Sangam Lit: Recent Episodes
Nandini Karky
In this episode, we listen to an encrypted refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 306, penned by Madurai Koolavaankian Seethalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the swaying sugarcanes of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands Landscape’ and conceals profound meanings in its scenic metaphors.
பெரும் பெயர் மகிழ்ந! பேணாது அகன்மோ!
பரந்த பொய்கைப் பிரம்பொடு நீடிய
முட் கொம்பு ஈங்கைத் துய்த் தலைப் புது வீ
ஈன்ற மாத்தின் இளந் தளிர் வருட,
ஆர் குருகு உறங்கும் நீர் சூழ் வள வயல்
கழனிக் கரும்பின் சாய்ப் புறம் ஊர்ந்து,
பழன யாமை பசு வெயில் கொள்ளும்
நெல்லுடை மறுகின் நன்னர் ஊர!
இதுவோ மற்று நின் செம்மல்? மாண்ட
மதி ஏர் ஒள் நுதல் வயங்கு இழை ஒருத்தி
இகழ்ந்த சொல்லும் சொல்லி, சிவந்த
ஆய் இதழ் மழைக் கண் நோய் உற நோக்கி,
தண் நறுங் கமழ் தார் பரீஇயினள், நும்மொடு
ஊடினள் சிறு துனி செய்து எம்
மணல் மலி மறுகின் இறந்திசினோளே.
In this quick trip to the fields, we get to enjoy images of this fertile land, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns to the lady’s house, seeking entry after having left to court a courtesan:
“O lord of the town, having great fame and name! Do not stand here trying to appease! Do part away now! Near the vast pond, grows the rattan cane along with the thorny branched touch-me-not vines. The soft-headed, new flowers of these vines join along with the mango tree’s tender leaves in stroking a beautiful bird sleeping peacefully therein. With such well-watered, fertile fields, where crawling away from the bent backs of field sugarcanes, a turtle basks in the warmth of the fresh sunshine, in the paddy-filled spaces of your picturesque town, O lord! A maiden, with a handsome forehead, akin to the esteemed moon, and clad in shining ornaments, spoke disparaging words to you, and then, with her reddened, beautiful, many-petalled, rain-like eyes piercing sharply, she tore apart the moist and fragrant garland you gave her. After quarrelling so with you, she came and created a little ruckus in our sand-filled streets and left from here. Is this what they celebrate as your greatness?”
Let’s listen to the drumbeats of discord in this domain! The confidante opens by addressing the man as a person of great renown, telling us he was well-respected and admired by many. Next, she sharply asks him to not keep seeking to praise and calm, but to leave from there. Then she goes on to describe his rich town, where there’s a huge pond and rattan cane grows nearby and along spreads the vines of the touch-me-not, which are known for their fuzzy-headed flowers. Now these soft flowers join along with the tender leaves of the mango tree and caress the head of a sleeping bird, the confidante sketches. What a serene scene!
Then, from the tree branches, the confidante flies downwards to the lush fields, and points to a turtle that seems to have become fatigued with its abode of sugarcane fields, as it steps out to enjoy the sunshine. A moment to note that this reference is most probably to the ‘Indian Flapshell Turtle’, which is said to live in lakes, rivers and flooded fields of South Asia. The confidante concludes this montage of images by saying such are the prosperous places in the lord’s town.
After glorifying the man’s town so, the confidante turns to box him in the ears, describing how the man’s well-dressed and pretty courtesan had insulted the man, tore up the garland he had given her, and after that quarrel with him, the courtesan seems to have come near the lady’s house and created a ruckus there too. The confidante concludes by asking the man, ‘Is this what you call noble?’!
Remember how the confidante started by praising the man’s fame and she ends up by asking him if what he’s doing was befitting that praised name of his! Openly, the confidante is refusing the man entry into the lady’s house. In that scene of the turtle, tiring of its sugarcane abode, and wanting to venture out for something fresh, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man seems to have tired out of the lady and sought out the company of courtesans. After that depiction of his current actions, though she outwardly refuses the man, then, by describing the scene of the growing touch-me-not flowers and mango leaves caressing a bird, the confidante hides a promise to the man that good things, such as the lady’s acceptance, will happen to him, on its own, if only he bides his time. With those images from the world around, the confidante weaves a web of the dynamics of these relationships in this land of riches many!
In this episode, we perceive the piercing pain of parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 305, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the changes in the season and the sounds in the breeze.
பகலினும் அகலாதாகி, யாமம்
தவல் இல் நீத்தமொடு ஐயெனக் கழிய,
தளி மழை பொழிந்த தண் வரல் வாடையொடு
பனி மீக்கூரும் பைதல் பானாள்,
பல் படை நிவந்த வறுமை இல் சேக்கை,
பருகுவன்ன காதலொடு திருகி,
மெய் புகுவன்ன கை கவர் முயக்கத்து,
ஓர் உயிர் மாக்களும் புலம்புவர்மாதோ;
அருளிலாளர் பொருள்வயின் அகல,
எவ்வம் தாங்கிய இடும்பை நெஞ்சத்து
யான் எவன் உளெனோ தோழி! தானே
பராரைப் பெண்ணைச் சேக்கும், கூர்வாய்,
ஒரு தனி அன்றில் உயவுக் குரல் கடைஇய,
உள்ளே கனலும் உள்ளம் மெல்லெனக்
கனை எரி பிறப்ப ஊதும்
நினையா மாக்கள் தீம் குழல் கேட்டே?
Rather than stepping onto that barren domain, we step into the lady’s heart, as we listen to her say these words to her confidante, when she receives the news that the man has parted away, in search of wealth:
“Without dispersing during the day, not ceasing at night too, bringing heavy floods, rainclouds pour down and then move away slowly, ushering in the cold and moist northern winds. On one such freezing midnight hour of suffering, imagine a couple, who lies on a mattress, bereft of poverty, stacked to many levels, with love that seems like a drink to be relished, intertwined in an embrace, tied by hands of desire, and seem to be made of one life. Even they would feel lonely!
While that is so, when that man without grace any has parted away in search of wealth, at this time, with an angst-ridden heart, where sorrow has taken residence, how can I bear this, my friend? Especially, as the solitary, sharp-beaked red-naped ibis, sitting on a rough-trunked palmyra tree, kneads me with its melancholic song, and without thinking that the burning embers in my heart will burst into flames when I hear that, those thoughtless people play on their sweet flutes?”
Time to let our empathy surface as we listen to this song of separation! The lady starts by talking about how the rains have poured, day in and day out, without taking a break even at night, and then decided to move away. Immediately following in their tracks, the northern winds had entered the scene, the lady adds. She declares that even a couple, inseparably intertwined in love, would feel lonely in those brief moments this northern wind assails them. Then as if saying ‘imagine my plight’, she goes on to talk about how the man has decided to leave at such a time, without thinking of the angst in her heart, which will have to host sorrow until his return. The lady concludes by telling her friend her pain is specially sharp when she hears the twin sounds of a solitary ‘Andril’ bird calling out to its mate, from atop a palmyra tree, and that of flutes being played by people, who spare no thought for the flames that erupt from the embers of her heart!
What is exquisitely beautiful in the world outside becomes extraordinarily painful, when the eyes within see it so! The only cure is for the rains of these pains to part and for the man to return like the timely northern winds, and make these sounds become the solace they truly are!
In this episode, we listen to a man’s anxious words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 304, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers and pouring showers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and etches the beauty of the land in the season of rains.
இரு விசும்பு இவர்ந்த கருவி மா மழை,
நீர் செறி நுங்கின் கண் சிதர்ந்தவை போல்,
சூர் பனிப்பன்ன தண் வரல் ஆலியொடு
பரூஉப் பெயல் அழி துளி தலைஇ, வான் நவின்று,
குரூஉத் துளி பொழிந்த பெரும் புலர் வைகறை,
செய்து விட்டன்ன செந் நில மருங்கில்,
செறித்து நிறுத்தன்ன தெள் அறல் பருகி,
சிறு மறி தழீஇய தெறிநடை மடப் பிணை,
வலம் திரி மருப்பின் அண்ணல் இரலையொடு,
அலங்கு சினைக் குருந்தின் அல்கு நிழல் வதிய,
சுரும்பு இமிர்பு ஊத, பிடவுத் தளை அவிழ,
அரும் பொறி மஞ்ஞை ஆல, வரி மணல்
மணி மிடை பவளம் போல, அணி மிகக்
காயாஞ் செம்மல் தாஅய், பல உடன்
ஈயல் மூதாய் ஈர்ம் புறம் வரிப்ப,
புலன் அணி கொண்ட கார் எதிர் காலை,
”ஏந்து கோட்டு யானை வேந்தன் பாசறை
வினையொடு வேறு புலத்து அல்கி, நன்றும்
அறவர்அல்லர், நம் அருளாதோர்” என,
நம் நோய் தன்வயின் அறியாள்,
எம் நொந்து புலக்கும்கொல் மாஅயோளே?
A plethora of pleasant sights greet us in this trip to the forests, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he continues to remain parted away from his beloved:
“Dark clouds that arose in the wide skies, in the manner of a water-filled palmyra fruit, whose eye breaks and scatters, have showered moist hailstones, as if frozen by spirits, along with a heavy downpour that has leaped from the skies and turned into rain drops in the dawning horizon.
As if painted, appear the red forest lands. Here, drinking up the clear waters, which appear as if filtered and heaped, a naive female deer, with a trotting gait, embraces its little one, and along with its esteemed mate with right-whorled antlers, rests in the serene shade of the wild lime tree with a swaying branch. As bees buzz around, sprouts of wild jasmine open their buds; A peacock with precious spots dances; Upon the lined sand, appearing like a jewel made from coral tied with sapphires, amidst the withered flowers of the ironwood tree, many red velvet mites with moist backs crawl around. On one such picturesque, well-adorned morning in the rainy season, without understanding my affliction and my yearning for her, would that dark-skinned maiden say, ‘The one who graces me not, staying in a far away land on a mission for the king, who wields elephants with uplifted tusks, is not a man of justice’, denouncing and detesting me?”
Time to bask in the bounty of nature! The man starts by pointing to the skies and the way the dark clouds that were looming in the sky had opened up and poured down. To compare this scene, he conjures an image of the black palmyra fruit, whose eye has broken, and down falls, the white fruit and moisture within. The man talks about how freezing hailstones and fat drops of rain fall and decorate the horizon at dawn. From the skies, the man flies straight to the red earth beneath, and calls it a painting, and there, we have crystal clear water, which a female deer is delighting in, then with love, hugging its little one, and finally resting with its antlered mate, in the shade of the wild lime tree.
In addition, the wild jasmines are being opened by the buzzing of bees, and most exquisitely, on the ground, around the faded, violet flowers of the ironwood tree scattered about, red velvet mites roam around, making it appear as if it’s a jewel made by interweaving corals and sapphires. Precious simile indeed! Looks like all the world is filled with joy. However, the man’s mind wonders if at this time, his promised season of return, the lady would be lamenting about how he continues to remain far away at the behest of his king, accusing him of not caring about her, without knowing how much he yearns to be back in her company. A classic clash between love and duty indeed. Hope the king is satisfied soon with his conquests and the lady remains with hope till the chariot bells resound in her ears!
In this episode, we observe a woman’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 303, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the glory and fame of some Sangam kings and their lands.
இடை பிறர் அறிதல் அஞ்சி, மறை கரந்து,
பேஎய் கண்ட கனவின், பல் மாண்
நுண்ணிதின் இயைந்த காமம் வென் வேல்,
மறம் மிகு தானை, பசும்பூண் பொறையன்
கார் புகன்று எடுத்த சூர் புகல் நனந்தலை
மா இருங் கொல்லி உச்சித் தாஅய்,
ததைந்து செல் அருவியின் அலர் எழப் பிரிந்தோர்
புலம் கந்தாக இரவலர் செலினே,
வரை புரை களிற்றொடு நன் கலன் ஈயும்
உரை சால் வண் புகழ்ப் பாரி பறம்பின்
நிரை பறைக் குரீஇயினம் காலைப் போகி,
முடங்கு புறச் செந்நெல் தரீஇயர், ஓராங்கு
இரை தேர் கொட்பின் ஆகி, பொழுது படப்
படர் கொள் மாலைப் படர்தந்தாங்கு,
வருவர் என்று உணர்ந்த, மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சம்!
ஐயம் தெளியரோ, நீயே; பல உடன்
வறல் மரம் பொருந்திய சிள்வீடு, உமணர்
கண நிரை மணியின், ஆர்க்கும் சுரன் இறந்து,
அழி நீர் மீன் பெயர்ந்தாங்கு, அவர்
வழி நடைச் சேறல் வலித்திசின், யானே.
This trip to this drylands domain is full of detours to fertile hills ruled by famous kings, as we listen to the lady say these words to her heart, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left the lady before their wedding, to go in search of wealth:
“Fearing that others would come to know, I hide my heart within, akin to how those who have seen a ghost in their dream talk not about it. However, the nuanced, well-etched passion of mine resounds, akin to gushing cascades that leap from the peaks of the huge and dark ‘Kolli hills’, filled with wide spaces, which the rain clouds love and divine spirits reside, ruled by Pasumpoon Poraiyan, with a victorious spear and a courageous army. Resounding so, it spreads slander all around town.
From the ‘Parambu hills’, ruled by Paari, celebrated in songs many, and renowned for his generosity of rendering fine vessels and elephants, akin to hills, to those supplicants, who arrive before him, climbing those highlands with their talent as their pole, birds which spread their wings in neat rows, fly out in the morning, so as to bring red paddy crop ears with curved backs, search with precision for what they seek, and as the day diminishes, in that suffering-filled evening hour, would return back to the hills. Akin to this assured return of the birds in the evening hour, you think the one who had left, letting slander spread in town, would come back to me, O naive heart! Be rid of these thoughts! To those spaces in the drylands, filled with barren trees, where crickets chirp, akin to the sound of bells on herds of cattle, driven by salt merchants, akin to a fish that migrates from diminishing waters, I have decided to dare and go join that path he now treads!”
Let’s be transported to that arid region and see the rain of love in the lady’s heart! She starts by explaining her situation, mentioning how she had tried hard to hide whatever she was feeling for the man. To etch this, she presents a unique simile, talking about how people who had seen a ghost in their dream would never talk about it to anyone. This points to a specific Sangam belief and I wonder if the reason is the fear that talking about a dream would make that come true! Though we will not know the answer to this riddle, what we can understand is that the lady had tried her best to conceal what was in her heart. While that may be so, her heart refused to heed her restraints and seemed to shout out, akin to the cascades in the divine and lush ‘Kolli hills’, ruled by the Chera King ‘Pasumpoon Poraiyan’, known for his brave army and conquering spear. So consequentially, the townsfolk saw these loud changes in the lady and spread slander about her relationship with the man, the lady adds.
Next, she starts narrating about a significant event that happened in the ‘Parambu hills’, ruled by ‘Paari’, who was renowned all over the land for his extraordinary charity to supplicants, honouring their intelligence with elephants and gifts many. This event is the act of certain birds, mentioned as parrots in other verses, and how they were trained to go search for paddy crops. and that they would leave in the morning as a huge flock, and return back to the hills in the evening, carrying those crop ears in their beaks. Why is this significant is that this was a time when Paari’s domain was laid siege by the three emperors, the Chera, Chola and Pandya kings, who put up a food blockade. This story tells us how that blockade was overcome with strategy of training these parrots.
Coming to why the lady has mentioned these famous parrots is to point out to her heart that in the manner of the returning birds in the evening, the lady’s heart too was holding on to the hope that the man would return to her. The lady concludes by asking her heart to banish such thoughts and follow her, as she has dared to leave like a fish in a pond with receding waters, to that path in the drylands space, where crickets call out, amidst barren trees, like the sounds of cattle bells, belonging to salt merchants, where her man walks now!
How can a fish leave a pond, no matter how much it wants to? Likewise, the lady knows it’s a futile desire to think she can go where the man is, and yet renders this wish in a nuanced way to etch the helplessness of her situation. An insightful verse that paints a person’s state in a philosophical manner, dipping the brush of poetry in the hues of history!
In this episode, we perceive how a pointed message is relayed in a hidden manner, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 302, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches scenes of serenity.
சிலம்பில் போகிய செம் முக வாழை
அலங்கல் அம் தோடு, அசைவளி உறுதொறும்,
பள்ளி யானைப் பரூஉப் புறம் தைவரும்
நல் வரை நாடனொடு அருவி ஆடியும்,
பல் இதழ் நீலம் படு சுனைக் குற்றும்,
நறு வீ வேங்கை இன வண்டு ஆர்க்கும்
வெறி கமழ் சோலை நயந்து விளையாடலும்
அரிய போலும் காதல் அம் தோழி!
இருங் கல் அடுக்கத்து என்னையர் உழுத
கரும்பு எனக் கவினிய பெருங் குரல் ஏனல்,
கிளி பட விளைந்தமை அறிந்தும், ”செல்க” என,
நம் அவண் விடுநள் போலாள், கைம்மிகச்
சில் சுணங்கு அணிந்த, செறிந்து வீங்கு, இள முலை,
மெல் இயல் ஒலிவரும் கதுப்பொடு,
பல் கால் நோக்கும் அறன் இல் யாயே.
In this little trip to the highlands, we delight in picturesque images and learn about the situation at hand, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“The beautiful, swaying leaves of the red plantain that soars on slopes, nudged by the breeze, gently caresses the thick back of a sleeping elephant in the fine mountain ranges of the lord. It seems like bathing in the cascades, plucking many-petaled blue lilies from picturesque springs, and playing with desire in those thickly scented groves, where swarms of bees buzz around fragrant flowers of the Kino tree, in the company of the man, are all no longer possible for you, my loveable friend! Even though she knows that parrots are raiding the fields, where thick-stalked millet crops, sown by our brothers in the huge mountain spaces, have bloomed prosperously, akin to stalks of sugarcane, she doesn’t say to us, ‘Go there’’. Instead, that unjust mother of ours looks pointedly at your close-set, blooming young bosoms, adorned with exquisite pallor spots, and the gently swaying, thick, dark tresses of yours, over and over again!”
Time for the trek through those ancient mountains that never fails to amaze! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she freezes an image of a sleeping elephant, whose back is gently caressed by the long leaves of the red plantain, every time a mountain breeze swirls around. What a delight for the senses to see and sense this image! A moment of appreciate this renowned delicacy, the red plantain, from various regions of Western Ghats called by the contemporary Tamil name ‘Sevvaazhai’, with sub-varieties growing in ‘Palakkad’ and ‘Thiruchur’ regions of Kerala, as well as the ‘Palani Hills’ and ‘Kumbum valley’ in Tamil Nadu. It’s a nutritional powerhouse having high Vitamin ‘A’ and ‘C’, a rich source of fibre and potassium, and inspite of its exquisite sweetness, having a lower glycemic index than other bananas!
Returning from our sweet fruit meanderings, we find the confidante now talking about all the activities the lady had been relishing with the man, such as bathing together in the bubbling cascades, plucking blue-lilies from the springs, and relaxing in the groves, filled with Kino trees and swarming bees around those fragrant flowers. These young lovers from these lush mountains seem to have realised that the foundation of a long and lasting relationship is spending time with one other! Returning, we find the confidante saying that all these activities are no longer possible. She explains the reason for this shocker by describing Mother’s attitude. Mother can clearly see the millet crops are fully grown, like thick sugarcanes that too, and are tempting the passing parrots, and yet she takes no steps to ask the lady and the confidante to go there and chase away those birds. The confidante concludes by declaring all that unjust mother seemed to do was to look at the lady’s blooming bosoms and thick tresses, with something on her mind!
In essence, we have the lady’s buddy informing the man that these trysts he had been taking for granted are no longer going to be feasible, pointing out how it’s the time for harvest and underscoring mother’s suspicions. It’s a way of telling the man to give up his temporary trysting and come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. The beauty of this communication is that instead of throwing a spear of words straight into the man’s heart, in the gentle manner of those caressing leaves upon the sleeping elephant’s back, the confidante relates to the man, the consequences of the winds of change blowing through the lady’s life just then!
In this episode, we perceive a person’s state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 301, penned by Athiyan Vinnathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse builds a stack of similes to reach the peak of a perfect and precise portrayal.
‘வறன் உறு செய்யின் வாடுபு வருந்தி,
படர் மிகப் பிரிந்தோர் உள்ளுபு நினைதல்
சிறு நனி ஆன்றிகம்’ என்றி தோழி!
நல்குநர் ஒழித்த கூலிச் சில் பதம்
ஒடிவை இன்றி ஓம்பாது உண்டு,
நீர் வாழ் முதலை ஆவித்தன்ன
ஆரை வேய்ந்த அறை வாய்ச் சகடத்து,
ஊர் இஃது என்னாஅர், ஊறு இல் வாழ்க்கை,
சுரமுதல் வருத்தம் மரமுதல் வீட்டி,
பாடு இன் தெண் கிணை கறங்க, காண்வர,
குவி இணர் எருக்கின் ததர் பூங் கண்ணி
ஆடூஉச் சென்னித் தகைப்ப, மகடூஉ,
முளரித் தீயின் முழங்கு அழல் விளக்கத்துக்
களரி ஆவிரைக் கிளர் பூங் கோதை,
வண்ண மார்பின் வன முலைத் துயல்வர,
செறி நடைப் பிடியொடு களிறு புணர்ந்தென்னக்
குறு நெடுந் தூம்பொடு முழவுப் புணர்ந்து இசைப்ப,
கார் வான் முழக்கின் நீர்மிசைத் தெவுட்டும்
தேரை ஒலியின் மாண, சீர் அமைத்து,
சில் அரி கறங்கும் சிறு பல் இயத்தொடு
பல் ஊர் பெயர்வனர் ஆடி ஒல்லென,
தலைப் புணர்த்து அசைத்த பல் தொகைக் கலப் பையர்,
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் கோடியர் இறந்த
புன் தலை மன்றம் காணின், வழி நாள்,
அழுங்கல் மூதூர்க்கு இன்னாதாகும்;
அதுவே மருவினம், மாலை; அதனால்,
காதலர் செய்த காதல்
நீடு இன்று மறத்தல் கூடுமோ, மற்றே?
In this long song with musical line after line, which takes us on a trip to the familiar drylands, we encounter a specific group of people, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, in response to the confidante’s words of consolation:
“‘Akin to a dried-up field in summer, you wilt away and worry, thinking about the one, who parted away, leaving you in suffering. Can you stop doing that for at least a little while?’, you ask me, my friend!
Saving not even a little from the gifts their patrons bestowed upon them, consuming it all, travelling in resounding carts with thatched roofs, which appear akin to a yawning crocodile that lives in the water, they never claim any town to be theirs, and instead live a life free of impediments. They leave behind the fatigue of their travels through the drylands in the shade of the trees therein. Men among them adorn their heads with dense flower clusters of the pointed milkweed flowers, so pleasing to the eyes, and womenfolk wear garlands, which sway around their radiant and beautiful bosoms, woven with the bright and shiny Tanner’s Cassia forest flowers, which appear akin to the glowing light of a blazing flame on a firebrand.
As the music of their clear ‘kinai’ drums resounds; As the small and long ‘thoombu’ horns and the ‘muzhavu’ drums unite, akin to the sight of a male elephant uniting with its mate that has an elegant gait, and send out their musical notes; As many small instruments send out short, sharp sounds in rhythm, akin to the croaks of frogs that resound upon the surface of the ponds, when the rainy skies thunder on, these men and women move across many different towns, dancing steadily, carrying many different instruments in their string bags, travelling as a huge group of people. When these performers have left a town after the festivities, and the day after, if the people of that uproarious town happen to look at the dull and listless town centre, they would feel much sadness; That’s exactly what I feel in this evening hour. So, how can you think I can forget the love of my beloved even for a little while?”
Let’s brave that desolate space that echoes the dejection in the heart of the protagonists and learn more! The lady starts by repeating the words of her confidante, who had felt much sadness seeing her friend wallowing in pining since the man left. The friend had compared the state of the lady to a field that’s drying up in summer, without its nourishing supply of water, and had asked the lady to stop thinking and worrying about the man at least for a short while.
After repeating this question from her friend, the lady launches into a long narrative about a group of people. First she says these people live just for today, meaning that they don’t save a thing that’s rendered to them as income for their services, and finish it all up, without a thought. Then, she turns to talk about their transport, which is a cart having a roof made of thatched grass, and tastefully, she compares these carts to yawning crocodiles. Into the mouths of these travelling crocodiles, these people jump in and traverse the harsh drylands, the lady continues. No doubt the heat and exhaustion of this domain will attack them but they have the talent of leaving behind all their troubles under the few trees they encounter, sketches the lady. That’s a remarkable trait to not carry your burdens but to leave them at the first sign of respite!
Moving on, the lady continues by describing the accessories of the men and women in this group. Apparently, the men wear head garlands of bright white and purple ‘milkweed’ flowers, whereas the women wear neck garlands of radiant ‘tanner’s cassia’ flowers, which are placed in parallel to a flame atop a firebrand, and searching for these flowers, there I found them to be a bright and radiant yellow!
From attire, the lady moves on to the music that seems to surround these people. There’s drums roaring, and another drum and horn fusing together, like elephants in union, the lady compares. Another delightful comparison is between the short, sharp sounds from certain musical instruments, and that of frogs croaking in the surface of the ponds in reply to the thundering skies. No doubt expert musicians will be able to tell which instrument makes this particular sound!
With so much music in the air, how can these people remain without dancing? Indeed they do, they dance on, even as they carry their heavy instruments, and walk on through towns many, not claiming any town to be their own, and they live a life free of hurdles any, the lady describes. You can almost sense a note of envy in her voice at the carefree life of these people, who travel wherever they want, whereas she is bound to the confines of her home. So, who are they? As you must have guessed, they are performers, who go from town to town, to take part in the festivities therein.
The lady then pictures a situation, where the performers had helped the town celebrate to the full, and then taken leave to go elsewhere. When the townsfolk wake up the next day and look at that barren arena in the town centre, without all the throbbing life of the day before, they would be crestfallen, and that’s exactly what I’m feeling, the lady connects finally. She ends by asking her friend, ‘Given this situation, how do you expect me to do what you are saying, and even for a short while, forget all the warmth and love of being with my beloved?’!
Fair point! With so much missing going on within, the lady no wonder declares that it’s not possible to follow what her friend says! If we can leave behind the familiar notes of pining, we can hear a resounding music in this verse, and that is the attitude and the way of life of these travelling performers. They seem to see all the world as their own, know where to leave their burdens, and to find the music even in difficult circumstances. In more ways than one, these people of the past do show us the way forward through the drylands of our own lives!
In this episode, we perceive a nuanced technique of communicating a message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 300, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping fish of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and brings out a trait, deeply encoded in the culture of the Tamils.
நாள் வலை முகந்த கோள் வல் பரதவர்
நுணங்கு மணல் ஆங்கண் உணங்கப் பெய்ம்மார்,
பறி கொள் கொள்ளையர் மறுக உக்க
மீன் ஆர் குருகின் கானல் அம் பெருந் துறை,
எல்லை தண் பொழில் சென்றென செலீஇயர்,
தேர் பூட்டு அயர ஏஎய், வார் கோல்
செறி தொடி திருத்தி, பாறு மயிர் நீவி,
”செல் இனி, மடந்தை! நின் தோழியொடு, மனை” எனச்
சொல்லியஅளவை, தான் பெரிது கலுழ்ந்து,
தீங்கு ஆயினள் இவள்ஆயின், தாங்காது,
நொதுமலர் போலப் பிரியின், கதுமெனப்
பிறிது ஒன்று ஆகலும் அஞ்சுவல்; அதனால்,
சேணின் வருநர் போலப் பேணா,
இருங் கலி யாணர் எம் சிறு குடித் தோன்றின்,
வல் எதிர் கொண்டு, மெல்லிதின் வினைஇ,
”துறையும் மான்றன்று பொழுதே; சுறவும்
ஓதம் மல்கலின் மாறு ஆயினவே;
எல்லின்று; தோன்றல்! செல்லாதீம்” என,
எமர் குறை கூறத் தங்கி ஏமுற,
இளையரும் புரவியும் இன்புற, நீயும்
இல் உறை நல் விருந்து அயர்தல்
ஒல்லுதும், பெரும! நீ நல்குதல் பெறினே.
In this trip to the seas, we observe a plan being hatched, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, as he prepares to leave after his tryst by day with the lady:
“Bringing their day’s catch, those killer fishermen, who wield intricate fishing tools, bring their bounty and spread it to dry on the fine sands. Disturbing their plans, birds feast on the drying fish in those orchard-filled, beautiful shores. After spending the day in these cool groves, wishing to leave, you ordered your chariot be yoked. Then straightening her thick, round bangles, and stroking her scattered tresses, you said to her, ‘Go on, O naive maiden, along with your friend, to your home’. The moment you said those words, she started shedding copious tears and ended up wallowing in suffering. If at all you were to leave like an uncaring stranger, I fear something terrible may befall her. So, pretending as if you are coming from far away and acting as if you do not know us, if you were to arrive at our beautiful and fertile hamlet, filled with much uproar, they will quickly approach you, inquiring softly, and will say to you, ‘This is a time when the shore is filled with confusion, when sharks abound in the waters, bringing much danger. The day has ended, O noble heir! Do not leave now!’. As our kith and kin press on you, heeding their request, if you were to stay at our home happily, letting your helpers and horses to delight too, agree to relish the fine feast and accept our offerings, O lord, that would make us joyous indeed!”
Let’s take a dip in these waters and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the shores, where the man and lady have had their day’s tryst. To do that, she focuses on fishermen, who reel in their catch, spread it on the sands and let it dry in the warmth. Much to their misery, birds do raid the spread and feast on the drying fish, the confidante adds. She connects by saying in the groves of this shore the man and lady had spent the day together, and now, that the evening had arrived, the man had summoned his helpers and asked them to tie the horses to his chariot, in preparation to leave. When the man turned to the lady and requested that she too leave to her home with her friend, this lady started crying and feeling much pain, the confidante continues. To the man, she pointedly says, ‘Now, if you walk away, like a stranger, who doesn’t care, something bad might happen to the lady, I fear’.
So, she outlines a plan to the man, asking him to not leave but instead come to their village, pretending as if he’s coming from a far distance and acting as if he has never met the lady or confidante before. If he were to do that, their townsfolk, the lady’s relatives would welcome the man and insist that he should not leave so late in the evening, citing the danger of rising floods and attacking sharks, the confidante predicts. She concludes by saying if the man were to agree to this request by their kith and kin, that is the very thing that would bring much happiness to the lady and herself!
Hidden in this sweet invitation is a sharp message, asking the man to ‘Marry the lady’! How so?, you may ask! If he were to accept this plan to stay at the lady’s home, there would be obvious deception on the man’s part. If the man were to pretend not to know the lady and act as if he were a famished stranger from afar, that might not suit his noble character of honesty, especially to his beloved’s kith and kin. So, the man would decide the right thing to do would be to seek the lady’s hand to avoid leaving her in a state of misery after every such tryst!
Beyond these minute manipulations, the thing to focus our attention is that mention of the townsfolk’s welcome to a stranger. In their words, they show true care for the welfare and safety of a person they don’t even know, and etch in indelible letters, an ingrained trait that Tamils are known for, even to this day – Their heartfelt, heartwarming hospitality!
In this episode, we perceive the thing that seems impossible to forget, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 299, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the emotions of a person at the moment they receive a particular news.
எல்லையும் இரவும், வினைவயின் பிரிந்த
முன்னம், முன் உறுபு அடைய உள்ளிய
பதி மறந்து உறைதல் வல்லினம் ஆயினும்,
அது மறந்து உறைதல் அரிது ஆகின்றே
கடு வளி எடுத்த கால் கழி தேக்கிலை
நெடு விளிப் பருந்தின் வெறி எழுந்தாங்கு,
விசும்பு கண் புதையப் பாஅய், பல உடன்
அகல் இடம் செல்லுநர் அறிவு கெடத் தாஅய்,
கவலை கரக்கும் காடு அகல் அத்தம்,
செய் பொருள் மருங்கின் செலவு தனக்கு உரைத்தென,
வைகு நிலை மதியம் போல, பையென,
புலம்பு கொள் அவலமொடு, புதுக் கவின் இழந்த
நலம் கெழு திருமுகம் இறைஞ்சி, நிலம் கிளையா,
நீரொடு பொருத ஈர் இதழ் மழைக் கண்
இகுதரு தெண் பனி ஆகத்து உறைப்ப,
கால் நிலைசெல்லாது, கழி படர்க் கலங்கி,
நா நடுக்குற்ற நவிலாக் கிளவியொடு,
அறல் மருள் கூந்தலின் மறையினள்,’ திறல் மாண்டு
திருந்துகமாதோ, நும் செலவு’ என வெய்து உயிரா,
பருவரல் எவ்வமொடு அழிந்த
பெரு விதுப்புறுவி பேதுறு நிலையே.
It’s more about the inner world, in this trip to this domain, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands:
“Having left in search of wealth, with a heart that ceaselessly thinks of the past, day and night, it may be possible to remain here, forgetting one’s town, but it’s impossible to be so, forgetting that particular moment!
Dried leaves from the teak tree, severed from stems by the harsh winds, rise high, and appearing akin to a flock of screeching kites, spread around, hiding the skies. Then these leaves drop down, confusing wayfarers, and preventing them from finding their way, in those drylands, filled with wide jungles. When I spoke to her, expressing my intention to journey thither, in pursuit of wealth, akin to the fading moon at the moment of dawn, slowly, with the thought of loneliness attacking her, her exquisite face lost its new beauty. She bent down, and stroked the land with her toe, as her moist, petaled, rain-like eyes battled with the brimming tears, and losing, shed those clear drops upon her bosom. Her feet wouldn’t stand steady and with anxiety brimming over, her tongue started quivering. Hiding herself in her river-sand-like tresses, with unclear words, she said, ‘May this journey of yours attain success and flawless perfection’, even as she sighed hotly. The confused state of that maiden, devastated by deep pain and shaken by sorrow, flashes before me, and that is what is impossible for me to forget even now!”
Let’s keep in pace with this man through the drylands and listen to the echo of his heartbeat! The man starts by declaring that as he goes on his mission in the pursuit of wealth, it was quite possible to forget one’s town and the familiar ways of life. But whatever he does, he’s unable to forget that one thing, the man adds. He then describes the drylands, where there’s nothing but dried leaves, torn from the teak trees, and the way these rise up, looking like kites with a loud call, hiding the skies, and then these plop down and hide the paths that guide wayfarers to their destination, leaving them in confusion.
The man talks about how he had mentioned that he was leaving to those drylands spaces to the lady and goes on to etch the lady’s reactions in intricate detail. He compares the way the lady’s face changed at that moment to how the moon loses its glow when the sun raises its head at dawn. With her luminous beauty lost, the lady seems to have bent her head down, scraped the ground beneath with her toe, and though her rain-like eyes tried to contain her swelling tears, it broke the barrier and split on her bosom. He recollects how the lady was unable to even stand steadily, and hiding herself behind her long, river-sand-like tresses, the lady seems to have spoken in a mumble, wishing him success for his journey, while sighing with sadness. The man concludes by saying it’s exactly this image of his beloved in pain that he’s unable to forget, no matter how far he’s walked on towards his mission.
The man etches that relatable feeling of how some scenes remain alive as if they are mountains in our mind, which nothing can shake or shatter. Like this man from the past, all we can do is acknowledge their presence and find our way through them or around them!
In this episode, we listen to a nuanced rendition of one’s state of mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 298, penned by Madurai Panda Vaanikan Ilanthevanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the man’s domain and his journey to his beloved in vivid detail.
பயம் கெழு திருவின் பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு
வயங்கு தொழில் தரீஇயர், வலன் ஏர்பு விளங்கி,
மல்கு கடல் தோன்றியாங்கு, மல்கு பட,
மணி மருள் மாலை, மலர்ந்த வேங்கை
ஒண் தளிர் அவிர் வரும் ஒலி கெழு பெருஞ் சினைத்
தண் துளி அசைவளி தைவரும் நாட!
கொன்று சினம் தணியாது, வென்று முரண் சாம்பாது,
இரும் பிடித் தொழுதியின் இனம் தலைமயங்காது,
பெரும் பெயற் கடாஅம் செருக்கி, வள மலை
இருங் களிறு இயல்வரும் பெருங் காட்டு இயவின்,
ஆர் இருள் துமிய வெள் வேல் ஏந்தி,
தாழ் பூங் கோதை ஊது வண்டு இரீஇ,
மென் பிணி அவிழ்ந்த அரை நாள் இரவு, இவண்
நீ வந்ததனினும், இனிது ஆகின்றே
தூவல் கள்ளின் துனை தேர் எந்தை
கடியுடை வியல் நகர் ஓம்பினள் உறையும்
யாய் அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பானாள்,
காவல் நெஞ்சமொடு காமம் செப்பேன்,
யான் நின் கொடுமை கூற, நினைபு ஆங்கு,
‘இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! நத் துறந்தவர்
நீடலர் ஆகி வருவர், வல்லென’
கங்குல் உயவுத் துணை ஆகிய
துஞ்சாது உறைவி இவள் உவந்ததுவே!
In this trip to the hills, we get to see plenty of this fertile landscape, as we listen to the lady say these words to the man, when he arrives for his nightly tryst with her:
“Akin to the many-rayed sun, which renders fertile wealth to the world, one which, in order to perform its radiant duty, climbs on the right, shining upon those brimming seas, in that sapphire-hued evening hour, the brimming clusters of the Kino flowers appear, opening their petals upon the resplendent sprouts that shoot up on the luxuriant, huge branch, shedding cool drops of dew, as the breeze blows through, in your mountain country, O lord!
With a rage that subsides not even after killing, with an enmity that recedes not even after conquering, wanting not to mingle with a herd of dark female elephants, with musth flowing like a huge downpour, a humungous male elephant roves in the wide jungles of the fertile mountains. In those paths, bearing a white spear, which slices through the deep darkness, chasing away buzzing bees, upon your low-hanging, flower garland, which has opened its buds, in that midnight hour, that you arrive, is something sweet.
In the guarded, wide mansion of my father, who showers copious toddy and wields fast chariots, lives mother, taking care of me. Fearing that she would come to know, in that midnight hour, with a restrained heart, without speaking of my passion, I only spoke of your cruelty. At that time, understanding what I meant, she said to me, ‘Worry not, my friend! May you live long! The one who has parted from you shan’t delay any further. He shall return promptly!’. What is sweeter than your coming here, is the joy this caring companion of the night, the one who stayed beside me sleepless, feels now that you are here!”
Let’s take that mountain trek and climb the hills of this relationship’s dynamics! The lady starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she starts talking about the sun and the way it shines so radiantly upon the sapphire seas, only to connect its appearance to the golden Kino flowers on a branch, shedding dew drops in the breeze. After that pleasant and vibrant image to mark the man’s land, the lady moves on to talk about the way the man arrives in the midnight hour, with a spear for company, walking those very paths, where a huge male elephant roves madly, with its anger no way down, even after killing its enemy, most probably a tiger, without even thinking of joining in a herd of female elephants and relaxing, with its musth fluids pouring down like rain. That denotes the danger the man braves to come meet the lady!
Moving on from the man’s situation, the lady talks about her own state, as she lives under the care of her mother in her father’s well-protected, rich mansion. She mentions how she feared that mother would learn of the passion in her for the man, and discreetly spoke to her confidante, mentioning how cruel he must be, for not coming there. The lady continues by saying the friend understood what the lady actually meant, seeing the love brimming over in her heart, and promised the lady that the man would soon be there. The lady concludes by saying to the man, ‘Yes. It’s sweet that you have come here now. But what is even sweeter is the joy of my friend, who stayed near me, sleepless through the night, when she sees you arriving her, fulfilling those words she said to me!’.
The lady talks about the dangers in the man’s path, the trouble in her own home and heart, and brings out the need for the man to give up these risky ventures and choose the safe path of marriage. Without saying these exact words, she instead praises the goodness of her friend who stood by her, in that hour of need, hoping to bring out the transformation in the man’s heart. Instead of fighting and accusing, with good words about a friend’s kindness, this lady paves the path to change her life, and shows us, her descendants, that it’s possible to influence someone, without even the slightest hint of force, just with that feather-like weapon of positivity!
In this episode, we listen to the worry of a person about another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 297, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches scenes of human life and wildlife in this domain.
பானாட் கங்குலும், பெரும் புன் மாலையும்,
ஆனா நோயொடு அழி படர்க் கலங்கி,
நம்வயின் இனையும் இடும்பை கைம்மிக,
என்னை ஆகுமோ, நெஞ்சே! நம் வயின்
இருங் கவின் இல்லாப் பெரும் புன் தாடி,
கடுங்கண் மறவர் பகழி மாய்த்தென,
மருங்குல் நுணுகிய பேஎம் முதிர் நடுகல்,
பெயர் பயம் படரத் தோன்று குயில் எழுத்து
இயைபுடன் நோக்கல்செல்லாது, அசைவுடன்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் விட்டனர் கழியும்
சூர் முதல் இருந்த ஓமை அம் புறவின்,
ஈர் முள் வேலிப் புலவு நாறு முன்றில்,
எழுதியன்ன கொடி படு வெருகின்
பூளை அன்ன பொங்கு மயிர்ப் பிள்ளை,
மதி சூழ் மீனின், தாய் வழிப்படூஉம்
சிறுகுடி மறவர் சேக் கோள் தண்ணுமைக்கு
எருவைச் சேவல் இருஞ் சிறை பெயர்க்கும்
வெரு வரு கானம், நம்மொடு,
”வருவல்” என்றோள் மகிழ் மட நோக்கே?
Plenty of intricate images as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands:
“In the middle of the night and in the long, dull evenings, with an unceasing affliction, filled with suffering and sorrow, as the pain that arises in worrying about me gets out of bounds, what will become of her, O heart?
As those harsh-eyed robbers, with long, coarse beards, lacking in any great beauty, sharpened their arrows, edges have chipped on those fearsome, ancient hero stones, and those words of praise etched on them, which celebrate the name and fame, had become indecipherable. Ignoring the stones, without looking closely, with much fatigue, wayfarers hastily cross these paths, in those scrub jungles filled with toothbrush trees, atop which spirits reside. Here in the front yard of a hut that reeks of flesh, surrounded by a fence of moist thorns, lies a litter of a painting-like wild cat’s kittens, having bushy hair, akin to mountain knotgrass, around their mother, akin to stars that encircle the moon, in that small hamlet, where hearing the cattle-raiding drum beats of robbers, a male vulture spreads its huge wings and flutters away. Such are those formidable, fear-evoking jungles, and it’s to such spaces, that maiden, with a joyous, naive appearance had said, ‘I shall come with you!’”
Let’s tread the paths of this difficult domain and learn more! The man starts by expressing his anxiety about the lady’s state, who he sees as worrying about him in the night and in the lonely evenings. Then, he goes on to describe the drylands space, and to do that, he zooms on to an ancient hero stone, and how it has become somewhat mutilated because the robbers of the land seemed to use that as the whetstone to sharpen their arrows, and because of this, the words that describe the name and fame of those buried there had become broken, and owing to this state of affairs, wayfarers seemed to rush past these stones, without even reading closely and paying their respects. A lot of culture lies embedded in this description and we’ll delve into that shortly. The man continues by talking about these spaces and now he shifts his attention to a bunch of wild cat kittens lying around their mother, like stars around the moon, and also paints an image of a vulture, spreading its wings and scattering away, upon hearing the drumbeats of the said robbers, announcing a cattle raid. The man concludes by remarking with astonishment that it’s to such a fearsome space that the lady had wanted to accompany him!
This implies that the lady thought all that danger in the world outside was far better than the loneliness of lamenting without the man’s presence. Together, you can conquer anything, is it not? Wonder why the man still refused to bring along his beloved! Maybe his culture forbade him. Speaking of culture, the mention of those ancient hero stones in this ancient verse tells us this practice extended to a time long before this record, and particularly, the mention of words and letters speaking of the glory of that buried person echoes aloud that this was a literate society that had mastered language centuries in the past! And so we find how a few lines about a familiar terrain reveal to us the depth of culture and learning in this ancient society!
In this episode, we listen to an emphatic refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 296, penned by Madurai Peralavayaar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing rivers of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and narrates scenes of celebration in the domain of a famous Pandya king.
கோதை இணர குறுங் கால் காஞ்சிப்
போது அவிழ் நறுந் தாது அணிந்த கூந்தல்,
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் மாஅயோளொடு
நெருநையும் கமழ் பொழில் துஞ்சி, இன்றும்
பெரு நீர் வையை அவளொடு ஆடி,
புலரா மார்பினை வந்து நின்று, எம்வயின்
கரத்தல் கூடுமோ மற்றே? பரப்பில்
பல் மீன் கொள்பவர் முகந்த இப்பி
நார் அரி நறவின் மகிழ் நொடைக் கூட்டும்
பேர் இசைக் கொற்கைப் பொருநன், வென் வேல்
கடும் பகட்டு யானை நெடுந் தேர் செழியன்,
மலை புரை நெடு நகர்க் கூடல் நீடிய
மலிதரு கம்பலை போல,
அலர் ஆகின்று, அது பலர் வாய்ப் பட்டே.
In this crisp trip to the farmlands, we get to witness familiar scenes of romping about, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he had returned after leaving the lady to go court a courtesan:
“With that dark-skinned maiden, having tresses, adorned with the fragrant pollen from clusters of blooming flowers, akin to flowering garlands, on the short-legged Portia tree, and radiant, red-streaked, rain-like eyes, you had rested in the fragrant orchards yesterday. Today too, after playing with her in the gushing waters of the Vaigai river, you come here, and stand with your chest, still moist. Did you think it was possible for you to hide all this from us? Those men, who gather heaps of fish in the seas, bring along shells in their catch and sell it in exchange for that delightful, well-filtered toddy in the city of ‘Koodal’, ruled by the King of Korkai, one of immense fame, one who wields arrogant, strong elephants, tall chariots and victorious spears, having the name of ‘Chezhiyan’. Akin to the uproar that brims over in the streets of ‘Koodal’ with mansions, soaring akin to peaks, spreads slander in our town, from the mouths of many, many.”
