Who Is More Intelligent and Clever?

Who is more intelligent and clever? Male or female? This question is being put by the world from time immemorial. Scholars are of different opinions. Some say male and others say female.

But a fitting answer has been given by a Tamil poet by name Karmega kavignar.

He has written a book titled 'Kongu mandala sathakam' in which he has answered this question. Kongu mandalam is the present Coimbatore region of Tamilnadu, India. This sathakam consists of one hundred verses which gives the glory of this famous region.

In verse no 65 the poet gives a real story that has happened in Sangagiri, a small city in Kongu area.

Once there lived a great poet by name Emperuman. He has composed a great work called 'Takkai isai Ramayanam" His name and fame was spread through out the far off land and many poets were became his friends.

They used to come to Karamega kavignar's house for useful literary debate.

Once as usual some scholars came to his house. But the poet was not there as he was away to complete an urgent task.

His wife Poongothai, by name, was very intelligent and clever. As per the practice of the olden days, she kept herself inside the house and the scholars sat on the small frontal area of the house. They started chatting.

During the course of their talk one poet said casually that even though the women are learned one can not expect them to be matured. The other one said the women in general are not at all intelligent and clever. The third one said they are meant only for cooking and bringing up the children.

Poongothai who was inside the front hall of the house listened all this debate.

All these points were heard by Poongothai. Immediately she has written a poem in a Venba format, a kind of prosody in Tamil, in a small palm leaf and sent it to the debating geniuses through a small child.

The poem written by her was read out loudly. It said, " In fact only female are more matured and male are less intelligent and not at all that much clever. Can't you realize, oh, a woman only understands once she conceives. But no man under the earth could understand ever whether he has given a birth to a boy or girl."

All the poets were very much shocked to see this meaningful poem. This poem gave a great insight to all of them.

Suddenly all of them burst in to the hall and prostrated before Poongothai and apologized. They beg her to pardon them.

At the very moment the great poet, Poongothai's husband entered into the house and was bewildered to see all of his friends were at the feet of his wife.

He learned what had happened.

Everybody praised both the husband and wife and the news spread like a wildfire.

The King also heard this incident and he called on the poet and prostrated before Poongoathai.

Poongothai thus became very famous and the very difficult question was thus answered fittingly.

A classic work in Tamil called ' Neeti Venba' in one of its verses (verse no 30) defines a perfect woman thus:

She will be beautiful like a gold. She will have the patience like the earth. She who has the beautiful breasts will give sexual satisfaction in the bed to her husband like a prostitute and she will help her husband like a learned minister at all times.

True, Women are great, more intelligent and more cleverer than man!