Tamils who lived 2000 years ago valued good reputation and family honour. They thought that it was better to die than to live in disgrace.
The practice of vattakirutal was one in which a defeated king committed ritual suicide by starving himself to death, accompanied by those who had been close to him during his lifetime.
Vatakkiruttal (Tamil: Vaṭakkiruttal, ‘fasting facing north’), also Vadakiruthal and vadakiruttal, was a Tamil ritual of fasting till death. It was especially widespread during the Sangam age.
Sangam poems are pervaded with a warrior ethic. The goal of the hero of the puram poems was pukal (glory, fame) and a heroic death was greatly valued.
It was believed that the spirit of a warrior who died in battle dwelt in paradise. A poem in the Purananuru suggests that the bodies of warriors who did not die in battle were cut with swords before the funerary rites, to simulate death in battle.
The Tamil kings, in order to save their honour, and prestige, were prepared to meet their death facing North (‘Vatakkiruttal’), and never would they turn their back in battle. It was a Tamil martial . This was either done alone or as a group with the supporters of the captured king.
Must read: Sangam literature portrays the social and economic conditions of its time with remarkable vividness
EXAMPLE 1
Popular Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar says in his Tirukkural (970):
The world will admire the glory of men, who give up their life, When overtaken by dishonour.
Purananuru, part of Sangam literature, has a verse sung by the Chera king Kanaikal Irumporai (Puram 74). He was defeated by the Chola king Chenganan.
After his defeat he was thrown into the prison. Suddenly he felt thirsty and he asked for some cold water. The prison guards delayed t under some false excuses. He fasted unto death and refused to take the water which was brought to him after a deliberate delay.
EXAMPLE 2
Tamil Kings Kopperum Choza and Neduncheralathan of Sangam age also followed similar type of vow. They sat facing North on the banks of a river and fast unto death. They were also holding a sword in their hands.
Verses in Purananuru 65 (by Kazath thalaiyar) and Akananuru 55 (by Mamulanar) are about the Chera King Neduncheralathan who died facing North. When such a great person sacrificed his life, scholars and general public joined them and made it a “mass suicide”. Lot of Tamil poets and scholars joined them in the fast unto death ceremony. In Tamil it is called “Vaal Vatakkiruthal”, meaning Facing North with a Sword.
When the greatest of the Chola kings, Karikalan fought with Chera King Neduncheralathan, Chera king was wounded on his back. No Tamil king tolerated a wound on his back. Those who were injured on the back were called cowards. So Chera king decided to die through fasting.
EXAMPLE 3
In another episode we read about a family feud where the sons of Chola king Kopperuncholan revolted against their dad. Immediately a poet advised him to go into fasting. When he decided to die through fasting, several famous poets joined him and died with him. One of them, Pisiranthaiyar, has never met him but considered him as his best friend (Puram 214 to 223).
External link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatakkiruttal
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Which one of the following explains the practice of ‘Vattakirutal’ as mentioned in Sangam poems? UPSC 2023
(a) Kings employing women bodyguards
(b) Learned persons assembling in royal courts to discuss religious and philosophical matters
(c) Young girls keeping watch over agricultural fields and driving away birds and animals
(d) A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death
(d)