Time to stroll these lands of plenty and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the courtesan as a maiden who has dark skin, whose tresses waft with the scent of Portia tree flowers and whose eyes are rain-like. So much praise for an adversary! Returning, next she tells the man that he had spent his time with the said courtesan, resting together in the orchards and then today, he had taken to playing with the courtesan in the new floods of the Vaigai river. After all this, he has the gall to come and act as if nothing has happened, standing so audaciously, with a moist chest that too, the confidante adds. She asks him whether he thought he could hide his antics from the lady and herself. Then she switches tracks and goes on to describe the valour of King Chezhiyan, the conqueror of many battlefields and his capital of ‘Koodal’, referring to the contemporary city of ‘Madurai’, and how people from the shores would arrive to the streets of this world-famous city, to barter their shells for its delicious toddy. The confidante concludes by asking the man to reflect on the kind of buzz that would rise from the streets of Koodal and connects by saying that’s how loud the gossip about the man’s meanderings were, in their town!
In essence, it’s a strict ‘No’ to the man for his request to enter the lady’s home. Yet again, it’s a depiction of the state of wandering and quarrelling, in the land of riches. Within these pages, however, we get to travel in time and glimpse the buzzing streets of Koodal, and witness scenes involving trade and toddy, the seemingly age-old preoccupations of humans everywhere!
In this episode, we perceive a promise rendered to a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 295, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse details the nature of the spaces traversed by wayfarers in this formidable domain.
நிலம் நீர் அற்று நீள் சுனை வறப்ப,
குன்று கோடு அகைய, கடுங் கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
என்றூழ் நீடிய வேய் படு நனந்தலை,
நிலவு நிற மருப்பின் பெருங் கை சேர்த்தி,
வேங்கை வென்ற வெரு வரு பணைத் தோள்
ஓங்கல் யானை உயங்கி, மதம் தேம்பி,
பல் மர ஒரு சிறைப் பிடியொடு வதியும்
கல்லுடை அதர கானம் நீந்தி,
கடல் நீர் உப்பின் கணம் சால் உமணர்
உயங்கு பகடு உயிர்ப்ப அசைஇ, முரம்பு இடித்து
அகல் இடம் குழித்த அகல் வாய்க் கூவல்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் அசை விட ஊறும்,
புடையல் அம் கழற் கால் புல்லி குன்றத்து,
நடை அருங் கானம் விலங்கி, நோன் சிலைத்
தொடை அமை பகழித் துவன்று நிலை வடுகர்,
பிழி ஆர் மகிழர், கலி சிறந்துஆர்க்கும்
மொழி பெயர் தேஎம் இறந்தனர்ஆயினும்,
பழி தீர் மாண் நலம் தருகுவர்மாதோ
மாரிப் பித்திகத்து ஈர் இதழ் புரையும்
அம் கலுழ் கொண்ட செங் கடை மழைக் கண்,
மணம் கமழ் ஐம்பால் மடந்தை! நின்
அணங்கு நிலைபெற்ற தட மென் தோளே.
In this trip to this familiar region, we get to see sweltering scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away:
“The land had lost all its moisture, even wide springs have dried up, branches on hills are set ablaze, owing to the scorching attack of the harsh rays, in those bamboo-filled, wide spaces, where the heat extends unceasingly. Here, even a towering elephant, with a thick, long trunk, which had won over a tiger, languishes in musth, and rests with its mate, on the side of many dried-up trees. Crossing such stony, scrub jungles, groups of merchants, carrying salt from the seas, hastening their sighing, tired bulls, dig up wide-mouthed wells, in those barren spaces, which spouts succour for those wayfarers, who traverse those paths. Such are the peaks ruled by ‘Pulli’, clad in resounding warrior anklets, and even when your lover has crossed these formidable jungles spaces, where Vadugars, who shower speeding arrows from sturdy bows, and rejoice in the taste of toddy, spending their time in revelries, and even if he has reached to such lands, where other tongues are spoken, he’s sure to return that flawless, fine beauty of your divine, curving soft arms, O young maiden, having red-streaked, rain-like eyes, brimming with beauty, akin to the moist petals of the rainy season’s wild jasmines and fragrant, five-part tresses!”
Time to take a long walk through this fearsome region! The confidante starts by talking about the arid nature of the drylands, where there’s not a drop of water, even deep springs are dead, and branches catch fire out of nowhere. Explaining all this as the result of the blazing heat, the confidante shows how even a mighty elephant, which had won over a tiger, is made to bow before the fierceness of this heat. She then turns to talk about how wise salt merchants, who rove the land selling their harvest from the seas, join together and dig up wells, that serve as the only source to quench the searing thirst of wayfarers crossing these paths. She mentions how even if the man had crossed such spaces and reached the peaks of Pulli, heard the revels of the Vadugars, who wield bows and arrows and love their drink, and even if the man goes beyond to lands, where other languages are spoken, the man would surely return the beauty of his beloved that he seems to have stolen. The confidante concludes by praising the beauty of the lady’s rain-like eyes and her fragrant tresses!
In short, a message of hope to a pining friend! Amidst this promise, the highlight is the mention of those salt merchants, who exert their efforts so that all those who come after them can enjoy a drop of oasis in that desert. That’s the shining beacon of humanity that spreads its light across the centuries through the pages of this poetry!
In this episode, we perceive the soaring agony in a maiden, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 294, penned by Kazhaarkeeran Eyitriyaar. The verse is situated amidst the rain-soaked flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches the changes in the weather and its consequences.
மங்குல் மா மழை விண் அதிர்பு முழங்கி,
துள்ளுப் பெயல் கழிந்த பின்றை, புகைஉறப்
புள்ளி நுண் துவலை பூவகம் நிறைய,
காதலர்ப் பிரிந்த கையறு மகளிர்
நீர் வார் கண்ணின் கருவிளை மலர,
துய்த் தலைப் பூவின் புதல் இவர் ஈங்கை
நெய்த் தோய்த்தன்ன நீர் நனை அம் தளிர்
இரு வகிர் ஈருளின் ஈரிய துயல்வர,
அவரைப் பைம் பூப் பயில, அகல் வயல்
கதிர் வார் காய் நெல் கட்கு இனிது இறைஞ்ச,
சிதர் சினை தூங்கும் அற்சிர அரை நாள்,
”காய் சின வேந்தன் பாசறை நீடி,
நம் நோய் அறியா அறனிலாளர்
இந் நிலை களைய வருகுவர்கொல்?” என
ஆனாது எறிதரும் வாடையொடு
நோனேன், தோழி! என் தனிமையானே.
In this trip to this rainy domain, instead of the usual hoofbeats, we hear a song of sorrow, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, in response to the confidante’s attempts to cheer up the lady, as the man continues to remain parted away:
“Thick clouds thunder aloud, quaking the sky, and then pour down as pouncing rain drops. After this has ceased, the fog’s fine and spotted drops fill the surface of flowers. Akin to tear-filled eyes of helpless maiden, who are separated from their beloved, the dew-covered blue-bellvine blooms. With fuzzy-topped flowers, the touch-me-not vines spread across bushes, and its beautiful sprouts, soaked in water, appearing as if dipped in oil, split into two, akin to a bi-forked branch. Fresh flowers of the bean plant spread around, and the long-speared ripe paddy in the wide fields dance pleasantly, as bees buzz around bent branches in this midnight hour of the cold season. At this time, asking, ‘Will that unjust man, who understands not my affliction and extends his stay in the battle encampment of the furious king, return to weed away this state of mine?’, I suffer in loneliness, even as this northern wind blows incessantly, tormenting me, my friend!”
Let’s soak in the mist of this landscape and learn more! The lady starts by talking about the rainy season and its events of making the sky tremble with thunder and then pour down as rain. But instead of stopping with that, she mentions how that season is done and dusted and now, there’s only the fog that spreads and coats the surface of flowers. She zooms on to a particular bluebell vine flower, which is soaked in this dew, and compares that to the eyes of women, who are separated from their beloved, her clan in short! Her gaze turns to the touch-me-not vines and their leaves, again soaked in mist. She offers two similes here, one, to talk about their moisture, she compares them to objects dipped in oil, and two, she employs the word ‘eerul’ to mention how these leaves split into two. Most of the interpreters have understood this word to mean the ‘liver’. In my opinion, this word does not yield to the logic of the comparison and I have chosen to see this word as representing a branch or object that is bi-forked.
Moving on from the touch-me-nots, the lady sketches the flowers of the bean plants, the swaying wild paddy in the fields and the bees dancing around the branches in that season. Leaving the outer world, she concludes by talking about the way she repeatedly asks if her man, who seems to have no justice, and continues to remain at the battle encampment of the king, would return soon to end her suffering, and continues her fight with the northern winds which seem to pummel her ceaselessly!
In essence, the man’s promised season of return, the rainy season, is long gone and even the next season had arrived and yet the man returned not, complains the lady to the confidante. The usual words of lament transport us to a time when time was not marked by calendars and schedules but by blooming flowers and pouring showers!
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a woman at the turn of events, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 293, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the desolate spaces of this domain in detail.
இலை ஒழித்து உலறிய புன் தலை உலவை
வலை வலந்தனைய ஆக, பல உடன்
சிலம்பி சூழ்ந்த புலம் கெடு வைப்பின்,
துகில் ஆய் செய்கைப் பா விரிந்தன்ன
வெயில் அவிர்பு நுடங்கும் வெவ் வெங் களரி,
குயிற் கண் அன்ன குரூஉக் காய் முற்றி,
மணிக் காசு அன்ன மால் நிற இருங் கனி,
உகாஅய் மென் சினை உதிர்வன கழியும்
வேனில் வெஞ் சுரம் தமியர் தாமே
செல்ப என்ப தோழி! யாமே,
பண்பு இல் கோவலர் தாய் பிரித்து யாத்த
நெஞ்சு அமர் குழவி போல, நொந்து நொந்து,
இன்னா மொழிதும் என்ப;
என் மயங்கினர்கொல், நம் காதலோரே?
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see the usual sights of abandonment, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when she learns of her man’s intention to part away so as to seek wealth:
“Upon a parched, dull-headed tree, which has dried up, losing all its leaves, akin to a spun net, spiders have woven their cobwebs in those wastelands. Akin to the spread of threads on a loom when stitching a garment, the sun’s rays shimmer in that sweltering drylands space. Small, young fruits of the toothbrush tree in the shape of a cuckoo’s eyes mature and turn into dark purple fruits, appearing akin to precious gems, and these fall from the soft branches of the tree, in the heat of summer in those arid spaces. They say he’s going to part away alone thither, my friend! About me, they say that in the manner of a young calf, which desires to be with its mother, but is separated by herders, lacking culture, I will suffer and suffer, and speak many disparaging things. Why did that lover of mine fall prey to such an illusion?”
Time to take a walk through these formidable spaces again! The lady starts by talking about the drylands, and to do that she focuses on the cobwebs spun around a dried-up tree, as if a net has been cast upon it. Then she turns her attention to the scorching sun’s rays and places that in parallel to the threads in a loom at a weaver’s place. The similes continue and she equates the fruits of the toothbrush tree, first to a cuckoo’s eyes when unripe and then to precious gems when ripe. She mentions how these lie scattered in the heat of the summer. All these facets have been recorded to say that’s where the man is heading, all alone, according to the townsfolk. Then she mentions how these same townsfolk are saying that now the lady will cry and wallow like a calf separated from its mother by those cruel cattle herders. The lady concludes by wondering why the man had become so confused and chose this path that leads nowhere! Other than the usual lament about a man parting away, the essence of this verse lies in its picture perfect similes to capture both the spread of the land and the suffering of the mind!
In this episode, we perceive a hidden attempt at persuading a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 292, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the hanging honeycombs of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the dynamic flow of a speeding stone from a catapult.
கூறாய், செய்வது தோழி! வேறு உணர்ந்து,
அன்னையும் பொருள் உகுத்து அலமரும்; மென் முறிச்
சிறு குளகு அருந்து, தாய் முலை பெறாஅ,
மறி கொலைப் படுத்தல் வேண்டி, வெறி புரி
ஏதில் வேலன் கோதை துயல்வரத்
தூங்கும்ஆயின், அதூஉம் நாணுவல்;
இலங்கு வளை நெகிழ்ந்த செல்லல் புலம் படர்ந்து,
இரவின் மேயல் மரூஉம் யானைக்
கால் வல் இயக்கம் ஒற்றி, நடு நாள்,
வரையிடைக் கழுதின் வன் கைக் கானவன்
கடு விசைக் கவணின் எறிந்த சிறு கல்
உடு உறு கணையின் போகி, சாரல்
வேங்கை விரி இணர் சிதறி, தேன் சிதையூஉ,
பலவின் பழத்துள் தங்கும்
மலை கெழு நாடன் மணவாக்காலே!
In this little trip to the mountains, we get to see fast paced action, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Tell me what I should do, my friend! Thinking it’s something else, Mother showers money wastefully and acts in a confused manner; As for that strange Velan, wishing to kill and sacrifice a goat kid, which feeds on soft leaves of small bushes and gets not to suckle its mother’s udders, performs the ‘Veri’ ritual and dances with his garlands swaying. For that, I’m ashamed!
Moving to other lands, intending to graze at night, comes the elephant. Listening to the sound of its footsteps, in the middle of the night, a strong-armed mountain guard waiting upon a loft, aims a small stone from his swift-launching catapult. Speeding like a feathered arrow, that stone scatters blooming flower clusters of the Kino tree, tears apart a honeycomb, and then rests within a fruit of the jackfruit tree, in the mountains of the lord. Tell me what I should do if he, who made my shining bangles slip away, does not marry me!”
Let’s listen to the conversation of these mountain maiden and learn more! The lady starts with a helpless question to her friend, asking what she should do. Then she goes on to relay her troubles about Mother mistaking her symptoms for something else and thinking it’s the ire of God Murugu, throwing about her money to allay the god’s anger with Veri rituals performed by the priest Velan. The lady declares to her friend that all this makes her much ashamed, especially to see a young goat kid, which doesn’t even get to suckle at the udders of its mother, being sacrificed for her sake! Then, she goes on to describe the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she turns her camera on a guard sitting on tall loft in the middle of the night and thinking he’s heard an elephant which arrives to raid the fields, he launches a stone from his catapult and this stone rushes like an arrow, scattering kino flowers, shattering honey combs, and finally resting within a jackfruit. The lady concludes by asking her friend what would become of her, if the man of this mountain does not marry her!
In the scene of the mountain guard’s missile shedding flowers, tearing honeycombs and piercing the heart of a jackfruit, instead of nabbing the elephant it was intended for, the lady places a metaphor for how the slander that spreads in town has made the beauty of the lady wither, torn her togetherness with the man, and is resting in the heart of her mother, making her do these strange things. The lady presents her situation in a succinct manner to the man and impresses on the need for him to give up his temporary trysting and come seek her hand without any further delay. ‘Marry me, marry me’ yet again, but quite an intriguing experience to travel on that speeding stone to its sweet destination!
In this episode, we perceive the sorrowful situation of a person parted from his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 291, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the challenging spaces of this domain in vivid detail.
வானம் பெயல் வளம் கரப்ப, கானம்
உலறி இலை இலவாக, பல உடன்
ஏறுடை ஆயத்து இனம் பசி தெறுப்ப,
கயன் அற வறந்த கோடையொடு நயன் அறப்
பெரு வரை நிவந்த மருங்கில், கொடு வரிப்
புலியொடு பொருது சினம் சிறந்து, வலியோடு
உரவுக் களிறு ஒதுங்கிய மருங்கில், பரூஉப் பரல்,
சிறு பல் மின்மினி கடுப்ப, எவ்வாயும்
நிறைவன இமைக்கும் நிரம்பா நீள் இடை
எருவை இருஞ் சிறை இரீஇய, விரி இணர்த்
தாது உண் தும்பி முரல் இசை கடுப்ப,
பரியினது உயிர்க்கும் அம்பினர், வெருவர
உவலை சூடிய தலையர், கவலை
ஆர்த்து, உடன் அரும் பொருள் வவ்வலின், யாவதும்
சாத்து இடை வழங்காச் சேண் சிமை அதர
சிறியிலை நெல்லித் தீம் சுவைத் திரள் காய்
உதிர்வன தாஅம் அத்தம் தவிர்வு இன்று,
புள்ளி அம் பிணை உணீஇய உள்ளி,
அறு மருப்பு ஒழித்த தலைய, தோல் பொதி,
மறு மருப்பு இளங் கோடு அதிரக் கூஉம்
சுடர் தெற வருந்திய அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்து, ஆங்கு
உள்ளினை வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! போது எனப்
புலம் கமழ் நாற்றத்து இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,
நல் எழில் மழைக் கண், நம் காதலி
மெல் இறைப் பணைத்தோள் விளங்கும் மாண் கவினே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get scene after scene of images, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey, after having parted from the lady, so as to earn wealth:
“As the skies have refrained from rendering the prosperity of rain showers, the forest has dried up and appears bereft of leaves. Herds of cattle with bulls many are tormented by deep hunger, as the harsh summer winds blow, drying up ponds in those wide spaces near the tall ranges. Here, after forcefully attacking a tiger with curving stripes furiously, the strong male elephant treads along, and in its footprints, thick pebbles shine, akin to many little fireflies, glittering and scattering their light in all directions. In those deserted long paths, frightening a huge-winged vulture, with the music of bees that buzz around when feeding on the pollen of blossoming flowers, arrows streak past with much speed, from bows of those men wearing frightening head garlands. As they rove those paths and steal away precious belongings, merchants avoid those spaces. In those paths near the peaks, the small-leaved gooseberry’s thick clusters of sweet fruits drop and scatter. Wishing for their spotted, beautiful mates to feed on these fruits, with heads bereft of old antlers, quaking the new antlers bumping up from behind the skin, the male deers call out, in those formidable spaces, scorched by the sun.
Even after coming here, you are thinking about the radiant beauty of our beloved, who has thick, dark tresses that waft with the fragrance of flowers across the land, exquisite, rain-like eyes and bamboo-like arms with soft wrists! Long may you live, O heart!”
Time to take a trek through that arid scrub jungle and listen to the man’s heartbeat! He starts with a lengthy description of this space, where we see that there’s no rain, no leaves, cattle suffering with hunger, hot winds tormenting the land and so on. From the land, the man shifts the lens to focus on fighting animals, an elephant and a tiger in specific, and the former giant seems to emerge victorious and as it walks away with a sense of accomplishment, in those spots where it presses down on its pillar-like legs, pebbles seem to glitter like fireflies in the harsh light of the sweltering sun, the man sketches.
Then, he zooms on the humans in this space, and to do that, he focuses on the arrows flying from the hands of highway robbers and the way they frighten vultures, with a sound of bees buzzing that too. The man talks about how these robbers are so scary and steal away precious belongings that merchants avoid those paths at all costs. He then zooms on to a gooseberry tree and the way it drops its sweet fruits, the only source of succour in those arid spaces. Upon seeing the same, male deers want their mates to feed on the same and call out with much love, making their newly sprouting antlers to tremble in the effort, the man sketches with precision. He has given this description only to say that he has seen those sights, crossed all those scenes, and arrived there, and even after coming that far, all his heart seemed to do was to think about his beautiful, beloved maiden with flower-like tresses, rain-like eyes and bamboo-like arms!
A note of disbelief rings aloud in the voice of the man as he separates himself from his heart and sees how he’s unable to take the lady off his mind, even though he’s firmly set on the path of seeking wealth! A precise portrait of the timeless war between the heart and the mind, between being in the comfort of love and leaving for the sake of ambition!
In this episode, we listen to a narrative about a person’s state, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 290, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming lotuses of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and portrays the beauty of an ancient Sangam seaside town.
குடுமிக் கொக்கின் பைங் காற் பேடை,
இருஞ் சேற்று அள்ளல் நாட் புலம் போகிய
கொழு மீன் வல்சிப் புன் தலைச் சிறாஅர்,
நுண் ஞாண் அவ் வலைச் சேவல் பட்டென,
அல்குறு பொழுதின் மெல்கு இரை மிசையாது,
பைதல் பிள்ளை தழீஇ, ஒய்யென,
அம் கண் பெண்ணை அன்புற நரலும்
சிறு பல் தொல் குடிப் பெரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பன்,
கழி சேர் புன்னை அழி பூங் கானல்,
தணவா நெஞ்சமொடு தமியன் வந்து, நம்
மணவா முன்னும் எவனோ தோழி!
வெண் கோட்டு யானை விறற் போர்க் குட்டுவன்
தெண் திரைப் பரப்பின் தொண்டி முன்துறை,
சுரும்பு உண மலர்ந்த பெருந் தண் நெய்தல்
மணி ஏர் மாண் நலம் ஒரீஇ,
பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்ட என் கண்ணே?
Plenty of picturesque images in this trip to the seashore, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man, who had arrived for his nightly tryst with the lady, as he listens nearby:
“As the male tufted grey heron, which had stepped into the black mud, hunting for its day prey, had been caught in the fine threads of the net laid by coarse-haired, young boys, its green-legged female, without chewing on its soft prey, in that suffering-filled, evening hour, hugging its sorrowful child, calls out with love, perched on the beautiful palmyra tree in the little, ancient hamlet with many clans, in the shores of the lord, bound by the huge ocean. Having a heart filled with ceaseless love, he would come alone to the flower-filled orchard, filled with laurel wood trees, near the backwaters. Before he arrives and embraces me, why is it that my eyes, which have the sapphire-like, fine beauty of huge, cool blue lotuses, swarming with bees, blooming in the shore of Thondi, surrounded by clear waves, ruled by the battle-worthy Kuttuvan, who wields white-tusked elephants, have let go of their beauty and have now taken on a gold-like hue, my friend?”
Let’s sail along that ancient shore and learn more! The lady starts by zooming onto a male tufted bird, which had gone hunting in the black slush, looking for its food of the day. Next, she shows us how this bird falls a prey to the net cast by young boys, who live in that place. From the male’s sad situation, the lady turns the lens to focus on its female, a green-legged one, which seems to be refusing to eat its food and can be seen crying with sorrow, embracing its chicks, from atop a palmyra tree. It’s a case of heavy personification indeed. But the clues about the tuft of the bird and its green legs helps us tangibly locate the bird as the ‘Grey Heron’. Moving on, the lady has presented this romantic wildlife documentary only to say that’s the seashore town of the lord, said to be an ancient one, having many different communities living together. The man’s land now takes a backseat and the man himself comes forward in the lady’s narrative as she talks about how he would come to visit her, brimming over with love, and tryst in the ‘punnai’ orchards near the backwaters. Then, the lady goes on to humbly compare her eyes to the blue lotuses, blooming in the lush seaside town of ‘Thondi’, ruled by the great Kuttuvan, and concludes by asking what could be the reason for those eyes of hers to lose their beauty and become coated in the rich golden colour of pallor.
Of course, the lady knows the reason but instead of stating it out aloud and blaming the man, she makes him come up with the answer himself. She wishes for him to understand how she pines for him in his absence. This is to nudge the man to give up temporary trysting and seek her hand in marriage. I made a curious connection to the dating scenario in the modern world and how in many instances, it’s always the man who is expected to propose, as the woman waits for that day. Of course I’m saying this after seeing many movies in which the man gets down on a bent knee with a ring and the woman is surprised or acts surprised. This tells me the authority in this important decision in life seems to depend on the male, at least at first, not unlike this ancient couple, two thousand years ago. Different cultures, different times, yet amazing how the style of execution seems the same!
In this episode, we perceive a person’s worry about another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 289, penned by Eyinanthai Magan Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse renders intricate aspects about the cultural beliefs and practices of the ancients.
சிலை ஏறட்ட கணை வீழ் வம்பலர்
உயர் பதுக்கு இவர்ந்த ததர் கொடி அதிரல்
நெடு நிலை நடுகல் நாட் பலிக் கூட்டும்
சுரனிடை விலங்கிய மரன் ஓங்கு இயவின்,
வந்து, வினை வலித்த நம்வயின், என்றும்,
தெருமரல் உள்ளமொடு வருந்தல் ஆனாது,
நெகிழா மென் பிணி வீங்கிய கை சிறிது
அவிழினும், உயவும் ஆய் மடத் தகுவி
சேண் உறை புலம்பின் நாள் முறை இழைத்த
திண் சுவர் நோக்கி, நினைந்து, கண் பனி,
நெகிழ் நூல் முத்தின், முகிழ் முலைத் தெறிப்ப,
மை அற விரிந்த படை அமை சேக்கை
ஐ மென் தூவி அணை சேர்பு அசைஇ,
மையல் கொண்ட மதன் அழி இருக்கையள்
பகுவாய்ப் பல்லி படுதொறும் பரவி,
‘நல்ல கூறு’ என நடுங்கி,
புல்லென் மாலையொடு பொரும்கொல் தானே?
In this trip to this difficult domain, though we do encounter scenes from the land, it’s more of a journey inside the mind, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as he parts from his lady and ventures on a mission to seek wealth:
“Wayfarers, who have fallen to arrows that were aimed from bows, are covered with raised stone graves, and upon this, spreads closely intertwined vines of the wild jasmine. Flowers of these spreading vines are gathered for daily offerings rendered to tall hero stones in that drylands domain, along paths bereft of trees, where I have arrived, with the intention of earning wealth. Thinking about me always, with a confused heart, she would be wallowing in endless worry. That naive maiden, who would become anxious even if my hands that had been holding her gently loosen a little, would now be gazing at the sturdy wall, upon which the days I have spent apart from her would be marked. Then filled with sorrow, the dew of her eyes would scatter on her blooming bosoms, akin to pearls that break away from a string. Lying on that flawless, wide bed, upon a mattress filled with beautiful, soft feathers, with confusion brimming over, she would be losing her strength. Every time a split-mouthed lizard made a sound, she would tremble saying, ‘Speak of good things!’ and keep fighting with that listless evening hour, won’t she?”
Time to take in the scenes of desolation in the drylands! The man starts by describing the place he’s at, and to do that, he talks about the death of innocent wayfarers, who have fallen to the arrows of highway robbers. Though they kill, these robbers have the custom of burying those dead under make-shift stone graves, and upon these stone graves, wild jasmine vines spread, the man adds. He then mentions how those who are coming to worship hero stones also installed in such places, would collect these wild jasmine flowers to bring them as offerings for their ancestor worship. All these facets have been recorded to say that the man has arrived to such a place, dry and parched, without the shade of trees, nudged by his heart to go seeking wealth.
From his position, the man’s mind flies to the abode of his beloved, where he sees her wallowing in misery, missing him. The man recollects how this was a person who would suffer so much if the man so much as loosened the hold of her hand even a little. Now that he is so far away, the lady would be looking at a wall, marked with lines, signifying the days since the man had parted, the man visualises. At that moment, he sees the tears in her eyes dropping down and scattering like pearls from a string. He pictures her lying on their well-etched bed, upon a mattress made of soft feathers, and yet without any sleep or rest, suffering ceaselessly. The man concludes with the final portrait of how the lady would be pleading to the house lizard to render good omens about the man’s arrival, every time it opens its mouth and makes a click sound, as the lady would be fighting against the attack of the evening hour. Here, the prevalence of hero stone worship with offerings, drawing lines on a wall to mark a person’s absence and seeking the comfort of lizard omens are etched to talk about how people responded to death and parting in those times. The verse tells how sometimes we can see the plight of another in such a vivid manner even when we can’t see our own state, right before us! The eyes of love see far indeed!
In this episode, we listen to strong words of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 288, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches how a person has a wrong notion about something significant.
சென்மதி; சிறக்க, நின் உள்ளம்! நின் மலை
ஆரம் நீவிய அம் பகட்டு மார்பினை,
சாரல் வேங்கைப் படு சினைப் புதுப் பூ
முருகு முரண் கொள்ளும் உருவக் கண்ணியை,
எரி தின் கொல்லை இறைஞ்சிய ஏனல்,
எவ்வம் கூரிய, வைகலும் வருவோய்!
கனி முதிர் அடுக்கத்து எம் தனிமை காண்டலின்,
எண்மை செய்தனை ஆகுவை நண்ணிக்
கொடியோர் குறுகும் நெடி இருங் குன்றத்து,
இட்டு ஆறு இரங்கும் விட்டு ஒளிர் அருவி
அரு வரை இழிதரும் வெரு வரு படாஅர்க்
கயந் தலை மந்தி உயங்கு பசி களைஇயர்,
பார்ப்பின் தந்தை பழச் சுளை தொடினும்,
நனி நோய் ஏய்க்கும் பனி கூர் அடுக்கத்து
மகளிர் மாங்காட்டு அற்றே துகள் அறக்
கொந்தொடு உதிர்த்த கதுப்பின்,
அம் தீம் கிளவித் தந்தை காப்பே.
In this trip to the highlands, we observe vivid scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives for a tryst with the lady:
“Please leave! May your intentions triumph! With a radiant chest, streaked with the sandalwood from your mountains, wearing a dazzling garland that would make God Murugu envious, woven with new flowers, blooming on the branch of a Kino tree in the slopes, you come day after day to the millet field that arose in the fire of the forest, speaking of your sorrow! As you are able to meet her alone in the flower-filled mountain ranges, you seem not to understand her preciousness and think she is easy to attain.
In those narrow paths, where cruel men frequent, amidst the dark ranges, roaring, descends shining cascades, and falls down at that formidable spot, where to end the hunger of its soft-haired female monkey, the father of the monkey infants, digs up sweet slices of the jackfruit. In those fear-evoking, cold mountain ranges, guarded by divine spirits, is the town of ‘Maangaadu’. Akin to that town, is the well-protected mansion, belonging to the father of your lady, who speaks with beautiful, sweet words and has flowing tresses, adorned with flawless flowers!”
Time for a trek on the mountain of emotions! The confidante starts by bidding farewell to the man with a blessing. She describes his journey day after day, when he arrives, sandalwood streaked on his chest, and a dangling, dazzling Kino flower garland on him, to speak of his suffering and seek the lady’s company. Adding that just because it’s been so easy to meet with the lady, the man seems to not realise what a rare and precious occurrence that is. Then the confidante goes on to describe a town called Maangaadu, which is apparently in some dense mountain ranges, with leaping monkeys in search of jackfruits, one that is under the protection of divine spirits. Then she concludes by equating the lady’s father’s mansion to this town, explaining that’s how well-guarded the lady’s home is!
Words to tell the man that the lady, whose company he had been relishing with ease, was now placed under guard and the only way to be back with her was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. A long and intricate description of that mountain town to equate it to a person’s house talks about the creative similes that these Sangam poets seem to conjure seamlessly!
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a lonely heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 287, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a vivid portrait of the pain in parting.
தொடி அணி முன்கைத் தொகு விரல் குவைஇ,
படிவ நெஞ்சமொடு பகல் துணை ஆக,
நோம்கொல்? அளியள் தானே! தூங்கு நிலை,
மரை ஏறு சொறிந்த, மாத் தாட் கந்தின்
சுரை இவர் பொதியில் அம் குடிச் சீறூர்
நாட் பலி மறந்த நரைக் கண் இட்டிகை,
புரிசை மூழ்கிய பொரி அரை ஆலத்து
ஒரு தனி நெடு வீழ் உதைத்த கோடை
துணைப் புறா இரிக்கும் தூய் மழை நனந்தலை,
கணைக் கால் அம் பிணை ஏறு புறம் நக்க,
ஒல்கு நிலை யாஅத்து ஓங்கு சினை பயந்த
அல்குறு வரி நிழல் அசையினம் நோக்க,
அரம்பு வந்து அலைக்கும் மாலை,
நிரம்பா நீள் இடை வருந்துதும் யாமே.
In this trip to this familiar domain, we perceive scenes of emptiness, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands, in search of wealth:
“Bringing together the fingers of her bangle-clad arms, with fasting rituals on her mind, and only the day as her company, won’t she be languishing? She is to be pitied indeed! There stands a dark, thick post, where a swaying male black buck has rubbed its back, amidst the blooming bottle gourd vines, in that beautiful hamlet, where a sacrificial offering was forgotten, and empty, stands the altar. A rough-trunked banyan has buried the walls and the hot northern winds kick a lone, long aerial root, which shoos away a mating pigeon couple beneath, in those rainless, wide spaces. A male deer licks the back of its beautiful, thick-legged mate, in the shade of the soaring branches of the Yaa tree, and as I stay in this suffering-filled, spotted shade and look on, misery arrives to torment in this evening hour and makes me lament in this endless, long drylands path!”
Let’s walk along with the man and listen to his song of melancholy! The man starts by thinking about what his beloved would be doing right then, and the image of her praying and fasting, worrying about him, comes to his mind and he feels much pity for her. Then, he looks at the world around him. He sees a broken column, where a black buck has rubbed on; a forgotten, empty altar; a banyan burying the once-sturdy walls, and a gush of northern winds, shaking the banyan’s aerial root and making the cooing pigeons beneath to flutter away. His eyes finally rest on the way a male deer is licking the back of its female to cool it down, in the spotted, not-enough shade of a ‘Yaa tree’. Amidst all this desolation, this scene of tenderness makes the man break down and cry about his lonely state to his heart.
The montage of images tells us this is a ruined town, once prosperous and bustling, but now abandoned, perhaps due to some war or famine. As he finds this empty, forsaken space around him reflect his own state of mind, the man gives expression to the sorrow within. The aspect to be celebrated about Sangam Literature is the equality it endows on both men and women when it comes to expressing their emotions. The man feels no qualms in talking about his pain and missing his beloved, in songs many, many, and this echoes in the culture of Tamils even today, where unlike a common notion in many other cultures, which say, ‘Boys shouldn’t cry’, here we can find grown men giving way to their emotions and breaking down in sorrow. An instance of the memory of culture extending beyond the centuries!
In this episode, we perceive an insightful refusal to a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 286, penned by Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the sounds of pounding in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and delves into abstractions about the actions of the noble.
வெள்ளி விழுத் தொடி மென் கருப்பு உலக்கை,
வள்ளி நுண் இடை வயின் வயின் நுடங்க;
மீன் சினை அன்ன வெண் மணல் குவைஇ,
காஞ்சி நீழல், தமர் வளம் பாடி,
ஊர்க் குறுமகளிர் குறுவழி, விறந்த
வராஅல் அருந்திய சிறு சிரல் மருதின்
தாழ் சினை உறங்கும் தண் துறை ஊர!
விழையா உள்ளம் விழையும் ஆயினும்,
என்றும், கேட்டவை தோட்டி ஆக மீட்டு, ஆங்கு,
அறனும் பொருளும் வழாமை நாடி,
தற் தகவு உடைமை நோக்கி, மற்று அதன்
பின் ஆகும்மே, முன்னியது முடித்தல்;
அனைய, பெரியோர் ஒழுக்கம்; அதனால்,
அரிய பெரியோர்த் தெரியுங்காலை,
நும்மோர் அன்னோர் மாட்டும், இன்ன
பொய்யொடு மிடைந்தவை தோன்றின்,
மெய் யாண்டு உளதோ, இவ் உலகத்தானே?
In this trip to the farmlands, rather than the usual love-quarrels, we get to see a different dimension, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he informs her about his wish to part away from the lady, earn wealth, and then return to marry her:
“With the soft, black sugarcane stems as the silver-capped pestles, swaying their dainty waists to and fro, akin to ‘valli’ vines, heaping white sand, akin to fish eggs, in the shade of the portia tree, as the young maiden of the town sing the praises of their kin, in tune with their pounding, a small kingfisher that has feasted on murrel fish sleeps on the low-hanging branch of the Arjuna tree in your cool river shores, O lord!
Even if a heart, which tends not to desire unjust things, happens to desire some such thing, with sharp questions as the goad, they would rein it in. Only after delving on questions of justice and fairness, and establishing that one is worthy of something, do they work towards accomplishing that; This is the discipline of those who are noble. When we ponder on the actions of such noble people, if someone like you, who is considered as one such, shows falsehoods in your actions, then where is truth to be found in this world?”
Time to take a walk through this town of complexity! The confidante starts by describing the town of the man, and to do that, she paints a picture of young girls, using a sugarcane as a pestle, and the river sand, which appears like fish eggs, as the grains, imitating the actions of their elders, they pound and play, in the shade of a portia tree, even as they sing the praises of their townsfolk. As they sing and pound, a kingfisher, with its tummy full of murrel fish, sleeps on a branch of a ‘Marutham’ tree nearby, in the lord’s lush river shores, the confidante adds. After that tangible depiction of the world around, the confidante jumps into abstractions, talking about how the nature of the noble was to seek only what they think is just and fair and even if their minds sometimes pull them in the other direction, they tame those wild elephants with the goad of their intellect. She also mentions how they would weigh their worth before wanting something and only when they find themselves worthy, they would work towards attaining that. The confidante thus presents a portrait of the noble and concludes by saying to the man, ‘You are considered to be one such noble person. But if your actions show falsifications of these laws, then where only can we find truth in this world?’
To understand these abstractions, we have to travel back to the time when the man took an oath to never part from the lady, which gave confidence to the confidante and the lady, about his sincerity. So, now when the man says he wants to leave, the confidante is talking about how he’s going back on his words and it appears as if he said all that only to win the lady, by any means possible. She tries to appeal to his better nature by asking him that seemingly cynical question about the fate of truth in this world. Perhaps, hearing this, the man would realise the mistake in his ways and try to seek the lady’s hand, instead of parting away. In the scene of the kingfisher that sleeps on, not minding the pounding of young maiden, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man had been intent only on his pleasures of trysting with the lady, unmindful of the slander that he has caused around town. Leaving aside all this heaviness, the aspect that lingers on pleasantly is the memory of those songs of praise, reverberating with the rhythm of the pounding in the river shores of that rich town!
In this episode, we listen to the sharing of a happy news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 285, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Karikannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the dynamic scenes in this domain.
”ஒழியச் சென்மார், செல்ப” என்று, நாம்
அழி படர் உழக்கும் அவல நெஞ்சத்து
எவ்வம் இகந்து சேண் அகல, வை எயிற்று
ஊன் நசைப் பிணவின் உறு பசி களைஇயர்,
காடு தேர் மடப் பிணை அலற, கலையின்
ஓடு குறங்கு அறுத்த செந்நாய் ஏற்றை
வெயில் புலந்து இளைக்கும் வெம்மைய, பயில் வரி
இரும் புலி வேங்கைக் கருந் தோல் அன்ன
கல் எடுத்து எறிந்த பல் கிழி உடுக்கை
உலறு குடை வம்பலர் உயர் மரம் ஏறி,
ஏறு வேட்டு எழுந்த இனம் தீர் எருவை
ஆடு செவி நோக்கும் அத்தம், பணைத் தோள்
குவளை உண்கண் இவளும் நம்மொடு
வரூஉம் என்றனரே, காதலர்;
வாராய் தோழி! முயங்குகம் பலவே.
In this trip to the drylands, we take in scenes of vivid action, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady:
“Thinking, ‘Leaving you to lament here, he will part away’, we were with angst-ridden hearts, languishing in suffering. Making that anxiety to part away afar, that lover of yours, who had been intending to leave to the drylands, where, wanting to allay the deep desire for flesh, in its sharp-toothed mate, a male red dog bites on the very thigh that the male deer uses to flee, leaving its naive female to search and scream in the jungle, and then suffers in the sweltering heat in this place, where having clothes tattered in many places, akin to the many-striped, radiant skin of the huge tiger, owing to the attack of highway robbers, wayfarers with dry umbrellas, climb on a high tree, and look up at the scene of a roving, lone vulture that has parted away from its flock, and rises high in search of a prey, has told me, ‘Let that maiden with bamboo-like arms and kohl-streaked, blue-lily-like eyes, come along with me!’ Come on, my friend! Let’s embrace over and over!”
Time to tune in to the chat between these besties! The confidante starts by narrating the worry that had been plaguing them about the man’s imminent parting away from the lady. Then the confidante tells her friend that the man’s words had chased that worry far, far away. She then goes on to describe the drylands, and to do that, she sketches a montage of scenes. First, we see a female red dog languishing in hunger, and seeing the suffering of its mate, the male goes on a hunt, and it finds a huge male deer, and just as the deer is about to run away, the red dog delivers a fatal bite on the thigh of this deer, and brings it down. Next, the scene changes to echo the plight of the female deer, crying out for its mate in the forest.
From these wild beings, the confidante turns to sketch the wild nature of robbers, who attack wayfarers and make their clothes torn and appear like the striped skin of the tiger. The confidante continues talking about how these wayfarers can be seen climbing on a tree, intending on saving themselves, and completes this portrait of the drylands, with the eyes of these wayfarers zooming in on a red-headed vulture, soaring in the skies above, in search of a prey. The confidante connects all this by saying this is where the man had intended to leave, and he had told the confidante that he plans to take the lady along. The confidante concludes by jumping in joy as she conveys this news and calls her dear friend so that they could hug and bid farewell to each other.
Those vivid images of the conflict between the red dog and the deer in the drylands talk about the tug of war between being with love and leaving for wealth in a subtle manner. The highlight in this verse though is the closing image of the lady and the confidante hugging each other with tears, and preparing to part from each other. A tender bitter-sweet moment between friends!
In this episode, we perceive the eagerness to be back with a beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 284, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping hares of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and paints a portrait of this domain and its denizens.
சிறியிலை நெல்லிக் காய் கண்டன்ன
குறு விழிக் கண்ண கூரல் அம் குறு முயல்
முடந்தை வரகின் வீங்கு பீள் அருந்துபு,
குடந்தை அம் செவிய கோட் பவர் ஒடுங்கி,
இன் துயில் எழுந்து, துணையொடு போகி,
முன்றில் சிறு நிறை நீர் கண்டு உண்ணும்
புன் புலம் தழீஇய பொறைமுதல் சிறு குடி,
தினைக் கள் உண்ட தெறி கோல் மறவர்,
விசைத்த வில்லர், வேட்டம் போகி,
முல்லைப் படப்பைப் புல்வாய் கெண்டும்
காமர் புறவினதுவே காமம்
நம்மினும் தான் தலைமயங்கிய
அம் மா அரிவை உறைவு இன் ஊரே.
In this trip to these pleasing lands, we observe spirited beings in action, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, at a time when he is returning after completing his mission:
“Having small eyes, akin to fruits of the small-leaved gooseberry, are those beautiful little hares with sharp fur. After munching on thick clusters of curved millet crops, these creatures with prominent ears, leap inside the vines. Then, rising from their sweet sleep, along with their mates, they drink up water, placed in brimming vessels, in the front yard of homes in hamlets, surrounding these forest lands near the hills. Here, after drinking up millet toddy, brave men with sharp arrows and tautly tied bows, leave on a hunt, and bringing back deer, they feed on it, in the jasmine-covered forest lands. Near this picturesque forest, is the village, where that beautiful, dark-skinned maiden, throbbing with even more passion than me, lives!”
Let’s hop along with those hares and learn more! The man starts by focusing on this very creature and he associates the hare’s eyes with gooseberry fruits. After that picture-perfect plant-animal simile, he talks about how these hares feed on millet crops, rest under bushes, and then rising from sleep, go on to drink the water placed in pots, in front of homes in those little hamlets. Then he talks about the people living there, the hunters who bring back their catch of deer, and about how, spreading on those red lands, they cut and feast on their game. The man concludes by saying his beloved lives in a village near this beautiful forest, talking about how she would be brimming over with more yearning and love, than even him.
In these words, we can infer the subtle notes of the man’s eagerness to see the lady’s lovely town and be back in her company again. Like the happy hare, the man too intends to rest and rejoice with his beloved and drink from their together cup of joy!
In this episode, we listen to a loving wish, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 283, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the transformation of a dreary place into a delightful one.
நல் நெடுங் கதுப்பொடு பெருந் தோள் நீவி,
நின் இவண் ஒழிதல் அஞ்சிய என்னினும்,
செலவு தலைக்கொண்ட பெரு விதுப்பு உறுவி
பல் கவர் மருப்பின் முது மான் போக்கி,
சில் உணாத் தந்த சீறூர்ப் பெண்டிர்
திரிவயின் தெவுட்டும் சேண் புலக் குடிஞைப்
பைதல் மென் குரல் ஐது வந்து இசைத்தொறும்,
போகுநர் புலம்பும் ஆறே ஏகுதற்கு
அரிய ஆகும் என்னாமை, கரி மரம்
கண் அகை இளங் குழை கால்முதல் கவினி,
விசும்புடன் இருண்டு, வெம்மை நீங்க,
பசுங் கண் வானம் பாய் தளி பொழிந்தென,
புல் நுகும்பு எடுத்த நல் நெடுங் கானத்து,
ஊட்டுறு பஞ்சிப் பிசிர் பரந்தன்ன
வண்ண மூதாய் தண் நிலம் வரிப்ப,
இனிய ஆகுக தணிந்தே
இன்னா நீப்பின் நின்னொடு செலற்கே.
In this trip to the drylands, we observe how this formidable land changes colours, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, conveying the lady’s acceptance to elope away with him:
“I was fearing about how she would remain here, without you, the one, who caresses her fine, long tresses, and thick arms. But she’s gone a step ahead and is anxious to leave on a journey with you, to paths, where chasing old deer with branching antlers, womenfolk from small hamlets gather meagre grains, and as they rove around, an owl’s sorrow-filled, soft voice arrives to torment tenderly, making wayfarers to lament as they walk on. So that these paths are not difficult for her to traverse, let those scorched trees bloom with tender sprouts on the many nodes of their trunks, with much beauty. For the heat to recede, may the skies darken, and may those guardians of fertility shower drops beneath, making blades of grass raise their heads in the fine, vast jungle, and akin to dyed cotton specks that spread around, let the bright-hued, red velvet mites decorate the moist lands. Let it all become cool and pleasant during this sorrow-endowing journey of hers, with you!”
Time to walk on through the angst-ridden domain! The confidante starts by revealing her worry about the lady remaining there, if her loving man were to leave. But, her friend had decided something else and was intent on eloping with the man, she says, and then goes on to describe those places, where womenfolk on the lookout for anything to bring for their families, chase away grazing deer, and collect whatever little grains they can find in the scrub jungle. At this time, an owl hooting in soft voice would fall on their ears and would fill all wayfarers with much sorrow, the confidante details. Then, she makes a heartfelt wish so that the path the gentle lady was planning to traverse was not so impossible for her, seeking that the scorched trees should start blooming, the skies should start raining, blades of grass should start sprouting, and the entire spread of the land should be covered in red velvet mites, which come to the surface, only to greet the rains. The confidante concludes by saying indeed the lady’s parting away was going to bring much sadness to her and the lady’s family, but even so, she wishes the lady must have a pleasant time on her journey with the man.
