
paNNinRa kUththup pathinonRum ; maNNinmEl
pOkkinaaL pUmpukaarp poRRoti maathavithan
vaakkinaal aatarangkil van-thu.