KONGU VETTUVAGOUDER
கொடை, வீரம், பக்தி மிக்க வேட்டுவக்கோமானே
The name ‘vettuvar’ means ‘hunter’ literally. U can find the word vettuvar, veduvar, eyinan and vedan in sanga tamil poems thus proving them as age old clan ofpeople. The Vettuva Gounders lived as kings in the region of kongunadu. The Vettuva Gounders are the age old peoples who lived respectably in the ancient kongunadu region. The stone carvings and copper plate writings says that the vettuva Gounders are the ‘poorva kudigal’. The Vettuva Gounders are called as ‘Kongar’ and their head was called as ‘Konguraayan’. The gounders had ‘KulaGuru’ system and it is evident from the ‘Gurukula kaaviyam’, ‘Panchavarna Raaja kaaviyam’ and ‘Appuchimaar Kaaviyam’. The Gounders are called as the ‘Gurukula vamsam’. ‘Uraali’, ‘Kongaalvaan’ and ‘Naadaalvaan’ were the words denoting the vettuva gounders which were found in the ‘seppedu’. The vettuva gounders are said for their ‘kodai,veeram and bakthi’ denoting ‘generosity, bravery and devotion’. This is said to be the ‘mupperum nilaigal’ in the vettuva gounder samuga aavanangal. The vettuvars are grouped as “kaavaliyar, maavaliyar, poovaliyar, vedar and vettuvar” in the aavanangal. The vettuva gounder youths are called as ‘vengai’ meaning raging tiger.
Gounders:The word gounder had its birth from the word ‘ka mindan’ (Tamil: கா மிண்டன்)which means the person who guards, guides and saves his people. From the name ‘ka mindan’ it is known as the Gounders lived as pattakaarars, raja’s and palayakarars. Who lived as rajas, kurunila mannars, pattakaarars, palayakaarars in the ancient kongunadu? Who were the Gounders in the ancient kongunadu? For these two questions the only answer is “Vettuva Gounders”. It is evident from the samooga aavanangal and the records of the British kongunadu. The word kovundan may also have its root from ‘kaan meendar’ (Tamil: கான் மீண்டார்). Once the kongunadu regionwas covered mostly with bushes and forests. This gave shelter to all wild animals and its vettuva Gounders who hunted the animals and changed those lands to agricultural lands. As the name ‘vettuvar’ implies, these people belong to the kshatriyas. The gounders are bold, generous and kind hearted peoples and farming is their occupation. Even though lots of other communities make use of the title ‘gounder’ the respectable vettuvars are the first to have the title ‘kavundan’ in the ancient kongunadu according to theevidences.Many communities use Gounder title, but the title itself came into existencebecause of the Vettuvars. Yes it was the title given to the Vettuva chieftains. There are lots of evidences to claim. Once the Vettuvars alone were called Gounders in the Kongunadu region. Then other communities also started to use the title. But the Vettuvars were the first to have the Gounder title. The Vettuva Gounders are always reffered as “முதல் கவுண்டன், முழு கவுண்டன்”.
முதல் கவுண்டன், முழு கவுண்டன்”. It is very well evident from the Meckenzie’s manuscripts. There are two kinds in havinga title. One is rewardingly getting the title and the other is adapting a famous title. The Vettuvars are of the first kind. “ka-mindan” means person who saves his people. Peasants and farmers were the peoples of ‘ka-mindan’ and the peasants never lived as ‘ka-mindan’ which is evidentfrom the history. Of course the Vettuva gounders are farmers, but they are gurukula hunting shatriyas, the rulers. They farmed their lands with the help of peasants. The Vettuva Goundes were the rulers: hunting is their passion, farming is their backbone, and ruling is their work. The slogan “காட்ட வித்து குடிச்சாலும், கவுண்டன் கவுண்டன் தான்” well suits for the Vettuva Gounders and it is formed becauseof the Vettuvars. None have a glorious history than the Vettuvars in the Kongunadu region. The Vettuvars were the sons of the soil. The chera, chola, pandiya seeked help of Vettuva kings and used their soldiers. And these soldiers are not mere soldiers; they are more than legends.They were the legends of war tactics, legends of archery and sword fight. It is said that one Vettuva soldier equals two raging tigers and can eventually fight ten field soldiers simultaneously. The bravery of the Vettuvars was incomparable. The Vettuvars were praised to be the victors of many wars. It is a pride to be said as a “Vettuvan” or “ kavandan”. From the stories evolving among the Vettuvars, it is said that “lord shiva himself booned Vettuvars with bravery” and thus Vettuvarsoften say “வீரம் தான் எங்கள் சொத்த
“வீரம் தான் எங்கள் சொத்து” which litrally means the same. The Vettuva Gounders history itself speaks the glory. The one who doesn’t know hunting is not a kavundan. The Gounders were the hunting-fighting-farming community. It is always said ‘Evidences and proofs speaks more than mere words’. The symbol of the Vettuva gounders is a ‘புலிக்குத்துக்கல்’. The pulikuthukal (tiger stabbing stone) is a stone which is kept as a respect for the bravery of the Vettuvar who fought and won the tiger. The Vettuva Gounder’s symbol is an extract from the real stuff which exists and has been worshipped for centuries. Only few communities have such a great privilege. There is a famous saying that ‘fake people always create fake history’. But among the fakes the Gounders are the real ones.
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Gounder History >>====>: முதல் கவுண்டன், முழு கவுண்டன்... - Vettuvars in Mahabaratha:
Not only in the history of Kongunadu, the Vettuvars are also referred in the great Indian epic Mahabharatha. In Mahabharatha epic, there was a story about Yegalaivan, the Vettuva chieftain. In that story the Pandavas and the Gowrawas grow in Gurukulam under their Guru Dronacharya. Yegalaivan lives in the nearby forest which was under his father’s control. Being born as a Vettuvar and being son of a Vettuva chieftain, Yegalaivan wants to be mastered in archery. So, he ends up his decision in training under a proper guru. When he approaches Drona and tells about his wish, the guru refuses to teach him. Because, being a Rajaguru he is not allowed to teach anyone other than the princes. Yegalaivan returns to his place sadly and finally decides to sculpt a statue of his guru Drona. He trains himself in front of the statue imagining that the guru himself teaches him and carryout target practices in front of the guru’s statue. Then he was mastered in every aspects of archery and saves his people as a vettuva chieftain after his father. Drona and Arjuna come to know about the archery skills of Vettuva chieftain Yegalaivan. The both wants an encounter with him and so they finally show up to meet him. By seeing the archery skills of Yegalaivan, Arjuna was astronished and becomes jealous on him. The Rajaguru Drona understands the jealousness of Arjuna. On seeing guru Drona, Yegalaivan offers his respect by worshipping Drona’s feet. Drona gave his blessing and said ‘Yegalaivaa… you have been mastered in every aspects of archery and proved yourself as the best archer ever. You are trained by keeping me as your guru but you never gave me a gurudatchana and now time came for me to ask my gurudatchana. Will you give it now..?’ For which Yegalaivan replies ‘Guru, ask whatever you need. I can even offer my life for you’. But rajaguru Drona asks Yegalaivans ‘thumb finger’ as his gurudatchana for which yegalaivan’s people refuses. Without replying a word, Yegalaivan cuts off his thumb finger and offers it to his guru as gurudatchana. So that, Yegalaivan can never engage in hunting and archery anymore. Drona regrets for what he has done to Yegalaivan and feels for missing such a great student. But makes up his mind by thinking the great words “whatever happens now is already decided”.
Kongu Nadu Vettuvagounder Ilingnar Nalasangam,
K.S.RAJGOUNDAR.