What a wonderful creature is this confidante, who only wishes well for her beloved friend! If there was ever a soul, who only lives for the welfare of another, I’m sure it’s this character etched in verse after verse in Sangam Literature. An eternal epitome of friendship, whose personality we can try to emulate in our own relationships with others, for a better and more positive world!
In this episode, we listen to a unique attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 282, penned by Thol Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring Kino and Jackfruit trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and paints the prosperity of this domain.
பெரு மலைச் சிலம்பின் வேட்டம் போகிய,
செறி மடை அம்பின், வல் வில் கானவன்
பொருது தொலை யானை வெண் கோடு கொண்டு,
நீர் திகழ் சிலம்பின் நன் பொன் அகழ்வோன்,
கண் பொருது இமைக்கும் திண் மணி கிளர்ப்ப,
வைந் நுதி வால் மருப்பு ஒடிய உக்க
தெண் நீர் ஆலி கடுக்கும் முத்தமொடு,
மூவேறு தாரமும் ஒருங்குடன் கொண்டு,
சாந்தம் பொறைமரம் ஆக, நறை நார்
வேங்கைக் கண்ணியன் இழிதரும் நாடற்கு
இன் தீம் பலவின் ஏர் கெழு செல்வத்து
எந்தையும் எதிர்ந்தனன், கொடையே; அலர் வாய்
அம்பல் ஊரும் அவனொடு மொழியும்;
சாய் இறைத் திரண்ட தோள் பாராட்டி,
யாயும், ‘அவனே’ என்னும்; யாமும்,
‘வல்லே வருக, வரைந்த நாள்!’ என,
நல் இறை மெல் விரல் கூப்பி,
இல் உறை கடவுட்கு ஆக்குதும் பலியே!
In this trip to the highlands, we get to witness fascinating scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Going for a hunt in the slopes of the huge mountains, a hunter carrying well-fitted arrows and a sturdy bow, pulls out the white tusk of an elephant that he battled with and killed. He then uses that tusk to dig out fine gold in those water-filled slopes. As he does that, hitting upon dense gems that twinkle and dazzle one’s eyes, the sharp tip of the tusk breaks apart, and the pearls in the tusk drop out, appearing akin to hailstones, made of clear water. Bundling these three different goods together on a bed of sandalwood sticks, he ties them with strong twines, and wearing Kino flower head garlands, that hunter descends down in the mountain country of the lord.
Our father, who too has the great wealth and prosperity of soaring, sweet jackfruit trees, has decided to offer your hand to him; As for the gossiping mouths of this slanderous town, they link him with you. Hearing all this, appreciating your thick arms with beautiful wrists, mother too has decided that ‘He’s the one’. As for us, wishing ‘Oh! Let the day of wedding arrive with much speed’, bringing our soft fingers with lovely knuckles together, let’s offer a sacrifice to the god, who resides in our home!”
Time to venture out on a mountain hunt! The confidante starts by zooming on to a hunter in the man’s domain, and following him step by step. First, we see this worthy denizen carrying strong bows and arrows. Then, he fells an elephant and pulls out its tusk. But his trip does not end there! He then goes on a solo mission to excavate some gold in those water-flowing slopes. He sure does find that, but in addition, he hits upon some precious blue stones, which happens to break the tip of the tusk. Nothing to worry about, for pearls rain down from that tusk. Now, the hunter picks the gold, the gems and the pearls, bundles them on a sandalwood bed, and comes happily walking down, with the scent of his Kino flower garlands wafting in the mountain breeze.
After that picture-perfect description of the man’s land, the confidante talks about how the lady’s father, a wealthy man himself, with jackfruit orchards many, had decided to give his girl in marriage to the man. While the town continued gossiping, the lady’s mother had accepted her daughter’s choice in a partner, the confidante adds. She concludes by declaring all that remains was for them to pray to the god at home, and offer a sacrifice with folded hands so that the day of wedding arrives promptly.
If we think about it, the confidante is not praying to the god at home but the one listening nearby, who has the real power to make things happen. The scene of the hunter returning with unexpected treasures is a metaphor for how a future of permanent happiness with the lady awaits the man, with the blessing of her family and the townsfolk. By presenting the positive views of the lady’s relatives, the confidante seems to be putting that pertinent question to the listening man, ‘What are you waiting for?’!
In this episode, we listen to the lady’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 281, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions historical facts to etch this story of separation.
செய்வது தெரிந்திசின் தோழி! அல்கலும்,
அகலுள் ஆண்மை அச்சு அறக் கூறிய
சொல் பழுது ஆகும் என்றும் அஞ்சாது,
ஒல்கு இயல் மட மயில் ஒழித்த பீலி,
வான் போழ் வல் வில் சுற்றி, நோன் சிலை
அவ் வார் விளிம்பிற்கு அமைந்த நொவ்வு இயல்
கனை குரல் இசைக்கும் விரை செலல் கடுங் கணை
முரண் மிகு வடுகர் முன்னுற, மோரியர்
தென் திசை மாதிரம் முன்னிய வரவிற்கு
விண்ணுற ஓங்கிய பனி இருங் குன்றத்து,
ஒண் கதிர்த் திகிரி உருளிய குறைத்த
அறை இறந்து, அவரோ சென்றனர்
பறை அறைந்தன்ன அலர் நமக்கு ஒழித்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we go a history detour, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Analyse and tell me what I should do, my friend! Day after day, staying right here, he spoke words many to remove my fears utterly. Not worrying that those words would become false now, he has left beyond those boulders, broken apart by the Mauryas, wanting to seize the lands to the south, when they marched on and tunnelled through the sky-soaring, dark, dew-covered peaks, so as to make their white-rayed wheels roll on, led by the belligerent Vadugars, who, picking up the feathers dropped by a naive peacock, with a swaying gait, tied those long stems around the sturdy bows, fitted with taut straps, from which with a deep sound, speeding arrows rush ahead. He has left beyond those boulders, leaving us to shoulder all alone, this slander, that resounds akin to the roar of drums!”
Time to tread upon those stony surfaces and explore on! The lady starts by asking her confidante what she should do, now that the man had falsified his promises of never parting from her and had left to the drylands. She describes the place where the man’s at by mentioning the rocks that were cut across to make way for the chariots of the northern Mauryas, when they came south, intending to conquer these lands, in the company of the Vadugars, who wield sturdy bows and speedy arrows. The lady concludes by lamenting how the man had left to this place, leaving her all alone to face the slander in town, which seems to echo aloud like a thundering drum.
That slander is on the rise is indication that the separation has happened before marriage between the man and the lady. The verse renders a history lesson about the incursion of northern rulers into the southern region of India, two thousand years ago. At the core is a heart, disappointed by broken promises. Hope it heals with the return of the man, speeding back to the lady, like the arrows of those Vadugars!
In this episode, we listen to the plea in a man’s heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 280, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers and scuttling crabs of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and echoes the yearning to attain a beloved.
பொன் அடர்ந்தன்ன ஒள் இணர்ச் செருந்திப்
பல் மலர் வேய்ந்த நலம் பெறு கோதையள்,
திணி மணல் அடை கரை அலவன் ஆட்டி
அசையினள் இருந்த ஆய் தொடிக் குறுமகள்,
நலம்சால் விழுப் பொருள் கலம் நிறை கொடுப்பினும்,
பெறல் அருங்குரையள்ஆயின், அறம் தெரிந்து,
நாம் உறை தேஎம் மரூஉப் பெயர்ந்து, அவனொடு
இரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பின் உப்புடன் உழுதும்,
பெரு நீர்க் குட்டம் புணையொடு புக்கும்,
படுத்தனம், பணிந்தனம், அடுத்தனம், இருப்பின்,
தருகுவன்கொல்லோ தானே விரி திரைக்
கண் திரள் முத்தம் கொண்டு, ஞாங்கர்த்
தேன் இமிர் அகன் கரைப் பகுக்கும்
கானல் அம் பெருந் துறைப் பரதவன் எமக்கே?
In this trip to the shore, we perceive scenes of play, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when he’s returning home, after a tryst with the lady:
“Wearing many woven, radiant flowers of the champak, appearing akin to thick clusters of gold, on her exquisite tresses, chasing crabs on the heaped sands of the seashore, that young maiden wearing beautiful bangles, tires out and rests there. Even if the best of earned wealth, filled to the brim of a vessel, is rendered, it would be hard to attain her. If I were to migrate from the country I live in, and along with him, if I toil on the salt fields of this huge and vast shore, and sail along in his boat into the huge seas, and if I submit, surrender and stoop in humility before him, would that lord of the huge shores, filled with groves, the one who gathers picturesque pearls from the deep seas himself and renders unto others in those bee-swarming wide shores, realise it’s the just thing to do and offer his beautiful daughter to me?”
Let’s follow along on the shore and listen to the man pour his heart out! The man starts by describing the lingering beauty of the lady he had just met and left, and to do that, he mentions the yellow flowers of the champak tree that adorns his beloved’s head like thick golden ornaments. He talks about how she used to run about chasing crabs on the seashore. Then, with a sigh, remarks that even if he were to heap gold sky high, it would not suffice as ‘bride price’ for that maiden, and that it would be impossible to attain her. Thinking in another direction, the man concludes by wondering if he decides to leave his land, come live here and toil in the salt pans and fish in the great seas along with the lady’s father, and utterly bow low before him, then would that lord of the seas, who seems to gather pearls and distribute to his kith and kin on the flower-filled shores, decide the right thing to do would be to offer his daughter’s hand to this wonderful man?
For the man, who is a lord of some land himself to decide to bow low before another man, is the surest indicator of the extent he is willing to go to become united with the one he loves. It proclaims aloud how deeply he feels love in his heart for the lady and his determination to leave no stone unturned in making her his own. A verse that made me smile thinking about the man’s attempts to charm his future father-in-law!
In this episode, we perceive a heart that beats for another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 279, penned by Irunkon Ollaiyaayan Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse presents the core reasons for venturing out in search of wealth.
‘நட்டோர் இன்மையும், கேளிர் துன்பமும்,
ஒட்டாது உறையுநர் பெருக்கமும் காணூஉ,
ஒரு பதி வாழ்தல் ஆற்றுபதில்ல
பொன் அவிர் சுணங்கொடு செறிய வீங்கிய
மென் முலை முற்றம் கடவாதோர்’ என,
நள்ளென் கங்குலும் பகலும், இயைந்து இயைந்து
உள்ளம் பொத்திய உரம் சுடு கூர் எரி
ஆள்வினை மாரியின் அவியா நாளும்
கடறு உழந்து இவணம் ஆக, படர் உழந்து
யாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல் தானே தீம் தொடை
விளரி நரம்பின் நயவரு சீறியாழ்
மலி பூம் பொங்கர் மகிழ் குரற் குயிலொடு
புணர் துயில் எடுப்பும் புனல் தெளி காலையும்
நம்முடை மதுகையள் ஆகி, அணி நடை
அன்ன மாண் பெடையின் மென்மெல இயலி,
கையறு நெஞ்சினள், அடைதரும்
மை ஈர் ஓதி மாஅயோளே?
In this trip to the drylands, we experience more of an abstract journey, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his travels to earn wealth:
“Thinking, ‘Those who cannot venture beyond the borders of the soft and dense bosoms with gold-like pallor spots have to live and accept the state of lack in friends, sorrow in relatives and prosperity in foes’, as the sharp and fierce flames blazed bright in my heart, be it in the middle of the night or the day, pouring my effort as the rain shower, day after day, I suffer here, apart from her. As for her, who is languishing with a deep sorrow, what will become of her now? Back then, when sweet sounds of the ‘vilari’ tune resounds from the strings of a small lute, along with the ecstatic voices of a cuckoo in the flower-filled groves, and wakes her up from a deep sleep in that morning hour, as water is sprinkled to cleanse the ground, seeking me as her only pillar of strength, with a gentle gait akin to a picturesque swan, she would walk slowly with a helpless heart and come embrace me!”
Time to walk on through that familiar space and learn more! The man starts by talking about what pushed him to tread these spaces, and mentions how a spark of thought appeared in his mind about how those who did not want to move away from the pleasure of being with their beloved would have to live with their friends’ poverty, their kin’s sorrow and their enemies’ rise to prosperity. This spark of thought burst into wild flames in his heart and he decided to quench that with the rain of his hard work and so he left the lady and was suffering there in the drylands. After narrating his state, the man’s mind shifts to that of his beloved, whom he had left behind and reminisces about one morning he had spent in her company. Even when she was right next to him, in the early hours of the morning, when she would wake up hearing the sweet notes of the small lute and the voice of the cuckoo in the grove, as water was being sprinkled on the courtyard, she would immediately miss the man, seek him out with her slow, swan-like walk and embrace him tight, the man recollects, and he concludes by wondering how she would be able to bear with a separation now.
Here’s an exquisite moment when a person, who is in deep suffering themselves, thinks beyond them about the state of the one they love. A highlight here is the imagery of the rain of hard work quenching the flames of angst in a heart. Yet another nuance to be relished is what used to wake a person in the early morning hours, in the place of our modern screeching alarm clocks. To wake up to the strings of a lute and the songs of a cuckoo sounds like heaven indeed. A verse which goes on to show how music and nature was an inseparable part of the lives of these ancients!
In this episode, we perceive the subtle art of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 278, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the journey of water and its significance in the lady’s life.
குண கடல் முகந்த கொள்ளை வானம்
பணை கெழு வேந்தர் பல் படைத் தானைத்
தோல் நிரைத்தனைய ஆகி, வலன் ஏர்பு,
கோல் நிமிர் கொடியின் வசி பட மின்னி,
உரும் உரறு அதிர் குரல் தலைஇ, பானாள்,
பெரு மலை மீமிசை முற்றினஆயின்,
வாள் இலங்கு அருவி தாஅய், நாளை,
இரு வெதிர் அம் கழை ஒசியத் தீண்டி
வருவதுமாதோ, வண் பரி உந்தி,
நனி பெரும் பரப்பின் நம் ஊர் முன்துறை;
பனி பொரு மழைக் கண் சிவப்ப, பானாள்
முனி படர் அகல மூழ்குவம்கொல்லோ
மணி மருள் மேனி ஆய்நலம் தொலைய,
தணிவு அருந் துயரம் செய்தோன்
அணி கிளர் நெடு வரை ஆடிய நீரே?
In this trip to the highlands, we witness the dynamic actions of the elements of land, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Clouds brimming over, after dipping into the eastern seas, looking like rows of shields around many different armies, lead by a king with ‘panai’ drums, rises to the right, and akin to a flag that flutters on top of a pole, flashes, splitting the skies, and with an uproarious voice that thunders on, it pours down in the middle of the night, laying siege atop huge hills, and comes down as cascades, shining like swords. Tomorrow, those cascades will come pouncing, breaking tall and beautiful bamboos, in the manner of a speeding horse, and will arrive at the vastly spreading spaces of our town’s river shore. Making those dew-covered, rain-like eyes to redden, in the dark of the night, to be rid of this hateful suffering, shall we take a dip in those waters that have arrived here, after playing on the picturesque mountains of the one, who has rendered a ceaseless sorrow, making the old beauty of your sapphire-hued skin to fade?”
Let’s listen to the music of this mountain song! The confidante starts by talking about how the clouds have taken a dip in the eastern seas and were travelling west. To sketch their appearance, she brings in parallel, the marching armies of a king, covered in shields, and talks about how these rise to the right, and then roar with a thunderous voice. The companion, lightning, is compared to a fluttering flag on high by the confidante. Now, this army of clouds lay siege to a mountain, and then pour down with gusto, in the middle of the night, says the confidante. Next, she sketches the transformation of that downpour into a cascade, that seems to speed on like a king’s horse, and chop away bamboos standing in the way. In this manner, those gushing waters arrive at their door-step, the river shore of their town, the confidante connects. She concludes by beckoning the lady to go take a dip in those waters which comes from the mountains of the lord, who has brought a great sorrow to the lady and made her beauty wither away!
The nuance here is the hidden statement in the words of the confidante to the lady, ‘You seem to suffer without embracing the chest of the man. Perhaps you will find some relief in dipping in the waters that gush from his mountains!’. The listening man would understand the yearning in the lady’s heart to be with him and the angst she suffers when he is not able to tryst with her. Through this, the good friend hopes to nudge the man to give up his sporadic trysting and seek the permanent path of happiness by marrying the lady. Leaving aside this repeated theme, isn’t that picture-perfect parallel depiction of flowing water and a king at war? The army of clouds, rising from the sea, the siege of the mountains, roar of thunder, the flag of lightning fluttering in the sky, leaping horses of cascades and the journey’s end at the river shore of the lady’s town, presents a graphic geography lesson on ‘Orographic rainfall’, with the perfect fusion of poetic elements!
In this episode, we perceive the angst-ridden words of a maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 277, penned by Karuvoor Nanmarban. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches dynamic similes involving birds and animals to etch the situation at hand.
தண் கதிர் மண்டிலம் அவிர் அறச் சாஅய்ப்
பகல் அழி தோற்றம் போல, பையென
நுதல் ஒளி கரப்பவும், ஆள்வினை தருமார்,
தவல் இல் உள்ளமொடு எஃகு துணை ஆக,
கடையல்அம் குரல வாள் வரி உழுவை
பேழ் வாய்ப் பிணவின் விழுப் பசி நோனாது,
இரும் பனஞ் செறும்பின் அன்ன பரூஉ மயிர்,
சிறு கண் பன்றி வரு திறம் பார்க்கும்
அத்தம் ஆர் அழுவத்து ஆங்கண் நனந்தலை,
பொத்துடை மரத்த புகர் படு நீழல்,
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் அசையுநர் இருக்கும்,
ஈரம் இல் வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர் நம்வயின்
வாரா அளவை ஆயிழை! கூர் வாய்
அழல் அகைந்தன்ன காமர் துதை மயிர்
மனை உறை கோழி மறனுடைச் சேவல்
போர் புரி எருத்தம் போலக் கஞலிய
பொங்கு அழல் முருக்கின் ஒண் குரல் மாந்தி,
சிதர் சிதர்ந்து உகுத்த செவ்வி வேனில்
வந்தன்று அம்ம, தானே
வாரார் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே.
In this trip to the familiar landscape, we get to see striking sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away:
“Akin to how the moon with cool rays, appears during the day, with its glow ruined, making the light of my forehead wane slowly day by day, so as to gain wealth, with a relentless heart, and a spear for company, he has parted away to the drylands, where a tiger with sword-like stripes and having a voice akin to the churning of curd, unable to bear the deep hunger of its huge-mouthed mate, lies in wait for a small-eyed boar, with hair on its neck like the splinters on a palm tree, in those arid and wide open scrub jungles, where in the spotted shade of trees with hollows, wayfarers treading those paths, find a spot to rest. He, who has left to such a scorching drylands, bereft of moisture, still does not return to me, O maiden wearing well-etched jewels! Having feathers, akin to a swaying, sharp-tipped flame, is the hen that lives in a home. Akin to the bristling hair on the cape of its mate, a courageous rooster, in the middle of a fight, blooms the radiant, fire-like coral tree’s flowers, upon whose bright buds, bees swarm around and scatter nectar, announcing the arrival of this season of spring, and still that lover of mine returns not, my dear friend!”
Let’s brave the sweltering heat and walk on through this domain! The lady observes how the shine of her forehead is fading just like how the moon loses its glow during the day. The reason for that is the absence of her beloved, who has left in search of wealth with much determination in his heart and a spear in his hand, she says, and goes on to describe where he’s at. To do that, she paints an image of a roving tiger, which wanting to end the hunger of its mate, roams the paths, waiting to snatch a boar, whose rough hair is likened to the splinters of a palmyra tree. The lady further describes how these spaces have hardly any trees, and people walking those paths sit down with relief even in the broken shade of small tree. She goes on to then talk about how the season of spring had arrived at their doorstep, knocking with the sight of bees buzzing around coral tree flowers, whose shape is so exquisitely placed in parallel to the bristling fur around the neck of a rooster in the middle of a fight. The lady concludes by crying that though this beautiful season, meant for togetherness had arrived, her man hadn’t!
A case of lamenting for the man, who’s missing even after the promised season of return. In the reference to the male tiger wanting to appease the hunger of its mate, and the bees swarming around the coral-tree flowers with much passion and desire, the lady seems to say, ‘The whole world around is buzzing with expressions of love, whereas my man shows not this to me!’. This curiously reminded me of the concept of ‘social media envy’ and how seeing the idealised posts and reels of others can point to the lack in one’s own life. Two thousand years ago, the natural world was the place of action wheres now the scene has shifted to the world of 1s and 0s. What remains the same is the human nature of comparison of one’s own state to the world around, and perhaps the cure for this timeless crisis is to just feel gratitude for the things that we do have, regardless of what we don’t and what others may have!
In this episode, we perceive the ire of a woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 276, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the fish-filled ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relays scenes of rivalry in a rich town.
நீள் இரும் பொய்கை இரை வேட்டு எழுந்த
வாளை வெண் போத்து உணீஇய, நாரை தன்
அடி அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பைபயக்
கடி இலம் புகூஉம் கள்வன் போல,
சாஅய் ஒதுங்கும் துறை கேழ் ஊரனொடு
ஆவது ஆக! இனி நாண் உண்டோ?
வருகதில் அம்ம, எம் சேரி சேர!
அரி வேய் உண்கண் அவன் பெண்டிர் காண,
தாரும் தானையும் பற்றி, ஆரியர்
பிடி பயின்று தரூஉம் பெருங் களிறு போல,
தோள் கந்தாகக் கூந்தலின் பிணித்து, அவன்
மார்பு கடி கொள்ளேன்ஆயின், ஆர்வுற்று
இரந்தோர்க்கு ஈயாது ஈட்டியோன் பொருள்போல்,
பரந்து வெளிப்படாது ஆகி,
வருந்துகதில்ல, யாய் ஓம்பிய நலனே!
Sparks fly in this trip to the farmlands, as we hear a courtesan say these words to her friends, conveying a pointed message to the lady’s friends, listening near by:
“Searching for prey in the long and vast pond, a stork, wishing to feed on the white male of the scabbard fish, fearing its footsteps would be heard, walks slowly, akin to a thief entering a well-guarded house, and takes soft steps in the shore-filled town of the lord! Why should I hold back out of modesty anymore? When he comes by to our neighbourhood, making sure his women with kohl-streaked eyes with red lines, see, clutching on to his garlands and garments, akin to a female elephant, trained by the Aryars, to seize a huge male elephant, with my arms as the post, I will bind him with my tresses and hold on tightly to his chest. If I don’t do this, akin to wealth earned, which is not given away to those who plead in need, without being known and cherished with fame, let that beauty of mine, reared by my mother, languish and turn to ruin!”
Let’s watch this familiar tussle in the land of plenty! The courtesan starts by describing the man’s town and to do that, she sketches the scene of a stork walking like a thief entering a guarded mansion, so as to prey upon the scabbard fish, swimming blissfully in a pond. After that scene of stealth, she goes on to say that there’s no use suffering with a sense of shame anymore. Declaring that the next time the man came to their neighbourhood, the courtesan, in the manner of a female elephant, trained by the Aryans to tempt and capture huge wild, male elephants, would clutch on to the man’s clothes and garlands and hold tightly, with her tresses as the rope and her arms as the post. The courtesan concludes with a vow that if she does not do such a thing then let the beauty that her mother reared in her, become ruined without any fame like the wealth of a person, who hoards and gives not, to those who come seeking in need.
The core of this tale is that the courtesan is angered by the disparaging words of the lady that has reached her ears and she intends to send back a sharp message to the lady challenging that her husband was about to be stolen away like an elephant in the wild. The opening image of the stork stealing in softly to make its kill is a metaphor for how the courtesan would snag the man with her stealth and strategy.
In a verse full of emotions that have not aged very well, there’s one line that shines and that’s about the purpose of wealth, which according to these ancients was meant to serve the needy. If this future descendant could talk to those women of the past, I would say, ‘Dear ladies, quit the fighting over that silly man and realise the power and beauty of being the best you can be!’
In this episode, we listen to words of lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 275, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the emotions of a Sangam mother at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement.
ஓங்கு நிலைத் தாழி மல்கச் சார்த்தி,
குடை அடை நீரின் மடையினள் எடுத்த
பந்தர் வயலை, பந்து எறிந்து ஆடி,
‘இளமைத் தகைமையை வள மனைக் கிழத்தி!
பிதிர்வை நீரை வெண் நீறு ஆக’ என,
யாம் தற் கழறுங் காலை, தான் தன்
மழலை இன் சொல், கழறல் இன்றி,
இன் உயிர் கலப்பக் கூறி, நன்னுதல்
பெருஞ் சோற்று இல்லத்து ஒருங்கு இவண் இராஅள்,
ஏதிலாளன் காதல் நம்பி,
திரள் அரை இருப்பைத் தொள்ளை வான் பூக்
குருளை எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்
வெம் மலை அருஞ் சுரம், நம் இவண் ஒழிய,
இரு நிலன் உயிர்க்கும் இன்னாக் கானம்,
நெருநைப் போகிய பெரு மடத் தகுவி
ஐது அகல் அல்குல் தழை அணிக் கூட்டும்
கூழை நொச்சிக் கீழது, என் மகள்
செம் புடைச் சிறு விரல் வரித்த
வண்டலும் காண்டிரோ, கண் உடையீரே?
In this trip to the drylands, we take in a few familiar sights and listen to the outpouring of sorrow from the mother, at a time when her daughter had eloped away with the man:
“Amidst the bushes of vayalai vines that she had reared by pouring water, collected with a tightly woven palmyra bowl from a tall and brimming urn, seeing her playing with a ball, I had scolded her saying, ‘O young and naive maiden of this prosperous mansion! You seem to be roaming around without a care. You are sure to be doomed!’. At this time, without any anger, she rendered her child-like, sweet words that made my sweet life melt away with joy. But that maiden with a fine forehead, without choosing to remain in this mansion, with copious food to share, has trusted in the love of a stranger, and leaving me to languish here, has left to a formidable drylands in the scorching mountains, where clusters of white flowers from the thick-trunked Mahua tree are stolen by huge sleuths of bear cubs. That maiden with great naivety, who has left yesterday to the terrible scrub jungle around which the huge land sighs in suffering, using her reddened little fingers, had built a sand house under the chaste tree, which used to render fine leaves to adorn her wide and uplifted loins. Those who have eyes, won’t you see this work of art left behind by that daughter of mine!”
Time to listen to this expression of grief! Mother starts like mothers often do, recollecting a past moment with their beloved offspring. She remembers how one day the lady had been playing near the vayalai bushes that the lady herself had reared with much love, pouring water for it every day using a palmyra bowl. A moment to note the use of biodegradable material of palm leaves to stitch baskets with such skill that they seem to even hold water! Something we should perhaps learn from the descendants of these basket weavers in the remote villages of Tamil Nadu.
Returning, Mother talks about how her girl had been playing with a ball amidst these bushes and this seems to have angered Mother, who had admonished her for roaming around without a care. There seems to be a hidden implication in mother’s tone that the girl had matured and she had no business to be playing around in this manner. In any case, mother remembers how her daughter showed no anger for that scolding and spoke so sweetly in a child-like tone, which made mother’s heart melt away. But that same girl, believing in some stranger’s promise of love, had left to the drylands, where bear cubs roam about gathering white Mahua flowers, Mother says. She concludes by asking all around her to take a look at the sand house her daughter had made under the chaste tree, near the house, and perceive the pain that throbs in her heart!
A verse that talks about the poignant feelings, which arise when one glimpses at the places and things, resounding with memories of a parted one. A desk, a pair of spectacles, a ‘Bullet’ motorbike, a letter that arrives late… The objects may change in different spaces and different times, but they all proclaim the indelible presence of a person, even in that moment of their absence!
In this episode, we perceive the anticipation of returning to a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 274, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated in the midst of the falling rain in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, and sketches a scene from this domain in the dark hour of midnight.
இரு விசும்பு அதிர முழங்கி, அர நலிந்து,
இகு பெயல் அழி துளி தலைஇ, வானம்
பருவம் செய்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
ஆடு தலைத் துருவின் தோடு ஏமார்ப்ப,
கடை கோல் சிறு தீ அடைய மாட்டி,
திண் கால் உறியன், பானையன், அதளன்,
நுண் பல் துவலை ஒரு திறம் நனைப்ப,
தண்டு கால் ஊன்றிய தனி நிலை இடையன்,
மடி விடு வீளை கடிது சென்று இசைப்ப,
தெறி மறி பார்க்கும் குறு நரி வெரீஇ,
முள்ளுடைக் குறுந் தூறு இரியப் போகும்
தண் நறு புறவினதுவே நறு மலர்
முல்லை சான்ற கற்பின்
மெல் இயற் குறுமகள் உறைவு இன் ஊரே.
In this trip to the forest, we get to see a denizen of the domain at work, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer:
“Quaking the vast skies, the sky roars, ruins snakes and falls as huge drops of the downpour. In the midnight hour of this season, to protect his herd of sheep with swaying heads, lighting up a small flame on a fire-stick, as many, little drops of rain soak him on one side, the man who has a sturdy pot hanger, pots and a bed of leather, leans on a firmly planted stick, and standing all alone, bends his tongue and lets out a sharp whistle, which makes a little fox, which had been lying in wait to snatch a leaping sheep kid, scuttle away into the thorny bushes, in the cool and fragrant forest. Herein lies the delightful town of my chaste, gentle-natured maiden, adorned with fragrant wild jasmine flowers.”
Time to hear the man’s passionate plea! He starts by revealing the season of rains, which thunders in the sky, rains down and according to their belief, kills snakes. Then he talks about a sheep herder, who is etched as having cords around him to hold pots and the way he carries a layer of leather to serve as his bed. The man tells us it’s the middle of the night and so as to keep the flock safe, the herder lights up a flame and lets out a sharp whistle. Hearing the sound of this whistle, a fox which had been biding its time to seize a sheep kid, runs away in fear, into the bushes. The man then connects and concludes by saying such is the forest, where the hamlet of his beloved, jasmine-clad maiden is to be found.
Through that scene of the shepherd’s whistle and the scuttling fox, the man places a metaphor for how the sound of his chariot’s arrival would make the fox of pining, which had been preying on his beloved and waiting to finish her, to rush away in fear. In essence, the man is dropping the location of his loved one to his charioteer, and impressing on the need for speed!
In this episode, we listen to words of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 273, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse employs an exquisite metaphor to etch a person’s state.
விசும்பு விசைத்து எழுந்த கூதளங் கோதையின்,
பசுங் கால் வெண் குருகு வாப் பறை வளைஇ,
ஆர்கலி வளவயின் போதொடு பரப்ப,
புலம் புனிறு தீர்ந்த புது வரல் அற்சிரம்,
நலம் கவர் பசலை நலியவும், நம் துயர்
அறியார்கொல்லோ, தாமே? அறியினும்,
நம் மனத்து அன்ன மென்மை இன்மையின்,
நம்முடை உலகம் உள்ளார்கொல்லோ?
யாங்கு என உணர்கோ யானே? வீங்குபு
தலை வரம்பு அறியாத் தகை வரல் வாடையொடு
முலையிடைத் தோன்றிய நோய் வளர் இள முளை
அசைவுடை நெஞ்சத்து உயவுத் திரள் நீடி,
ஊரோர் எடுத்த அம்பல் அம் சினை,
ஆராக் காதல் அவிர் தளிர் பரப்பி,
புலவர் புகழ்ந்த நாண் இல் பெரு மரம்
நில வரை எல்லாம் நிழற்றி,
அலர் அரும்பு ஊழ்ப்பவும் வாராதோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we don’t get to see any of the familiar sights, and instead, take a detour to the realm of the inner landscape, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Akin to a garland of nightshade flowers thrown at the sky, green-legged white birds bend their spreading wings to soar above the uproarious seas, and then settle down among the blooming flowers, in this season of early dew, when the land is done with the task of birthing new crops. At this time, as I waste away, owing to the affliction of pining that steals away health and beauty, does he not know about my sorrow? Even if he knows, not having the gentleness in my heart, perhaps he does not give a thought about my world! What should I think about all this? As this esteemed cold northern wind swells, not understanding its limits, this disease that has bloomed in my bosom sprouts up as a young shoot, and as the sorrow of my heart continues on, thickens its stem, spreads as a beautiful branch, owing to the gossip of the townsfolk, blooms as the tender leaves of unfulfilled love, soars as a shameless huge tree, celebrated by poets, spreading its shade all across the land. Even as the buds of slander upon this tree of suffering bloom, spreading their petals open, he still returns not!”
Let’s listen to this lady’s lament and learn more! She starts by describing the seasonal changes around her. She first calls our attention to the white birds flying high and paints them as garlands thrown against the sky. Anyone who has watched the ‘V formation’ of birds in the sky would agree what an apt simile this is! Next, she talks about how the land is all done with birthing of the winter crops, relaying how it was now the early dew season. The lady talks about how the promised season is gone and she suffers endlessly and wonders if the man does not realise this, and even if he does, maybe he does not have her gentle heart to do something about it. She laments asking how is it possible to bear this lack of response from the man.
Then reverting back to the season, the lady says, one visitor is sure to arrive without fail at this time, and that’s the cold, northern winds, and talks about how this makes the seed of pining in her heart, shoot up as a tender sprout. Then, as the water of sorrow keeps coursing through her, the stems of this sprout thicken into a trunk. To help it further, winds of gossip swirl around town and make the trunk spread into a branch, and here unfulfilled love sprouts out as the lush green leaves and what was a little shoot, now stands like a shameless tree of suffering, for all to see, spreading its shade far and wide, the lady sketches, and concludes by saying even when the flowers of slander bloom bright on this tree, the man was nowhere to be seen!
The prowess of this prolific poet in converting the abstract emotions of the mind into tangible elements of the world can be sensed in that flowing imagery of a seed and sprout turning into that tree of suffering. Perhaps all these songs on separation exist only to teach the world the art of healing by expressing what’s within!
In this episode, we perceive a dramatic attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 272, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and presents a hypothetical situation and its impactful consequences.
இரும் புலி தொலைத்த பெருங் கை வேழத்துப்
புலவு நாறு புகர் நுதல் கழுவ, கங்குல்
அருவி தந்த அணங்குடை நெடுங் கோட்டு
அஞ்சு வரு விடர் முகை ஆர் இருள் அகற்றி,
மின் ஒளிர் எஃகம் செல் நெறி விளக்க,
தனியன் வந்து, பனி அலை முனியான்,
நீர் இழி மருங்கின் ஆர் இடத்து அமன்ற
குளவியொடு மிடைந்த கூதளங் கண்ணி
அசையா நாற்றம் அசை வளி பகர,
துறு கல் நண்ணிய கறி இவர் படப்பைக்
குறி இறைக் குரம்பை நம் மனைவயின் புகுதரும்,
மெய்ம் மலி உவகையன்; அந் நிலை கண்டு,
”முருகு” என உணர்ந்து, முகமன் கூறி,
உருவச் செந் தினை நீரொடு தூஉய்,
நெடு வேள் பரவும், அன்னை; அன்னோ!
என் ஆவது கொல்தானே பொன் என
மலர்ந்த வேங்கை அலங்கு சினை பொலிய
மணி நிற மஞ்ஞை அகவும்
அணி மலை நாடனொடு அமைந்த நம் தொடர்பே?
In this trip to the highlands, it’s scenes in the night that greets us, as we listen to these words said by the confidante to the lady, pretending not to see the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“To wash away its flesh-reeking, spotted face after killing a huge tiger, the long-trunked elephant arrives at night to the cascade in the mountains. Casting away the deep darkness of the clefts and caves in those formidable, fear-evoking spaces, as an iron spear, which flashes like lightning, shows the way, he comes alone, without minding the cold dew descending down. Wearing a garland of nightshade flowers woven together with wild jasmines that had been blooming in those picturesque places near flowing waters, as the moving winds scatter its stationary fragrance, he would enter our hut with hanging eaves, adjacent to a field of pepper vines around a short boulder, with his body brimming over with joy. If Mother were to see that state of his, thinking it’s ‘God Murugu’, she would raise her hands in prayer, would sprinkle moistened bright red millets, and worship the Tall Speared One! Alas! If that happens, what is to become of your relationship with the lord of the handsome mountain country, where the sapphire-hued peacock calls out aloud and the fully-bloomed Kino flowers glow upon the swaying branches?”
Let’s walk along with the man and investigate what’s in the hearts of these mountain maiden! The confidante starts by talking about how fearsome the mountain paths are at night, mentioning how an elephant which has just killed a tiger would come to the cascades to wash its trunk. Unmindful of all this danger to his safety and not caring for the cold dew pouring down to the detriment of his health, with his spear lighting the way, the man would come walking on this very path, the confidante connects. Then she mentions the garlands of nightshades and jasmines he would be wearing and the way the wind would be spreading that scent all around the place. Walking in this manner, the man would reach the destination, which is the lady’s hut in the mountain hamlet, near a field of pepper vines, the confidante continues. Let’s make a note of this specific field and explore it in a moment.
Returning, the confidante asks the lady to imagine the moment he would step inside their house. What if Mother happened to catch a glimpse of him? She predicts that Mother would think the man was the ‘Tall-speared God Murugu’ and would start worshipping him with a scattering of red millets. After saying these words, the confidante wonders what would happen to the lady’s relationship with the man if a such a thing were to happen, and concludes by describing the man’s country as a place, filled with singing peacocks and blooming Kino flowers.
An intricate attempt using the powers of visualisation to get the listening man to realise that he needs to change his dark and dangerous path of temporary trysting and take the road to the permanent joy of seeking the lady’s hand. The subtle elements here is the mention of the blooming Kino flowers, indicating it’s the auspicious season of marriage, and that scene of mother mistaking the man for Murugu is to tell the man the lady is in danger of being placed under guard, which would sound the death knell to his secret relationship with her. In short, ‘Marry her, marry her’ with a movie style delivery!
Let’s revert and focus on that phrase about a field of pepper vines. This tells us the preciousness of these naturally growing spices was realised by this mention that it was intentionally cultivated in a mountain field. A matter-fact line which actually implies that these pepper corns were much sought after in faraway shores such as Greece and Rome and that those abroad were waiting to shower gold in exchange of these little black beauties!
In this episode, we perceive an impactful attempt at changing a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 271, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions intriguing aspects about the flora and fauna in this domain.
பொறி வரிப் புறவின் செங் காற் சேவல்
சிறு புன் பெடையொடு சேண் புலம் போகி,
அரி மணல் இயவில் பரல் தேர்ந்து உண்டு,
வரி மரல் வாடிய வான் நீங்கு நனந்தலைக்
குறும்பொறை மருங்கின் கோட் சுரம் நீந்தி,
நெடுஞ் சேண் வந்த நீர் நசை வம்பலர்
செல் உயிர் நிறுத்த சுவைக் காய் நெல்லிப்
பல் காய் அம் சினை அகவும் அத்தம்
சென்று, நீர் அவணிர் ஆகி, நின்று தரு
நிலை அரும் பொருட் பிணி நினைந்தனிர்எனினே,
வல்வதாக, நும் செய் வினை! இவட்கே,
களி மலி கள்ளின் நல் தேர் அவியன்
ஆடு இயல் இள மழை சூடித் தோன்றும்
பழம் தூங்கு விடரகத்து எழுந்த காம்பின்
கண் இடை புரையும் நெடு மென் பணைத் தோள்,
திருந்து கோல் ஆய் தொடி ஞெகிழின்,
மருந்தும் உண்டோ, பிரிந்து உறை நாட்டே?
In yet another trip to this searing region, we get to see dynamic scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he proposes a plan to leave in search of wealth, wishing to prepare the lady for his parting:
“The red-legged male of the pigeon with specks and lines, along with its gentle little mate flies afar, and after landing on the spreading rough, river sand, chooses pebbles and eats them. Then, it sings, sitting atop the beautiful branch of a gooseberry tree, bearing many fruits, which have the power of bringing back the parting life of those wayfarers, who arrive with a searing thirst, from a faraway country, traversing vast spaces in the formidable drylands, by the side of small hills, bereft of clouds, where even the lined hemp withers. If you intend to leave to this place, pushed by that ever-changing affliction of seeking wealth, may those efforts of yours bear fruit! As for her, her soft arms are akin to the tall bamboos, with flawless nodes, that shoot up in the mountain ranges, filled with hanging fruits, around which young rain clouds dance around in the joyous town of ‘Kallil’, ruled by Aviyan, who wields chariots many! So, tell me, in that land that you intend to part away to, could there be any cure to remedy the slipping away of well-etched, fine bangles from those arms of hers?”
Let’s tread on those scorching spaces and learn more! The confidante starts by sketching the drylands region, and to do that, she seeks the help of a pigeon couple. First, she talks about the red-legged male pigeon and then its delicate, little mate. Note the use of the word ‘Siru’ meaning ‘small’ to describe the female pigeon. When I checked whether this was factual or the Sangam poets’ way of projecting human notions on the birds, turns out indeed the females are smaller than the males, though they may have more body mass. What a nuance captured!
Returning, the confidante tells us that these two birds take off and fly for quite distance and then they land on a place with coarse, dried-up river sand. Now she mentions something that made me ask, “Really? No way. There must be some mistake!” The thing the confidante says about these pigeons is that they can be seen eating pebbles from that river sand. Now you know why I was so surprised. I was telling myself that the interpreters had got this wrong and the word ‘Paral’ should mean something else. Like some grain or some seed! Then, when I went and asked the seemingly ridiculous question, ‘Do pigeons eat pebbles?’, the internet blew my mind saying, ‘Indeed, it does!’ Apparently, pigeons do not have teeth but they need to digest the grains and seeds they eat. So, to this end, they gobble those pebbles and these stones in their stomach acts like a grinder and extracts the nutrients from their diet. The marvels of nature indeed! At the same time, I think we should also celebrate the Sangam poets for their powers of observation to note this intricate behaviour of these birds and the creativity to blend it in a song on relationships!
Moving on from our pigeon tales, now the confidante tells us that the pigeons, after swallowing those pebbles, fly to the branch of a gooseberry tree and sing their songs perched there. Then turning her attention from the birds to the fruits hanging in this tree, the confidante details how these fruits have the power of bringing back the lives of those who are dying of thirst in that harsh drylands region, where even the sturdiest of plants, the hemp takes to withering away in the sweltering sun. Once again, these verses glorify the gooseberry as an elixir of life! Then, the confidante connects by telling the man if he intends to leave to such a place in search of wealth, may his endeavour succeed. And then she goes on to compares the arms of the lady to the bamboos growing in a mountain town called ‘Kallil’ ruled by Aviyan, and concludes by asking the man if he knew some medicine that could cure the slipping away of fine bangles from the lady’s arms!
With these words, the confidante intends to tell the man that the lady would lose her health and beauty in his absence and ask him to give up his idea of parting from the lady. While it’s the same ‘Don’t go, she’ll pine!’ at the core, those fascinating facts about pigeons eating pebbles and gooseberries bringing back dying lives presents to us the medicine of awe about our natural world, something that can revive and rejuvenate us, as we traverse the drylands of our day-to-day life!
In this episode, we perceive a passionate attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 270, penned by Saakalaasanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming blue lilies of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and etches the scenes of loneliness and lament in this domain.
இருங் கழி மலர்ந்த வள் இதழ் நீலம்,
புலாஅல் மறுகின் சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கத்து
இன மீன் வேட்டுவர், ஞாழலொடு மிலையும்
மெல் அம் புலம்ப! நெகிழ்ந்தன, தோளே;
சேயிறாத் துழந்த நுரை பிதிர்ப் படு திரை
பராஅரைப் புன்னை வாங்கு சினைத் தோயும்
கானல்அம் பெருந் துறை நோக்கி, இவளே,
கொய் சுவற் புரவிக் கை வண் கோமான்
நல் தேர்க் குட்டுவன் கழுமலத்து அன்ன,
அம் மா மேனி தொல் நலம் தொலைய,
துஞ்சாக் கண்ணள் அலமரும்; நீயே,
கடவுள் மரத்த முள் மிடை குடம்பைச்
சேவலொடு புணராச் சிறு கரும் பேடை
இன்னாது உயங்கும் கங்குலும்,
நும் ஊர் உள்ளுவை; நோகோ, யானே.
In this trip to the shore, we get to see familiar sights and also take a short detour to a historic town, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives to tryst with the lady, by day:
“Those who live in the flesh-reeking streets of the seaside hamlet, those hunters of shoals of fish, adorn themselves with thick-petaled blue lotus flowers, blooming in the vast backwaters, along with the tigerclaw flowers, in your gentle shores, O lord! Her arms have thinned away! Resounding waves filled with spraying foam, muddled by red shrimps, splash against the curving branch of the broad-trunked, laurelwood tree in the orchard-filled huge shore. As she keeps looking in the direction of that shore, the old beauty of her exquisite, dark complexion, akin to the town of ‘Kazhumalam’, ruled by Kuttuvan, who wields fine chariots, a leader renowned for his generosity, having horses with swaying manes, becomes utterly ruined, and she suffers with sleepless eyes. Upon that tree, on which god resides, perched on a nest made of thorns, a small black female bird, unable to unite with its mate, laments ceaselessly in this dark midnight hour. Even at such a time, you are thinking of leaving to your town. Oh! I’m filled with anguish!”
Time to take a dip in those ancient waves! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s shore, talking about how people who live in flesh-reeking streets wear the fragrant flowers of the blue lotus and the tigerclaw on their heads. Then, from the man’s place, she moves on to talk about the lady’s thinning arms, and compares the lady’s beauty to the town of ‘Kazhumalam’, ruled by the famous Chera King Kuttuvan, in the Sangam trademark style of equating beauty with a town. The confidante has mentioned that great beauty only to say it’s now becoming ruined every time the lady keeps looking in the direction of the orchard, where the waves dash against the low-hanging branch of a laurelwood tree, perhaps the spot of the lady’s tryst with the man. The confidante talks about how the lady’s eyes turn sleepless owing to all this. She mentions how without understanding all this, the man was talking about leaving to his town at night, a time when a lonely red-naped ibis would call to its mate ceaselessly and torment the lady further. The confidante concludes by declaring that she knows not what to do!
