Which one of the following explains the practice of 'Vattakirutal' as mentioned in Sangam poems?

Answer: D. 'Vattakirutal' refers to a king defeated in battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death. The Sangam Tamil tradition described 'Vattakirutal' as a kshatriya ideal in which a king who suffered defeat or dishonour would sit on rice husk or paddy straw and starve himself unto death (annapilukirutal) as a form of penance and to preserve royal honour. This ritual self-immolation by starvation is mentioned in early Tamil poems and was a recognized practice of ancient Tamil royal culture. Similar honour-based ritual practices are also documented in classical Sanskrit literature (prayopavesha) where individuals fasted to death as religious atonement. Distractors fail: (A) Women bodyguards were called Kanichchi but not Vattakirutal. (B) Discussion assemblies were 'avai' or 'kalam'. (C) Birdscaring by girls had separate terms in Sangam poetry. Source: Sangam literature anthologies (Ettuthokai, Pattuppattu) / NCERT Class 11 Themes in World History referencing ancient South India.