The king's rich concubines, their arms circled with gold, spend lazy days in his embrace, and as a reward receive carriages,palanquins,jewel studded beds,yellow yak's tail fans,golden betel boxes and sharp steel swords.They spend hours of pleasure at the king's side,drinking wine from cups of pure gold brought by slaves. In their drunkenness they beat their bodies at random in an attempt to drive away the flies busy around their flower wreaths. When they laugh,their white teeth seem rows of pearls shining in the jewel case of their red lips.They hum gay songs that forlon hearts never sing, but when they try to sing, the eight modes from their throats sound coarse and the listeners laugh. Then the corners of their eyes, long as oars,redden with anger till they seem purple lotus flowers and pearls of sweat gather on their brows. The sons of noble families look enviously at them, for they are meant for the pleasure of only the lord of the universe.
Poet : Illango Adigal
Translated by Alien Danielou
I would strongly advise you to read the poem in Tamil and if you don't undertstand it in Tamil read the Tamil Urai. Every time I read Silapadikaram , I really wonder if Illango was a real saint. His description of love , women and beauty makes me seriously question how a Jain saint(Jains were not supposed to get immersed in worldly pleasures) could understand and make the readers understand the beauty through his words. In this poem he not only conveys the riches the women gained by being the Kings concubine, but he also sarcastically criticizes their behavior. We get to know that at least some women like these could drink liquor. In the last line he praises their beauty by saying all eyes of people from royal families were envying the beauty which only the King could enjoy. The poem also says the status enjoyed by them, they must have been in a very high status since chariots were given to them. Giving a chariot was a very high gift, this concept is reflected in many sangam poems and most vallals are praised for gifting their carriage(eg. `Mullaiku Ther koduthan Paari').
This means, One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life (Sanayasi), and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work (Homa or Yagnya, this is the right of Gruhastas, So a Sanayasi does not perform Homa or Yagnya).
So Ilangoadigal, could have described a beauty of women, even beyond her lover can describe her. This is because he is detached from her or anything.
Subramaniam Sankaran
PS : I am still confused it, I have deviated very far from the core topic?