The truth is the confidante knows perfectly well what is to be done and that’s for the man to give up his temporary trysting and seek the lady’s hand. This is her subtle way of portraying the lady’s precarious situation, while highlighting the lady’s love for the man. Hearing this, no doubt the man would change his ways and do the right thing. A verse which makes me want to ask, ‘Is the confidante just a companion, or a caretaker, mentor and lawyer all rolled into one?’. Lucky is the lady, to have such a friend!
In this episode, we listen to the rendition of a much-awaited news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 269, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents intricate details about the custom of installing hero stones.
தொடி தோள் இவர்க! எவ்வமும் தீர்க!
நெறி இருங் கதுப்பின் கோதையும் புனைக!
ஏறுடை இன நிரை பெயர, பெயராது,
செறி சுரை வெள் வேல் மழவர்த் தாங்கிய
தறுகணாளர் நல் இசை நிறுமார்,
பிடி மடிந்தன்ன குறும்பொறை மருங்கின்,
நட்ட போலும் நடாஅ நெடுங் கல்
அகல் இடம் குயின்ற பல் பெயர் மண்ணி,
நறு விரை மஞ்சள் ஈர்ம் புறம் பொலிய
அம்பு கொண்டு அறுத்த ஆர் நார் உரிவையின்
செம் பூங் கரந்தை புனைந்த கண்ணி
வரி வண்டு ஆர்ப்பச் சூட்டி, கழற் கால்
இளையர் பதிப் பெயரும் அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்,
தைஇ நின்ற தண் பெயல் கடை நாள்,
பொலங்காசு நிரைத்த கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்
நலம் கேழ் மாக் குரல் குழையொடு துயல்வர,
பாடு ஊர்பு எழுதரும் பகு வாய் மண்டிலத்து
வயிர் இடைப்பட்ட தெள் விளி இயம்ப,
வண்டற் பாவை உண்துறைத் தரீஇ,
திரு நுதல் மகளிர் குரவை அயரும்
பெரு நீர்க் கானல் தழீஇய இருக்கை,
வாணன் சிறுகுடி, வணங்கு கதிர் நெல்லின்
யாணர்த் தண் பணைப் போது வாய் அவிழ்ந்த
ஒண் செங் கழுநீர் அன்ன, நின்
கண் பனி துடைமார் வந்தனர், விரைந்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see intriguing sights and take a detour to a historic site, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Let the bangles ascend on your arms! Let the suffering cease! Let flower garlands adorn your wavy, dark tresses! After rescuing herds of cattle comprising of prize bulls, without retreating, those fearless men stood and fought against the cattle stealers, who bear thick and curving white spears. To reinstate the good fame of these warriors, near small hills, which appear akin to a seated female elephant, their young helpers wearing resounding anklets, carve on tall and natural stones, which appear as if planted there, inscribing the many names of those fearless fighters in the wide spaces, streaking fragrant paste of turmeric upon the radiant, moist stone surfaces, and adorning them with peeled bark of trees cut by arrows and garlands of woven red globe thistle flowers. Only then do they leave from those formidable drylands, where the man has left to, now.
In the month of ‘Thai’ when the last cool showers cease, wearing coins of gold around their uplifted waists, along with swaying, many-hued flowers and dark clusters of leaves, as clear notes of music that arises from the huge open mouth of the ‘vayir’ horn instrument spreads all around the land, carving dolls of mud on the shore, maiden with fine foreheads perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance in those well-watered orchards of the prosperous town of ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by Vaanan. Here, amidst the curving crops of paddy blooming in the fertile fields, blooms a shining red lotus that has opened its petals. Akin to this red lotus, are your eyes, and to wipe away the tears dropping down from them, he has come, with much haste!”
Let’s walk along with the wandering man through the drylands and explore on! The confidante starts with a jubilant shout, saying the lady’s bangles will not slip away anymore, and her dark days were at an end and that it was time to adorn those tresses with exquisite flowers. Then without saying why, she goes on to talk about the place where the man has left to, and to do that first she brings forth the setting of a cattle theft, and then zooms on to those warriors, who valiantly rode behind and defeated those cattle stealers and recovered the cattle. Though they won in that conflict, they were killed and in honour of their memory, their helpers would choose the perfect stones, which may seem like someone installed them there, but were actually natural, and would carve the names of those warriors, streak turmeric paste, adorn with globe thistle flowers and then only leave that place. The confidante has been describing all this to say the man had left the lady to go to such a drylands region. Then, she goes into another lengthy description of a town called ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by Vaanan, where maiden would come together and carve mud dolls in the month of ‘Thai’, which corresponds to mid-January, a time when the rains are said to cease, and those women would perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance as part of the festivities. Why has the confidante mentioned all this? Only to take us to the lush paddy fields in this prosperous town and point to a red lotus blooming there. She then compares the lady’s eyes to that particular flower and concludes by saying the man was coming there with much speed, to wipe away the dew from the lady’s lotus-like eyes!
To put it in a nutshell, the confidante’s message is ‘The man is on the way home and all your pain is about to be gone’! Wrapping this gift to the lady with those scenes of hero stone worship and celebrations in Sirukudi, the confidante also offers us the gift of travelling to a long-gone time, meeting the people who lived then and witnessing their ways of life!
In this episode, we listen to a subtle attempt at persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 268, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a portrait of the delicate state of affairs.
அறியாய் வாழி, தோழி! பொறி வரிப்
பூ நுதல் யானையொடு புலி பொரக் குழைந்த
குருதிச் செங் களம் புலவு அற, வேங்கை
உரு கெழு நாற்றம் குளவியொடு விலங்கும்
மா மலை நாடனொடு மறு இன்று ஆகிய
காமம் கலந்த காதல் உண்டுஎனின்,
நன்றுமன்; அது நீ நாடாய், கூறுதி;
நாணும் நட்பும் இல்லோர்த் தேரின்,
யான் அலது இல்லை இவ் உலகத்தானே
இன் உயிர் அன்ன நின்னொடும் சூழாது,
முளை அணி மூங்கிலின் கிளையொடு பொலிந்த
பெரும் பெயர் எந்தை அருங் கடி நீவி,
செய்து பின் இரங்கா வினையொடு
மெய் அல் பெரும் பழி எய்தினென் யானே!
In this trip to the hills, there’s more of abstract feelings, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, in an attempt to further the man’s relationship with the lady:
“You should ponder on what I say, my friend, may you live long! As a tiger attacked an elephant, having a flower-like head, filled with lines and spots, the blood that spilled paints the mushy field red. To wipe away the stench of that flesh, the fragrance of the formidable Kino flowers, along with wild jasmines, wafts in the huge mountains of the lord. If there is a faultless love, fused with passion for him, that would be good. But if you don’t seek that, pray tell me. If one were to search for the person who doesn’t have any shame or the virtue of friendship, there can be no better candidate than me, in this world. Without consulting with you, who is akin to my own sweet life, and also not caring about the strict guard of our famous father, who dwells with kith and kin, abundant like the sprouts of a bamboo, I have done something which I do not regret, and I seem to have attained an unjustified blame for that!”
Let’s understand the nuances here! The confidante starts with a request to her friend to reflect on what she was about to say. Then she describes the man’s mountain country as a place where the fragrance of the Kino and wild jasmine flowers removes the stench of the blood that has spilled in the attack of a tiger and elephant and mushed up the red earth beneath. Then she asks her friend if the lady feels a deep love for the man. And when the confidante sees no response from the lady, the confidante declares that she must be the only person on earth not having any sense of shame or the true feeling of friendship. She concludes by explaining that she has done a deed, without checking with the lady and not minding the strict guard of the lady’s father, but one for which she feels no regret and one she doesn’t mind the blame endowed on her without cause.
To understand this complicated expression, we have to reflect on certain cultural practices. Apparently, in this era, it was the custom of the man to seek out the lady’s confidante to further his relationship with the lady, by means of arranging trysts. Some sense of modesty perhaps prevented him from approaching the lady directly. So, the confidante, understanding the lady’s interest in the man, is presenting the man’s case before the lady. She then tries to convince the lady by pretending to take responsibility for all the blame and censure in her delicate situation. In the scene of the mountain flowers removing the stench of flesh, the confidante places a metaphor for the man’s future action of marrying the lady and wiping away the slander of their secret love relationship. A verse that illustrates the influence a friend can exert in one’s life, something that is true not just two thousand years ago, in this particular culture, but even today, and mostly everywhere!
In this episode, we perceive an expression of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 267, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the scenes in the sweltering drylands with a stack of similes.
நெஞ்சு நெகிழ்தகுந கூறி, அன்பு கலந்து,
அறாஅ வஞ்சினம் செய்தோர், வினை புரிந்து,
திறம் வேறு ஆகல் எற்று?’ என்று ஒற்றி,
இனைதல் ஆன்றிசின், நீயே; சினை பாய்ந்து,
உதிர்த்த கோடை, உட்கு வரு கடத்திடை,
வெருக்கு அடி அன்ன குவி முகிழ் இருப்பை,
மருப்புக் கடைந்தன்ன, கொள்ளை வான் பூ
மயிர்க் கால் எண்கின் ஈர் இனம் கவர,
மை பட்டன்ன மா முக முசுவினம்
பைது அறு நெடுங் கழை பாய்தலின், ஒய்யென
வெதிர் படு வெண்ணெல் வெவ் அறைத் தாஅய்,
உகிர் நெரி ஓசையின் பொங்குவன பொரியும்
ஓங்கல் வெற்பின் சுரம் பல இறந்தோர்
தாம் பழி உடையர்அல்லர்; நாளும்
நயந்தோர்ப் பிணித்தல் தேற்றா, வயங்கு வினை
வாள் ஏர் எல் வளை நெகிழ்த்த,
தோளே தோழி! தவறு உடையவ்வே!
We get to see plenty of flora and fauna in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away from her, having left in search of wealth:
“Saying, ‘How come the one who said the right words to make the heart melt, filled with love, and took an oath to never part away, has now turned a different person and left in search of wealth?’, do not analyse and suffer ceaselessly, my friend!
Upon those fear-evoking paths, pouncing on the branches, hot summer winds shed clusters of Mahua flowers, which appear akin to the paws of a wild cat, in a bright white hue, akin to powdered tusks, and these are eaten by a sleuth of furry-legged sloth bears. Since monkeys with dark faces as if painted with kohl, leap about, from tall bamboos, bereft of green, suddenly bamboo seeds drop down and spread on the hot rocks beneath, and with the noise of snapping nails, these seeds pop and fry in those highland drylands, through which the man traverses.
He is not the one to be blamed; Those arms of mine, which day after day, without knowing how to bind the one it loves, lets the well-etched, sword-cut, shining bangles slip away, is the one at fault, my friend!”
Time to take a hot walk on those arid paths! The lady starts by requesting her confidante not to look at her state and worry endlessly, thinking about all the promises the man made when courting the lady and how he has changed now on account of seeking wealth. Then she describes the drylands path where the man walks and to do that, she brings before our eyes, fallen Mahua flowers, nudged from the branches by the hand of the summer winds, comparing the shape of these flowers to the paws of a wild cat and their hue to powdered ivory. Then she points out how furry-legged bears feed on these flowers that have fallen down. Next, she turns her attention to drying bamboos and points out to a leaping monkey, whose face seems to be blackened with kohl, possibly a langur, and in its brisk motion, the bamboo seeds scatter and fall on the rocks below, and the moment they do, they pop and fry, so hot the weather is, the lady connects. Instant bamboo pop-corn, seems like! It’s such a path that the man walks, the lady describes. She concludes by asking her friend not to blame the man for her state, saying the real culprit is her arms which seem not to know how to bind the man to her and all they can do is to let those exquisite bangles slip away, losing their health!
Can we see this as a subtle way of taking responsibility for one’s state? Ultimately, there’s no use blaming another for how we feel, no matter how justified it may seem. Seeing this timeless truth, whether the lady rises above her pain and faces the future with confidence or not, we surely can, in the various sweltering paths of our lives!
In this episode, we listen to a pointed expression of discontent, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 266, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst gushing new streams of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relays a jilted woman’s feelings.
“கோடுற நிவந்த நீடு இரும் பரப்பின்
அந்திப் பராஅய புதுப் புனல், நெருநை,
மைந்து மலி களிற்றின் தலைப் புணை தழீஇ,
நரந்தம் நாறும் குவை இருங் கூந்தல்
இளந் துணை மகளிரொடு ஈர் அணிக் கலைஇ,
நீர் பெயர்ந்து ஆடிய ஏந்து எழில் மழைக் கண்
நோக்குதொறும் நோக்குதொறும் தவிர்விலையாகி,
காமம் கைம்மிகச் சிறத்தலின், நாண் இழந்து,
ஆடினை என்ப மகிழ்ந! அதுவே
யாழ் இசை மறுகின் நீடூர் கிழவோன்
வாய் வாள் எவ்வி ஏவல் மேவார்
நெடு மிடல் சாய்த்த பசும் பூண் பொருந்தலர்
அரிமணவாயில் உறத்தூர் ஆங்கண்,
கள்ளுடைப் பெருஞ் சோற்று எல் இமிழ் அன்ன,
கவ்வை ஆகின்றால் பெரிதே; இனி அஃது
அவலம் அன்றுமன், எமக்கே; அயல
கழனி உழவர் கலி சிறந்து எடுத்த
கறங்கு இசை வெரீஇப் பறந்த தோகை
அணங்குடை வரைப்பகம் பொலிய வந்து இறுக்கும்
திரு மணி விளக்கின் அலைவாய்ச்
செரு மிகு சேஎயொடு உற்ற சூளே!”
In this colourful trip to the farmlands, as usual, we see sparks fly between a couple, as we listen to the lady say these words to the man, when he returns home, after being in the company of courtesans:
“Leaping high up to the banks, amidst the dark and vast spread of those exquisite gushing new floods, akin to a strong and skilful male elephant, holding on to the head of the raft, yesterday, along with those young companions of yours, having thick clusters of tresses, wafting with the scent of bitter orange, adorning yourself with a wet attire and accessories, you played on and on, in those waters, and every time you looked at those exquisite, rain-like eyes of theirs, roving around, with desire brimming over, and passion exceeding its bounds, losing your sense of shame, you frolicked, they say, O lord of the town!
The slander that arose because of this has become louder than the uproar at the festivities in the town of ‘Arimanavayil Urathoor’, when copious toddy and ceaseless food were offered in the middle of the day, at a time when the lord of the ancient town, where the music of the lute spreads in the streets, Evvi, who wields an honest sword, ruined and routed the power of those clad in golden ornaments, those who had refused to accept his command! But even the uproar of that slander is not something that brings distress to me. Fearing the resounding beats made by farmers in the field nearby, a peacock, fluttering its wings, takes off to those fear-evoking mountain ranges, and lands in a place called ‘Alaivaai’, lit by exquisite lamps, the abode of the battle-worthy Dark-skinned One. It’s the memory of the oath that you had taken before this God, which happens to brings that sense of suffering in me!”
Let’s listen in to this quarrel and learn more! The lady starts by coming straight to the point and talking about how the news of the man’s activities the previous day had reached her ears already. Apparently, the man had adorned himself with ancient wet-wear and jumped into the gushing new river streams along with maiden he desired, and was romping around, without any sense of shame. The lady goes on to talk about how the uproar of slander in town owing to his activities was louder than the festivities at a place, filled with toddy and much food, called ‘Arimanavayil Urathoor’, after Lord Evvi quelled those wealthy others, who refused to heed to his command. That’s a pretty common comment, made in these situations but the lady follows that up by saying to the man, ‘Even that uproar is not causing me any concern. The only thing that worries me is when I remember the oath you took in front of God Murugan, at ‘Alaivaai’, frequented by peacocks that have arrived thither, after being frightened by the drums of farmers’.
What this implies is that during the time of their courtship, the man had taken an oath of being true and loyal to the lady in front of God Murugan, which is now washed away in the flood of that river he played in. The lady means to say to the man, ‘All this slander is nothing but I fear some harm may befall you for you did not keep the promise you made in front of God’. Through that reference of the peacock flying away to God’s mountain, after being frightened by the farmer’s drums, the lady places a metaphor for how the man has come to their home, only because he feared the slander that arose in town and not any true feeling of love within. This will hopefully make the man reflect on his past promises, present aberrations and change his future path. Through multiple modes, the lady expresses her dissatisfaction with the man’s behaviour and illustrates an instance of effective communication in interpersonal conflict!
In this episode, we perceive a disgruntled comparison, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 265, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse introduces an intriguing historic detail.
புகையின் பொங்கி, வியல் விசும்பு உகந்து,
பனி ஊர் அழற் கொடி கடுப்பத் தோன்றும்
இமயச் செவ் வரை மானும்கொல்லோ?
பல் புகழ் நிறைந்த வெல் போர் நந்தர்
சீர் மிகு பாடலிக் குழீஇ, கங்கை
நீர்முதல் கரந்த நிதியம்கொல்லோ?
எவன்கொல்? வாழி, தோழி! வயங்கு ஒளி
நிழற்பால் அறலின் நெறித்த கூந்தல்,
குழற் குரல் பாவை இரங்க, நத்துறந்து,
ஒண் தொடி நெகிழச் சாஅய், செல்லலொடு
கண் பனி கலுழ்ந்து யாம் ஒழிய, பொறை அடைந்து,
இன் சிலை எழில் ஏறு கெண்டி, புரைய
நிணம் பொதி விழுத் தடி நெருப்பின் வைத்து எடுத்து,
அணங்கு அரு மரபின் பேஎய் போல
விளர் ஊன் தின்ற வேட்கை நீங்க,
துகள் அற விளைந்த தோப்பி பருகி,
குலாஅ வல் வில் கொடு நோக்கு ஆடவர்
புலாஅல் கையர், பூசா வாயர்,
ஒராஅ உருள் துடி குடுமிக் குராலொடு
மராஅஞ் சீறூர் மருங்கில் தூங்கும்
செந் நுதல் யானை வேங்கடம் தழீஇ,
வெம் முனை அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்
நம்மினும் வலிதாத் தூக்கிய பொருளே!
In this trip to the drylands, we receive some vivid word portraits, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Brimming over like smoke, soaring in the wide sky, flowing with snow, akin to a burst of flame, appears the crimson Himalayan mountains. Would it be equal to that? Or, take the riches that the battle-worthy Nandars, having much fame, had gathered in the renowned city of Patali and then drowned in the waters of the Ganges, lost in time. Would it be equal to that? May you live long, my friend! Forsaking me, the one having wavy tresses, akin to fine slit in the shade, a voice like the flute, the one akin to a doll, he has parted away, letting my shining bangles slip away, making my eyes shed tears, filled with much sorrow, to the mountains in the scorching, formidable drylands, where after killing a fine, sturdy bull, roasting its fatty, fleshy meat in the fire, akin to demons from a fear-evoking tradition, they eat the dry meat and to quench the thirst that arises, those men with curving, sturdy bows and harsh eyes, drink crystal clear, well-aged rice liquor named ‘Thoppi’. Then, with meat-covered hands, and unclean mouths, to the tune of a tufted eagle-owl’s ceaseless hooting, in the streets of the hamlet with burflower trees, they sway around and dance, close to the hills of Venkatam, where elephants with red foreheads, are to be found! What is the true worth of that wealth he seeks in these spaces, with more intent, upheld higher than me, pray tell?”
Let’s brave the scary drylands and learn more! The lady starts by describing the Himalayas with a stack of similes, such as smoke and flames, and presents its soaring personality, and she asks if the wealth the man seeks is greater than these mountain ranges? From the physical wealth of a natural feature, the lady turns to man-made wealth of a certain clan of kings named ‘Nandas’, who are said to have ruled over a city named ‘Pataliputra’. Apparently, they then sank this accumulated wealth in the waters of the Ganges and it was lost for all time. Wonder what made those Nandas destroy their hard-earned wealth? In any case, the lady asks whether the wealth the man seeks is greater than this wealth of the famous Nandas.
Then, she talks of herself, calling her a doll, having a voice like that of a flute, tresses akin to the river silt in the shade. Modest lady, indeed! She turns to describe how the man has left her, ruining her health and beauty, making her filled with sorrow and suffering. And where has he left? Predictably, to the drylands, the lady adds and to sketch this space, she paints an image of highway robbers with harsh eyes and bent bows, feeding on the roasted flesh of a bull they killed, drinking rice liquor known as ‘Thoppi’, and then, without even washing their hands or mouth, dancing to the hoots of a tufted Rock Eagle-owl, in a drylands hamlet, filled with burflower trees, close to the Venkatam hills in the north. The lady concludes by pondering on the great worth of that wealth that the man has forsaken her for! In essence, the lady talks about how she cannot understand the man’s quest for wealth instead of relishing the joy of togetherness with her. A striking instance of how priorities seem to clash between the genders even two thousand years ago!
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 264, penned by Umbarkkaattu Ilankannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming white flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the suffering in being apart from a beloved.
மழை இல் வானம் மீன் அணிந்தன்ன,
குழை அமல் முசுண்டை வாலிய மலர,
வரி வெண் கோடல் வாங்கு குலை வான் பூப்
பெரிய சூடிய கவர் கோல் கோவலர்,
எல்லுப் பெயல் உழந்த பல் ஆன் நிரையொடு,
நீர் திகழ் கண்ணியர், ஊர்வயின் பெயர்தர,
நனி சேண்பட்ட மாரி தளி சிறந்து,
ஏர்தரு கடு நீர் தெருவுதொறு ஒழுக,
பேர் இசை முழக்கமொடு சிறந்து நனி மயங்கி,
கூதிர் நின்றன்றால், பொழுதே! காதலர்
நம் நிலை அறியார் ஆயினும், தம் நிலை
அறிந்தனர்கொல்லோ தாமே ஓங்கு நடைக்
காய் சின யானை கங்குல் சூழ,
அஞ்சுவர இறுத்த தானை
வெஞ் சின வேந்தன் பாசறையோரே?
In this trip to the forest, we encounter a rainy and cold climate, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, in response to the confidante’s request to the lady to bear with the man’s parting:
“Akin to stars that fill a cloud-less sky, thick-leaved, white flowers of the midnapore creeper have blossomed. Wearing huge, bent flower clusters of the striped, white glory lilies, cowherds with forked sticks, along with their herd of many cows that had suffered in the day’s rain, with water dripping from their garlands, move towards the town. Rain clouds that have traversed a great distance pour down their shower, and so, exquisite floods of gushing water flows through the streets. With a huge, musical roar, a little confused, the day appears in this time of the cold season. At this time, if my lover does not understand my state, at least does he understand his own, as he resides there, in the battle camp of the furious king, surrounded by raging elephants and a fear-evoking army in the middle of the night?”
Time to soak in the rain of melancholy! The lady starts with a striking comparison between the midnapore flowers and the stars on a crystal-clear sky, bereft of clouds. You need to look at a picture of these flowers to relish the aptness of this simile. Returning, the lady points to the denizens of this space, cowherds who can be seen wearing white glory lilies on their heads, and wielding sturdy rods, so as to direct their huge herd of cattle back home, after a day of grazing in the rain. Far away, the rains are pouring with relish and the streets are overflowing with water, as the skies beat their drums, and in short, it’s the cold season, which arrives after the rainy season, the promised season of return, the lady details. She turns her attention to the man, who is presently at the battle-camp of the king, intent on war, surrounded by soldiers and elephants in the midnight hour, and concludes by wondering whether the man, who does not seem to care for her state, would at least care about his own!
The lady possibly means to ask if the man is aware of the consequences of her suffering and even losing her life in this long separation. Yet again, we perceive a simple time in life, when parting seems to be the greatest challenge in a relationship! In a way, sad to see this portrayal of a woman having nothing to do but to be focused on where her man was and what he is doing. Glad the modern times have endowed more agency for women to make something of their lives, no matter where their partners may be!
In this episode, we listen to words of angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 263, penned by Karuvoor Kannampaalanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals a mother’s emotion in the midst of discomforting news.
தயங்கு திரைப் பெருங் கடல், உலகு தொழத் தோன்றி,
வயங்கு கதிர் விரிந்த, உரு கெழு மண்டிலம்
கயம் கண் வறப்பப் பாஅய், நல் நிலம்
பயம் கெடத் திருகிய பைது அறு காலை,
வேறு பல் கவலைய வெருவரு வியன் காட்டு,
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் வரு திறம் காண்மார்,
வில் வல் ஆடவர் மேல் ஆள் ஒற்றி,
நீடு நிலை யாஅத்துக் கோடு கொள் அருஞ் சுரம்
கொண்டனன் கழிந்த வன்கண் காளைக்கு,
அவள் துணிவு அறிந்தனென்ஆயின், அன்னோ!
ஒளிறு வேல் கோதை ஓம்பிக் காக்கும்
வஞ்சி அன்ன என் வள நகர் விளங்க,
இனிதினின் புணர்க்குவென் மன்னோ துனி இன்று
திரு நுதல் பொலிந்த என் பேதை
வரு முலை முற்றத்து ஏமுறு துயிலே!
We tread through this terrain, seeing familiar sights, as we listen to the mother say these words when she hears of her daughter’s elopement with the man:
“Rising in the swaying waves of the huge ocean, as the world entire worships, spreading its radiant rays, the glowing orb then pounces on the fine land, dries up the ponds and routs the land’s prosperity, in this suffering-filled time of summer. At this time, in the formidable, wide jungle, filled with many forked paths, so as to spot the arriving wayfarers, men with strong and sturdy bows, hide above in the branches of the towering Yaa trees in the drylands. Alas! If only I had known she would dare to part away with that harsh-eyed, bull-like man, I would have let them become united happily in my prosperous mansion, which is akin to Vanji, guarded by shining-speared Kothai, so that without any pain, he could attain sweet sleep on the blossoming bosoms of my naive girl, with a fine forehead”
Time to brave the scorching sun and tread on this domain! Mother starts by talking about the sun, the way it rises from the ocean such that all the land worships it. Let’s pause for a moment and let this comment sink in. It’s a well-known fact that many ancient cultures worshipped the sun, first and foremost. For instance, take the Egyptians and the Incans. Both built temples and structures many to this celestial entity! Here we find an intuitive understanding of this truth in ancient Tamil culture. They may not have met the Egyptians, they surely did not meet the Incans, but still the sun is an entity the world will revere across the ages and spaces is a fact sensed here.
Moving on, Mother has mentioned the sun only to talk about how it scorches during the peak of summer just then and dries up all the ponds and the fertile fields. At this time, in the drylands, those highway robbers would lie in wait to pounce on innocent wayfarers, hiding in tall Yaa trees, she describes, and connects that’s where the lady has now left with the man. Then she concludes by lamenting if only she had understood the extent of the lady’s love for the man and her daring to leave with him to the drylands, she would have saved them all the trouble and would have married them, right there in her prosperous mansion, which she compares to the city of Vanji, guarded by Kothai, and says she would have let the man enjoy sweet sleep on her lady’s bosom!
It seems to be a case of ‘If only’! I wonder why the confidante and the lady did not read mother’s emotions right and rushed into the elopement plan. However, it’s true we can never say how people will react until they actually do! Perhaps, understanding this change of heart, the man and lady will return home to the mother’s care, as we saw just a few verses ago. While that may be, this is indeed a well-etched expression of regret!
In this episode, we perceive the ecstasy of a person in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 262, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the splashing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a historic incident in vivid detail.
முதை படு பசுங் காட்டு அரில் பவர் மயக்கி,
பகடு பல பூண்ட உழவுறு செஞ் செய்,
இடு முறை நிரம்பி, ஆகு வினைக் கலித்து,
பாசிலை அமன்ற பயறு ஆ புக்கென,
வாய் மொழித் தந்தையைக் கண் களைந்து, அருளாது,
ஊர் முது கோசர் நவைத்த சிறுமையின்,
கலத்தும் உண்ணாள், வாலிதும் உடாஅள்,
சினத்தின் கொண்ட படிவம் மாறாள்,
மறம் கெழு தானைக் கொற்றக் குறும்பியன்,
செரு இயல் நல் மான் திதியற்கு உரைத்து, அவர்
இன் உயிர் செகுப்பக் கண்டு சினம் மாறிய
அன்னிமிஞிலி போல, மெய்ம் மலிந்து,
ஆனா உவகையேம் ஆயினெம் பூ மலிந்து
அருவி ஆர்க்கும் அயம் திகழ் சிலம்பின்
நுண் பல துவலை புதல்மிசை நனைக்கும்
வண்டு படு நறவின் வண் மகிழ்ப் பேகன்
கொண்டல் மா மலை நாறி,
அம் தீம் கிளவி வந்தமாறே.
In this trip to the hills, we get to see plenty of dynamic sights and also take a historic detour, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, after his successful tryst with the lady:
“From the deep and dense jungle, chopping away the intertwined vines, with many yoked bulls, they turned it into cultivable land, scattering the right amount of manure and made it bloom because of their efforts. Into this field, where crops had sprouted with fresh green leaves, a cow had entered and grazed. As a punishment, the owner of that cow, her truthful father was blinded without grace by those ancient leaders known as ‘Kosars’. Distraught seeing their pettiness, without eating any food, and not adorning herself with clean, white clothes, with rage, she took on a vow and did ceaseless penance. News of her state reached the victorious chief of the hill hamlets, the battle-worthy Thithiyan, who wields fine horses. Only when this chief ended the lives of those Kosars, her fury abated. Akin to that proud daughter Anni Mignili, I too, felt my body brim over with unceasing joy, at that moment when my maiden with sweet words, fragrant akin to the cloud-covered dark hills, brimming over with flowers, resounding with cascades, whose many fine sprinkling droplets moisten bushes all around, a land ruled by the generous Bekan, renowned for his bee-buzzing toddy, came near me!”
Let’s tread on those rugged paths and learn more! The man starts by describing the agricultural process of taming a jungle undergrowth and making it a cultivable land, employing oxen, manure and all the hard work it entails. He says this is due to the effort of some leaders from an ancient clan, the Kosars. Now, the Kosars seemed to have had a strong sense of possession over those fields, the man continues, for one day, just because a cow entered those fields with lush green leaves and grazed on it, these Kosars went and punished the owner, by blinding his eyes. Another verse, Aganaanooru 256, where we recently learnt about this ancient punishment of blinding using slaked lime comes to mind.
Returning, the man turns to talk about what happened to the daughter of this man, who was punished for letting his cows loose. That maiden seems to be become enraged at the pettiness of the Kosars’ sense of justice and she gave up eating and wearing proper clothes and took on a frenzied penance. Hearing of her plight, a chieftain of the hills by the name of Thithiyan seems to have waged war against the Kosars and killed them. When she learned of it, that girl, Anni Mignili started shivering with emotion, and felt ecstatic joy, the man describes. Note that feeling, that exact feeling, the man says, and concludes by saying that’s what he felt when his beloved lady, who had the fragrance of the generous patron Bekan’s picturesque cloud-covered hills, came to him!
In essence, we are hearing the words of a man in love, reliving the joy of meeting his beloved and seeing his love reciprocated! One is a woman, who is fulfilled by revenge, and the other is a man, who is fulfilled by love. The highlight is in how this ancient poet find the threads that link such different individuals, beyond age, gender, situation and time, united just by an expression of emotion at a particular moment!
In this episode, we listen to a narration of events that unfolded, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 261, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse subtly sketches a moment of love.
கானப் பாதிரிக் கருந் தகட்டு ஒள் வீ
வேனில் அதிரலொடு விரைஇ, காண்வர,
சில் ஐங் கூந்தல் அழுத்தி, மெல் இணர்த்
தேம் பாய் மராஅம் அடைச்சி, வான் கோல்
இலங்கு வளை தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி, சிலம்பு நகச்
சில் மெல் ஒதுக்கமொடு மென்மெல இயலி, ‘நின்
அணி மாண் சிறுபுறம் காண்கம்; சிறு நனி
ஏகு’ என, ஏகல் நாணி, ஒய்யென
மா கொள் நோக்கமொடு மடம் கொளச் சாஅய்,
நின்று தலை இறைஞ்சியோளே; அது கண்டு,
யாம் முந்துறுதல் செல்லேம், ஆயிடை
அருஞ் சுரத்து அல்கியேமே இரும் புலி
களிறு அட்டுக் குழுமும் ஓசையும், களி பட்டு
வில்லோர் குறும்பில் ததும்பும்,
வல் வாய்க் கடுந் துடிப் பாணியும் கேட்டே.
In this familiar walk through the drylands, we encounter an interesting scene, as we listen to the man say these words to the confidante, about his travels with the lady through the drylands, on returning to the lady’s village, after their marriage:
“When I heard the roar of the huge tiger, after it attacked a male elephant and killed it, and the sharp beats of the strong-mouthed drums resounding from the hill hamlets, echoing the revelries of the bowmen, I said to her, ‘Tying together the shining trumpet flowers with dark petals, blooming in the scrub jungle, along with summer wild jasmines, in a picturesque manner, wear on your exquisite tresses, and adding on the gentle clusters of the bee-buzzing burflowers, swaying your hands and making those white, rounded, shining bangles to tinkle, and with those anklets resounding, taking small, soft steps, gently walk so that I can get to see the small of your back, so pleasing to my eyes. Please do walk on, a little ahead’. Feeling shy to walk ahead, quickly, with a look of a delicate deer, filled with naivety, she bent her head down. Seeing that, without proceeding further, right there, in that drylands, we stayed back then!”
Time to sneak in closer to hear those romantic words! The context is as sweet as the content in this one. A while ago, the lady and the man had eloped away, owing to the lady’s kith and kin refusing to accept their relationship. After traversing the harsh drylands, the man and lady had married in the man’s village. Later, the lady’s parents were appeased and invited the couple back home. At this time, the confidante, who had been of great help for the man’s relationship with the lady, in the style of a modern friend, must have asked the man, ‘Begin from the beginning and tell me everything, leaving nothing at all’! The man obliged her with these words, and started sharing about a moment, when he was in the middle of the drylands with the lady, when he heard two sharp sounds – One, of a tiger’s proud roar after killing an elephant, and the other, the sharp drum beats of mountain folk, who were at their evening revelries, drinking and dancing. He suddenly realises that the lady walking slowly behind would feel startled if she caught those sounds, and so he asks her to adorn her hair with trumpet flowers, wild jasmines and burflowers and step ahead, swaying her hands, tinkling her bangles and anklets, so that he could admire her beautiful back. Hearing this, the maiden was overcome with shyness, and she stopped there, looking like a deer, bending her head and standing, not knowing what to do. The man concludes by telling the confidante that was the end of their travel that day and they had to stop right there, and rest in the middle of the drylands.
I can hear the peals of laughter that would have risen from the confidante, as the man narrated this story. Curiously, these words of the man from this ancient piece of Tamil literature, asking the lady to step ahead so that he could admire her, reminded me of a scene in the English novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and the words of that famous fictional character, Lord Darcy, who says to Caroline Bingley, when she asks him to join Elizabeth Bennet and herself, who were walking ahead: “Either you are in each other’s confidence and have secret affairs to discuss, or you are conscious that your figures appear to be at the greatest advantage by walking. If the first, I should get in your way. If the second, I can admire you, much better from here”. Absolutely different cultures, different characters but the same thread of human experience!
Beyond these amusing words of admiration about a lady’s walk, at the core of this verse is the man’s sense of the world around, his attention to the lady’s anxiety, and his quick thinking to distract her with compliments, echoing aloud the thoughtfulness and kindness in his personality, the right ingredients for a long-lasting, loving relationship!
In this episode, we listen to a troubled conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 260, penned by Mosi Karaiyanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming backwaters of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and paints a vivid portrait of a shore at sunset.
மண்டிலம் மழுக, மலை நிறம் கிளர,
வண்டினம் மலர் பாய்ந்து ஊத, மீமிசைக்
கண்டற் கானல் குருகினம் ஒலிப்ப,
திரை பாடு அவிய, திமில் தொழில் மறப்ப,
கரை ஆடு அலவன் அளைவயின் செறிய,
செக்கர் தோன்ற, துணை புணர் அன்றில்
எக்கர்ப் பெண்ணை அக மடல் சேர,
கழி மலர் கமழ் முகம் கரப்ப, பொழில் மனைப்
புன்னை நறு வீ பொன் நிறம் கொளாஅ,
எல்லை பைப்பயக் கழிப்பி, எல் உற,
யாங்கு ஆகுவல்கொல் தானே? நீங்காது,
முது மரத்து உறையும் முரவு வாய் முது புள்
கதுமெனக் குழறும், கழுது வழங்கு அரை நாள்,
நெஞ்சு நெகிழ் பருவரல் செய்த
அன்பிலாளன் அறிவு நயந்தேனே.
It’s a scenic trip to the seas, as we listen to the words of the confidante followed by the response of the lady, as the man listens nearby, at a time when the lady had been waiting for long for the man to arrive for their nightly tryst:
“‘The sun’s radiance reduces and the mountains get lit by the hues of dusk; Bees pounce on flowers, buzzing around; Atop the Pandanus trees in the backwaters, birds call out aloud; The roar of the waves diminishes and boats lie about, forgetting their work; Crabs playing on the shore rush to rest in their burrows; As dusky skies loom ahead, the red-naped ibis, wishing to mate, flies atop to the tall branches of the palm tree on the sands; Flowers blooming in the backwaters close their buds; The fragrant flowers of the laurelwood blooming in the decorated mansion, take on a golden hue, and the day gently recedes, little by little, ushering in the night. At this time what will become of her?’
‘Unceasingly, as the old bird with a wide open mouth, residing in the ancient tree, cries out, in an alarming tone, as ghosts roam about in this midnight hour, I seem to only desire the presence of that loveless one, who has inflicted this heartrending affliction on me!'”
Let’s take a stroll on the shore and tune in to the voices of these girls amidst the roar of the waves! This is an unusual verse in the Aganaanooru series for apparently it’s the only one in which both the confidante and the lady speak, for it’s usually said only in the voice of one or the other. Such a conversational style we have seen previously only in the Kalithogai verses.
Time to move on from style to content! The confidante starts by describing all the changes in the world around them, bringing to fore, the setting sun, radiant mountains in the west, buzzing bees, cawing birds, roaring waves, and boats, resting without a thought about work. The favourite bird of the shore, the red-naped ibis, makes its appearance atop palm trees, with a desire to unite with its mate; Then, flowers closing their buds, and laurel wood trees dropping golden pollen are all sketched, illustrating how the day is fading away and the night is stepping in. After this long description leading to the night’s arrival, the confidante wonders what will happen to the lady.
Why is the confidante worried? The answer lies in the lady’s answer to her, talking about how a bird with a split open mouth, sitting on ancient tree, post probably an owl, hoots aloud and how ghosts roam about. In this distressing, dark hour, all she yearns for is the arrival of the one, lacking love for her, the one who has won over her heart, the lady concludes. In essence, it’s a bit of theatrics by the confidante and the lady to impress upon the man that these meetings and partings are taking a toll on the lady’s heart and to nudge him in the right path of seeking the lady’s hand! While the core is an oft-repeated theme, the twilight song does delight by splashing its hues and painting a picturesque portrait on our hearts!
In this episode, we listen to words of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 259, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the role of a confidante in directing the love life of the lady.
வேலும் விளங்கின; இளையரும் இயன்றனர்;
தாரும் தையின; தழையும் தொடுத்தன;
நிலம் நீர் அற்ற வெம்மை நீங்கப்
பெயல் நீர் தலைஇ, உலவை இலை நீத்துக்
குறு முறி ஈன்றன, மரனே; நறு மலர்
வேய்ந்தன போலத் தோன்றி, பல உடன்
தேம் படப் பொதுளின பொழிலே; கானமும்,
நனி நன்று ஆகிய பனி நீங்கு வழி நாள்,
பால் எனப் பரத்தரும் நிலவின் மாலைப்
போது வந்தன்று, தூதே; நீயும்
கலங்கா மனத்தை ஆகி, என் சொல்
நயந்தனை கொண்மோ நெஞ்சு அமர் தகுவி!
தெற்றி உலறினும், வயலை வாடினும்,
நொச்சி மென் சினை வணர் குரல் சாயினும்,
நின்னினும் மடவள் நனி நின் நயந்த
அன்னை அல்லல் தாங்கி, நின் ஐயர்
புலி மருள் செம்மல் நோக்கி,
வலியாய் இன்னும்; தோய்கம், நின் முலையே!
In this trip to the drylands, it’s all about the changes around, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady is confined to the house and prevented from trysting with the man:
“Spears are glowing; Helpers are making preparations to part; Garlands are being tied; Leaf adornments are being stringed; For the land to be rid of its arid heat, bereft of water, rains have poured down, and shedding the dried-up leaves, trees have yielded tender sprouts; Many fragrant flowers have appeared, akin to decorations, brimming over with honey in the groves; The forest has turned exquisite as cold days have receded. In this evening hour, when the moon spreads on the sky like milk, came a message; Letting go of your confusions, you must heed my words with love, O maiden who resides in my heart! Even if the flower bushes on the raised front yard withers, even if the vayalai vines dry up, even if the bent sprouts on the gentle branches of the chaste tree fade, the one who is even more innocent than you, your mother will bear with that sorrow. As for your brothers with their tiger-like proud stance, they will handle it all. So, find the courage and leave. Let me embrace your bosom before you part!”
Let’s listen to these passionate words from a friend! The confidante starts by talking about how the man is making preparations to leave, with spears shining, workers buzzing about, tying garlands and other leaf adornments. Is this going to be a song about the man’s parting away? Let’s find out! The confidante then mentions about how the harshness of summer was routed by the rains, and then tender sprouts and fragrant flowers have bloomed. Then came the cold season and that too parted away. She goes on to mention about how a messenger had come in the evening hour, and she bids her friend to not reel in confusion but listen and do as she says. Then she offers strength to the lady asking her not to worry about her innocent mother, for mother will somehow bear with the loss, even if the shrubs and vines on the front yard becomes parched with the lady’s parting. The confidante also promises that the lady’s brothers would manage the loss for they are known to have a proud stance. She concludes by asking her friend to embolden herself and leave with the man, after embracing her one last time!
As we can clearly see this is a song on elopement, with the man realising that his love relationship with the lady cannot go on, owing to the hostility of the lady’s kin, and the realisation that the only path forward was eloping with the lady. To this end, he approaches the confidante and the good friend agrees to his plan and persuades the lady to take the next bold step in her life. A verse that seems to echo the timeless truth that the words of a friend have great power in changing a person’s life!
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 258, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and dangerous paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches the failure of a mission and its emotional consequences.
நன்னன் உதியன் அருங் கடிப் பாழி,
தொல் முதிர் வேளிர் ஓம்பினர் வைத்த
பொன்னினும் அருமை நன்கு அறிந்தும், அன்னோட்
துன்னலம்மாதோ எனினும், அஃது ஒல்லாய்
தண் மழை தவழும் தாழ் நீர் நனந்தலைக்
கடுங் காற்று எடுக்கும் நெடும் பெருங் குன்றத்து
மாய இருள் அளை மாய் கல் போல,
மாய்கதில் வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! நாளும்,
மெல் இயற் குறுமகள் நல் அகம் நசைஇ,
அரவு இரை தேரும் அஞ்சுவரு சிறு நெறி,
இரவின் எய்தியும் பெறாஅய் அருள் வரப்
புல்லென் கண்ணை புலம்பு கொண்டு, உலகத்து
உள்ளோர்க்கு எல்லாம் பெரு நகையாக,
காமம் கைம்மிக உறுதர,
ஆனா அரு படர் தலைத்தந்தோயே!
In this trip to the mountains, it’s all about midnight travels, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he is unable to meet with the lady, during a planned tryst by night:
“Knowing fully well that she’s harder to attain than the gold, secured by the ancient clan of Velirs, in the well-guarded town of ‘Paazhi’, ruled by Nannan Uthiyan, and even when I said it would be impossible to go near her, you heeded not! In those wide spaces filled with descending cascades and enveloped by moist rainclouds, in those tall and huge peaks, where harsh winds blow, in a cave filled with a confusing darkness, akin to a precious stone that is lost, may you be doomed. Long may you live, O heart! Day after day, desiring the fine bossom of the gentle-natured young maiden, you traverse fearsome narrow paths frequented by snakes in search of prey, in the darkness of night, and yet, not attaining her grace, with dull eyes, you are filled with lament. Thus, becoming an object of great ridicule to those in the world, with your passion exceeding bounds, you have brought a ceaseless great suffering upon me!”
Let’s explore the nuances in this mountain song! The man starts by declaring how his heart had the knowledge that the lady was extremely hard to attain, harder even than that gold that had given accumulated and protected by an ancient tribe of Velirs, in the town of ‘Paazhi’, now ruled by Nannan Uthiyan. Even though his heart had this knowledge and even though the man had said there’s no way to go near the lady, the heart still refused to accept these words. He talks about how it kept roving in the small paths, where snakes crawl about, in the scary darkness, and yet its valiant efforts were of no avail, because the lady was not to be seen, and as a result, the heart had become an object of scorn and had brought suffering to him, the man says, and concludes with a curse that his heart must get lost like a gem in a dark cave in the tall mountains, even as he wishes it a long life!
The last line must have sounded quirky, no doubt, but those are the words of the man as he says ‘May you be ruined’ and ‘Long may you live’! The possible explanation for this is it was Sangam custom to always bless the person being addressed, and this seems to have this amusing consequence in this instance of an expression of anger! The core of this verse is putting a distance between oneself and one’s heart so as to gain perspective, and it vividly sketches a moment when things do not go one’s way, and the reflection of what led one there!
In this episode, we perceive an expression of awe, uttered to a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 257, penned by Uraiyoor Maruthuvan Thaamotharanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the dangers of traversing this domain.
வேனிற் பாதிரிக் கூனி மா மலர்
நறை வாய் வாடல் நாறும் நாள், சுரம்,
அரி ஆர் சிலம்பின் சீறடி சிவப்ப,
எம்மொடு ஓர் ஆறு படீஇயர், யாழ நின்
பொம்மல் ஓதி பொதுள வாரி,
அரும்பு அற மலர்ந்த ஆய் பூ மராஅத்துச்
சுரும்பு சூழ் அலரி தைஇ, வேய்ந்த நின்
தேம் பாய் கூந்தல் குறும் பல மொசிக்கும்
வண்டு கடிந்து ஓம்பல் தேற்றாய், அணி கொள
நுண் கோல் எல் வளை தெளிர்க்கும் முன்கை
மெல் இறைப் பணைத் தோள் விளங்க வீசி,
வல்லுவைமன்னால் நடையே கள்வர்
பகை மிகு கவலைச் செல் நெறி காண்மார்,
மிசை மரம் சேர்த்திய கவை முறி யாஅத்து,
நார் அரை மருங்கின் நீர் வரப் பொளித்து,
களிறு சுவைத்திட்ட கோதுடைத் ததரல்
கல்லா உமணர்க்குத் தீ மூட்டு ஆகும்,
துன்புறு தகுவன ஆங்கண், புன் கோட்டு
அரில் இவர் புற்றத்து அல்கு இரை நசைஇ,
வெள் அரா மிளிர வாங்கும்
பிள்ளை எண்கின் மலைவயினானே.
In this trip through the much frequented region, we get to see interesting sights, as we listen to the man say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady has eloped away with him, and they are in the middle of the drylands:
“Traversing the drylands on a day, when the fragrance of the honey-filled, faded flowers of the summer Trumpet flower tree, with huge, bent blossoms, wafts around, reddening your fine feet, adorned with pebble-filled anklets, you have come with me, to walk on this lonely path, closely combing your radiant tresses, and adorning it with the exquisite flowers of the burflower tree, which stands bereft of buds, having bloomed entirely. At this time, you don’t even know how to chase away the many little bees swarming around your honey-fragrant tresses. Our travels take us through this mountain, where to help wayfarers find the right way amidst the many paths filled with the danger of robbers, high on top, twigs are stacked on a ‘Ya’ tree, whose thick trunk is torn apart by a male elephant, seeking the moisture within, and the broken barks then serve as firewood for illiterate salt merchants, who pass that way. Such spaces abound with trouble, where seeking the food that is to be found within the mounds amidst bushes with drying branches, young bear cubs dig in, making white snakes within to twist and turn. As you sway your bamboo-like arms with soft wrists, and forearms adorned with tinkling, fine-stemmed, radiant bangles, and walk on, I wonder how you have become capable of doing this daring deed!”
Let’s walk along the formidable paths and eavesdrop on this couple’s conversation! The man starts by describing how the lady is walking along with him through the drylands, during the hot summer, when the flowers of the trumpet flower tree have faded and are exuding this old fragrance through the scrub jungle. He describes the lady as wearing burflowers on her tresses and etches her innocence by saying how she seems not even capable of chasing away the bees that are laying siege on her fragrant head. Then he goes on to talk about the mountain, they are traversing, and here, we find an instance of care for strangers. People who have walked that way previously, wanting to guide those who come after, stack twigs on Ya trees, letting the followers know that this is the right path amidst all those fearsome ones, filled with attacking highway robbers. The man then zooms on to one such ‘Ya’ tree and points out how its bark has been torn off by an elephant to taste the moisture inside and how those chewed barks later come to serve as firewood for travelling salt merchants. These salt merchants sure have had no time to sit and read, for the man describes them as ‘uneducated’. Interesting qualifier for these ubiquitous sellers of the Sangam era! Perhaps their learning is through the experiences of their travels rather than knowledge from books.
Returning, after that portrait, the man goes on to visualise how bear cubs are on and about, digging up termite mounds, in search of their favourite food, and in their attempts make the snakes hiding within to roll about hither and thither. After painting what a harsh and dangerous place this is, the man then concludes by looking at his beloved and wondering how she has dared to take this difficult journey along with him.
In my eyes, I see the young maiden struggling to walk, unused to the harshness of her surroundings and this is the man’s way of encouraging her to walk on, by admiring her decision to take this journey. Nothing like a shot of positivity to nudge someone to scale those peaks!
In this episode, we perceive a sharp refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 256, penned by Madurai Tamizh Koothanaar Kaduvan Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming lilies of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, and depicts an anecdote about an act of justice in those times.
பிணங்கு அரில் வள்ளை நீடு இலைப் பொதும்பில்
மடி துயில் முனைஇய வள் உகிர் யாமை
நொடி விடு கல்லின் போகி, அகன்துறைப்
பகுவாய் நிறைய, நுங்கின் கள்ளின்
நுகர்வார் அருந்து மகிழ்பு இயங்கு நடையொடு
தீம் பெரும் பழனம் உழக்கி, அயலது
ஆம்பல் மெல் அடை ஒடுங்கும் ஊர!
பொய்யால்; அறிவென், நின் மாயம். அதுவே
கையகப்பட்டமை அறியாய்; நெருநை
மை எழில் உண்கண் மடந்தையொடு வையை
ஏர் தரு புதுப் புனல் உரிதினின் நுகர்ந்து,
பரத்தை ஆயம் கரப்பவும், ஒல்லாது
கவ்வை ஆகின்றால், பெரிதே; காண்தகத்
தொல் புகழ் நிறைந்த பல் பூங் கழனி,
கரும்பு அமல் படப்பை, பெரும் பெயர்க் கள்ளூர்,
திரு நுதற் குறுமகள் அணி நலம் வவ்விய
அறனிலாளன் ‘அறியேன்’ என்ற
திறன் இல் வெஞ் சூள் அறி கரி கடாஅய்,
முறி ஆர் பெருங் கிளை செறியப் பற்றி,
நீறு தலைப்பெய்த ஞான்றை,
வீறு சால் அவையத்து ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே.
We get to see plenty of picturesque scenes from the farmlands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, who has returned after courting with a courtesan, seeking entry into the lady’s house:
“Disliking its curled-up sleep amidst the long-leaved bushes of the rough and twisted ‘Vallai’ vines, a tortoise with sharp nails, crosses pebbles that resound aloud, and reaches the river shore. There, filling its split mouth to the full, by feasting on the drops that spill around those who are relishing the toddy of palm fruit, it proceeds with a swaying gait, muddles the huge and pleasant fields, and takes cover within the soft leaves of white lilies nearby, in your town, O lord!
Don’t you utter lies! I know well about your tricks! You know not that you have been caught red-handed. Yesterday, along with the maiden having painted, kohl-streaked eyes, you delighted so rightfully in the exquisite, fresh stream of the Vaigai river. Even though the mates of that courtesan tried to hide the incident, relentlessly it has risen as a huge slander;
In the town of Kalloor, celebrated for its good name, having ancient, picturesque and famous fields, filled with flowers, and soaring stems of sugarcane, an unjust man, had stolen the decorated beauty of a young maiden, having a fine forehead, and then denied knowing her. After investigating this unfair, harsh pledge with those who knew of their relationship, they tied him to the branches of a huge tree with sprouts, and poured slaked lime upon his head, causing a loud uproar in that esteemed assembly. Louder than that, is the slander you’ve caused in town, O lord!”
Let’s tread in the footsteps of the waddling tortoise and listen to this intriguing tale! The confidante starts by painting a picture of the man’s town, and to do that, she brings a field tortoise into the frame. We catch this little creature, at a moment when it has grown tired of relishing a sweet sleep amidst the bushes of the ‘Vallai’ vines, and then sets out amidst the screeching pebbles, and reaches the shore of the gushing river. No doubt, this shore is a place of revels, where people delight in the toddy of palm fruit, and drops slosh about around them. Our wandering tortoise gulps these drops and with an intoxicated gait of a drunk, heads towards the fields, and seeking out the soft-leaves of a lily, conceals itself there, the confidante sketches. Seems like the confidante is projecting the man’s behaviour on this tortoise in his town!
Then, she comes to the crux of the matter and asks the man not to go on with his lies, and details how his secretive actions of the previous day in the company of the courtesan, playing in the gushing stream of the river, had become common knowledge in town, even though the courtesan’s friends had tried to hush it up. From here, the confidante takes us on a visit to an ancient and famous town by the name of ‘Kalloor’, and here, a huge injustice has been uncovered, that of a man denying knowing a maiden, with whom he had had a secret love relationship. The townsfolk, had investigated the crime and got the reports from those who knew what had happened and pronounced a verdict. That unjust man was to be tied to the branches of a tree, and something called as ‘neeru’ was to be poured on his head. The confidante emphasises on the uproar that this incident caused in that town and equates it to their current situation, saying the slander the man’s actions had aroused was louder than that commotion.
As for us, let’s investigate what this ingredient named as ‘neeru’ could be! Looking at the many meanings, it could first of all, be just water, but I doubt that a water wash is a punishment for anyone other than stubborn toddlers. Next, the word could mean ‘holy ash’. Again, just applying holy ash is not going to make the man repent. And so, the right meaning of the word should be ‘slaked lime’. When I researched about whether there was any recorded mentions of punishments by pouring slaked lime, I learnt that indeed there was, in Ancient Persia, an act that would end up blinding the one who was punished, and is referred by the term ‘Abacination’. Shocking punishment indeed! But goes to show how much importance these ancients endowed on the honour of their women. Quite a shift from that serene scene of the wandering tortoise to the enactment of justice on an erring human!
In this episode, we listen to a unique tale of parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 255, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the yearning in a heart, torn apart by the hand of fate.
உலகு கிளர்ந்தன்ன உரு கெழு வங்கம்
புலவுத் திரைப் பெருங் கடல் நீர் இடைப் போழ,
இரவும் எல்லையும் அசைவு இன்று ஆகி,
விரை செலல் இயற்கை வங்கூழ் ஆட்ட,
கோடு உயர் திணி மணல் அகன் துறை நீகான்
மாட ஒள் எரி மருங்கு அறிந்து ஒய்ய,
ஆள் வினைப் பிரிந்த காதலர் நாள் பல
கழியாமையே, அழி படர் அகல,
வருவர்மன்னால் தோழி! தண் பணைப்
பொரு புனல் வைப்பின் நம் ஊர் ஆங்கண்,
கருவிளை முரணிய தண் புதல் பகன்றை
பெரு வளம் மலர அல்லி தீண்டி,
பலவுக் காய்ப் புறத்த பசும் பழப் பாகல்
கூதள மூதிலைக் கொடி நிரைத் தூங்க,
அறன் இன்று அலைக்கும் ஆனா வாடை
கடி மனை மாடத்துக் கங்குல் வீச,
‘திருந்துஇழை நெகிழ்ந்து பெருங் கவின் சாய,
நிரை வளை ஊருந் தோள்’ என,
உரையொடு செல்லும் அன்பினர்ப் பெறினே.
It’s an oft-repeated trip to the drylands but we perceive nothing familiar in this journey, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“As if the land rises to stand tall, a formidable ship splits the waters of the flesh-reeking huge seas, and be it day or night, finds no rest. As the strong essence of nature nudges it ahead with speed, seeking that wide shore, filled with brimming sands, soaring like a peak, the captain directs the ship knowingly towards the glow of a radiant light on high ground. Upon this ship, the lover parted away on a mission to gain wealth. At this time, in our town with moist fields, watered by flooding streams, caressing the petals of fertile flowers blooming on the blue rattle-pod, amidst the cool and moist bushes, differing in appearance from the blue pea flowers, and shaking the bitter-melon vines, hanging with ripe fruits, appearing akin to a jackfruit, along with the vines of the three-lobed nightshade, having no justice whatsoever, the ceaseless tormenting northern winds then enters our well-guarded mansion in the middle of the night. That lover of mine would return promptly, without wasting too many days, and make this deep suffering end, my friend, if only we were to find a kind person, who would take the message, ‘The well-etched ornaments of your maiden are falling down, as her great beauty fades, and her neat row of bangles are slipping away from her arms’! If only!”
Let’s sail along in the sea of separation and learn more! The lady starts by presenting a portrait of a soaring ship, one that’s coasting along the waves of the sea, teeming with life. She then zooms on to the captain of that ship, and the way he’s intently guiding the vessel, nudged by the ever-present winds of nature, to a destination in his mind, a shore filled with sands, soaring high above. The lady talks about how this ship thinks not about taking any rest, be it day or night, and keeps sailing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the light on high, no doubt implying an ancient lighthouse, inviting ships to its harbour. After that vivid account of a ship’s journey, the lady reveals her beloved is on that ship, and he had left in search of wealth.
Leaving the sailing lover on the swaying ship, the lady turns the camera on her surroundings in their fertile farmland town and we catch a glimpse of another unseen essence of nature, the cold, northern winds, entering and touching the core of blue rattle-pod flowers, shaking the vines of bitter melons and nightshades, and finally stepping into the lady’s mansion, in the middle of the night, holding torture tools in its many hands. The lady concludes by declaring her suffering would end and the man would return without much delay if there was some kind person who could take the message to the man that his beloved lady was wasting away, her ornaments falling down, and her bangles slipping away, as she pined for him!
Though at the core, it’s the same old theme of wishing for a messenger to convey pain to the faraway beloved, the matchless aspect of this verse is the portrait of a man’s travel by sea to earn wealth. We have seen hundreds of songs on parting, where the man walks on through the dreary drylands, scorching in the sun’s glare, filled with wild animals and inhabited by highway robbers. This is the first and perhaps the only song in Sangam literature that talks about a man’s journey on a ship to gain wealth. This ties so neatly with recent archaeological discoveries about Tamil traders, leaving their imprints in countries, as far away as Egypt. Even though it’s but one, it’s a precious one that portrays the poignant pain of a beloved left at land, yearning for that sailor in the sea!
In this episode, we listen to the ecstatic words of a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 254, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the emotions in a homecoming.
‘நரை விராவுற்ற நறு மென் கூந்தற்
செம் முது செவிலியர் பல பாராட்ட,
பொலன் செய் கிண்கிணி நலம் பெறு சேவடி
மணல் மலி முற்றத்து நிலம் வடுக் கொளாஅ,
மனை உறை புறவின் செங் காற் சேவல்
துணையொடு குறும் பறை பயிற்றி, மேல் செல,
விளையாடு ஆயத்து இளையோர்க் காண்தொறும்
நம்வயின் நினையும் நல் நுதல் அரிவை
புலம்பொடு வதியும் கலங்கு அஞர் அகல,
வேந்து உறு தொழிலொடு வேறு புலத்து அல்கி,
வந்து வினை முடித்தனம்ஆயின், நீயும்,
பணை நிலை முனைஇய, வினை நவில் புரவி
இழை அணி நெடுந் தேர் ஆழி உறுப்ப,
நுண் கொடி மின்னின், பைம் பயிர் துமிய,
தளவ முல்லையொடு தலைஇ, தண்ணென
வெறி கமழ் கொண்ட வீ ததை புறவின்
நெடி இடை பின் படக் கடவுமதி, என்று யான்
சொல்லிய அளவை, நீடாது, வல்லென,
தார் மணி மா அறிவுறாஅ,
ஊர் நணித் தந்தனை, உவகை யாம் பெறவே!
In this trip to the woodlands, we take in familiar scenes that rush past, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, at a moment when he’s returning home to the lady, after having parted with her to work on a mission:
“As many experienced old caretakers, having fragrant, soft tresses, interspersed with greys, pamper, young ones amidst the playmates, wearing golden, tinkling anklets on their beautiful feet, leaving marks on the sand-filled front yard, run around, making the red-legged male pigeon residing at home, and cuddling with its mate, to spread its short wings and flutter away above. Seeing these sights, that young maiden with a fine forehead, would think of me, and be filled with lament. To end her state of suffering, at this time, when my task in this foreign land, taken at the behest of the king, is complete, I asked you to tie the battle-worthy horses, which hate to remain in the stables, to the bejewelled, tall chariot, and rotating its wheels, with the speed of vine-like lightning, chopping shrubs on the path, striding through the fragrant forest, blooming with wild jasmines and pink jasmines, filled with fallen flowers, and leaving that long and winding path behind, and ride on. Even before I finished my words, without waiting, with much speed, making those horses clad in garlands understand, you have brought me so close to the town, making me attain much joy!”
Let’s listen to the duet of the man’s heartbeat and the horses’ hoofbeat! The man starts by talking about his lady’s state, and to do that, he paints a picture of many old women, with the stamp of wisdom in the hue of grey on their fragrant tresses, who have the task of taking care of the lady and her playmates. As they pamper, in the front yard, the lady’s many playmates would be running about, making the cuddling pigeons scuttle away, the man imagines. He infers that the lady would be reminded of the man when she sees those pigeons in the air, and as a result, would be filled with much worry. Considering all this, the man wanting to return to her with much speed, now that his mission for the king is all done, had said to his charioteer to rush homeward, with the sturdy horses and decorated chariot, chopping the shrubs on the way, and leaving behind the scene of a forest filled with blooming white and pink jasmines. The man concludes by saying how even before he finished those words, the charioteer understanding his heart and wielding the horses with much skill, had brought the man so close to the lady’s town, and thus made him feel a deep happiness!
In essence, this is appreciation for the work of a subordinate, who has exceeded expectations. A feeling we can relate to, even two thousand years later, when we share a word of praise for a job well done. Indeed, it’s an ecstatic instance, with ripples many, in the life of the giver and the receiver. A verse that seems to nudge us to find ways to express gratitude for the many blessings endowed by the people in our lives!
In this episode, we perceive thoughtful words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 253, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse illustrates the fame of a leader in capturing cattle.
”வைகல்தோறும் பசலை பாய, என்
மெய்யும் பெரும்பிறிது ஆகின்று, ஒய்யென;
அன்னையும் அமரா முகத்தினள்; அலரே,
வாடாப் பூவின் கொங்கர் ஓட்டி,
நாடு பல தந்த பசும் பூட் பாண்டியன்
பொன் மலி நெடு நகர்க் கூடல் ஆடிய
இன் இசை ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே; ஈங்கு யான்
சில நாள் உய்யலென் போன்ம்” எனப் பல நினைந்து,
ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! வடாஅது,
ஆர் இருள் நடு நாள் ஏர் ஆ உய்ய,
பகை முனை அறுத்துப் பல் இனம் சாஅய்,
கணம்சால் கோவலர் நெடு விளிப் பயிர் அறிந்து,
இனம் தலைத் தரூஉம் துளங்கு இமில் நல் ஏற்றுத்
தழூஉப் பிணர் எருத்தம் தாழப் பூட்டிய
அம் தூம்பு அகல் அமைக் கமஞ்செலப் பெய்த
துறு காழ் வல்சியர் தொழு அறை வௌவி,
கன்றுடைப் பெரு நிரை மன்று நிறை தரூஉம்
நேரா வன் தோள் வடுகர் பெரு மகன்,
பேர் இசை எருமை நல் நாட்டு உள்ளதை
அயிரி யாறு இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், மயர் இறந்து
உள்ளுபதில்ல தாமே பணைத் தோள்,
குரும்பை மென் முலை, அரும்பிய சுணங்கின்,
நுசுப்பு அழித்து ஒலிவரும் தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,
மாக விசும்பின் திலகமொடு பதித்த
திங்கள் அன்ன நின் திரு முகத்து,
ஒண் சூட்டு அவிர் குழை மலைந்த நோக்கே.
In this long trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an event rather than the place, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Saying, ‘As pallor spreads day after day, my body seems to be losing its life, little by little; As for mother, she has a troubled look on her face; As for slander, that resounds louder than the sweet-sounding uproar in the streets of ‘Koodal’, filled with gold-brimming, tall mansions, when its king Pasumpoon Pandiyan, who had conquered countries many, drove away the Kongars, clad in undying flowers of gold; It appears as if I shan’t live for more than a few days!’, thinking about too many things, cry not, my friend, may you live long!
In the north, capturing cattle in the deep darkness of midnight, ruining battlefronts many and causing groups to decline, the lord of the Vadugars, who has unparalleled, strong shoulders, known by the famous name of ‘Erumai’, would drive towards his town centre, sturdy oxen with radiant humps and coarse necks, which knowing the specific loud whistle of their many herders, would round up their herd, and bring them to the barns, built with the beautiful stems of wide bamboos, and filled with copious food, stealing them along with huge herd of cows with calves. In this leader’s fine country, flows the ‘Ayiri’ river. Even though the man has gone beyond this river, indeed he cannot help but reflect, beyond all his confusion, on your bamboo-like arms, your soft bosoms, akin to palm fruits, dotted with beauty spots, low-hanging, thick, long tresses that make the waist vanish, your exquisite face, akin to the moon, which is a radiant dot on the cloud-filled skies, adorned with shining heavy earrings, and most of all, your attacking eyes!”
Time to walk on through the drylands and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the recent words of the lady, lamenting on her fading beauty, mother’s disturbance, and the slander that’s spreading in town, owing to all this. To describe the slander, a historic incident involving Pasumpoon Pandiyan’s routing of the Kongars and the resulting jubilation that arose in the city of Koodal is brought forth in comparison to the soaring gossip in town. This tells us that the parting between the man and lady had transpired before the man’s wedding to the lady and that’s why the slander has risen, owing to the changes in the young maiden. After repeating the lady’s anxious words, the confidante asks her friend not to cry thinking on these lines. Then the confidante launches into a long description of how a Sangam-era leader of the Vadugars, a chief who goes by the name ‘Erumai’, would capture bulls, cows and calves, stealing them from prosperous barns and bring them to his town centre. The exploits of this chieftain have been outlined to point out a river named ‘Ayiri’ that flows in his domain, and to say the man is presently travelling beyond this river. How does the confidante know of this? Has she put a tracker on the man? Kidding apart, the confidante after presenting the exact location of the man, then tells the lady that it would be impossible for the man to not think of the lady’s many beautiful attributes, and concludes with the confirmation that the man would return soon to the lady’s fold. Another assurance, another consolation, and we journey on, taking in the new sights of kings and captures in that era!
In this episode, we listen to an account of an impossible situation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 252, penned by Nakkannaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and dangerous ranges of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and etches an exquisite simile to capture an intricate emotion.
இடம் படுபு அறியா வலம் படு வேட்டத்து
வாள் வரி நடுங்கப் புகல்வந்து, ஆளி
உயர் நுதல் யானைப் புகர் முகத்து ஒற்றி,
வெண் கோடு புய்க்கும் தண் கமழ் சோலைப்
பெரு வரை அடுக்கத்து ஒரு வேல் ஏந்தி,
தனியன் வருதல் அவனும் அஞ்சான்;
பனி வார் கண்ணேன் ஆகி, நோய் அட,
எமியேன் இருத்தலை யானும் ஆற்றேன்;
யாங்குச் செய்வாம்கொல் தோழி! ஈங்கைத்
துய் அவிழ் பனி மலர் உதிர வீசித்
தொழில் மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
எறி திரைத் திவலை தூஉம் சிறு கோட்டுப்
பெருங் குளம் காவலன் போல,
அருங் கடி அன்னையும் துயில் மறந்தனளே?
In this little trip to the mountains, we get to meet the wild beasts of the land, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Making a tiger with sword-like stripes, one which knows not to fell its prey on the left and always hunts it down on the right, to quiver, with a desire to kill, a ferocious lion pounces on the spotted face of an elephant with an upraised forehead, and tears apart its white tusks, in the cool and fragrant orchard, amidst the tall mountain ranges. Treading through such a space with a single spear, he comes alone without any fear; With tears pouring down from my eyes, with the affliction of love attacking me, I too cannot bear to be apart from him; What are we to do, my friend? Making the touch-me-not’s dew-covered flowers with fuzzy petals to drop down, rain clouds gush and pour in the midnight hour. At this time, when the soaring waves spray and spread their droplets in that huge pond with a weak bank, akin to the one who stands in guard there, mother too has put up a protective watch and has forgotten the meaning of sleep now!”
Let’s brave the storm clouds and the roving beasts, and listen to the lady’s heartbeat! The lady starts by introducing a tiger, one which is so flawless in its skill of killing that it never hunts a prey on the left and always finishes it on the right. Apparently, this was a big deal to the ancients, as we have heard this obsession over right-side-killing in more than one song! After presenting a portrait of such a valorous tiger, the lady relates a scene which seems to make even this brave tiger quiver in fear, and that’s the scene of an animal she calls as ‘Aali’ attacking an elephant and tearing out its tusks. This ‘Aali’ is a mythical creature depicted in Hindu temples with the composite parts of many animals. However, in this instance, it’s interpreted as a lion. Though today there are no lions in the state of Tamil Nadu and they are confined to the state of Gujarat, perhaps this was a time when the lions roved freely in the South too.
Returning, the lady has mentioned the attack only to depict the dangerous path the man walks, with only a spear for company, in the dead darkness of the night, without a drop of fear in his heart. As if saying he may not fear for his safety, but she does, the lady talks about how though tears pour down her eyes, she too cannot bear the thought of being apart from him. After relating the state of mind of the man and herself, the lady turns to depict a third person in this scene, and that’s the state of her mother, who keeps a watchful eye on her daughter, much like how a guard would watch an ebbing pond with a thin bank and though it’s the midnight hour, would forget to seek the calming refuge of sleep. The lady concludes by asking her friend what was the man and herself to do in such a difficult situation!
In essence, the lady is telling the man that mother was aware that something’s up and so there’s danger of discovery and the only course of action for the man was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. With that nuanced depiction and comparison with a person who stands guard around a tank with a weak bank on a rainy night, the verse paints the strokes of anxiety and insomnia with expert hands! Timeless emotions have a way of speaking across the ages indeed!
In this episode, we hear words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 251, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relates a significant historic incident involving hostilities between the north and south of ancient India.
தூதும் சென்றன; தோளும் செற்றும்;
ஓதி ஒண் நுதல் பசலையும் மாயும்;
வீங்கு இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய், செல்லலொடு
நாம் படர் கூரும் அருந் துயர் கேட்பின்,
நந்தன் வெறுக்கை எய்தினும், மற்று அவண்
தங்கலர் வாழி, தோழி! வெல் கொடித்
துனை கால் அன்ன புனை தேர்க் கோசர்
தொல் மூதாலத்து அரும் பணைப் பொதியில்,
இன் இசை முரசம் கடிப்பு இகுத்து இரங்க,
தெம் முனை சிதைத்த ஞான்றை, மோகூர்
பணியாமையின், பகை தலைவந்த
மா கெழு தானை வம்ப மோரியர்
புனை தேர் நேமி உருளிய குறைத்த
இலங்கு வெள் அருவிய அறை வாய் உம்பர்,
மாசு இல் வெண் கோட்டு அண்ணல் யானை
வாயுள் தப்பிய, அருங் கேழ் வயப் புலி
மா நிலம் நெளியக் குத்தி, புகலொடு
காப்பு இல வைகும் தேக்கு அமல் சோலை
நிரம்பா நீள் இடைப் போகி,
அரம் போழ் அவ் வளை நிலை நெகிழ்த்தோரே.
In this trip to the familiar drylands, we take a detour to observe the path of hostile armies, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Messengers have gone thither; Thinning arms shall recover; Pallor that spreads on the shining forehead, hemmed by tresses, shall disappear; If he hears of the deep sorrow that spreads in you, making you lose your health and causing your thick ornaments to slip away, even if he were to attain the wealth of Nandan, he will not choose to remain there! May you live long, my friend! Wielding wind-like, well-etched chariots, fluttering with victorious flags, the Kosars ruined the battlefields of enemies, as the sweet-sounding drums thundered and roared amidst the common grounds, spreading with the thick branches of the ancient banyan tree. At this time, as Mokoor refused to submit to them, the Mauryas arrived with their huge armies to rout the enmity, and to ensure the wheels of their etched chariots roll on, they carved paths through mountains, flowing with shining, white cascades. Beyond those mountain paths, a strong tiger, with a radiant hue, which had previously escaped the attack of an esteemed elephant with flawless white tusks, is now gored, making the wide land to break apart into pits, and where that elephant, removed from its protective herd, now resides with arrogance, amidst the jungle interspersed with teak trees. Though he has left to these uninhabited long paths, making your beautiful shell bangles, carved by a saw, slip away, he shall stay not there and shall return to you soon!”
Time to take a stroll amidst those barren spaces and learn more! The confidante opens the conversation by talking about how their messengers have left to where the man was, and because of that the sad happenings in the lady’s life, such as her thinning arms and spreading pallor, would be reversed. The confidante says this because she’s convinced that once the man hears of the lady’s sorrowful state, even if one were to tempt him with as much wealth as someone then named ‘Nandan’, he would not choose to remain where he was. Then she goes on to describe where the man is at now, and to do that, she talks of how the Mauryas had waged war on the south, and the Kosars had chosen to rise in their support. At this time, the Tamil king of Mokoor refused to accept their subjugation. To quell this dissent, the Mauryas themselves had decided to come south, and to do that, they carved paths through the mountains so that their chariots could roll on unimpeded. Now the confidante connects saying the man walks beyond those carved mountainous paths, and here a tiger is attacked by the sharp tusk of an elephant, which roves alone, without its herd. The confidante concludes with the words that though the man had gone to such far places, making the saw-cut, shell bangles of the lady to slip away, he would not remain there for long, and would be back in the lady’s fold.
The striking thing in this verse is the mention of the conflict between kings in the north and south of India, even in ancient times. Though the details are sketchy and the focus seems to be more on the roads laid by the Mauryas to come south, it does give a hint of the hostilities of the past. Another subtle reference here is to the saw-cut, shell bangles, in a taken for granted away, but this has current-day implications in the excavation of many such bangles from both the Indus Valley sites in Gujarat as well as Sangam era sites such as Vembakottai in Tamil Nadu, revealing the presence of a nuanced industry to produce decorated bangles from conch shells. Yet again, simple words of consolation throw the spotlight on significant events around trade and war in the ancient world!
In this episode, we listen to a pointed question put forth to subtly persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 250, penned by Selloorkizhaar Maganaar Perumboothankotranaar. The verse is situated amidst the swaying seashore trees of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and recollects an incident and presents its consequences.
எவன் கொல்? வாழி, தோழி! மயங்கு பிசிர்
மல்கு திரை உழந்த ஒல்கு நிலைப் புன்னை
வண்டு இமிர் இணர நுண் தாது வரிப்ப,
மணம் கமழ் இள மணல் எக்கர்க் காண்வர,
கணம் கொள் ஆயமொடு புணர்ந்து விளையாட,
கொடுஞ்சி நெடுந் தேர் இளையரொடு நீக்கி,
தாரன், கண்ணியன், சேர வந்து, ஒருவன்,
வரி மனை புகழ்ந்த கிளவியன், யாவதும்
மறு மொழி பெறாஅன் பெயர்ந்தனன்; அதற்கொண்டு
அரும் படர் எவ்வமொடு பெருந் தோள் சாஅய்,
அவ் வலைப் பரதவர் கானல் அம் சிறு குடி
வெவ் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் கவ்வையின் கலங்கி,
இறை வளை நெகிழ்ந்த நம்மொடு
துறையும் துஞ்சாது, கங்குலானே!
In this trip to the shore, we perceive scenes of playful fun and more, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, intending to persuade her to further her relationship with the man:
“What could be the reason? Long may you live, my friend! Tormented by the muddled spray of the brimming waves, the swaying Laurelwood tree’s bee-buzzing fine pollen scatters down, making the young sand to waft with a fragrance, amidst the picturesque mounds on the shore. Here, when we were playing together with our many mates, asking the helpers on his tall, ornamented chariot to step aside, a man wearing garlands around his neck and head, came close to us, and rendered words praising our lined sand houses. Without receiving words any in response, he parted away from there. From that moment, suffering deeply, which causes thick arms to wane, and troubled by the slander of cruel-mouthed womenfolk in this beautiful, little hamlet of the fisherfolk with exquisite nets, filled with groves by the shore, with bangles slipping away from the forearms, we remain. And so, along with us, the shore too sleeps not, in the middle of the night!”
Time to take a walk on that ancient shore and learn more! The confidante starts with a question, pondering on why certain things are happening. Then, she takes us to the seashore and points to how a dancing ‘Punnai tree’, dashed against by the brimming waves, drops its fragrant pollen on the sands, imbuing it with a delicious scent. On such a pretty spread of land, the lady and herself had been playing with many other friends, the confidante recollects. Then she talks about how a man had arrived there, stopped his chariot, asked his helpers to stay a little away, and had come close to them, and praised the sand houses they had been building. Those girls overcome with their sense of shyness, did not reply to him, and he had left quietly, the confidante remembers. Then she talks about how from that moment, there had been significant changes. As we have always seen, the confidante does not separate herself from her friend. So, she says that their arms had been thinning, the womenfolk of the town had been spreading slander, and because of that, their bangles had been slipping away. What the confidante actually means is that these are the changes that are visible in the lady! The confidante concludes by remarking how the shore too does not seem to get a moment of sleep, just like them, even in the dark hour of midnight!
That note about the shore sharing the plight of the lady subtly speaks about the sisterhood felt with this element of nature! To us, these words may seem rather cryptic, making us ask, ‘What is the confidante trying to say?’. To understand what she means, we have to know of a protocol that seems to be inherent in these love relationships between the man and the lady. It all starts with the man’s eyes falling on a lady, then he falls in love with her, and wins her affection in return. But the tale does not end there! Apparently, the man has to convince the lady’s confidante about his love for the lady, and if convinced, the confidante will take his message to the lady, and after getting her consent too, will arrange for those trysts, which will deepen the relationship between the man and the lady, and from there, the confidante will go on to nudge the man to marry the lady, as we have seen in songs many. Quite complicated indeed! It makes me smile to think what people in the future will have to say about our so-called ‘simple and seamless’ courting practices of today! Returning to the verse, these words are the confidante’s way of telling the lady, ‘The man seeks your company. I know that you are in love with him too. Shall we take this forward?’. Their innate sense of modesty prevents them from speaking plainly, and that’s the reason for these particular musical words that transport readers across the ages to the past, and spread the delight of the scents and sights of that pristine shore forevermore!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 249, penned by Nakiranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the generosity of a king and the beauty of his domain.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள்
இவ் ஊர் அம்பல் எவனோ? வள் வார்
விசி பிணித்து யாத்த அரி கோல் தெண் கிணை
இன் குரல் அகவுநர் இரப்பின், நாடொறும்
பொன் கோட்டுச் செறித்து, பொலந்தார் பூட்டி,
சாந்தம் புதைத்த ஏந்து துளங்கு எழில் இமில்
ஏறு முந்துறுத்து, சால் பதம் குவைஇ,
நெடுந் தேர் களிற்றொடு சுரக்கும் கொடும் பூண்
பல் வேல் முசுண்டை வேம்பி அன்ன என்
நல் எழில் இள நலம் தொலையினும், நல்கார்
பல் பூங் கானத்து அல்கு நிழல் அசைஇ,
தோகைத் தூவித் தொடைத் தார் மழவர்
நாகு ஆ வீழ்த்து, திற்றி தின்ற
புலவுக் களம் துழைஇய துகள் வாய்க் கோடை
நீள் வரைச் சிலம்பின் இரை வேட்டு எழுந்த
வாள் வரி வயப் புலி தீண்டிய விளி செத்து,
வேறு வேறு கவலைய ஆறு பரிந்து, அலறி,
உழை மான் இன நிரை ஓடும்
கழை மாய் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we also get to meet a Sangam era king, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man continued to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Listen my friend, may you live long! Why has this town been spreading slander for so many days? Carrying ‘Kinai’ drums with a clear sound, tied together with a firm leather strap and drumming sticks, when those bards with a sweet voice come seeking, day after day, he would assemble before them, bulls, whose horns are covered in gold dust, and whose sandalwood-streaked, upraised, handsome humps are adorned with golden garlands, and then shower mounds of food. In addition, he would render tall chariots and elephants to those who had come seeking. Such is the nature of the many-speared Musundai, clad in curving ornaments, the ruler of Vembi. Akin to this town of Vembi, was my splendid, young beauty. Even though it’s now in ruins, he renders not his grace!
Residing in the swaying shade of many-flowered forests, drylands robbers wearing garlands made of peacock feathers, slay a wild cow and feast on it. The open-mouthed summer wind that enters this flesh-reeking arena, then rushes, roaring aloud, making herds of deer scatter upon many different paths, screaming in fear, thinking it’s the sound of an attacking strong tiger with radiant stripes that had risen in the tall mountain slopes, seeking a prey. Such are those soaring mountains, shrouded by bamboos, that he has left me and parted away to!”
Let’s march on through those scorching spaces and learn more! The lady starts with an exasperated question about why the townsfolk won’t stop spreading slander. Then, she meanders to talk about the generosity of a king named Musundai, who would give bulls, adorned with gold, lots of food, chariots and elephants to sweet-voice bards with resounding ‘Kinai’ drums. She has mentioned this king to turn our attention to the beauty of his capital town of Vembi. The lady now connects her own beauty to that of this town, and says how the man does not seem to have any compassion even when that beauty is turning to ruins. Now, we can understand why the townsfolk are gossiping. It’s an outcome of their observation of the lady’s ruined health in the man’s absence. This is also an indicator that the parting has happened at a time before the man’s marriage with the lady.
Returning, the lady then concludes by painting a picture of the place where the man’s at, those wild spaces, where robbers wearing peacock feather garlands eat the meat of a wild cow, and then the summer wind rushes through that space, picking up that reeking smell of flesh, and roars through, which makes deer scatter away thinking it’s a hungry tiger on the prowl.
In essence, it’s a complaint by the lady that the man has left her exposed to the harsh eyes of the town and left in search of wealth. At a time when you cannot make a call, send a message, or write a letter to the parted one, it must have been difficult to bear with parting. All that the lovers had then was the thoughts and feelings that arose, across the miles, and it’s this unseen wave of energy that roars like the summer wind, even across the ages from the pages of the past!
In this episode, we listen to the narration of a curious incident involving many layers, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 248, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the bustle of hunting in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches a dynamic moment of human-animal interaction.
நகை நீ கேளாய் தோழி! அல்கல்
வய நாய் எறிந்து, வன் பறழ் தழீஇ,
இளையர் எய்துதல் மடக்கி, கிளையொடு
நால்முலைப் பிணவல் சொலிய கான் ஒழிந்து,
அரும் புழை முடுக்கர் ஆள் குறித்து நின்ற
தறுகட் பன்றி நோக்கி, கானவன்
குறுகினன் தொடுத்த கூர்வாய்ப் பகழி
மடை செலல் முன்பின் தன் படை செலச் செல்லாது,
‘அரு வழி விலக்கும் எம் பெருவிறல் போன்ம்’ என,
எய்யாது பெயரும் குன்ற நாடன்
செறி அரில் துடக்கலின், பரீஇப் புரி அவிழ்ந்து,
ஏந்து குவவு மொய்ம்பின் பூச் சோர் மாலை,
ஏற்று இமிற் கயிற்றின், எழில் வந்து துயல்வர,
இல் வந்து நின்றோற் கண்டனள், அன்னை;
வல்லே என் முகம் நோக்கி,
‘நல்லை மன்!’ என நகூஉப் பெயர்ந்தோளே.
Striking scenes await us in this trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, who has arrived for his nightly tryst, but making sure he was in earshot:
“Listen to this funny thing that happened last night, my friend! Chasing away strong hunting dogs, embracing its piglets, and blocking hunters from nearing, a female boar with four sagging teats then flees into the forest, along with its family. At this time, in the formidable, narrow mountain path, facing the men ahead, a brave male boar stood there. Seeing it, the leader of the hunters came near it, with his sharp-tipped arrow aimed at it. Then saying, ‘It seems to possess a great courage like me, of standing in the path of enemies and blocking them, without running away, even though the army with immense strength has retreated’, he left without shooting his arrow in the peaks of our lord of the mountains! Tugged by thick bushes, with knots severed and loosened, upon his upraised, strong shoulders, lay a garland, devoid of flowers, appearing akin to the thick rope around the hump of a bull, swaying with beauty. Seeing him come and stand near our home, mother suddenly turned to look at me, and left from there saying with a sarcastic smile, ‘What a good girl you are!’”
Time to start on that hunting expedition in this rugged terrain. The confidante starts by calling her friend’s attention to something that had happened the previous night, something that was tickling her. Without saying what that is, she launches into a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she first presents an image of a female boar protecting its piglets from the advancing hunters and escaping into the forest. Then she turns her attention to the mate, the male boar, which was standing in that mountain path, and with a fierce look, facing the hunters ahead. At this time, the head of the hunters comes close, with an arrow ready to be shot, and says, ‘Here’s a creature that’s just like me, refusing to retreat even when the entire army has’. Then, that hunter seems to have lowered his bow and left without harming the boar. After that intense scene from the man’s mountain country, the confidante talks about the man, and his appearance, as he arrived at their home the previous night. She talks about how his garland was tugged by the bushes in his path, and had lost the flowers, and was rather looking like the rope around a bull’s hump. The confidante concludes by saying that when the man had come in this manner, mother had caught a glimpse of him, and at that moment, she had turned to the confidante and remarked with much sarcasm, ‘Aren’t you an innocent, little girl?’.
An anecdote to tell the listening man that mother had an inkling of the man’s relationship with the lady, and soon, the lady may be placed under guard, and so it was best for him to come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. In that scene of the male boar standing boldly in the path of the menacing hunters, the confidante places a metaphor to show the man that he too must face the lady’s kith and kin with courage and claim the lady’s hand. The thing that moved me the most in this verse was that transformative moment when the hunter sees himself in the boar, telling us that there can be no better mirror to our lives than nature!
In this episode, we perceive a lady’s anguish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 247, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Maganaar Perunkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays the dangers of traversing this domain.
மண்ணா முத்தம் ஒழுக்கிய வன முலை
நல் மாண் ஆகம் புலம்பத் துறந்தோர்
அருள் இலர் வாழி, தோழி! பொருள் புரிந்து,
இருங் கிளை எண்கின் அழல் வாய் ஏற்றை,
கருங் கோட்டு இருப்பை வெண் பூ முனையின்,
பெருஞ் செம் புற்றின் இருந் தலை இடக்கும்
அரிய கானம் என்னார், பகை பட
முனை பாழ்பட்ட ஆங்கண், ஆள் பார்த்துக்
கொலை வல் யானை சுரம் கடி கொள்ளும்
ஊறு படு கவலைய ஆறு பல நீந்தி,
படு முடை நசைஇய பறை நெடுங் கழுத்தின்
பாறு கிளை சேக்கும் சேண் சிமைக்
கோடு உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we take in many sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man remains parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Making those unwashed pearls drop down on the beautiful bosoms, leaving this fine and noble chest in loneliness, he has parted away. He lacks kindness, my friend! May you live long! In those spaces, a male bear, with a fuming, fire-like mouth, having many kin, after having its fill of the white flowers of the dark-trunked Mahua tree, dislikes any more, and moves to break open the top of a huge termite mound. Not considering that this is a formidable space, which has been ruined in a battle, and where a murderous elephant stands guarding the drylands, looking out for wayfarers, he has crossed these troublesome paths many, where wishing to feed on the reeking flesh, vultures with long necks fly about and return to perch on the branches in the tall peaks of the faraway mountains, and has left thither with a desire for wealth!”
Let’s brave the dreariness of this domain and learn more! The lady starts by talking about her tears and she compares these to unwashed pearls. A unique simile indeed! She then talks about how those drops fall down on her bosom and all this is because the man had left her in loneliness and parted away. She declares that the man seems to have no compassion for her. Then she goes on to describe the place he has left to, and brings in the image of a male sloth bear, which after filling its tummy with the white Mahua flowers, did not seem to want anymore of that, and had turned its attention to breaking a termite mound, looking for something else to feed on. Then, she talks about how these spaces are ruined as a result of some battle some time, and it’s wild and isolated, where killer elephants seem to be on the lookout to attack any wandering humans. The final creature the lady zooms on to happens to be a roving vulture with a long neck, characterising it for its desire to feed on flesh. After painting vivid portraits of these rugged beings, the lady concludes by talking about how the man, without worrying that this is such a dangerous place, had left wishing only to embrace wealth!
In the scene of the male bear having had its fill of the Mahua flowers and seeking termite mud, the lady places a metaphor for how the man had feasted on her beauty to his content and now had abandoned her, in his quest of something else. The theme seems to remain the same, ‘He’s gone leaving me in pain’. Wonder if these verses are simply telling us to express our pain to let the rain of calm fall on the dreary drylands of anxiety!
In this episode, we listen to words of refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 246, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and describes a famous battle from this era.
பிணர் மோட்டு நந்தின் பேழ் வாய் ஏற்றை
கதிர் மூக்கு ஆரல் களவன் ஆக,
நெடு நீர்ப் பொய்கைத் துணையொடு புணரும்
மலி நீர் அகல் வயல் யாணர் ஊர!
போது ஆர் கூந்தல் நீ வெய்யோளொடு
தாது ஆர் காஞ்சித் தண் பொழில் அகல் யாறு
ஆடினை என்ப, நெருநை; அலரே
காய் சின மொய்ம்பின் பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால்
ஆர்கலி நறவின் வெண்ணிவாயில்,
சீர் கெழு மன்னர் மறலிய ஞாட்பின்
இமிழ் இசை முரசம் பொரு களத்து ஒழிய,
பதினொரு வேளிரொடு வேந்தர் சாய,
மொய் வலி அறுத்த ஞான்றை,
தொய்யா அழுந்தூர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே.
In this trip to the fields, in addition to taking in sights of the domain, we go on a detour to an ancient battlefield, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he seeks entry into the lady’s house, after having left to be in the company of a courtesan:
“The male snail with a split mouth and a coarse-skinned belly, unites with its mate, living in the deep waters of the pond, where the sharp-nosed sand-eel stands as its witness, in the brimming waters of the wide fields in your prosperous town, O lord! They say that yesterday, with the woman you desire, the one having tresses adorned with flowers, you played together in the wide river, by the cool orchards, filled with the pollen of Portia trees. The slander that soars now is louder than the unceasing uproar that arose in Azhunthoor, when King Karikalan of great renown, filled with immense prowess and fury, destroyed the strength of those famous kings – the eleven Velir kings and the other two southern emperors – and made their resounding drums to be lost in the battlefield, when they rose against him with enmity at Venni Vayil, renowned for its festivities and its toddy!”
Time to listen to the tale unfolding amidst the plenty! The confidante starts with a description of a male snail uniting with its mate, in the presence of a sand-eel, amidst the overflowing waters of the fields in the lord’s town. Then she reveals how people were talking about the fact that the man had been romping around with a courtesan and playing in the river, by the shade of the Portia trees, the previous day. The confidante concludes by saying that this slander was louder and even more ceaseless than the din that arose in the town of Azhunthoor, when King Karikaalan defeated not one, not two, but eleven Velir Kings and the Chera and Pandya kings as well, when they had risen against him at Venni Vayil. In essence, this is a refusal by the confidante to allow the man to enter the lady’s house, citing his association with a courtesan. A subtle reference to the firm power a Sangam woman seems to have had in such circumstances, of preventing her husband from entering their home, even if he happened to be the wealthy lord of the prosperous town!
In this episode, we perceive a moment of clarity at the end of a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 245, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents surprising details about a particular animal in this domain.
‘உயிரினும் சிறந்த ஒண் பொருள் தருமார்
நன்று புரி காட்சியர் சென்றனர், அவர்’ என
மனை வலித்து ஒழியும் மதுகையள் ஆதல்
நீ நற்கு அறிந்தனைஆயின், நீங்கி,
மழை பெயல் மறந்த கழை திரங்கு இயவில்,
செல் சாத்து எறியும் பண்பு இல் வாழ்க்கை
வல் வில் இளையர் தலைவர், எல் உற,
வரி கிளர் பணைத் தோள், வயிறு அணி திதலை,
அரியலாட்டியர் அல்கு மனை வரைப்பில்,
மகிழ் நொடை பெறாஅராகி, நனை கவுள்
கான யானை வெண் கோடு சுட்டி,
மன்று ஓடு புதல்வன் புன் தலை நீவும்
அரு முனைப் பாக்கத்து அல்கி, வைகுற,
நிழல் படக் கவின்ற நீள்அரை இலவத்து
அழல் அகைந்தன்ன அலங்குசினை ஒண் பூக்
குழல் இசைத் தும்பி ஆர்க்கும் ஆங்கண்,
குறும் பொறை உணங்கும் ததர் வெள் என்பு
கடுங் கால் ஒட்டகத்து அல்கு பசி தீர்க்கும்
கல் நெடுங் கவலைய கானம் நீந்தி,
அம் மா அரிவை ஒழிய,
சென்மோ நெஞ்சம்! வாரலென் யானே.
In this trip to this harsh domain, we get to glimpse at many unique sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart:
“If you know very well that she has the strength to say, ‘Wishing to bring back that radiant thing, which has more worth than life, having the wisdom to do the right things, he has left’, and remain at home, then, parting away, you may go, O heart, to those spaces, which the rains have forsaken and where dried bamboos abound. And here, attacking merchants, who tread these paths, those men with sturdy bows live a life lacking culture. When night falls, their leader reaches the gates of homes, which belong to maiden, with thick bamboo-like arms having radiant lines, and bellies with beauty spots many, who sell filtered toddy. Not finding that drink of ecstasy, he would return home, and pointing to the white tusk, which had come from a wild elephant with moistened cheeks, he would caress the coarse-haired head of his son, playing around the house. In such a wild community, stay the night, and leave by morning, to those places, where upon the swaying branches of the silk-cotton tree, with a thick trunk, one which renders an exquisite shade, radiant flowers bloom, akin to flames fluttering, and bees buzz around like flutes. Nearby upon a short boulder, lies drying white bones, which satisfies the deep hunger of camels with fast legs. Traversing these stony, long paths in the scrub jungle, leaving that beautiful, dark-skinned maiden here, you may go, O heart! I shan’t come!”
Let’s walk on and explore those barren spaces! The man starts with an ‘if clause’ to his heart. He tells his heart, ‘If you know one thing for sure, you may leave, and that is if you know the lady has the ability to remain at home and understand the logic and importance of the journey to be taken in search of wealth’. Then, he launches into a description of the place where he is asking his heart to leave, and to do that, he focuses on the denizens of the said place. First, we catch a glimpse of merchants walking here and then robbers attacking them. The man decides to zoom on the leader of this rowdy gang and follows him as he walks in the late evening hour, towards the home of toddy sellers, who happen to be women with bamboo-like arms and beautiful bellies. Here’s a subtle indicator that women had a hand in handling trade in those times.
Returning, we learn that all that toddy is sold out and the man returns home, and he points to the white tusk, which he had taken for the barter, which had come from an elephant in musth, and caresses the head of his young son, as a way of inspiring the lad to aim for great things in life, like hunting down an elephant. Leaving aside the animal rights implications, let’s just appreciate this moment of bonding between a robber father and his son. The man had been telling this story only to predict that the heart would end up staying in such a community, and then in the morning, it would leave to a place, where silk-cotton trees were in full bloom, and their flowers would appear like spots of flames atop the branches. When we are delighting, ‘Oh! What a pretty sight!’, the man turns our attention to some white bones lying scattered on nearby rocks. Remember how some merchants got attacked in the beginning of this tale? Perhaps all the scavengers have had their fill and only the drying, white bones of those dead merchants are left. Now the man talks about something fascinating. He says a camel would come that way and feed on those bones to allay its burning hunger. Here lies not one but two things that stunned me no end! My first question was, ‘What is a camel doing in South India?’. Next question, okay maybe there’s some reason that there are camels, but aren’t they herbivores and why is this verse saying they are eating bones? Surely the Sangam folk must have got their animals mixed up!
Turns out they have not! Though it’s true that camels are not native to Tamil land, it shows evidence of trade with other regions, and it seems like a sound idea of those merchants to bring this animal with steady legs for their journeys through the drylands. Next, coming to the bones, I learnt that camels do eat bones and assorted other things like leather and skin, whenever their calcium and phosphorus levels dip down. Apparently, it’s a phenomenon called ‘osteophagia’. As it is these animals are wandering about desert landscapes and guess it makes sense that these animals have to make do with what they get and not be strict about their vegan diets!
Back from our consorting with camels, we see that the man has been talking to his heart, asking it to leave to such arid landscapes, leaving the lady, and concluding that he was not planning on accompanying his heart. In essence, a clear decision in favour of staying at home, against the nudge of his heart, which was pushing him to part with the lady. This is yet another case of the man separating his heart from himself! What is the heart if not a part in the man’s mind, which was provoking him to choose a different path? This demarcation of the man and his heart in two thousand year old poem makes me connect the same principle to modern psychological techniques like ‘Internal Family Systems’, which ask the ‘Self’ in the mind to separate from the emotional parts to truly understand what’s going on in the psyche! A valuable lesson in dealing with dilemmas, as sensed intuitively by our ancestors with their deep understanding of the human mind!
In this episode, we listen to an excited request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 244, penned by Madurai Mallanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays the pleasantness of the rainy season.
”’பசை படு பச்சை நெய் தோய்த்தன்ன
சேய் உயர் சினைய மாச் சிறைப் பறவை
பகல் உறை முது மரம் புலம்பப் போகி,
முகை வாய் திறந்த நகை வாய் முல்லை
கடிமகள் கதுப்பின் நாறி, கொடிமிசை
வண்டினம் தவிர்க்கும் தண் பதக் காலை
வரினும், வாரார்ஆயினும், ஆண்டு அவர்க்கு
இனிதுகொல், வாழி தோழி?” என, தன்
பல் இதழ் மழைக் கண் நல்லகம் சிவப்ப,
அருந் துயர் உடையள் இவள்’ என விரும்பிப்
பாணன் வந்தனன், தூதே; நீயும்
புல் ஆர் புரவி, வல் விரைந்து, பூட்டி,
நெடுந் தேர் ஊர்மதி, வலவ!
முடிந்தன்று அம்ம, நாம் முன்னிய வினையே!
In this trip to the woodlands, we take in picturesque sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer:
“A bat, having dark wings, which appear as if dipped in thick, fresh ghee, rises from the topmost branch of an ancient tree, and leaving it in loneliness, flies away, in this moist and cool time, when wild jasmine bushes have opened their buds and appear, akin to smiling teeth, having the fragrance of a new bride, as it prevents buzzing bees atop vines from fluttering away. Saying, ‘At this time, I wonder if he will return or if he won’t! Maybe only the yonder place he’s at is pleasant to him!’, as her many-petalled, rain-like eyes reddened her fine bosoms, she suffers deep sorrow. Thus said the messenger-bard who had come with intent. So, yoke the fine horses, which are grazing on grass, with much haste, and speed on the tall chariot, O charioteer, for the task we had set out to do is all done!”
Time to listen to the twin beats of the hooves and the hearts! The man starts by describing the wings of a bat and mentioning how it appears as if dipped in ghee. When I took a look at an image of the bat’s wings and read about how it’s criss-crossed with many blood vessels, the simile made perfect sense. The said bat leaves its perch on a tall, ancient tree, and flies away, leaving the tree to lament in loneliness, the man says. Then he moves on to the wild jasmines that have bloomed on the bushes and compares it to two different elements, the sight of these white buds to smiling teeth and the scent of the same to the tresses of a new bride. All this he mentions only to say, it’s the cool and moist time of rains. Now he repeats the words of the lady as conveyed to him by a messenger bard. The lady seemed to be wondering whether the man would return or not, and feeling dejected and tearful about the fact that he seemed to prefer the place he’s at to his home. So, nudged by the bard’s message, the man wishes to propel his charioteer into action and concludes by asking the worthy helper to yoke the grazing horses and speed on the chariot homeward, for the work they had come to do, was done.
The image of the bat leaving the tree alone is a subtext for the lady’s loneliness in the man’s absence. In these few words, we can observe the signs of the changing season, and catch the pulse of the man as he yearns to be back with his beloved. The thing that struck me in this verse is the reimagining of a bird’s wings and a bush’s blossoms by this Sangam poet, something which speaks to us of their enviable skills of observation and connection!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 243, penned by Kodiyoor Kizhaar Maganaar Neythal Thathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the attitude of the northern wind.
அவரை ஆய் மலர் உதிர, துவரின
வாங்கு துளைத் துகிரின் ஈங்கை பூப்ப,
இறங்கு போது அவிழ்ந்த ஈர்ம் புதல் பகன்றைக்
கறங்கு நுண் துவலையின் ஊருழை அணிய,
பெயல் நீர் புது வரல் தவிர, சினை நேர்பு
பீள் விரிந்து இறைஞ்சிய பிறங்கு கதிர்க் கழனி
நெல் ஒலி பாசவல் துழைஇ, கல்லெனக்
கடிது வந்து இறுத்த கண் இல் வாடை!
‘நெடிது வந்தனை’ என நில்லாது ஏங்கிப்
பல புலந்து உறையும் துணை இல் வாழ்க்கை
நம்வலத்து அன்மை கூறி, அவர் நிலை
அறியுநம் ஆயின், நன்றுமன் தில்ல;
பனி வார் கண்ணேம் ஆகி, இனி அது
நமக்கே எவ்வம் ஆகின்று;
அனைத்தால் தோழி! நம் தொல் வினைப் பயனே!
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an aspect of weather rather than the region, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Exquisite flowers of the bean drop down, coral-like touch-me-not flowers with curving, red holes blossom, and the rattlepod flowers bloom on moist bushes during sun down, in the fine drizzle, and adorn the town entire. At this time when new rains pour no more, branched stalks sprouting out of seeds, now bend and sway in the paddy fields. Entering these fields, with a resounding roar, it then comes and swirls around me, this unseeing northern wind! If at all the northern wind would go to him, learn of his state, and say, ‘You have come afar’, and then speak of my state, that of living without my mate, with ceaseless yearning, filled with sorrow and suffering, that would be good. However, as I stand here with tear-filled eyes, all the wind wants to do is bring torment to me! And so it is, my friend, owing to nothing but the fruit of my past deeds!”
Let’s follow in the trail of the northern winds in this verse! The lady starts by listing all the flowers that have been blooming, much to the beauty of the town, and she mentions the bean flowers, the red touch-me-not flowers as well as the rattle-pod flowers. She talks about how there’s only a slight drizzle and no heavy rains seem to be pouring, indicating it’s the beginning of the cold season after the rains, a time long after the promised season of return. Then she moves on to characterise the northern winds, as it comes rushing through the paddy fields and envelopes her. She wishes the winds would go to the man, tell him that he has come too far, and talk about how the lady was languishing without his presence. But the northern wind seemed to have no mind to do any such thing and wants only to torture her, the lady says, and concludes by declaring with a helpless sigh that all this must be because she had done something wrong in the past. Herein, lies a subtle reference to the Indian concept of ‘Karma’, of attributing the misfortune of the present to some action in the past. Hope the good the lady has done brings back the man to her soon, so that they both can delight together in the blooming buds and the blowing breeze!
In this episode, we perceive an intention to change another’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 242, penned by Peri Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and reveals the circumstances that necessitate a religious ritual.
அரும்பு முதிர் வேங்கை அலங்கல் மென் சினைச்
சுரும்பு வாய் திறந்த பொன் புரை நுண் தாது
மணி மருள் கலவத்து உறைப்ப, அணி மிக்கு
அவிர் பொறி மஞ்ஞை ஆடும் சோலை,
பைந் தாட் செந் தினைக் கொடுங் குரல் வியன் புனம்,
செந் தார் கிள்ளை நம்மொடு கடிந்தோன்
பண்பு தர வந்தமை அறியாள், ‘நுண் கேழ்
முறி புரை எழில் நலத்து என் மகள் துயர் மருங்கு
அறிதல் வேண்டும்’ என, பல் பிரப்பு இரீஇ,
அறியா வேலற் தரீஇ, அன்னை
வெறி அயர் வியன் களம் பொலிய ஏத்தி,
மறி உயிர் வழங்கா அளவை, சென்று யாம்,
செல வரத் துணிந்த, சேண் விளங்கு, எல் வளை
நெகிழ்ந்த முன் கை, நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,
நல் எழில் அழிவின் தொல் கவின் பெறீஇய,
முகிழ்த்து வரல் இள முலை மூழ்க, பல் ஊழ்
முயங்கல் இயைவதுமன்னோ தோழி!
நறை கால்யாத்த நளிர் முகைச் சிலம்பில்
பெரு மலை விடரகம் நீடிய சிறியிலைச்
சாந்த மென் சினை தீண்டி, மேலது
பிரசம் தூங்கும் சேண் சிமை
வரையக வெற்பன் மணந்த மார்பே!
Plenty of picturesque sights in this trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“From the swaying, slender branch of the Kino tree, with blooming buds, opened by the buzzing mouths of bees, fine, golden pollen drops down on the sapphire-hued feathers, and so adorned, with dark spots, dances the peacock in the grove, near the wide fields, where amidst the green-stemmed, thick stalks of the red millet, along with us, he chased away parrots with red necks. Not knowing it’s his relationship that has rendered this to you, mother was saying, ‘I have to find the reason for the sorrow that soars in my daughter, who has the exquisite beauty of tender mango sprouts, and a fine complexion’. She plans to spread many different offerings, and summoning clueless Velan, wants to perform the ‘Veri’ ritual in the wide area, intending to sacrifice a lamb. Before such things happen, why don’t we dare to leave to that faraway place, to attain the exquisite, old beauty of your bamboo-like arms, from which, shining bangles are now slipping away. My friend, this can be done by immersing your budding young bosoms, and embracing over and over again, the fragrant chest of the lord of the mountains, whose faraway peaks brim with nectar, and in whose caves, near the huge mountain slopes, caressing the gentle branch of the small-leaved sandalwood tree nearby, hangs a comb of honey!”
Time to start on that mountain trek, savouring the sights and scents of the region! The confidante starts by pointing to a Kino tree, with bright yellow flowers, and specifically to how the golden pollen from the flowers is dropping on the sapphire-like feathers of a peacock, which is dancing with delight, in the grove. Then she moves on to the millet fields near that grove, where the man had come to help the lady chase away parrots, characterised by a red garland, no doubt referring to the Indian ring-neck parakeets. After introducing the stage where the man came into the lady’s life, the confidante turns to talk about the activities of the lady’s mother. This poor woman, did not know the lady’s affliction was because of her relationship with the man, in the sense the lady was in ecstasy, when trysting with the man and was wallowing, when away from him. So, mother wants to find out the reason and her means of doing so was to summon Velan, the priest, who, according the confidante, in the manner of a famous webseries character, ‘knows nothing’! Velan would be summoned to perform the ‘Veri’ ritual by spreading many offerings and seeking God Murugu’s help in solving the lady’s sorrow. The confidante tells the lady before mother gets ahead with the plan and gets to sacrificing a poor lamb, the lady must to do something about those bangles slipping away from her arms. The confidante concludes by advising the lady to take the bold step to go to where the man lives, to his tall mountains, where honey combs brush against sandalwood trees, and embrace him over and over again!
The confidante implies that the man was the sole reason for the lady’s state, and through these pointed words, nudges the man to protect the lady’s honour by seeking her hand in marriage. In the scene of the golden pollen dropping down on the blue feathers of the peacock and making it dance with delight, the confidante places a metaphor for how only the constant grace of the man towards the lady would bring lasting joy to her. Amidst scenes of nature and culture, we get to delight with all our senses, the immense and immeasurable beauty of the mountains!
In this episode, we perceive a lady’s angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 241, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches this difficult terrain in much detail.
‘துனி இன்று இயைந்த துவரா நட்பின்
இனியர் அம்ம, அவர்’ என முனியாது
நல்குவர் நல்ல கூறினும், அல்கலும்,
பிரியாக் காதலொடு உழையர் ஆகிய
நமர்மன் வாழி, தோழி! உயர்மிசை
மூங்கில் இள முளை திரங்க, காம்பின்
கழை நரல் வியல் அகம் வெம்ப, மழை மறந்து
அருவி ஆன்ற வெருவரு நனந்தலை,
பேஎய் வெண் தேர் பெயல் செத்து ஓடி,
தாஅம் பட்ட தனி முதிர் பெருங் கலை
புலம் பெயர்ந்து உறைதல் செல்லாது, அலங்குதலை
விருந்தின் வெங் காட்டு வருந்தி வைகும்
அத்த நெல்லித் தீஞ் சுவைத் திரள் காய்
வட்டக் கழங்கின் தாஅய், துய்த் தலைச்
செம் முக மந்தி ஆடும்
நல் மர மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே!
In this trip to the drylands, there’s much to be seen, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“You say, ‘That lover of yours is a kind person, having not even a dot of dislike and possessing a deep, undying love’, and speaking many such good words, you promise that he would render his grace. Yet, the one who used to be together with me, with a love that never wants to part away, is elsewhere, my friend, may you live long! Atop the hills, where tender sprouts of the bamboo shrivel, and those wide spaces, which resound with the swaying of bamboo stalks, swelter. In those barren spaces, which the rains have forgotten and cascades have abandoned, an old, huge stag, with much thirst, rushes towards a mirage, thinking it’s the rain flowing, then disappointed, does not leave that place and move elsewhere, but sits there with sorrow in that scorching scrub jungle, where the mirage extends on, and here, taking a thick cluster of seeds from the sweet gooseberry that blooms in the drylands, and treating them like circular beans used as dice, the soft-headed red-faced monkey plays on, amidst the fine trees, which grow on the sides of the highlands, and it is to such a place that he has parted away to!”
Let’s visit this challenging landscape and learn more! The lady starts by repeating the confidante’s words. Apparently, the friend had been cheering up the lady talking about the man’s deep love for her. The lady then talks about how the words are so sweet and kind, but she’s unable to accept that, as the man, who has always together with her, was now faraway. She then goes to talk about that place where the man’s at, in graphic detail. She points to the withering bamboo sprouts, the sweltering rocks of this region, and mentions the rains have deserted the place for long, making the land forget the meaning of a cascade. From these elements of land, she turns to the actions of elements of nature, and points to a stag, rushing towards something, only to find it’s nothing but a mirage, and having its thirst unquenched, helpless it sits there, not knowing where to go, and meanwhile, in the hills nearby, monkeys seem to pick seeds of sweet gooseberries, and play with them, as if they were mollucca beans used by humans as dice. The lady concludes by saying that’s how far the man had gone, implying it was impossible for her to accept her confidante’s consoling words about the man. The curious element here is how vividly the lady is able to see the place that she has never been to! This is poetic license, of course, but even there, there’s a grain of truth, echoing the inexplicable connectedness in the shared consciousness of those in love!
In this episode, we listen to words seeking a change in a person’s path, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 240, penned by Ezhooppandri Naagan Kumaranaar. The verse is situated amidst the swirling waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and describes the activities of the denizens at night.
செவ் வீ ஞாழற் கருங் கோட்டு இருஞ் சினைத்
தனிப் பார்ப்பு உள்ளிய தண் பறை நாரை
மணிப் பூ நெய்தல் மாக் கழி நிவப்ப,
இனிப் புலம்பின்றே கானலும்; நளி கடல்
திரைச் சுரம் உழந்த திண் திமில் விளக்கில்
பல் மீன் கூட்டம் என்னையர்க் காட்டிய,
எந்தையும் செல்லுமார் இரவே; அந்தில்
அணங்குடைப் பனித் துறை கைதொழுது ஏத்தி,
யாயும் ஆயமோடு அயரும்; நீயும்,
தேம் பாய் ஓதி திரு நுதல் நீவி,
கோங்கு முகைத்தன்ன குவிமுலை ஆகத்து,
இன் துயில் அமர்ந்தனைஆயின், வண்டு பட
விரிந்த செருந்தி வெண் மணல் முடுக்கர்,
பூ வேய் புன்னை அம் தண் பொழில்,
வாவே தெய்ய, மணந்தனை செலற்கே.
Plenty of intriguing images in this trip to the shores, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, who arrives for a nightly tryst with the lady:
“Thinking about its chick that’s all alone on the long branch of the black-trunked screw-pine tree with red flowers, a seabird with moist wings, flies above the dark backwaters, filled with sapphire-hued flowers of the blue lotus, leaving the groves to be deserted. In the light of the sturdy boat, which has swirled through the brimming waves of the drylands-like sea, showing schools of fish he has captured to my brothers, my father walks about at night; At that time, celebrating the god-like, cool shores, my mother worships along with her mates; As for you, if you wish to caress the fine forehead of the maiden with honey-flowing tresses, and yearn to find sweet sleep upon her bosoms, akin to buttercup buds, then come on over to the corner of the white sands, where the bee-buzzing golden champak tree stands, in the cool shores, filled with flowering laurel wood trees, to embrace her and part away!”
Let’s take a seat on the sands and watch the scenes unfold! The confidante starts by describing the groves, which appear abandoned, as a seabird flies away, thinking about its chick, left alone in a nest. Then she goes on to talk about how the lady’s father moves about during the night, returning from his fish hunt, and showing the catch to the lady’s brothers. At this time, the lady’s mother too is thanking the seas for the catch and performing worship along with her mates. In short, the whole of the lady’s family is out and about, the confidante implies, and concludes by telling the man that it would be better if he came by day to the groves full of ‘Punnai’ trees, to a particular spot near a bee-buzzing ‘Cherunthi tree’, if he intended to savour the lady’s company.
It seems like the confidante is telling the man there’s danger of discovery at night, and so come by day. However, there’s even more danger during day for the townsfolk would see, and slander would rise, the confidante knows, and she is silently sowing the seeds for the man to change his attitude of temporary trysting and come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. ‘Not by night, not by day too, but for the man to be beside the lady for all time’ seems to be the eternal quest of the confidante!
In this episode, we listen to a man’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 239, penned by Eyinanthai Magan Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the circumstances of the departed and the one left behind.
அளிதோதானே; எவன் ஆவதுகொல்?
மன்றும் தோன்றாது; மரனும் மாயும்
‘புலி என உலம்பும் செங் கண் ஆடவர்,
ஞெலியொடு பிடித்த வார் கோல் அம்பினர்,
எல் ஊர் எறிந்து, பல் ஆத் தழீஇய
விளி படு பூசல் வெஞ் சுரத்து இரட்டும்
வேறு பல் தேஎத்து ஆறு பல நீந்தி,
புள்ளித் தொய்யில், பொறி படு சுணங்கின்,
ஒள் இழை மகளிர் உயர் பிறை தொழூஉம்
புல்லென் மாலை, யாம் இவண் ஒழிய,
ஈட்டு அருங்குரைய பொருள்வயிற் செலினே,
நீட்டுவிர் அல்லிரோ, நெடுந்தகையீர்?’ என,
குறு நெடும் புலவி கூறி, நம்மொடு
நெருநலும் தீம் பல மொழிந்த
சிறு நல் ஒருத்தி பெரு நல் ஊரே!
In this trip to the drylands, we hear the loud sounds in this domain, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when he has parted from the lady and is on a journey to seek wealth:
“Isn’t this a pitiable state? What will happen now? Saying ‘Those red-eyed men, who roar like a tiger, holding firebrands and wielding long and thick arrows, attack towns at night, and capture many a cattle. Their shouts resound uproariously in the hot drylands. Crossing paths in this region that will take you through many other lands, leaving me here all alone in the dull evening hour, when maiden wearing radiant ornaments, painted with ‘thoyyil art’, having many pallor spots, will worship the crescent moon up high, if you leave now to gain that hard-to attain wealth, won’t you end up delaying your return too, O esteemed lord?’, picking up small and big quarrels, a fine, young maiden said many sweet words yesterday. Alas! The town centre of her great town appears not and the trees therein fade away from my sight too!”
Time to tread those dangerous spaces and learn more! The man starts by remarking on the state of affairs and wondering what would happen. Then he starts to repeat the words of someone. This person talks about the drylands, where one can hear the shouts of robbers, after they have set fire to huts in the middle of the night and seized the cows in that town. The person continues saying how the man will cross many such paths through the sweltering drylands and go to faraway lands. At that point, the person contrasts the man’s state to how they will be left behind, all lonely and full of worry, in the evening hour, when other women take to worshipping the crescent moon. At this point, we know the person speaking is none other than the lady. She ends by wondering if the man on his quest for inaccessible wealth will take too much time to return. The man reveals that the lady had said these words to him the previous day, picking quarrels with him for leaving her so, but somehow even those words of sulking had appeared so sweet in his ears. He concludes by lamenting that now the town centre and trees of his beloved maiden’s town were no longer in sight, indicating he had traversed far away from the radius of his beloved’s presence! That the man calls it the lady’s town is a subtle indicator that this separation is happening before his marriage with the lady!
A verse that throws the spotlight on a so-called rugged man, who has to set out into the world, and zooms on to his yearning for the sweet comfort of his beloved. A beat from the past echoing aloud, ’emotions have no gender’!
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 238, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the scent of flame-lilies in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and sketches a tiger’s midnight hunt in vivid detail.
மான்றமை அறியா மரம் பயில் இறும்பின்,
ஈன்று இளைப்பட்ட வயவுப் பிணப் பசித்தென,
மட மான் வல்சி தரீஇய, நடு நாள்,
இருள் முகைச் சிலம்பின், இரை வேட்டு எழுந்த
பணை மருள் எருத்தின் பல் வரி இரும் போத்து,
மடக் கண் ஆமான் மாதிரத்து அலற,
தடக் கோட்டு ஆமான் அண்ணல் ஏஎறு,
நனந்தலைக் கானத்து வலம் படத் தொலைச்சி,
இருங் கல் வியல் அறை சிவப்ப ஈர்க்கும்
பெருங் கல் நாட! பிரிதிஆயின்,
மருந்தும் உடையையோ மற்றே இரப்போர்க்கு
இழை அணி நெடுந் தேர் களிறொடு என்றும்
மழை சுரந்தன்ன ஈகை, வண் மகிழ்,
கழல் தொடித் தடக் கை, கலிமான், நள்ளி
நளி முகை உடைந்த நறுங் கார் அடுக்கத்து,
போந்தை முழு முதல் நிலைஇய காந்தள்
மென் பிணி முகை அவிழ்ந்து அலர்ந்த
தண் கமழ் புது மலர் நாறும் நறு நுதற்கே?
In this trip to the mountains, we get to see plenty of dynamic scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives for his nightly tryst with the lady:
“In the jungle where trees knowing not separation are fused so densely together, as its exhausted mate, which had just given birth was suffering with hunger, intending to bring it the meat of a naive deer, at midnight, through the slopes with dark caves, treads a huge male tiger, with a neck, akin to a palmyra trunk, and having many stripes, intent on hunting prey. At this time, as a wild cow with innocent eyes cries out from the distance, the tiger attacks a majestic bull with curving horns, and kills it on the right side, in that vast jungle. Then the tiger pulls the carcass, painting the wide boulders of the huge hills red, in your great mountain country, O lord!
Having a charity, which makes him render with joy, ornamented, tall chariots, along with elephants, to those who come seeking, akin to the showering rain, wearing thick ornaments on his curving arms and wielding proud horses, rules Nalli. In the fragrant, dark mountain ranges of his domain, filled with flowering buds, near the trunk of a tall palm tree, stands a flame-lily. Akin to the moist and fragrant new flower that blooms from gentle buds, her forehead wafts with a delectable scent. If you wish to part away from her, pray tell if you have the cure for the affliction that would befall upon her fine forehead!”
Let’s brave the midnight hour and start on a mountain trek! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, where we see a tiger wanting to allay the hunger of its mate, stepping out with the intent of killing a deer. But instead of a deer, it finds a wild bull. As a wild cow screams in alarm, it fells the animal and drags it to its abode, painting the mountains red. From this vivid tale, the confidante moves on to render a portrait sketch of a king name Nalli, renowned for his generosity to supplicants, not just giving them food or jewels, but entire ornamented chariots and elephants apparently. The confidante then moves on from the king to his domain of the tall hills, where many flowers bloom, and in particular, she zooms on to a flame-lily, near the trunk of a palm tree, and connects the fragrance of this flower to the lady’s forehead. Then she predicts that if the man were to part away as he wishes to, a deep affliction would fall on this forehead, and she concludes by asking the man if he had the right cure for that malady.
In essence, the confidante is asking the man not to part away and bring suffering to the lady, but rather seek the lady’s hand in marriage. In the scene of the tiger, wanting to hunt for a deer, returning with the better offering of a wild bull, the confidante places a metaphor to depict how the man would be better off, seeking the lady’s hand by applying to her kith and kin, rather than parting away to earn wealth, and leaving her in misery. With scenes from the wild and events from a royal court, the confidante nudges the man to take the right steps to bring permanent joy to her beloved friend!
In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 237, penned by Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the wealth and prosperity of a Sangam era town.
புன் காற் பாதிரி அரி நிறத் திரள் வீ
நுண் கொடி அதிரலொடு நுணங்கு அறல் வரிப்ப,
அரவு எயிற்று அன்ன அரும்பு முதிர் குரவின்
தேன் இமிர் நறுஞ் சினைத் தென்றல் போழ,
குயில் குரல் கற்ற வேனிலும் துயில் துறந்து
இன்னா கழியும் கங்குல்’ என்று நின்
நல் மா மேனி அணி நலம் புலம்ப,
இனைதல் ஆன்றிசின் ஆயிழை! கனைதிறல்
செந் தீ அணங்கிய செழு நிணக் கொழுங் குறை
மென் தினைப் புன்கம் உதிர்த்த மண்டையொடு,
இருங் கதிர் அலமரும் கழனிக் கரும்பின்
விளை கழை பிழிந்த அம் தீம் சேற்றொடு,
பால் பெய் செந்நெற் பாசவல் பகுக்கும்
புனல் பொரு புதவின், உறந்தை எய்தினும்,
வினை பொருளாகத் தவிரலர் கடை சிவந்து
ஐய அமர்த்த உண்கண் நின்
வை ஏர் வால் எயிறு ஊறிய நீரே.
It’s more about the weather and less about the place in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Saying, ‘Thin-stalked, lined trumpet flowers in bright hues, along with wild jasmine flowers, blooming on tender vines, drop down on the fine sand, drawing floral patterns. The gentle breeze cuts across the bee-buzzing, fragrant branch of the bottle flower tree, with buds akin to a snake’s teeth. Such is this time of spring that rings with the sound of cuckoos’ voices. At this time, sleepless, my nights fade away with suffering’, making your fine, dark skin’s exquisite beauty languish, worry not, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments!
Thick and fatty pieces of flesh, roasted in dense red flames, are placed together with tender millet rice in a curving bowl. Then, the juice extracted from the sweet slush of fine sugarcane stalks, which have bloomed in the fertile fields, with tall stalks of paddy, is mixed with milk, and fused with flattened, red rice. These are offered to those who come to Uranthai, where brimming river floods dash against the dam gates. Even if he were to attain this Uranthai, just for the sake of gaining wealth, he shall never give up savouring the nectar that springs up, amidst your sharp and white teeth, O maiden with beautiful, well-set, kohl-streaked eyes, with reddened edges!”
Time to inhale the essence of spring and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the lamenting words of the lady. The lady had been looking at the blooming trumpet and wild jasmine flowers that seem to be decorating the land beneath with floral designs. Then she feels the breeze dashing across a branch of the bottle-flower tree and hears the cuckoo’s call. All natural events for it’s the time of spring, but instead of bringing joy, it leaves me sleepless and brings me great suffering, the lady had said to the confidante. To this, the confidante asks the lady to let go of her angst.
Then she launches into a description of a famous town in the Sangam era, known as Uranthai. To talk about its significance, she turns to the food that’s offered in this town, to those who arrive there. It’s a delicious combination of well-cooked, fatty pieces of meat, with millet rice on the savoury side, and to satisfy the sweet tooth, it was a dessert of flattened red rice and milk fused with sugarcane juice. If such food of plenty is to be found then water must be abundant and indeed, the rivers perennially keep dashing against the dam gates, brimming over, the confidante paints a picture. She has mentioned Uranthai only to say to the lady that the man wouldn’t dream of giving up the taste of the nectar that pools amidst the lady’s sharp teeth, in short, a taste of the lady’s kiss, even if he were to attain this prosperous city as his own.
Yet again, it’s a message of ‘Not even for that, not even for this, will he forget you’. However, in the expanse of this verse, we received the double bonanza of delighting in the scents and sounds of spring as well as tasting the culinary delights of a town from the pages of the past!
In this episode, we listen to an intricate explanation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 236, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing paddy stalks of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and refers to a renowned story of loss from those times.
மணி மருள் மலர முள்ளி அமன்ற,
துணி நீர் இலஞ்சிக் கொண்ட பெரு மீன்
அரி நிறக் கொழுங் குறை வௌவினர் மாந்தி
வெண்ணெல் அரிநர் பெயர்நிலைப் பின்றை,
இடை நிலம் நெரிதரு நெடுங் கதிர்ப் பல் சூட்டுப்
பனி படு சாய்ப் புறம் பரிப்ப, கழனிக்
கருங் கோட்டு மாஅத்து அலங்கு சினைப் புதுப் பூ
மயங்கு மழைத் துவலையின் தாஅம் ஊரன்
காமம் பெருமை அறியேன், நன்றும்
உய்ந்தனென் வாழி, தோழி! அல்கல்
அணி கிளர் சாந்தின் அம் பட்டு இமைப்ப,
கொடுங் குழை மகளிரின் ஒடுங்கிய இருக்கை
அறியாமையின் அழிந்த நெஞ்சின்,
‘ஏற்று இயல் எழில் நடைப் பொலிந்த மொய்ம்பின்,
தோட்டு இருஞ் சுரியல் மணந்த பித்தை,
ஆட்டன் அத்தியைக் காணீரோ?’ என
நாட்டின் நாட்டின், ஊரின் ஊரின்,
‘கடல் கொண்டன்று’ என, ‘புனல் ஒளித்தன்று’ என,
கலுழ்ந்த கண்ணள், காதலற் கெடுத்த
ஆதிமந்தி போல,
ஏதம் சொல்லி, பேது பெரிது உறலே.
In this trip to this tricky domain, we get to see the usual scenes of plenty, as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, at a time when the lady had permitted the man back to her house, after his time away with courtesans:
“Having sapphire-like flowers, the water-thorn flourishes near ponds with crystal clear water. Gathering huge fish from here, harvesters of white paddy cook those striped, fleshy pieces and eat them with relish. Later, they cut tall paddy stalks and heap the stacks so densely that the land in between is invisible to the eyes, hiding the dew-covered low ground beneath in those fields, where the new flowers of a black-trunked mango tree’s swaying branch, drop down and scatter, appearing like the rain’s drizzle, in the town of the lord! For a while, I did not get to appreciate the greatness of his love. But I had a narrow escape, long may you live, my friend!
In the manner of maiden, adorned with curving heavy earrings, those who wear exquisite, radiant sandalwood and gleaming pretty silk, with a subdued, humble stance, he had come in the middle of the night and my heart fell for him, owing to my naivety.
And that’s why, akin to Aathi Manthi, the one who had lost her beloved, and who went around asking in country upon country, town upon town, ‘Has anyone seen the one, who has a bull’s fine gait and radiant shoulders, a fragrant head full of dense, black curls, known by the name ‘Aattan Aththi’?’, as she wondered endlessly ‘Has the ocean snatched him?’ or ‘Has the river hid him?’, I did not have to lament and suffer with great confusion!”
Time to sit back and listen to the love quarrels of this domain! The lady starts by describing the man’s land, and to do that, she brings forth the image of lush ponds, surrounded by water-thorn plants with deep blue flowers. From these ponds, harvesters catch hold of fatty fish, cook and relish them, the lady continues, and talks about how energised, those harvesters come over to the fields and do their hard work of cutting the paddy stalks and heaping the stacks. So fertile is this land that you can’t even glimpse a bit of the ground between these stacks, the lady paints, and then mentions how the blooming mango tree, on the side of the fields, showers down its flowers, confusing those around with the sensation of a drizzle. Such is the beauty and fertility of the man’s town, the lady completes. Then she goes on to talk about how one night the man had come to her in a such a humbled, subdued way that he almost appeared to her like a maiden clad in silk and adorned with sandalwood. Seeing his pleading stance, she had accepted him back, the lady says. She concludes by telling her friend that’s how she had a narrow escape from the state of Aathi Manthi, who had roamed high and low, searching for her lost husband, the handsome Aattan Aththi, wondering whether the sea had swallowed him or the river had buried him.
Most probably the confidante has asked a simple question, ‘How come you have accepted the man back?’, to which the lady has rendered this explanation of how her ignorance and compassion let her take the man back, and thus prevented her from going about searching for him, wondering where he was! It could also be a sarcastic take on the man’s meandering ways! While such tussles will come and go in the life of these townsfolk, what’s interesting here is how the story of Aathi Manthi keeps coming back to us, over and over again. She must have made a huge impression on the minds of Sangam poets, if such a person truly lived. In many ways, she seems to be the inspiration for the stellar character of ‘Kannagi’ in the Post-Sangam era epic ‘Silapathikaaram’, standing as the epitome of devotion to one’s partner!
In this episode, we listen to the angst-ridden voice of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 235, penned by Kazhaarkeeran Eyitriyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse paints a vivid portrait of the many flowers that bloom in the aftermath of the rains.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பொருள் புரிந்து
உள்ளார்கொல்லோ, காதலர்? உள்ளியும்,
சிறந்த செய்தியின் மறந்தனர்கொல்லோ?
பயன் நிலம் குழைய வீசி, பெயல் முனிந்து,
விண்டு முன்னிய கொண்டல் மா மழை
மங்குல் அற்கமொடு பொங்குபு துளிப்ப,
வாடையொடு நிவந்த ஆய் இதழ்த் தோன்றி
சுடர் கொள் அகலின் சுருங்கு பிணி அவிழ,
சுரி முகிழ் முசுண்டைப் பொதி அவிழ் வான் பூ
விசும்பு அணி மீனின் பசும் புதல் அணிய,
களவன் மண் அளைச் செறிய, அகல் வயல்
கிளை விரி கரும்பின் கணைக்கால் வான் பூ
மாரி அம் குருகின் ஈரிய குரங்க,
நனி கடுஞ் சிவப்பொடு நாமம் தோற்றி,
பனி கடி கொண்ட பண்பு இல் வாடை
மருளின் மாலையொடு அருள் இன்றி நலிய,
‘நுதல் இறைகொண்ட அயல் அறி பசலையொடு
தொல் நலம் சிதையச் சாஅய்,
என்னள்கொல் அளியள்?’ என்னாதோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we hardly get a glimpse of this harsh domain, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when her man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Listen my friend, may you live long! As he goes about seeking wealth, won’t that lover of mine even think of me? Even when he does, burdened by the excess of his mission, will he forget to do anything about it?
After pouring down aplenty on fertile lands, disliking to pour anymore, huge, dark rain clouds have migrated to the mountains. At this time, when a mere drizzle of the passing clouds remain, and as the northern winds blow, the flame-lily with exquisite petals loosens its tight buds, and blossoms akin to an earthen lamp, lit by a flame; The curled buds of the common night glory open out their white flowers decorating green bushes, akin to the stars that adorn the sky; As crabs retire to their mud holes, in wide fields, where sugarcanes spread their stalks, their thick-stemmed white flowers, appear bent akin to birds drenched in the rain;
With immense fury, invoking fear, brimming with cold, the compassion-less northern winds continue to blow in this confusing evening hour and assail me with no mercy. How can he be without thinking, ‘With pallor, which reveals everything to others, residing firmly in her forehead, and her old beauty fading away, what will be the state of that pitiable one?’!”
Let’s listen to the lady’s lament! She starts by beckoning her friend’s attention, wondering if thoughts of her won’t even cross the man’s mind, and even if it does, would he just ignore it owing to the burden of his work. Then, she goes on to talk about the world around her, mentioning how the rains are done and dusted, and the clouds have gone on a vacation to the mountains. In this season, flowers are blooming everywhere, first it’s the radiant flame-lily, looking like a lit earthen lamp, then it’s the common night glory or the midnapore creeper, upon the green bushes, looking like stars in the sky, and then moving further on to the fields, as crabs run inside the mud holes, the sugarcane’s bent white flowers, give an appearance of soaked white birds, shivering in the rain. The lady talks about how as if the sight of all this blooming wasn’t enough to torment her, the northern winds had joined hands too, at piling suffering upon her.
The lady concludes by asking how could the man remain there, at peace, without considering the effect of all these elements, the pallor which announces her affliction to those around, and her ruined beauty, without even sparing a single moment of thought for her pitiable state! In essence, the lady says there’s beauty all around but none I can see for he is far away and it pains to think that he doesn’t think about me. Hope the expression of this angst helps the lady resolve her pain, and learn to receive the gift that we’ve been given, the one of delighting in the beauty of that blooming world around!
In this episode, we listen to a passionate request put forth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 234, penned by Peyanaar. The verse is situated amidst the buzzing bees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the speed of an envisioned journey.
கார் பயம் பொழிந்த நீர் திகழ் காலை,
நுண் அயிர் பரந்த தண் அய மருங்கின்,
நிரை பறை அன்னத்து அன்ன, விரை பரிப்
புல் உளைக் கலிமா மெல்லிதின் கொளீஇய,
வள்பு ஒருங்கு அமையப் பற்றி, முள்கிய
பல் கதிர் ஆழி மெல் வழி அறுப்ப,
கால் என மருள, ஏறி, நூல் இயல்
கண் நோக்கு ஒழிக்கும் பண் அமை நெடுந் தேர்
வல் விரைந்து ஊர்மதி நல் வலம் பெறுந!
ததர் தழை முனைஇய தெறி நடை மடப் பிணை
ஏறு புணர் உவகைய ஊறு இல உகள,
அம் சிறை வண்டின் மென் பறைத் தொழுதி
முல்லை நறு மலர்த் தாது நயந்து ஊத,
எல்லை போகிய புல்லென் மாலை,
புறவு அடைந்திருந்த உறைவு இன் நல் ஊர்,
கழி படர் உழந்த பனி வார் உண்கண்
நல் நிறம் பரந்த பசலையள்
மின் நேர் ஓதிப் பின்னுப் பிணி விடவே.
In this trip to the forests, we get a tour of a transport, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, when he has completed his mission and intends to return home:
“At this time, when rains have poured productively and made the land flourish with water, as fine silt spreads around cool lakes, akin to geese that fly in a neat row, wield your speeding horses with sparse manes. Holding on firmly to their reins tied so gently, pressing down the many-spoked wheels, which cut across soft paths, making one confused if it’s the wind, climb on to the tall chariot, which is built according to the right rules, and which moves with such speed that it escapes the eyes, hasten and ride on, O victorious charioteer!
A naive female deer with a leaping trot, having had its fill of leaves, disliking any more, turns to unite with its mate and frolics without interruption, and a swarm of bees, with exquisite, soft wings, buzz around the fragrant flowers of the wild jasmine, scattering their fine pollen, in this evening hour, when the day has ended. Now, in the delightful village, so pleasant to stay amidst the forests, she would be with suffering soaring in her tear-brimming, kohl-streaked eyes, and her fine form coated with pallor. Ride on, O charioteer, so that the lightning-like tresses of my maiden will be rid of their tangles many!”
Let’s fly on and hear the man’s heartbeat amidst the hoof-beat! The man starts by talking about the time of the year, and to portray it, he mentions how the rains have poured and filled the land with much water and fertility. This is a subtle note to say that the rainy season, which is usually the promised season of return, had arrived. Now he compares his horses to geese, most probably the bar-headed geese that fly in a synchronised motion, high up in the skies, and asks his charioteer to hold on to their reins and direct them, as he sits on their well-etched chariot, which the man claims has been made to perfection. The man insists that the way the charioteer rides should confuse people if it’s just a chariot or the wind, so fast and steady must its motion be that it escapes even the eyes. The man’s thoughts then turn to the lady’s fine village in the forest, in the evening hour, when deers would be uniting with joy and bees would be delighting in the wild jasmine blooms. While there’s so much joy and beauty around, the man says the lady will be standing with tears brimming over in her eyes, and her form covered in pallor, pining for him. The man concludes by urging his charioteer to hurry on, so that his beloved’s hair would be rid of all those knots and tangles!
What has the man’s return got to do with the lady’s tresses? To understand its meaning, we have to know of the tradition of Sangam maiden not adorning their tresses, not even combing them, when their man is away! No doubt those thick tresses would end up matted after such a long absence! But the moment the lady learns of the man’s homecoming, she would groom her hair and bloom again like those wild jasmines, the man predicts. Glad the women of now have come a long way from such ancient traditions, and have uncoupled the act of taking care of their appearance and well-being, from the distance to their beloved!
In this episode, we perceive the promise of a return, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 233, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions an act of ritual offering by a famous Sangam era king.
அலமரல் மழைக் கண் மல்கு பனி வார, நின்
அலர் முலை நனைய, அழாஅல் தோழி!
எரி கவர்பு உண்ட கரி புறப் பெரு நிலம்
பீடு கெழு மருங்கின் ஓடு மழை துறந்தென,
ஊன் இல் யானை உயங்கும் வேனில்,
மறப் படைக் குதிரை, மாறா மைந்தின்,
துறக்கம் எய்திய தொய்யா நல் இசை
முதியர்ப் பேணிய உதியஞ் சேரல்
பெருஞ் சோறு கொடுத்த ஞான்றை, இரும் பல்
கூளிச் சுற்றம் குழீஇ இருந்தாங்கு,
குறியவும் நெடியவும் குன்று தலைமணந்த
சுரன் இறந்து அகன்றனர்ஆயினும், மிக நனி
மடங்கா உள்ளமொடு மதி மயக்குறாஅ,
பொருள்வயின் நீடலோஇலர் நின்
இருள் ஐங் கூந்தல் இன் துயில் மறந்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see much of this harsh domain, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“With your bewildered, rain-like eyes, brimming over with tears, and moistening your blossomed breasts, cry not, my friend! Feasted upon by flames, with a black surface, extends the huge land, which rain clouds have abandoned, scuttling away to other proud and fertile regions. Here, flesh-less elephants rove about in the heat of summer. Such are the drylands.
King Uthiyan Cheral, had spread out great offerings of rice, celebrating his ancestors, who had commanded over a courageous army of horses, who had lived with an undying fame and an unswerving strength, and who had attained the heavens. Akin to the forms of many dark demons in a horde, which had assembled at that time, to gorge on those offerings, soar around many short and tall peaks in the drylands.
Though he has parted away thither, with his relentless heart urging him on to seek wealth, and making him confused, he is not someone, who will delay his return, forgetting the sweet sleep he has savoured on your darkness-like, five-part tresses!”
Time to brave the heat of this terrain and explore on! The confidante starts by talking about the lady’s state of crying ceaselessly, pining for the man who has left. Then she goes on to describe the place to which the man has left, the land which fire has engulfed, a possible reference to wild-fire breakouts, and charred as a result. She also talks about how the rain clouds have given this land the cold shoulder, preferring to associate with other elite lands of fertility. And on such a scorched and barren land, elephants rove around with sagging skin, bereft of flesh, in the heat of summer, the confidante comments.
Then to talk about how this region is surrounded by many tall and short hills, the confidante brings forth a historical reference, describing the time when a Chera King Udhiyan spread out huge offerings of food in honour of his ancestors. This, is a believable fact, for indeed many people here, are known to honour their ancestors with such offerings even to this day. However, the confidante talks about demonic figures that come to feed on these offerings, and it’s those figures she places in parallel to those tall and short hills around the scorching drylands. The confidante concludes by telling the lady though the man, yearning for wealth, nudged by his heart, and much confused, has left to such a place, he is not someone who can possibly stay there, forgetting the peaceful moments of slumber he had experienced on the lady’s tresses.
Those tresses again! What is it about a Sangam maiden’s tresses that so many poets keep singing about it over and over again? Something to do with the scent of a woman and its powerful influence on attraction, no doubt! In this version of ‘Worry not, your beauty will bring the man back’, we got to say hello to a bit of fantasy fused as one with history!
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 232, penned by Kodimangalathu Vaathuli Narchenthanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and describes a ritual performed in Sangam times.
காண் இனி வாழி, தோழி! பானாள்,
மழை முழங்கு அரவம் கேட்ட, கழை தின்,
மாஅல் யானை புலி செத்து வெரீஇ,
இருங் கல் விடரகம் சிலம்பப் பெயரும்
பெருங் கல் நாடன் கேண்மை, இனியே,
குன்ற வேலிச் சிறுகுடி ஆங்கண்,
மன்ற வேங்கை மண நாட் பூத்த
மணி ஏர் அரும்பின் பொன் வீ தாஅய்
வியல் அறை வரிக்கும் முன்றில், குறவர்
மனை முதிர் மகளிரொடு குரவை தூங்கும்
ஆர் கலி விழவுக் களம் கடுப்ப, நாளும்,
விரவுப் பூம் பலியொடு விரைஇ, அன்னை
கடியுடை வியல் நகர்க் காவல் கண்ணி,
‘முருகு’ என வேலற் தரூஉம்
பருவமாகப் பயந்தன்றால், நமக்கே.
In this trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, who has arrived for his tryst with the lady, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“See this, my friend, may you live long! In the middle of the night, hearing the thunderous roar of the rain cloud, a huge elephant feeding on bamboos, frightened that it’s a tiger, runs away trumpeting aloud, making the huge mountain range resound in the man’s mountain country. In a small hamlet, fenced by peaks, the Kino tree in the village centre blooms brightly announcing auspicious days of marriage, and shed golden flowers from sapphire-hued bud stalks, which spread on wide rocky spaces, in the front yard of mountain men, who perform ‘Kuravai’ dance with mature maiden, in those spaces of festivity, filled with uproar. Akin to that, every day, spreading flowers and sacrifice, mother wishing for protection of the well-guarded, fine mansion, seeks blessings of ‘Murugu’ with rituals of ‘Velan’. Your relationship with the man from the mountain country has bestowed upon us, such a time in our lives!”
Time to take a trek amidst the rocky terrain and learn of the challenges in the lady’s life! The confidante starts by beckoning her friend’s attention. Then she goes on to describe the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she brings forth an image of an elephant, startled by the sound of thunder, in the middle of the night, and thinking it’s the roar of the tiger, it scuttles away trumpeting, making the entire mountain range echo in fear. After that description of the man’s mountain country, the confidante goes on to describe how the ‘Vengai’ trees are in full bloom, and they are announcing the season of weddings had arrived. As these golden flowers fell on the rocky spaces in the front yards, mountain men and women perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance with much joy. Appearing akin to that field of festivities, was their own home, the confidante continues, why because mother had decided to curry favour with God ‘Murugu’, using the professional services of ‘Velan’ the priest and seek protection for their house, and to this end, the mother had spread flowers and other sacrificial offerings. Now, the confidante connects these happenings to the lady’s relationship with the man and concludes by wondering at the state they find themselves in now.
To unravel the meanings, we have to understand the reason Mother is starting her ‘Murugu’ worship was because she had noticed the changes in her beloved daughter, who is apparently happy when she’s with the man, and whenever he leaves, she falls into despair and mother’s sharp eyes have caught this. Not knowing that the man is the reason for that, she goes about seeking Murugu’s help to alleviate the lady’s symptoms, implies the confidante. This is also reflected in the scene of the elephant, mistaking thunder for a tiger, and echoes how the lady’s family has mistaken the consequence of the man’s relationship in the lady as ‘Murugu’s ire’. All this is to nudge the man to give up his temporary trysting, take steps to reinstate the lady’s honour and seek her hand in marriage. Yet again, the confidante choreographs that seamless ‘Kuravai’ dance between nature and culture to bring about permanent joy in the lady’s life!
In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 231, penned by Madurai Eezhathu Boothan Thevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the fame of a Pandya King and his city.
‘செறுவோர் செம்மல் வாட்டலும், சேர்ந்தோர்க்கு
உறும் இடத்து உவக்கும் உதவி ஆண்மையும்,
இல் இருந்து அமைவோர்க்கு இல், என்று எண்ணி,
நல் இசை வலித்த நாணுடை மனத்தர்
கொடு விற் கானவர் கணை இடத் தொலைந்தோர்,
படு களத்து உயர்த்த மயிர்த் தலைப் பதுக்கைக்
கள்ளி அம் பறந்தலைக் களர்தொறும் குழீஇ,
உள்ளுநர்ப் பனிக்கும் ஊக்கு அருங் கடத்திடை
வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், நெஞ்சு உருக
வருவர் வாழி, தோழி! பொருவர்
செல் சமம் கடந்த செல்லா நல் இசை,
விசும்பு இவர் வெண் குடை, பசும் பூட் பாண்டியன்
பாடு பெறு சிறப்பின் கூடல் அன்ன நின்
ஆடு வண்டு அரற்றும் முச்சித்
தோடு ஆர் கூந்தல் மரீஇயோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we encounter some frightening images and also take a detour to a famous Sangam era city, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Thinking, ‘The ability, to destroy hubris of foes, and to render aid when friends come seeking in need, does not come to those who stay at home content, nudged by his mind, filled with shame, and yearning to attain good fame, he has left to the scorching drylands, where those who have perished to arrows of men of the jungle, wielding curving bows, in battlefields, are buried with their hairy heads lifted above the ground and covered with shallow stone graves, in those vast saline spaces, where cactus spreads densely. Even though he treads upon such an inaccessible path that makes those who think about it tremble, he shall return with his heart melting, my dear friend, may you live long! Having the undying great fame of routing the attack of his enemies, and a white royal umbrella akin to the sky, rules ‘Pasumpoon Pandiyan’, in his capital of ‘Koodal’, having the fame of being sung about by bards many. Akin to this city, is your bee-buzzing head of tresses, adorned with flowers. He who has found sweet sleep on these tresses of yours will return indeed, without fail!”
Let’s walk on those barren spaces and learn more! The confidante starts by outlining the reasons the man left in search of wealth and these are noble in nature, for he had come to the conclusion that if he wanted to slay the arrogance of his enemies and render without reservation to his friends, he cannot remain at home and do nothing, but must leave in search of wealth. So, propelled by his sense of shame, he had left to the drylands, the confidante says, and goes on to talk about the harsh nature of this domain by painting an image of the men, who had fallen to the arrows of the drylands’ robbers, buried with their hairy heads covered in stones, and mentions how such paths are frightening to even think about. Hardly words of reassurance to the anxious lady! While that may be so, the confidante continues, the man is sure to return with his heart, beating so tenderly for the lady, because he was one, who had relished sweet sleep on those tresses of the lady, which the confidante concludes by placing in parallel to the celebrated city of ‘Koodal’, ruled by a renowned king of Sangam times known by the name of ‘Pasumpoon Pandiyan’.
High praise for this city, for to be placed in parallel with a lady’s beauty, was considered the highest honour that can be endowed on a place! This city of ‘Koodal’ is none other than the city of ‘Madurai’, celebrated even in contemporary times, for being the place that reared and protected the language of Tamil over the ages.
On a tangent, a question arose in my head as to why all these men in search of wealth had to go through the drylands. Why can’t they sail by the coast or trek through the mountains? When reflecting, the thought that struck me was such a barren and desolate region could be an imaginative metaphor to contrast the comfort and safety a person leaves behind, when they venture into a new place! Perhaps, it’s a subtle whisper from the past that the drylands of doubt and despair must be crossed before we can step on to the lush fields of fertility that awaits us in the future!
In this episode, we perceive a man’s ecstatic emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 230, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming blue lotuses of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and sketches a conversation and its consequences.
‘உறு கழி மருங்கின் ஓதமொடு மலர்ந்த
சிறு கரு நெய்தற் கண் போல் மா மலர்ப்
பெருந் தண் மாத் தழை இருந்த அல்குல்,
ஐய அரும்பிய சுணங்கின், வை எயிற்று,
மை ஈர் ஓதி, வாள் நுதல் குறுமகள்!
விளையாட்டு ஆயமொடு வெண் மணல் உதிர்த்த
புன்னை நுண் தாது பொன்னின் நொண்டு,
மனை புறந்தருதிஆயின், எனையதூஉம்,
இம் மனைக் கிழமை எம்மொடு புணரின்,
தீதும் உண்டோ, மாதராய்?’ என,
கடும் பரி நல் மான் கொடிஞ்சி நெடுந் தேர்
கை வல் பாகன் பையென இயக்க,
யாம் தற் குறுகினமாக, ஏந்து எழில்
அரி வேய் உண் கண் பனி வரல் ஒடுக்கி,
சிறிய இறைஞ்சினள், தலையே
பெரிய எவ்வம் யாம் இவண் உறவே.
In this trip to the seas, we get to see more of the person than the land, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, after sharing a moment with a lady:
“When I said going close to her, ‘Adorning huge, eye-like flowers of the small, dark blue lotus, blooming in the fresh flood of waves, near vast backwaters, along with huge, and cool dark leaves around your waist, which is covered with beauty spots many, having sharp teeth, moist, thick black tresses, radiant forehead, art thou, O young maiden! Along with your playmates, you gather fine pollen of the laurel wood tree fallen on the white sands, and considering it as gold, you pretend play houses. If at all, you were to play houses with me by uniting with me for real, is there anything wrong, O magnificent woman?’, as my skilful charioteer slowed down the speeding, fine horses tied to the tall chariot, carved with well-adorned curving seat, hiding the tears in her exquisite, kohl-streaked eyes with red lines, she bent her head a little, causing me to feel a huge suffering just then!”
Let’s relish the sight of the lush seaside flowers and listen on! The man starts by describing the blue lotuses that are blooming like eyes only to say the lady is wearing the same, along with its thick leaves around her waist. After her attire, the man describes her teeth, tresses, and forehead, celebrating their beauty. Then, he goes on to mention how the lady is gathering pollen of the laurel wood tree and treating it as if it were gold, and adorning the sand house that she has built with her mates. After mentioning what the lady’s been doing thus far, the man asks her if there’s anything wrong if she were to come play houses for real with him! To this, the lady, as if sharing her consent, with tear-brimming eyes, had bent her head a little and that action had thrown the man’s heart into a flutter, he concludes!
I know! I was shocked to hear such a question put forth to a girl playing with sand houses. But we have to keep away our modern lenses and observe this interaction. Perhaps young girls were so innocent in those times that they kept playing with sand houses much into maturity. Or, the concept of age and appropriateness could have been totally different in this culture. If we were to see beyond these specifics, at the core, it’s a man proposing to a woman, and hearing her silent acceptance. If we can see that, we can relate to that timeless explosion of feelings in a person at that moment when they can see that their love is reciprocated!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 229, penned by Madurai Koolavaanikan Seethalai Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes aspects of this domain and the arrival of a season.
பகல் செய் பல் கதிர்ப் பருதி அம் செல்வன்
அகல் வாய் வானத்து ஆழி போழ்ந்தென,
நீர் அற வறந்த நிரம்பா நீள் இடை,
கயந் தலைக் குழவிக் கவி உகிர் மடப் பிடி
குளகு மறுத்து உயங்கிய மருங்குல் பல உடன்
பாழ் ஊர்க் குரம்பையின் தோன்றும் ஆங்கண்,
நெடுஞ் சேண் இடைய குன்றம் போகி,
பொய்வலாளர் முயன்று செய் பெரும் பொருள்
நம் இன்று ஆயினும் முடிக, வல்லென,
பெருந் துனி மேவல்! நல்கூர் குறுமகள்!
நோய் மலிந்து உகுத்த நொசி வரல் சில் நீர்
பல் இதழ் மழைக் கண் பாவை மாய்ப்ப,
பொன் ஏர் பசலை ஊர்தர, பொறி வரி
நல் மா மேனி தொலைதல் நோக்கி,
இனையல் என்றி தோழி! சினைய
பாசரும்பு ஈன்ற செம் முகை முருக்கினப்
போது அவிழ் அலரி கொழுதி தாது அருந்து,
அம் தளிர் மாஅத்து அலங்கல் மீமிசை,
செங் கண் இருங் குயில் நயவரக் கூஉம்
இன் இளவேனிலும் வாரார்,
‘இன்னே வருதும்’ எனத் தெளித்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we experience tender scenes in the scrub jungle, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“As the many-rayed handsome sun, which creates the day, splits across the wide-mouthed sky, akin to a wheel, in those endless, long paths, bereft of even a drop of water, a naive female elephant refuses to eat leaves, leaving those for its tender-headed calf, and owing to the ensuing starvation, appears with a shrunken form, looking like huts in a ruined town. To such a place, after crossing peaks across great distances, that man of lies has gone to spend his efforts on gaining wealth.
My friend, when you heard my words, ‘Let him attain that great wealth promptly, even if it means he loses me’, you had said to me, ‘Do not shower your anger, O young maiden, who came as a boon to your parents! Filled with affliction, shedding tear drops, hiding the pupil of your many-petalled, rain-like eyes, as a golden pallor covers you, looking at your fine, dark skin, filled with delicate lines, becoming ruined, worry not!’.
Pecking and feeding on the pollen of fully bloomed flowers of the Coral tree, soaring from red buds on spreading branches, and then flying to a mango tree, with exquisite, tender sprouts, and perching on a swaying branch atop, the red-eyed black cuckoo calls out in a melodious tune in this sweet time of spring. The one who had promised that ‘I will be back soon’, has not yet returned even now!”
Time to take that walk through the sweltering drylands again! The lady starts by talking about the weather in the drylands, the way the sun seems to roll across the sky like a wheel and scorch the land beneath, without any pity. As a consequence, there’s not a drop of water to be had and food is hard to come by, which makes a female elephant give up its meal of leaves for the sake of its young calf, and seems to take on the appearance of a thatched hut in shambles, the lady says. Such are the scenes in the drylands, where the man has gone to gain wealth, the lady connects. Then she turns to the confidante and recollects how she had said in anger wishing the man to gain that wealth he sought even if it meant that she were to die. To this, the confidante had responded like a good friend that she is, asking the lady not to cry and worry about the changes in her form because of her pining. The lady concludes by expressing how it was impossible to accept the confidante’s consolation because spring was here, announced by the music of the content cuckoo, which had pecked on the pollen of the bright red coral flowers and was resting on the dancing branches of the mango tree, and yet the man had not returned in this sweet time of togetherness.
Spring’s not right, rainy season is not right, the cold season too, these women seem to declare, when parted from their beloved. In short, no season is acceptable to be apart, to these maiden in love! The striking moments of this oft-repeated theme is in the selflessness of that mother elephant and in the sweet song of the cuckoo in spring, evoking emotions of care and joy, beyond the boundaries of space and time!
In this episode, we listen to words of hidden persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 228, penned by Andar Magan Kuravazhuthiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming blue lilies of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents scenes from nature having a cultural significance.
பிரசப் பல் கிளை ஆர்ப்ப, கல்லென
வரை இழி அருவி ஆரம் தீண்டித்
தண் என நனைக்கும் நளிர் மலைச் சிலம்பில்,
கண் என மலர்ந்த மா இதழ்க் குவளைக்
கல் முகை நெடுஞ் சுனை நம்மொடு ஆடி,
பகலே இனிது உடன் கழிப்பி, இரவே
செல்வர்ஆயினும், நன்றுமன் தில்ல
வான்கண் விரிந்த பகல் மருள் நிலவின்
சூரல் மிளைஇய சாரல் ஆர் ஆற்று,
ஓங்கல் மிசைய வேங்கை ஒள் வீப்
புலிப் பொறி கடுப்பத் தோன்றலின், கய வாய்
இரும் பிடி இரியும் சோலைப்
பெருங் கல் யாணர்த் தம் சிறுகுடியானே.
In this short little trip to the mountains, we gaze at picturesque sights, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when they are waiting for the man to arrive for his nightly tryst with the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Making swarms of bees resound, with an uproar, the cascade descends down the mountains, caressing the sandalwood tree in its path, and soaking it with moisture, in the fertile mountain slopes, where akin to eyes, bloom the huge-petaled blue lilies. In the wide spring amidst the rocky clefts herein, if he can play with you, pass the day together with much joy, and then leave by night, when the moon spreads on the sky, brightening it like the day, walking on those paths through the slopes, filled with jujube brushes, to his prosperous little hamlet, amidst the tall hills, where a dark female elephant with a huge mouth, mistakes the bright flowers of the Kino tree soaring amidst the boulders, for the stripes of a tiger and scuttles away in fear, that would a good thing!”
Let’s soak in the gushing waterfall and learn more! The confidante starts by talking about how the cascade comes pouncing down the mountain, scattering swarms of bees, and soaking a sandalwood tree standing in its path. A moment to imagine the scent of the waters gushing in this manner! Then, the confidante continues portraying how the cascade falls down and pools into a spring, where blue-lilies are blooming in abundance. It’s this spot that’s perfect for the man to meet the lady by day, relish her sweet company, and then leave to his town by night, says the confidante. She concludes by characterising the man’s mountain village as a place, where a female elephant looks at the golden flowers of the Kino tree, mistakes it for a tiger, and runs away scared.
Looking at the words of the verse, it seems like a harmless request to change the tryst from night to day. However, by placing the image of the brightly blooming Kino flowers, the confidante subtly hints that it’s the season of weddings, and instead of choosing the temporary path of trysting, the man must take steps to claim the lady’s hand in marriage. Hope the ‘decrypter’ is functioning right in the man’s head to decipher this cryptic message, seeking a change in action. A moment to appreciate the significance a simple flower’s blooming has in the life of a Sangam maiden, talking about a time when nature and culture were fused as one!
In this episode, we perceive a wish for the welfare of another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 227, penned by Nakirar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches scenes from nature and history.
‘நுதல் பசந்தன்றே; தோள் சாயினவே;
திதலை அல்குல் வரியும் வாடின;
என் ஆகுவள்கொல் இவள்?’ என, பல் மாண்
நீர் மலி கண்ணொடு நெடிது நினைந்து ஒற்றி,
இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! நனை கவுள்
காய் சினம் சிறந்த வாய் புகு கடாத்தொடு
முன் நிலை பொறாஅது முரணி, பொன் இணர்ப்
புலிக் கேழ் வேங்கைப் பூஞ் சினை புலம்ப,
முதல் பாய்ந்திட்ட முழு வலி ஒருத்தல்
செந் நிலப் படு நீறு ஆடி, செரு மலைந்து,
களம் கொள் மள்ளரின் முழங்கும் அத்தம்
பல இறந்து அகன்றனர் ஆயினும், நிலைஇ,
நோய் இலராக, நம் காதலர்! வாய் வாள்,
தமிழ் அகப்படுத்த இமிழ் இசை முரசின்,
வருநர் வரையாப் பெரு நாள் இருக்கை,
தூங்கல் பாடிய ஓங்கு பெரு நல் இசைப்
பிடி மிதி வழுதுணைப் பெரும் பெயர்த் தழும்பன்
கடி மதில் வரைப்பின் ஊணூர் உம்பர்,
விழு நிதி துஞ்சும் வீறு பெறு திரு நகர்,
இருங் கழிப் படப்பை மருங்கூர்ப் பட்டினத்து,
எல் உமிழ் ஆவணத்து அன்ன,
கல்லென் கம்பலை செய்து அகன்றோரே!
In this trip to the drylands, we journey on to some prosperous towns as well, as we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain away, having parted in search of wealth.
“Saying, ‘Her forehead is coated with pallor; Her arms are thinning away; The fine lines on her loins, covered in beauty spots, have faded; What will become of her?’, with your eyes brimming over with tears, do not think a lot and worry on my behalf. May you live long, my friend!
Having moist cheeks, and raging fury, with musth fluid entering its mouth, unable to bear the sight in front, with enmity, a strong male elephant pounces on the trunk of the Kino tree, with golden flowers, in the hue of a tiger. Depriving the tree of its flowers and leaving it desolate, the elephant then rolls in the mud of the red earth beneath and quenches its rage. Rising from there, akin to the shout of warriors, when they claim victory on a battlefield, the elephant roars in the drylands. Though that lover of mine has parted away, crossing many such drylands’ paths, may he remain well and without affliction!
Wielding an honest sword, and having a roaring drum that has subdued all of Tamil land, showering limitlessly on supplicants in his great court, lives the famous king, having the celebrated name of ‘Thazhumban’, sung about by Poet Thoongal, having a scar in the shape of an eggplant, since he was stamped by a female elephant. He rules over the prosperous town of ‘Oonoor’, protected by soaring fort walls. Beyond his town, in Marungoor, filled with great, unshakeable wealth, adorned with proud and affluent mansions, and having huge backwaters and orchards, the marketplaces shine with radiant light and resound with noise. Akin to that uproar, he has caused slander to soar in town and parted away! Even so, may he journey on without any distress!”
Time to brave the dangerous paths of this domain! The lady starts by acknowledging the worry in her confidante, about her lustreless forehead, thinning arms and fading beauty. She asks the confidante not to worry so much, with tear filled eyes, about her own state. Then she goes on to describe the drylands, where the man treads now, zooming on to a raging male elephant in musth, and the way it’s taking out its anger, not on a real enemy, like a tiger, but on a Kino tree, just because it has flowers in the hue of its arch rival! After dashing against the poor tree, and making its flowers shed, the elephant then rolls in glee in the red earth and roars aloud, sounding like those blood-splattered warriors, when they claim victory in the battlefront. From here, the lady takes us to the town of Oonoor, surrounded by soaring fort walls and ruled by a renowned king, ‘Thazhumban’, with many laurels to his name. To list a few, apparently his drum had subdued the whole of Tamil land. It was interesting to catch that rare glimpse the word ‘Thamizh’ in the verse.
To continue on the king’s laurels, he was said to be celebrated by an ancient Tamil poet named ‘Thoongal Vaariyaar’, and lastly, he had received his name which means ‘The One with a Scar’, because he happened to be stamped upon by an elephant, and here’s my favourite part, owing to that he has a scar in the shape of an eggplant. ‘Vazhuthunai’ is the exact word used in this verse for the eggplant! I had somehow always associated eggplants with Persian and Greek cuisine. It was only today I learnt that the eggplant is native to India and has even been found in the archaeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation. So, I’m naturally thrilled to find this eggplant reference in Sangam literature, though the Tamils have lost the use of this particular word, and call it ‘Kathirikai’ in contemporary times.
Returning from our culinary meanderings, we learn this king Thazhumban and his town of Oonor have been summoned in this verse, only to take us further afar, to the markets of the affluent town of Marungoor, said to have backwaters and long-standing wealth, as reflected from its mansions. The lady connects the loud noise in the markets of Marungoor to the slander that has risen in town, owing to the man’s relationship with the lady. This tells us that the lady’s parting with the man is happening, before her marriage to the man. The lady concludes by saying even though the man has caused that uproar and left, after swearing that he would never part away from the lady, no harm should befall him in his journey! An inspiring expression of love that overlooks the hurt caused and wishes well for the beloved!
In this episode, we listen to a firm refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 226, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the fertile fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and portrays a historical moment from the era.
உணர்குவென் அல்லென்; உரையல் நின் மாயம்;
நாண் இலை மன்ற யாணர் ஊர!
அகலுள் ஆங்கண், அம் பகை மடிவை,
குறுந் தொடி மகளிர் குரூஉப் புனல் முனையின்,
பழனப் பைஞ் சாய் கொழுதி, கழனிக்
கரந்தை அம் செறுவின் வெண் குருகு ஓப்பும்,
வல் வில் எறுழ்த் தோள், பரதவர் கோமான்,
பல் வேல் மத்தி, கழாஅர் முன்துறை,
நெடு வெண் மருதொடு வஞ்சி சாஅய,
விடியல் வந்த பெரு நீர்க் காவிரி,
தொடி அணி முன்கை நீ வெய்யோளொடு
முன் நாள் ஆடிய கவ்வை, இந் நாள்,
வலி மிகும் முன்பின் பாணனொடு, மலி தார்த்
தித்தன் வெளியன் உறந்தை நாள் அவைப்
பாடு இன் தெண் கிணைப் பாடு கேட்டு அஞ்சி,
போர் அடு தானைக் கட்டி
பொராஅது ஓடிய ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே.
In this trip to the farmlands, we venture to the source of the town’s fertility, the river shore, as we listen to the lady’s confidante say these words to the man, when he seeks entry into the lady’s house, after leaving to be in the company of a courtesan:
“I shall not accept it as truth! Speak not your words of trickery; You don’t have any shame, O lord of the prosperous town! In wide spaces therein, clad in leaf garments with contrasting patterns, maiden wearing small bangles, after they tire of playing in the gushing streams, take to plucking new reeds from ponds, and chasing white birds from picturesque fields, filled with globe thistles, in the river shore of Kazhaar, ruled by the many-speared ‘Maththi’, the king of the fisherfolk, having strong shoulders bearing a sturdy bow, where in the early hours of dawn, the new flood of Kaveri gushes, felling the tall, white Arjuna tree, along with the Portia tree. Here, along with that maiden you desire, wearing bangles on her forearm, you had been frolicking yesterday. The slander that arose today owing to that, is resounding louder than the uproar heard, when along with Paanan, having skilful strength, Katti, who had come with a huge army to attack Uranthai, ruled by the garland-clad Thiththan Veliyan, upon hearing the sweet music of the clear ‘Kinai’ drums from the king’s assembly, fearfully abandoned his mission and ran away!”
Let’s listen to the familiar beats of a love quarrel in this land of plenty! The confidante comes straight to the point and refuses to accept the man’s words, calling them as lies and declaring that the man was shameless. When we ask her the reason for this emphatic statement, she launches into a description of the town of Kazhaar, ruled by the great Maththi, renowned for his spears, called as the ‘King of fishermen’, and apparently one who had strong shoulders to bear bows. The chap seems to be handling both spears and arrows, a multi-faceted warrior, seems like!
Anyway, returning to the river shore of Kazhaar, here we find young maiden, wearing stylish leaf garments in striking designs and playing in the stream. After a while, tired of the exertion, they walk on to the ponds, where reeds are blooming, pluck those, and then run about chasing the white birds from the fertile fields, which not only have crops, but also colourful globe thistles growing therein. After laying out a day in the life of these carefree maiden, the confidante talks about how in these very river shores of Kazhaar, the river Kaveri had gushed with much force, felling two great trees in its stride, and it was right here, where the man had been having fun with another maiden he desired, a day previous. And because of that, continues the confidante, a booming slander had risen in town, which was louder than the uproar that erupted at the moment, when a ruler named Katti, having come with another ruler named Paanan to attack the town of ‘Uranthai’, ruled by Thiththan Veliyan, just after hearing the sound of Thiththan’s Kinai drums, abandoned his idea and ran away from Uranthai!
Why would an attacking ruler abandon his mission just after hearing drum beats of the enemy king? A curious story, no doubt told to extol the prowess and aura of King ‘Thiththan Veliyan’! Anyway, good to see that the confidante is not fooled by the man’s deception, calls a spade a spade, and makes the lady’s dignity reverberate like those ‘Kinai’ drums of Uranthai!
In this episode, we perceive a dilemma unfolding, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 225, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the elements of this domain with intricate similes.
அன்பும், மடனும், சாயலும், இயல்பும்,
என்பு நெகிழ்க்கும் கிளவியும், பிறவும்,
ஒன்றுபடு கொள்கையொடு ஓராங்கு முயங்கி,
இன்றே இவணம் ஆகி, நாளை,
புதல் இவர் ஆடு அமை, தும்பி குயின்ற
அகலா அம் துளை, கோடை முகத்தலின்,
நீர்க்கு இயங்கு இன நிரைப் பின்றை வார் கோல்
ஆய்க் குழல் பாணியின் ஐது வந்து இசைக்கும்,
தேக்கு அமல் சோலைக் கடறு ஓங்கு அருஞ் சுரத்து,
யாத்த தூணித் தலை திறந்தவைபோல்,
பூத்த இருப்பைக் குழை பொதி குவி இணர்
கழல் துளை முத்தின் செந் நிலத்து உதிர,
மழை துளி மறந்த அம் குடிச் சீறூர்ச்
சேக்குவம் கொலோ நெஞ்சே! பூப் புனை
புயல் என ஒலிவரும் தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,
செறி தொடி முன்கை, நம் காதலி
அறிவு அஞர் நோக்கமும் புலவியும் நினைந்தே?
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see some striking images, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when it has been nudging him to part with the lady and go in search of wealth:
“Love, naivety, beauty, goodness, words that could melt the very bones and many other such attributes are all fused as one in her. Today I’m in her embrace right here; But tomorrow, I shall be elsewhere, where upon the swaying bamboos, sprouting amidst the bushes, carpenter bees have drilled narrow and exquisite holes, and through which summer winds rush through, sounding like the music of those melodious flutes, of cowherds, wielding long rods, and walking behind herds of cattle, in search of water. In that formidable drylands, soaring with forests, full of teak trees, Mahua trees sprout with branch ends, appearing like an opened-out quiver full with arrows, and have fully bloomed clusters of rounded Mahua flowers, which drop down and scatter, appearing like holed pearls on the red earth beneath. In those little hamlets there, which have forgotten the sight of a raindrop, is it possible for us to stay, O heart, as thoughts of her, who has low-hanging tresses, so thick and luxuriant like a raincloud, adorned with flowers; and a forearm decked with tight bangles, and her bewildered looks of suffering and sulking cross our minds?”
Let’s walk on through this difficult landscape and extract the essence therein! The man starts by listing the abstract qualities of the lady that endear her to him, talking about her affection, innocence, good looks and noble nature. He adds another nuanced quality, which made me smile, mentioning how her words seemed to have the power to melt his bones. Imagine the tenderness he would feel when he hears those words to make such a statement! Returning, the man says, ‘Today, I’m in the embrace of such exquisiteness, but tomorrow is another story!’
Then he goes on to talk about the place, where he’ll be at the next day, the drylands, and here he first brings before our eyes, bamboos sprouting tall amidst the bushes, and then takes us closer to the said bamboos, and points to little holes, which he explains have been made by carpenter bees. It’s not just sight that he gifts us with, but he asks us to listen intently, and then we hear the sound of summer winds flowing through these holes, and the man equates this music to that of the cowherds’ fine flute. This makes me think the inventor of the flute would most probably have been inspired from one such moment of inhaling the music of the breeze through a drilled bamboo, telling us that the most exquisite art of humans have their roots in nature!
Back to the verse once again, we find the man then talking about how in this drylands forest, there are teak trees and also Mahua trees, whose branch ends seem like an opened out quiver full of arrows. Only when I saw an image of a branch of this tree with flower ends, not yet bloomed, I fully comprehended the aptness of this simile. The man doesn’t stop with that one simile, but goes on to talk about how the bloomed flowers of this tree drop down and would appear like pearls gleaming on the red soil beneath. Another radiant simile! If the drylands are going to be so pretty, I’ll go there anyway, I want to say, but the man finishes this description with an image of the hamlets there, which have forgotten the meaning of rain, and we know that’s not going to be a great place to stay, especially in the sweltering summer. The man then describes the tangible beauty of the lady, talking about her cloud-like tresses and fine forearms, and concludes by wondering how on earth he’s going to remain there in the drylands, when the thoughts of her sorrow and anger come rushing to him! No doubt those thoughts will gush like the summer wind against the tiny holes of loneliness in his heart, singing in the melancholic tune of a flute from afar!
In this episode, we listen to an earnest request put forth to another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 224, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar Makanaar Perunthalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the trotting deer of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, and sketches the nuanced elements of a chariot ride.
செல்க, பாக! எல்லின்று பொழுதே
‘வல்லோன் அடங்கு கயிறு அமைப்ப, கொல்லன்
விசைத்து வாங்கு துருத்தியின் வெய்ய உயிரா,
கொடு நுகத்து யாத்த தலைய, கடு நடை,
கால் கடுப்பு அன்ன கடுஞ் செலல் இவுளி,
பால் கடை நுரையின் பரூஉ மிதப்பு அன்ன,
வால் வெள் தெவிட்டல் வழி வார் நுணக்கம்
சிலம்பி நூலின் நுணங்குவன பாறி,
சாந்து புலர் அகலம் மறுப்ப, காண்தக,
புது நலம் பெற்ற வெய்து நீங்கு புறவில்,
தெறி நடை மரைக் கணம் இரிய, மனையோள்
ஐது உணங்கு வல்சி பெய்து முறுக்கு உறுத்த
திரிமரக் குரல் இசை கடுப்ப, வரி மணல்
அலங்கு கதிர்த் திகிரி ஆழி போழ,
வரும்கொல் தோழி! நம் இன் உயிர்த் துணை’ என,
சில் கோல் எல் வளை ஒடுக்கி, பல் கால்
அருங் கடி வியல் நகர் நோக்கி,
வருந்துமால், அளியள் திருந்திழைதானே.
In this trip, we get to see a little of the place and more of the transport, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, when returning home after a mission:
“Speed on, O charioteer! The day is ending! Saying, ’The expert rider ties their reining ropes, and akin to bellows that an ironsmith pulls with pressure, sighing hotly, horses, with their heads fastened firmly to the curving yokes, having a fast trot with the speed of the wind, emit from their mouths, shiny, white foam, akin to the froth of floating cream when milk is churned, which then turns into delicate strands, akin to a spider’s webs, and ruins his chest, streaked with dried-up sandalwood, in that picturesque forest, shorn of all its heat and resplendent with a new beauty. Making the leaping deer herd there scatter away startled, round spokes of the wheel split the lined earth, resounding like the music that arises, when a woman of the house pours well-dried rice and grinds it firmly in the mortar. In this manner, will that sweet life companion of mine return today, my friend?’, that maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, would push away her rounded, shining bangles, and gaze many times from the well-protected, wide mansion. That pitiable maiden would be filled with worry and so we should rush on, O charioteer!”
Let’s hop along on this ancient chariot and hear the trot of the man’s heartbeat! The man starts with a firm instruction to his driver, asking the chap to press on the accelerator, meaning to hasten the horses. Why because the day is nearing its end! Then, the man goes on to repeat the words of another, without revealing who that is! This person imagines how this same charioteer would have tied the horses well, and as he rides them, those horses would give out a hot sigh, like an ironsmith’s bellows, and run so fast, making foam gather around their mouths, appear like the froth that rises in the churning of milk. Considering the speed with which the horses are rushing, that foam would not stay put, but would become delicate threads, looking like spider’s webs. And these would fall on the sandalwood-streaked chest of who else, but the lord, and run it. Wonder who that person is, who is so bothered about the man’s chest!
Returning, the person continues by saying all this is happening in a beautiful forest, which doesn’t seem to know the meaning of heat, implying that the rains have just poured, and blessed it with a radiant beauty. That person then transfers the gaze from the horses to the chariot and talks about how its speed would frighten the deer there, and how the wheels would move on the earth, echoing with the sound that comes when a woman of the house grinds dried rice in a mortar. Saying all this, that person turns to her friend and asks whether in this way, her man would return home that day. No prizes for guessing who the speaker is! None other than the lady of course. The interesting thing is that the man is saying the lady would be expressing these thoughts as she pushes away her slipping bangles, which have become few in number, many of them having fallen, no doubt because of the pining for her man. He also says she would keep looking out of their mansion, waiting eagerly every moment for the sound of her beloved’s arrival. The man concludes by giving the logical reason that the lady would worry if he did not make it, and so he asks his charioteer to speed on and brighten the beloved’s day!
The striking element here is in the way the lady is able to visualise the man where he is, sitting in that faraway mansion. She feels the rough texture of the ropes being tied around the horses, sees the white foam on the horse’s mouth, and the delicate, almost-invisible threads from their mouth. She smells the sandalwood on her man’s chest. She hears the sound of the wheels striking the forest floor and grinding upon it. In short, she experiences the man’s travel with all her senses, or so the man says. He too is here far away, riding towards her, but he is able to feel the touch of her bangles being pushed away, the sight of her gazing eagerly out of their house. Reflecting on these words, it’s the power of visualisation that is portrayed in a nuanced manner, an effective tool that is said to make one’s dreams and goals come true. Be it an athlete dreaming of a big win, or a professional making a critical presentation, or an activist aiming for a transformation, psychologists recommend, ‘Imagine. Imagine in vivid detail. Not only the end result. But the process too, and you will find your way there!’ A supposedly modern technique of training the mind, so seamlessly employed by this couple from the pages of the past!
In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 223, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse illustrates both the fierce nature of this domain and the gentle beauty of the lady.
‘பிரிதல் வல்லியர், இது, நத் துறந்தோர்
மறந்தும் அமைகுவர்கொல்?’ என்று எண்ணி,
ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! கேழல்
வளை மருப்பு உறழும் முளை நெடும் பெருங் காய்
நனை முதிர் முருக்கின் சினை சேர் பெருங்கல்,
காய் சினக் கடு வளி எடுத்தலின், வெங் காட்டு
அழல் பொழி யானையின் ஐயெனத் தோன்றும்
நிழல் இல் ஓமை நீர் இல் நீள் இடை,
இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், காதலர் நம்வயின்
மறந்து கண்படுதல் யாவது புறம் தாழ்
அம் பணை நெடுந் தோள் தங்கி, தும்பி
அரியினம் கடுக்கும் சுரி வணர் ஐம்பால்
நுண் கேழ் அடங்க வாரி, பையுள் கெட,
நன் முகை அதிரல் போதொடு, குவளைத்
தண் நறுங் கமழ் தொடை வேய்ந்த, நின்
மண் ஆர் கூந்தல் மரீஇய துயிலே?
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see some striking images, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Thinking ‘He seems to be capable of parting away from me; Would the one, who has forsaken me so, also be capable of remaining there, forgetting me?’, cry not, my friend! May you live long! As the coral tree, having long and huge petals, akin to the curved horns of a male boar, extends its branch upon a huge boulder nearby, in the midst of hot winds that blow fast, it appears strikingly as if an elephant is surrounded by flames in a dry scrub jungle, in those waterless long paths, filled with shadeless toothbrush trees. Even though that lover of yours has left to such a place, how will his eyes close? Your tresses hang low on your back, having curly, five-part braids that appear akin to a swarm of bees, in a fine, rich hue, neatly oiled and combed, and ending all sorrow, tied with fine buds of wild jasmine with pollen, along with cool and fragrant flowers of blue-lily woven together, and are adorned with fragrant pastes! Indeed, how can he forget that sleep he relished on your beautiful, bamboo-like arms, resting on these tresses of yours?”
Time to brave the hot winds of the drylands and explore on! The confidante starts by repeating what’s going on in the lady’s mind, talking about how she’s thinking, ‘It was unthinkable earlier that he would leave me and part away, but he seems to have done that easily. In the same way, would he also forget about me and remain there?’. Logical question, of course! But the confidante answers this question in a different way. First she acknowledges the reality that the man has indeed left to the drylands, and she sketches this place vividly, pointing to how a coral tree branch with its red, claw-like petals, which resemble a boar’s curving horns, extending upon a rock, and shaking in the hot wind, appears as if an elephant is on fire in the searing, dry atmosphere of the place. With that image and describing the drylands as shadeless and waterless, having only toothbrush trees, the confidante paints a dreary image of where the man is at. From there, she zooms on to the beauty of the lady’s tresses, highlighting how it’s long, black, thick and curly, like a swarm of bees. This simile and description brings to mind the unique hair texture of many modern Africans. Could this line possibly point to genetic similarities between people of the Sangam era with prehistoric migrant populations from Africa? Science will validate in the future, no doubt!
Returning, the confidante has been going on about the lady’s five-part braids and tresses coated with many fragrant pastes only to conclude by saying, ‘How is it humanly possibly for the man to forget the sleep he enjoyed on your arms, caressing your tresses, and remain in that forsaken place faraway?’. An effective technique of contrasting the dreariness of the drylands and the heavenliness of the lady’s beauty, to assure the lady that the man will indeed return to her. What a boost to the sinking morale of the lady to be reminded of her power to pull back the man, no matter how far he has gone!
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 222, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and narrates a much talked about story from the Sangam times.
வான் உற நிவந்த நீல் நிறப் பெரு மலைக்
கான நாடன் உறீஇய நோய்க்கு, உன்
மேனி ஆய் நலம் தொலைதலின், மொழிவென்;
முழவு முகம் புலராக் கலி கொள் ஆங்கண்,
கழாஅர்ப் பெருந் துறை விழவின் ஆடும்,
ஈட்டு எழில் பொலிந்த ஏந்து குவவு மொய்ம்பின்,
ஆட்டன் அத்தி நலன் நயந்து உரைஇ,
தாழ் இருங் கதுப்பின் காவிரி வவ்வலின்,
மாதிரம் துழைஇ, மதி மருண்டு அலந்த
ஆதிமந்தி காதலற் காட்டி,
படு கடல் புக்க பாடல்சால் சிறப்பின்
மருதி அன்ன மாண் புகழ் பெறீஇயர்,
சென்மோ வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள்,
உரவு உரும் ஏறொடு மயங்கி,
இரவுப் பெயல் பொழிந்த ஈர்ந் தண் ஆறே.
In this mountain trek, we take a long detour to the shores of another riverine town, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, noticing the man listening nearby, pretending not to see him, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“The lord of the huge mountains, in blue hue, soaring to the skies, and brimming with forests, has rendered unto you, this affliction, which has made the fine beauty of your form fade away. That’s why I’m saying this! In that place filled with much joy, where the skin of the drums dry not, in the huge shore of Kazhaar, when dancing in the festivities, seeing the beauty of Aattan Aththi, whose upright shoulders shone with much splendour, desiring him, River Kaveri with her low-hanging tresses, took him away. Searching for him in all the directions, much confused, roved Aathi Manthi. Showing to her, where her lover was, Maruthi then stepped into the roaring ocean herself and gained the fame of being sung about. Akin to this Maruthi, let me attain great fame! Come let’s go, my friend, may you live long, and search, treading upon this cool and moist path, where the night rains have poured, fused together with roaring thunder, for many days now!”
Let’s scale this hill and learn more! The confidante describes the man’s domain as the blue mountains, with high peaks and dense forests. That’s all the good the confidante has to say about the man and turns to focus on how he has left the lady in a love affliction of pining for him and losing her health. Then, the confidante narrates a story about a handsome male dancer named ‘Aattan Aththi’ and how enamoured by his handsome shoulders, the River Kaveri had snatched him, when he was dancing on the shores of Kazhaar. His wife, ‘Aathi Manthi’, went around searching for her lover in all the directions, asking everyone, in a much confused state. At that time, a lady named Maruthi showed Aathi Manthi, where her husband was, and for some reason, she jumped into the ocean and gave up her life. Can’t imagine why she should do that? Did she die in some sort of rescue mission? Anyway, whatever the context, this supposedly endowed great fame on this Maruthi, describes the confidante, and connects saying that she too must attain that kind of fame and she concludes by beckoning her friend to join her in the search for the man, treading those slippery mountain paths, upon which the rains have fallen for many a day!
All this drama is for the benefit of the listening man! To tell him, ‘See how much pain you inflict on the lady with your absence. See what desperate measures we are pushed into, just to find you’ and thereby point out that the man must give up his temporary trysting and seek the lady’s hand in marriage. Hope the man gets the message and relieves the lady’s angst! Yet again I’m amazed by what measures this confidante takes to ensure the well-being of the lady! Don’t you think we should grant the confidante the fame she seeks in this verse, and endow her the title of ‘Epitome of Friendship!’?
In this episode, we listen to a description of the only available course of action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 221, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the situation which necessitates elopement in a lady’s life.
நனை விளை நறவின் தேறல் மாந்தி,
புனை வினை நல் இல் தரு மணல் குவைஇ,
‘பொம்மல் ஓதி எம் மகள் மணன்’ என,
வதுவை அயர்ந்தனர் நமரே; அதனால்,
புதுவது புனைந்த சேயிலை வெள் வேல்,
மதி உடம்பட்ட மை அணற் காளை
வாங்கு சினை மலிந்த திரள் அரை மராஅத்து,
தேம் பாய் மெல் இணர் தளிரொடு கொண்டு, நின்
தண் நறு முச்சி புனைய, அவனொடு
கழை கவின் போகிய மழை உயர் நனந்தலை,
களிற்று இரை பிழைத்தலின், கய வாய் வேங்கை
காய் சினம் சிறந்து, குழுமலின் வெரீஇ,
இரும் பிடி இரியும் சோலை
அருஞ் சுரம் சேறல் அயர்ந்தனென், யானே.
In this trip to the drylands, we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, urging her to choose the path of elopement:
“Relishing well-filtered toddy that blooms from buds, heaping sand brought from elsewhere, in front of the fine and well-etched mansion, declaring, ‘Our daughter, the girl with exquisite tresses, is about to be married’, our kin are making preparations for your wedding; And so, the bull-like, bearded young man, holding a newly sculpted leaf-edged white spear, sees eye to eye with me on this. He shall pluck soft, honey-soaked flower clusters, along with tender sprouts, from the burflower tree, with a thick trunk, brimming with curving branches, and adorn your cool and fragrant head. Along with him, you should traverse the highland spaces, without rain, where bamboos have lost their beauty, and where a tiger, with a fierce mouth, maddened by the loss of its prey of a male elephant, filled with fury, lashes out with a loud shout, and frightens the elephant’s dark mate in the drylands scrub jungle. This is what I wish for you now!”
Time to walk along with this couple through that harsh domain! The confidante starts with an account of what’s happening at home right then and she zooms on to the actions of the lady’s relatives, who are getting into the festive mood by drinking toddy that’s mentioned as blooming from buds. Now, blooming from buds implies that this is honey. Are they fermenting honey into alcohol? Researching on this, I learnt the term for this alcoholic beverage, made from honey, is ‘mead’, and it’s considered to be the ‘great, great, great grand-mother’ of all liquor, and revered in many ancient cultures, be it in China, Greece, Rome or even Scandinavia! Perhaps the ‘theral’ we keep reading about in Sangam literature, is the Tamil equivalent of this ‘mead’!
Returning from our revels in toddy, we find the confidante continuing what those relatives of the lady are up to, talking about how they have brought heaps of sand and spread it in front of the mansion and they are going around telling everyone that the their daughter is about to be married. A wedding is a happy occasion, is it not? But not so, for the lady, who loves another, and here, the parents are arranging a wedding with a stranger. So, the confidante had taken things into her hands and has told the man the only way forward was to elope with the lady, and he too had wholeheartedly agreed to the plan. All this, the confidante conveys to the lady and sketches an image of the drylands, which is harsh indeed, where the sounds of a tiger, which has lost its prey of a male elephant makes it bellow aloud in fury, and this startles the female elephant there. The confidante concludes by telling the lady that even so, all she wished for the lady was to leave there, along with the man, whom the confidante promises will adorn the lady’s tresses with the clusters of bur-flowers growing in that very space!
And so, the confidante seems to be telling the lady, ‘Even though there’s danger in the drylands, you are in safe hands, and those will shower love and care upon you!’ By presenting both the harsh reality of the situation and positive visualisation of the future, the confidante shows the way to nudge someone in the right direction!
In this episode, we perceive pointed questions put forth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 220, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fertile seas of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and builds a stack of similes to present a pertinent point.
ஊரும் சேரியும் உடன் இயைந்து அலர் எழ,
தேரொடு மறுகியும், பணி மொழி பயிற்றியும்,
கெடாஅத் தீயின் உரு கெழு செல்லூர்,
கடாஅ யானைக் குழூஉச் சமம் ததைய,
மன் மருங்கு அறுத்த மழு வாள் நெடியோன்
முன் முயன்று அரிதினின் முடித்த வேள்வி,
கயிறு அரை யாத்த காண் தகு வனப்பின்,
அருங் கடி நெடுந் தூண் போல, யாவரும்
காணலாகா மாண் எழில் ஆகம்
உள்ளுதொறும் பனிக்கும் நெஞ்சினை, நீயே
நெடும் புற நிலையினை, வருந்தினைஆயின்,
முழங்கு கடல் ஓதம் காலைக் கொட்கும்,
பழம் பல் நெல்லின் ஊணூர் ஆங்கண்,
நோலா இரும் புள் போல, நெஞ்சு அமர்ந்து,
காதல் மாறாக் காமர் புணர்ச்சியின்,
இருங் கழி முகந்த செங் கோல் அவ் வலை
முடங்கு புற இறவொடு இன மீன் செறிக்கும்
நெடுங் கதிர்க் கழனித் தண் சாய்க்கானத்து,
யாணர்த் தண் பணை உறும் என, கானல்
ஆயம் ஆய்ந்த சாய் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்
நல் எழில் சிதையா ஏமம்
சொல் இனித் தெய்ய, யாம் தெளியுமாறே.
On our way to the coast, we take detours to perceive significant events and observe bird life, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he is about to part away after his nightly tryst with the lady:
“Making the town and neighbourhood rise together in slander, you rove around in your chariot and speak humble words. In picturesque ‘Selloor’, known for its ceaseless ritual fire, vowing to end the rule of kings, who battle in wars with their elephants in musth, the tall one with a sharp sword performed a ritual, and akin to the protected tall pillar therein, tied with a rope and having exquisite beauty, is her bosom of immense beauty, which is rare and precious. You have a heart that melts every time you think of it, and you are filled with worry, as you stand afar.
The roaring waves of the sea surround the town of ‘Oonoor’ known for its produce of paddy from ancient times, and akin to the dark bird there that does not know what it means to be apart from its mate, you have to place each other in your hearts and having a profound union of ceaseless love.
A beautiful net with a red rod dips in the dark backwaters and gathers curved back shrimp, and schools of fish, in the cool town of ‘Saykaanam’, filled with fields of tall grain stalks. Akin to the prosperous, cool bamboo that grows here, are her thick arms with curving wrists that her playmates celebrate. So tell me the right word to make me understand how you plan to act in such a way that the fine beauty of these arms of hers, are protected, without any sign of ruin!”
Let’s fish the Sangam seas and learn more! The confidante starts by mentioning how the man seems to be come often to their place and causes slander to spread about his relationship with the lady. Then, she goes on to describe a place called ‘Selloor’ and mentions how this was the venue of a ritual conducted by someone referred to as the ‘Tall one with a sword’, which other interpreters have connected to the character of Parasuraman from Hindu mythology. Apparently, this ‘tall one with a sword’ conducted a fire ritual ceremony, vowing to end the line of kings in this town and the confidante has mentioned this only to say how just like the decorated tall pillar there, the lady’s bosom was exquisite and precious. Once again, the confidante reverts to the man and notices how he yearns to embrace the lady, understanding how he is filled with angst when far.
Next, she talks about another seaside town of ‘Oonoor’ and how there lives a bird here, which cannot think of a life away from its mate. From other poems from this era, we can infer the confidante is talking about the ‘Andril’ bird, most probably referring to the ‘red-naped ibis’. Now, the confidante turns to the man and says that’s how he must be with the lady. After that, the confidante ventures into the last town, a coastal town called ‘Saaykaanam’, whose seas yield shrimp and fish in abundance, and also, where fields of grains sway in the wind. Here, there are also lush bamboos, and the confidante has summoned this place to connect the bamboos here to the lady’s arms. She ends by asking the man what steps he was going to take to ensure those arms of the lady never fall into any ruin! In a nutshell, the confidante is telling the man, ‘All this coming and going along with your humble, sweet words is fine. But what are you going to do to bring lasting joy to the lady?’ Another ‘Marry her, marry her’ rendition, in which we get to tour the towns of the Sangam era!
In this episode, we perceive the worry of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 219, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches a portrait of the care and love showered on a daughter.
சீர் கெழு வியன் நகர்ச் சிலம்பு நக இயலி,
ஓரை ஆயமொடு பந்து சிறிது எறியினும்,
‘வாராயோ!’ என்று ஏத்தி, பேர் இலைப்
பகன்றை வால் மலர் பனி நிறைந்தது போல்
பால் பெய் வள்ளம் சால்கை பற்றி,
‘என் பாடு உண்டனைஆயின், ஒரு கால்,
நுந்தை பாடும் உண்’ என்று ஊட்டி,
‘பிறந்ததற்கொண்டும் சிறந்தவை செய்து, யான்
நலம் புனைந்து எடுத்த என் பொலந்தொடிக் குறுமகள்
அறனிலாளனொடு இறந்தனள், இனி’ என,
மறந்து அமைந்து இராஅ நெஞ்சம் நோவேன்
‘பொன் வார்ந்தன்ன வை வால் எயிற்றுச்
செந்நாய் வெரீஇய புகர் உழை ஒருத்தல்
பொரி அரை விளவின் புன் புற விளை புழல்,
அழல் எறி கோடை தூக்கலின், கோவலர்
குழல் என நினையும் நீர் இல் நீள் இடை,
மடத் தகை மெலியச் சாஅய்,
நடக்கும்கொல்? என, நோவல் யானே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear mother say these words, at the juncture her daughter had left her home and eloped away with the man:
“In the esteemed and prosperous mansion, when she moved about with her anklets tinkling, and played by throwing the ball with her mates, fearing she would tire out, I called out, ‘Come here, my dear’ and holding a bowl, brimming with milk, appearing akin to a white flower of the rattlepod, coated with dew, I would say to her, ‘After eating one portion for me, do eat another for your father’ and feed her with care. Thinking, ‘My darling young girl, adorned in gold, on whom I showered all that was good and brought out the best in her, has now parted away with that unjust man’, my heart doesn’t want to forget her even a little. I worry not about this! Having sharp, white teeth, akin to molten gold, the wild dog roves in the drylands. Hearing its rustle nearby, frightened, a spotted male deer, turns in the direction of a sound that arises when the heat-showering summer wind blows through the cracked shell of the wood apple fruit, blooming on a rough trunk, and thinks it’s the flute of the cowherds, in that waterless, long path. Wondering how my naive and delicate girl would walk through such a place, is all I worry about!”
Time to tread those scorching spaces! Mother starts by recollecting the attention and care she had bestowed on her girl, feeding her and nurturing her. Mother talks about how she would feed her daughter even if she had spent but a little energy in playing ball with her friends, worrying that she would fall tired. All the coaxing mother would do is brought out by the mention of her asking the girl to eat a little for the sake of mother and a little for the sake of father. This brings to my memory about how caregivers here, often play the game of making the food they are feeding a young child into small balls, and saying one is for mother, one is for father, one is for sister, and so on, including the whole family from grandparents to uncles and cousins, a way of entertaining and ensuring the kid gets some food in!
Returning, we find mother saying how after all this care, the girl chose to leave her home and part away with the man. Yet that her girl broke her heart is not what worries her, mother says, but the thought of how she is going to walk on those harsh drylands spaces, where a deer, startled by a wild dog, mistakes the sound of wind through a wood apple as the sound of the cowherds’ flute! In essence, the verse etches the nature of a mother, who even when hurt by her daughter can think of nothing else but how she would fare, wherever she is!
In this episode, we perceive an effective technique of changing a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 218, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the pouring rain of the midnight hour in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse etches the dangers in traversing this domain by night.
‘கிளை பாராட்டும் கடு நடை வயக் களிறு
முளை தருபு ஊட்டி, வேண்டு குளகு அருத்த,
வாள் நிற உருவின் ஒளிறுபு மின்னி,
பரூஉ உறைப் பல் துளி சிதறி, வான் நவின்று,
பெரு வரை நளிர் சிமை அதிர வட்டித்து,
புயல் ஏறு உரைஇய வியல் இருள் நடு நாள்,
விறல் இழைப் பொலிந்த காண்பு இன் சாயல்,
தடைஇத் திரண்ட நின் தோள் சேர்பு அல்லதை,
படாஅவாகும், எம் கண்’ என, நீயும்,
‘இருள் மயங்கு யாமத்து இயவுக் கெட விலங்கி,
வரி வயங்கு இரும் புலி வழங்குநர்ப் பார்க்கும்
பெரு மலை விடரகம் வர அரிது’ என்னாய்,
வர எளிதாக எண்ணுதி; அதனால்,
நுண்ணிதின் கூட்டிய படு மாண் ஆரம்
தண்ணிது கமழும் நின் மார்பு, ஒரு நாள்
அடைய முயங்கேம்ஆயின், யாமும்
விறல் இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய்தும்; அதுவே
அன்னை அறியினும் அறிக! அலர் வாய்
அம்பல் மூதூர் கேட்பினும் கேட்க!
வண்டு இறை கொண்ட எரி மருள் தோன்றியொடு,
ஒண் பூ வேங்கை கமழும்
தண் பெருஞ் சாரல் பகல் வந்தீமே!
In this adventurous trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, when she brings the lady over for a nightly tryst:
“A strong male elephant with a steady gait, one which is celebrated by its kith and kin, brings bamboo shoots for the whole herd and lets them feed contentedly, at a time when the skies flash their lightning in the hue of swords, scatter many thick drops of rain, which leap from the skies, and pour down, surrounding cool mountain peaks, as clouds resound aloud with thunder, during the darkness-drenched midnight hour.
Saying, ‘Her eyes will not find any sleep unless she unities with my thick and curving arms, pleasing to the eyes, and adorned with strong ornaments’, and without thinking, ‘The paths through the huge mountain ranges, where in this hour of confusing darkness, a huge tiger with swaying stripes stands in wait for wayfarers, is dangerous’, you think it’s easy to come here. It’s also true that if even for one day, she does not get to embrace your cool and fragrant chest, adorned with a fine and intricately etched necklace, her exquisite ornaments would slip away; So, if mother would come to know of this, so be it! If the gossiping women of this uproarious town were to hear of this, so be it! Come by day, to this cool mountain slope, which wafts with the together fragrance of the fire-like flame-lilies, swarming with bees, and the radiant flowers of the Kino tree!”
Time to brave the rain and leave on a midnight trek. The confidante starts by sketching an image of a male elephant, which is thoughtful and considerate to its herd and brings shoots and leaves for them to feed on and is much celebrated by the herd. After a record of that estimable being, the confidante turns her attention to the weather, which is quite stormy, bringing down heavy rain on the peaks. She says all this is happening at midnight. At this time, the man thinks about how his beloved would not find any sleep, if she did not unite with him and without caring about the danger in that mountain path, where a tiger waits to pounce on some innocent wayfarer, the man comes walking to tryst with the lady, in the confusing hour of darkness, the confidante explains. She also concedes that indeed the lady would lose her health and her jewels would slip away from her arms if at all the man did not come to meet her. After mentioning all this, as if she has come to a conclusion, she tells the man, ‘Never mind if mother comes to know of your relationship, never mind if the slanderous womenfolk in town get to know about it, but you must come to our mountain slope, wafting with the scent of both the flame-lily and the Kino flowers, only by day.’
While it may sound like a harmless request to change the time of the rendezvous, it’s a neatly-worded statement to make the man change his attitude of temporary trysting and make him seek the lady’s hand in marriage. The confidante does this in a gradual and logical manner, first appealing to the man’s sense of honour by talking about that esteemed elephant, which keeps the entire herd in mind, then she goes on to appreciate the man’s love for the lady, and his fearlessness in fulfilling his duty by her. At this point, she talks about how the lady too is worthy of his love and truly reciprocates his feelings. After all these statements, she presents it to the man as if the only logical solution is to meet by day, so as to not fear for the man’s safety. Even there, she brings in the other danger of mother knowing and the women gossiping, and through his, without telling the man, she tells him, the only way forward is to marry the lady, in front of the whole village, and be honoured like the elephant we just met. Holding the other to a high standard, acknowledging the positives, establishing the worthiness of the recipient, and nudging the concerned person to come up with the idea on their own are the nuanced steps that this master negotiator of the Sangam era takes, to bring lasting joy in her friend’s life!
In this episode, we listen to a prediction of pain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 217, penned by Kazhaarkeeran Eyitriyanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the seasonal changes in the outer world.
பெய்து புறந்தந்த பொங்கல் வெண் மழை,
எஃகு உறு பஞ்சித் துய்ப் பட்டன்ன,
துவலை தூவல் கழிய, அகல் வயல்
நீடு கழைக் கரும்பின் கணைக் கால் வான் பூக்
கோடைப் பூளையின் வாடையொடு துயல்வர,
பாசிலை பொதுளிய புதல்தொறும் பகன்றை
நீல் உண் பச்சை நிறம் மறைத்து அடைச்சிய
தோல் எறி பாண்டிலின் வாலிய மலர,
கோழலை அவரைக் கொழு முகை அவிழ
ஊழ் உறு தோன்றி ஒண் பூத் தளை விட ,
புலந்தொறும் குருகினம் நரல, கல்லென
அகன்று உறை மகளிர் அணி துறந்து நடுங்க,
அற்சிரம் வந்தன்று அமைந்தன்று இது என,
எப்பொருள் பெறினும் பிரியன்மினோ எனச்
செப்புவல் வாழியோ, துணையுடையீர்க்கே
நல்காக் காதலர் நலன் உண்டு துறந்த
பாழ் படு மேனி நோக்கி, நோய் பொர,
இணர் இறுபு உடையும் நெஞ்சமொடு, புணர்வு வேட்டு
எயிறு தீப் பிறப்பத் திருகி,
நடுங்குதும் பிரியின் யாம் கடும் பனி உழந்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we learn more about time than place, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when her friend informs her about the man’s intention to part away in search of wealth:
“After pouring and gracing the land, the brimming white clouds now, appear soft and fluffy, akin to cotton, carded with steel, bereft of even a light drizzle. At this time, in the wide fields, tall stems of sugarcane sprout with thick-stalked, white flowers, and sway in the cold, northern wind, akin to summer flowers of the mountain knotgrass; White rattle-pod flowers, in all the bushes brimming with green leaves, bloom, akin to rounded pieces that hide the bluish-green hue of a leather shield; Fleshy clusters of bulging beans blossom; Mature flowers of the flame-lily sprout out; All over the land, birds call out aloud, making those women, who are separated from their spouses, to lose their beauty and tremble. Such is the cold season that has now arrived! Please go tell him, ‘This is not the right season to part, no matter what wealth you would obtain. Blessed be you!’ If my lover, who has feasted on my beauty and intends to part, does not concede and render his grace, all I can do is to look at my ruined form, with the disease of pining brimming over, with a heart that breaks without any strength, wishing only to be one with him, and grind my teeth until sparks fly out, filled with suffering in this severe cold!”
Time to take in the blooming flowers of the season! The lady starts by talking about the weather, mentioning how the season of rains is all done, the clouds have done their duty of pouring, and appear white and soft like carded cotton, and in the land around, sugarcane flowers are sprouting and swaying like summer flowers, as the cold northern wind blows, and not only that, flowers of the rattle-pod, beans and flame-lilies are all blooming bright. If that’s happening with the plants, the birds above are screaming their hearts out, calling to their mates, and making maiden separated from their own mates to experience a deep sorrow, the lady adds. All this tells them the cold season had arrived and this was absolutely the wrong season to part away, no matter what mounds of wealth stand to be gained, the lady says, and asks her friend to go convey this message to the man.
The lady concludes by saying if the man refused to heed this voice of reason and still parted away, all she could do was to become ruined, be filled with pining and yearning and shiver so much in that cold, making her teeth grinding together to send out sparks! A graphic vision of future suffering indeed! Perhaps the man will heed her words and defer his travel. Does this mean other seasons were better to be apart? Say spring or summer? One can’t help wondering! A verse that etches how the world outside plays a critical role in human emotions, something that can be related to, irrespective of time and place!
In this episode, we perceive a woman’s fury, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 216, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. The verse is situated amidst the lush river shores of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and connects conflicts at home and battles in the warfront.
‘நாண் கொள் நுண் கோலின் மீன் கொள் பாண் மகள்
தான் புனல் அடைகரைப் படுத்த வராஅல்,
நார் அரி நறவு உண்டு இருந்த தந்தைக்கு,
வஞ்சி விறகின் சுட்டு, வாய் உறுக்கும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் பெண்டிர் எம்மைப்
பெட்டாங்கு மொழிப’ என்ப; அவ் அலர்ப்
பட்டனம்ஆயின், இனி எவன் ஆகியர்;
கடல் ஆடு மகளிர் கொய்த ஞாழலும்,
கழனி உழவர் குற்ற குவளையும்,
கடி மிளைப் புறவின் பூத்த முல்லையொடு,
பல் இளங் கோசர் கண்ணி அயரும்
மல்லல் யாணர்ச் செல்லிக் கோமான்
எறிவிடத்து உலையாச் செறி சுரை வெள் வேல்
ஆதன் எழினி அரு நிறத்து அழுத்திய
பெருங் களிற்று எவ்வம் போல,
வருந்துபமாது, அவர் சேரி யாம் செலினே.
In this trip to the farmlands, we get to explore the familiar theme of trouble involving a courtesan, as we hear the courtesan say these words to her friends, making sure the lady’s friends listening nearby, get to hear it:
“The bard’s daughter traps fish with a fine rod, tied with a thread, in the river shores. Taking the murrel fish thus captured, she roasts it on ‘Rattan’ firewood, and feeds her father, who had been relishing toddy, filtered by palm fibres, in the cool shores of the lord. They say that his woman has been speaking ill of me. If I’m to be subject to this slander, so be it! Screw-pine flowers plucked by maiden playing in the seas, blue-lilies picked by farmers ploughing the fields, along with wild jasmines that bloom in the well-protected forests, are worn by many young Kosars in the city of ‘Selli’, brimming with prosperity, ruled by King Aathan Ezhini. The white spear this king launches never fails to hit its target. Akin to the angst of the huge elephant, whose majestic chest is pierced by his spear, she will suffer too, if I were to go to the neighbourhood, where the lord’s wife lives!”
Let’s walk along the banks of the fertile fields and learn about the latest in town! The courtesan starts by talking about the lord’s town, and to capture it, she follows in the trail of a bard’s daughter, who seems to be good at fishing, for she nabs a murrel fish in the river shores, brings it home, roasts it atop rattan firewood and then takes it to her father, who has been making merry with toddy and feeds him. What a caring girl this bard has got! As if contrasting the good nature of the daughters in the man’s domain, the courtesan then talks about how the man’s wife has been backbiting her, saying whatever she wished, causing slander about the courtesan to spread. After saying this, the courtesan suddenly starts talking about flowers from diverse regions, such as the shore, the farm and the forest, namely screwpine, blue-lilies and wild jasmines respectively, to say all these are worn by the young men, who live in the region of ‘Selli’, perhaps talking about the extent of this city, ruled by Aathan Ezhini. The courtesan has mentioned this king only to refer to his unfailing spear and the way an enemy’s elephant would suffer when struck by the same. She concludes by talking about how the man’s wife and her friends, would feel the same suffering, if at all, she decided to go to where they lived. In essence, the courtesan has issued a warning to the man’s wife, expressing her confidence in the man’s affection for herself! Curious how a battle elephant is called as a witness to a cat fight in town!
In this episode, we observe an interesting technique of expressing dissent, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 215, penned by Irangukudi Kundra Naadan. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse evokes a sense of ever-present danger in this domain.
விலங்கு இருஞ் சிமையக் குன்றத்து உம்பர்,
வேறு பல் மொழிய தேஎம் முன்னி,
வினை நசைஇப் பரிக்கும் உரன் மிகு நெஞ்சமொடு
புனை மாண் எஃகம் வல வயின் ஏந்தி,
செலல் மாண்பு உற்ற நும்வயின், ‘வல்லே,
வலன் ஆக!’ என்றலும் நன்றுமன் தில்ல
கடுத்தது பிழைக்குவதுஆயின், தொடுத்த
கை விரல் கவ்வும் கல்லாக் காட்சி,
கொடுமரம் பிடித்த கோடா வன்கண்,
வடி நவில் அம்பின் ஏவல் ஆடவர்,
ஆள் அழித்து உயர்த்த அஞ்சுவரு பதுக்கை,
கூர் நுதிச் செவ் வாய் எருவைச் சேவல்
படு பிணப் பைந் தலை தொடுவன குழீஇ,
மல்லல் மொசிவிரல் ஒற்றி, மணி கொண்டு,
வல் வாய்ப் பேடைக்குச் சொரியும் ஆங்கண்,
கழிந்தோர்க்கு இரங்கும் நெஞ்சமொடு
ஒழிந்து இவண் உறைதல் ஆற்றுவோர்க்கே.
In this trip to the drylands, we hear the confidante say these words to the man, in response to his request, asking the confidante to convey to the lady his wish to part away in search of wealth:
“Beyond the radiant, huge mountain peaks, wishing to go to lands, where many other languages are spoken, with a determined heart that nudges with a desire to earn wealth, holding a well-etched spear in your right hand, you wish to part away to the drylands, where live those uneducated men, who bite their finger, if the arrow they aimed hits not the target, have the harsh nature of holding on to their curving bows ceaselessly and killing people with their sharp arrows, and then covering those corpses in fearsome, shallow graves, from where a sharp-beaked, red-mouthed, red-headed, male vulture, digs up the fresh head of a corpse, with its sharp claws, plucks the eyes, and then carries it to its strong-mouthed mate. To say to you, ‘Go on and be victorious’ is only possible for those, who have the ability to live here, when their heart ceaselessly worries about the one who has parted thither!”
Time to explore the fearful paths again! The confidante starts by repeating the man’s wish to part away, wanting to go to a far away land, and earn wealth. She describes how he would tread on with a spear in his hand and leave to a place, filled with highway robbers, who think not one moment before killing others with their fierce arrows. Then she mentions how they would bury the dead in shallow, stone graves. A moment to pause and see how even these thieves seemed to have had a sense of honour. They don’t cast away the bodies and leave just like that. Even though they have the harshness to kill, they show their respect for the dead by burying them in whatever manner possible.
Returning, we now find the confidante telling us how their efforts have been in vain, for a red-headed vulture digs out the dead with its sharp claws, and chooses its favourite bit of the corpse’s eyeball and carries it to its mate devoutly. Ending this description of the unimaginable place the man wants to leave to, the confidante concludes by saying, there may be some who have the ability to live quietly, even as their heart worries incessantly about a person who has parted away to such a place, and only they could wish the man good luck and bid farewell on his mission, implying that the lady has no such ability. In a nutshell, the confidante is asking the man not to part away and leave on this mission, for it would be impossible for the lady to live here, in that state of anxiety about his welfare. The confidante’s way of ‘saying no, without saying no’, sketching in one stroke, the danger ahead, the man’s courage and the lady’s love!
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a man, separated from his beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 214, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the showers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and reverberates with the notes of melancholy.
அகல் இரு விசும்பகம் புதையப் பாஅய்,
பகல் உடன் கரந்த, பல் கதிர் வானம்
இருங் களிற்று இன நிரை குளிர்ப்ப வீசி,
பெரும் பெயல் அழி துளி பொழிதல் ஆனாது;
வேந்தனும் வெம் பகை முரணி ஏந்துஇலை,
விடு கதிர் நெடு வேல் இமைக்கும் பாசறை,
அடு புகழ் மேவலொடு கண்படை இலனே;
அமரும் நம் வயினதுவே நமர் என
நம் அறிவு தெளிந்த பொம்மல் ஓதி
யாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல்தானே ஓங்குவிடைப்
படு சுவற் கொண்ட பகு வாய்த் தெள் மணி
ஆ பெயர் கோவலர் ஆம்பலொடு அளைஇ,
பையுள் நல் யாழ் செவ்வழி வகுப்ப,
ஆர் உயிர் அணங்கும் தெள் இசை
மாரி மாலையும் தமியள் கேட்டே?
In this quick trip to the forests, it’s a soak in the rain, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as he sits in a battle encampment, faraway from his beloved:
“Burying the huge and wide skies, shining with the many-rayed sun, clouds, appearing akin to huge herds of elephants shivering in the cold, shower ceaseless drops of rain in a heavy downpour. As for the king, with great enmity, in the battle camp, sparkling with leaf-edged, radiant, tall spears, he lies sleepless, desiring the fame of victory in the war. My beloved with shining tresses, had cleared my vision saying, ‘The battle is our responsibility, my dearest!’ and bid me farewell. But now, clear bells with open mouths, around necks of huge oxen, would ring out, as cowherds gather and move the cattle with the sound of their ‘Ampal’ flutes, in the melancholic ‘Sevvazhi’ tune of a fine lute. When she hears the crystal notes of this music that ravages one’s life in the rainy evening hour, all alone, what will she do? How will she bear it?”
Let’s take in the fragrance of petrichor and listen to the heartbeat of the rain! The man starts by talking about how the clouds have buried the sun and the sky, and appearing like herds of elephants on high, they bring down a huge shower. This is to tell us it’s the season of rains, which is usually the promised season of return to the lady. After that weather report, the man moves on to describe the attitude of his king, who is bent on victory in the battlefield and who tosses and turns, contemplating the strategies. This tells us that the end of the war is not in view! The man looks back and describes the lady’s assuring words to him, understanding that leaving her and taking part in the war was the man’s duty at the moment. He returns to the present and imagines his beloved, as she would be there, all alone, listening to the sound of cows returning home, the music of the cowherds’ flutes, all resounding in the heartrending ‘Sevvazhi’ tune. The man concludes wondering about the angst the lady would suffer, as those notes fell on her ears, in that evening hour of rains! Moving to see how a person thinks about the sorrow of their beloved, even as they are in the midst of suffering themselves. A tender song that resonates with the music of rain and pain!
In this episode, we listen to words that echo a deep trust, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 213, penned by Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse depicts various regions and rulers in ancient Tamil land.
வினை நவில் யானை விறற் போர்த் தொண்டையர்
இன மழை தவழும் ஏற்று அரு நெடுங் கோட்டு
ஓங்கு வெள் அருவி வேங்கடத்து உம்பர்,
கொய்குழை அதிரல் வைகு புலர் அலரி
சுரி இரும் பித்தை சுரும்பு படச் சூடி,
இகல் முனைத் தரீஇய ஏறுடைப் பெரு நிரை
நனை முதிர் நறவின் நாட் பலி கொடுக்கும்
வால் நிணப் புகவின் வடுகர் தேஎத்து,
நிழற் கவின் இழந்த நீர் இல் நீள் இடை
அழல் அவிர் அருஞ் சுரம் நெடிய என்னாது,
அகறல் ஆய்ந்தனர்ஆயினும், பகல் செலப்
பல் கதிர் வாங்கிய படு சுடர் அமையத்துப்
பெரு மரம் கொன்ற கால் புகு வியன் புனத்து,
எரி மருள் கதிர திரு மணி இமைக்கும்
வெல்போர் வானவன் கொல்லிக் குட வரை
வேய் ஒழுக்கு அன்ன, சாய் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்
பெருங் கவின் சிதைய நீங்கி, ஆன்றோர்
அரும் பெறல் உலகம் அமிழ்தொடு பெறினும்,
சென்று, தாம் நீடலோஇலரே என்றும்
கலம் பெயக் கவிழ்ந்த கழல் தொடித் தடக் கை,
வலம் படு வென்றி வாய் வாள் சோழர்
இலங்கு நீர்க் காவிரி இழிபுனல் வரித்த
அறல் என நெறிந்த கூந்தல்,
உறல் இன் சாயலொடு ஒன்றுதல் மறந்தே.
A long trip through the drylands that takes us on many a detour, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“The courageous, warring Thondaiyars, possessing elephants, skilled in battle, rule over tall and formidable peaks, surrounded by clouds, adorned with shining, white cascades in the domain of Venkatam. Beyond this region, live the Vadugars, known for feasting on fleshy white meat, and wearing thick clusters of wild jasmine that bloom at dawn, on their thick and curly hair, causing bees to swarm around, and for the victory of seizing a huge herd of cattle in the battlefront, they render the sacrifice of well-aged toddy. In this land of the Vadugars, upon those long and winding, waterless paths, which have lost the beauty of shade, without considering that this scorching, formidable drylands is far, he wishes to part away.
In the evening hour when the many-rayed sun pulls back its shine, in the wide forest space, where huge trees have been felled, inviting the wind to gush over, where radiant gems sparkle with their brilliant rays, in the victorious Vaanavan’s western Kolli hills, lush and thick bamboos sprout. Akin to the perfect stalks of these bamboo, are your arms with curving wrists. He has parted away leaving its great beauty to be ruined.
While that may be so, even if he were to attain the precious world of the noble along with the elixir of life, leaving you, he shall not remain there, forgetting to come unite with your sweet and slender form, adorned with wavy tresses, akin to the silt, stacked by the shining waters of the River Kaveri, in the domain of the Chozhas, having strong hands, adorned by swaying bracelets, and which are always turned upside down, giving away vessels to those who come seeking, or holding honest swords that always claim victory rightfully!”
Time to brave the scorching spaces! The confidante starts by talking about where the man has left to, and do that, first she talks about the Thondaiyars, who rule over Venkatam hills and are said to have skilled battle elephants. Then she goes beyond Venkatam hills, to the region where the rugged Vadugars live, known for jasmine flowers on their curly locks of hair, and they supposedly offer toddy in sacrifice to their gods for blessing them with the victory of herds of cattle in a recent battle. Those scary, dreary spaces of theirs is exactly where the man is treading now, without any consideration, the confidante connects. Then, she talks about the lady’s arms, and to depict their beauty, she takes us to the Kolli hills of Vaanavan, where huge trees have been felled in the pursuit of agriculture, and where the winds gush in with force, in the twilight hour, and she points to the thick bamboos growing there, saying such are the lady’s arms. She has mentioned this to say the man has left these arms to be ruined and concludes by saying, even so, the man is not going to leave the lady and remain, even if he were to be offered both heaven and ambrosia, why because it’s impossible for him to forget the joy of being one with this beautiful lady, having tresses like the silt of River Kaveri, in the domain of the generous and victorious Chozhas!
In essence, the core elements are that the man has left to a faraway country, the lady’s arms are pining away and yet the man is bound to return and unite with the lady. Within this oft-repeating theme, the verse brings in the nuances of various tribes and kings, domains, lifestyle and natural wealth, to paint an intricate portrait of the ancient past!
In this episode, we listen to words of disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 212, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the rugged paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and portrays the courage and strength of a historic personality.
தா இல் நல் பொன் தைஇய பாவை
விண் தவழ் இள வெயிற் கொண்டு நின்றன்ன,
மிகு கவின் எய்திய, தொகுகுரல் ஐம்பால்,
கிளைஅரில் நாணற் கிழங்கு மணற்கு ஈன்ற
முளை ஓரன்ன முள் எயிற்றுத் துவர் வாய்,
நயவன் தைவரும் செவ்வழி நல் யாழ்
இசை ஓர்த்தன்ன இன் தீம் கிளவி,
அணங்கு சால் அரிவையை நசைஇ, பெருங் களிற்று
இனம் படி நீரின் கலங்கிய பொழுதில்,
பெறல் அருங் குரையள் என்னாய், வைகலும்,
இன்னா அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி, நீயே
என்னை இன்னற் படுத்தனை; மின்னு வசிபு
உரவுக் கார் கடுப்ப மறலி மைந்துற்று,
விரவு மொழிக் கட்டூர் வேண்டுவழிக் கொளீஇ,
படை நிலா இலங்கும் கடல் மருள் தானை
மட்டு அவிழ் தெரியல் மறப் போர்க் குட்டுவன்
பொரு முரண் பெறாஅது விலங்கு சினம் சிறந்து,
செருச் செய் முன்பொடு முந்நீர் முற்றி,
ஓங்குதிரைப் பௌவம் நீங்க ஓட்டிய
நீர் மாண் எஃகம் நிறத்துச் சென்று அழுந்தக்
கூர் மதன் அழியரோ நெஞ்சே! ஆனாது
எளியள் அல்லோட் கருதி,
விளியா எவ்வம் தலைத் தந்தோயே.
It’s more of a history lesson in this trip to the highlands, as we hear the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he has been unable to tryst with the lady, despite repeated attempts:
“Appearing akin to a statue made of tender, fine gold, and adorned with the rays of the young sun, crawling in the sky with much beauty; having luxuriant, five-part braided tresses; sharp teeth, akin to white sprouts that shoot out from the twining ‘kans grass’ tubers, spreading in the ground; a red mouth; and speaking sweet and pleasant words, akin to the music of a fine ‘Chevvali’ lute, played by an expert musician, is that goddess-like maiden. Desiring her, you have made me confused, akin to water, muddled by a herd of huge elephants stepping in. Without thinking that she would be hard to attain, day after day, you make me walk harsh and formidable paths and subject me to great distress.
Rising high with immense strength, akin to lightning that flashes amidst rainclouds; establishing battle camps with soldiers, who speak a great variety of languages; wielding a navy that shines like the moon amidst the seas, the battle-worthy Kuttuvan, adorned with garlands brimming over with nectar, finding no worthy army to match him, with his fury soaring, crosses the great oceans with the resolve to battle, and seems to subdue the great ocean with roaring waves. May his esteemed spear pierce through you and destroy your strength, O heart! Because ceaselessly thinking about that maiden, who is not easily attainable, you have rendered unto me, an endless suffering!”
The man starts by vividly describing the beauty of his beloved, mentioning how she was like a golden statue, exuding the rays of the twilight sun, how she had thick tresses, sharp teeth, red mouth and how the words that came from that mouth were much like the music of a lute played by a musician. After this, the man turns to his heart and says how it has confused him because without thinking that the lady was impossible to attain, it kept nudging him to seek her, making him walk on dangerous paths. Then, he goes on to talk about a Chera King named ‘Kuttuvan’ and how this king rose furiously like lightning in the sky and waged war against enemies beyond the seas, with an army of people who speak different languages, and it appeared as if he was subduing the roaring sea itself. This cryptic statement actually points to the routing of pirates by this Chera King and securing the seas for the trade of the ancient Tamils. After that nugget about the king, the man turns to his heart and concludes by saying, because it has been badgering him so, his heart deserved to be pierced with the spear of that great King Kuttuvan!
Curious how the man is talking as if his heart was another person, and as if piercing it will do nothing to him! Perhaps he could imply the pain he feels at not meeting his beloved was so sharp that no spear could match its power. Yet again, a unique Sangam depiction of separating the heart from oneself to experience the depth of the emotion!
In this episode, we perceive a message of reassurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 211, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches a curious act of war.
கேளாய், எல்ல! தோழி! வாலிய
சுதை விரிந்தன்ன பல் பூ மராஅம்
பறை கண்டன்ன பா அடி நோன் தாள்
திண் நிலை மருப்பின் வயக் களிறு உரிஞுதொறும்,
தண் மழை ஆலியின் தாஅய், உழவர்
வெண்ணெல் வித்தின் அறைமிசை உணங்கும்
பனி படு சோலை வேங்கடத்து உம்பர்,
மொழி பெயர் தேஎத்தர் ஆயினும், நல்குவர்
குழியிடைக் கொண்ட கன்றுடைப் பெரு நிரை
பிடி படு பூசலின் எய்தாது ஒழிய,
கடுஞ் சின வேந்தன் ஏவலின் எய்தி,
நெடுஞ் சேண் நாட்டில் தலைத்தார்ப் பட்ட
கல்லா எழினி பல் எறிந்து அழுத்திய
வன்கண் கதவின் வெண்மணி வாயில்,
மத்தி நாட்டிய கல் கெழு பனித் துறை,
நீர் ஒலித்தன்ன பேஎர்
அலர் நமக்கு ஒழிய, அழப் பிரிந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, the detour takes us to faraway shores, as we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Won’t you listen to this, my dearest friend? Akin to the spread of lime paste, the many-flowered burflower tree, with a wide trunk, akin to a drum, sheds its blooms, akin to a cool rain of hailstones, when a strong and huge male elephant, with sturdy tusks, rubs against it. These flowers scatter akin to grains of white paddy spread on a rock to dry, in the cloud-covered orchards of the Venkatam Hills. The man has traversed beyond these hills, to a country, where an unknown language is spoken. Hearing the uproar of the herd of female elephants with their calves, caught in a pit, naive Ezhini left without capturing them, and so, the king got furious and ordered Maththi to enforce his order. Maththi left to the faraway country and captured Ezhini with his army. Maththi then pulled out the teeth of this Ezhini and pressed it upon the sturdy fort door at ‘Venmani Vayil’. Akin to the roaring waves of boulder-filled cool shores nearby, slander has soared in town. He who had left us in tears, leaving the burden of slander, though far away, will indeed return and grace you soon!”
Time to brave the harsh domain once again! The confidante starts by requesting her friend to listen to her. Then with a stack of similes, she depicts how the burflower tree’s flowers fall like hailstones and scatter like drying white paddy grain, when elephants rub against its drum-like trunk. She has mentioned this scene as a description of Venkatam Hills up north, which the man is currently traversing and going to a land, where an unknown language is spoken. Then, leaving the man there, the confidante starts narrating a historic incident in which apparently, a lord named Ezhini refused to capture female elephants and their calves, trapped in a pit, against the orders of a superior king. Perhaps, he was a kind-hearted soul! But as leaders with too much power are bound to do, that superior king lost his cool and asked another of his lords, Maththi to go teach this Ezhini a lesson, which the said lord did successfully. But the curious thing this Maththi seems to have done is to pull out the teeth of this Ezhini and impress it on the doors of the fort at a place called ‘Venmani Vayil’. Sounds bizarre yes, but we have already encountered one such instance, some time back in our Sangam exploration, in Natrinai 18, to be exact, wherein a King named Poraiyan does the exact same tooth-pulling to his enemy named ‘Moovan’ and imprints the said teeth on the fort doors at Thondi! Seems to have been one of those acts of war and proclaiming one’s power!
Returning to this verse, we find that long reference has been made by the confidante to say that the shores near that ‘Venmani Vayil’ was filled with the roar of the oceans, and just like that, slander was soaring through their town, because the man had left the lady and gone. This tells us this separation between the man and the lady has happened before the lady’s marriage with the man. However, the confidante concludes by telling the lady that the man will indeed return soon, far though he may be!
Speaking of far, the Venkatam Hills mentioned seems to have been a favourite haunt of these men, who were in search of wealth. Yet again, like a recent verse we saw, it’s the trope of ‘slander spreads’ but ‘he shall be back soon’. Indeed, nothing works to allay sorrow like the comforting words of a friend!
In this episode, we perceive a hidden technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 210, penned by Ulochchanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping fish of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and reveals the changing attitude of a person.
குறியிறைக் குரம்பைக் கொலை வெம் பரதவர்
எறிஉளி பொருத ஏமுறு பெரு மீன்
புண் உமிழ் குருதி புலவுக் கடல் மறுப்பட,
விசும்பு அணி வில்லின் போகி, பசும் பிசிர்த்
திரை பயில் அழுவம் உழக்கி, உரன் அழிந்து,
நிரைதிமில் மருங்கில் படர்தரும் துறைவன்,
பானாள் இரவில், நம் பணைத் தோள் உள்ளி,
தான் இவண் வந்த காலை, நம் ஊர்க்
கானல்அம் பெருந் துறை, கவின் பாராட்டி,
ஆனாது புகழ்ந்திசினோனே; இனி, தன்
சாயல் மார்பின் பாயல் மாற்றி,
‘கைதை அம் படு சினைக் கடுந் தேர் விலங்கச்
செலவு அரிது என்னும்’ என்பது
பல கேட்டனமால் தோழி! நாமே.
This swim in the seas lets us hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Attacked by the sharp spear of those harsh killer fisherfolk, who live in huts with short eaves, the formerly happy fish, shedding blood from its wounds and changing the hue of the flesh-reeking sea, akin to the bow that adorns the sky, leaps and muddles the fresh foam of the waves brimming over, and then losing its resolve, floats near the side of the huge boat, in the shores of the lord. As for him, at that time, in the dead dark of the midnight hour, thinking about your bamboo-like shoulders, when he had come here, he had praised the beauty of the grove-filled shores in our hamlet ceaselessly. But now, giving no room for your sweet sleep on his tender chest, he says, ‘Those dense branches of the pandanus tree block my speeding chariot and make my travel here impossible’. Haven’t we heard this once too often, my friend?”
Let’s walk along the coast of emotions and read the waves! The confidante starts by describing the man’s shores, and to do that, she sketches an image of a fish that has been attacked by a spear, thrown by the fierce fishermen, and the way it spills its blood and reddens the sea, tries to leap like the rainbow, but soon falls without strength and limply floats near the boat. A scene with deep significance no doubt, but we will come to that shortly. Then the confidante goes on to talk about how in the beginning when the man wanted to tryst with the lady at night, he would not mind even the late hour and would come there, and praise the beauty of their shore. She concludes by contrasting how now the man seemed to be often blaming the thick branches of the pandanus tree for blocking his chariot and thus making his journey to the lady difficult!
In that scene of the fish attacked by the spear, the confidante has placed a metaphor for the lady’s situation of uniting with the man, and causing the red blood of slander to spread all across town. In essence, the confidante seems to be telling the lady about the man, ‘before he was full of passion and now, only full of excuses’, so that the man listening nearby, would hear this and understand the error in his ways and seek to remedy the situation by seeking the lady’s hand. An effective technique of slaying complacency by pointing out the past fervour in the mission!
In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as rendered in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 209, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse narrates events from history to etch the lady’s situation.
”தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைந்தன; நாளும்
அன்னையும் அருந் துயர் உற்றனள்; அலரே,
பொன் அணி நெடுந் தேர்த் தென்னர் கோமான்,
எழு உறழ் திணி தோள் இயல் தேர்ச் செழியன்,
நேரா எழுவர் அடிப்படக் கடந்த
ஆலங்கானத்து ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிது” என,
ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! அவரே,
மாஅல் யானை மறப் போர்ப் புல்லி
காம்புடை நெடு வரை வேங்கடத்து உம்பர்
அறை இறந்து அகன்றனர் ஆயினும், நிறை இறந்து
உள்ளார்ஆதலோ அரிதே செவ் வேல்
முள்ளூர் மன்னன் கழல்தொடிக் காரி
செல்லா நல் இசை நிறுத்த வல் வில்
ஓரிக் கொன்று சேரலர்க்கு ஈத்த
செவ் வேர்ப் பலவின் பயம் கெழு கொல்லி,
நிலை பெறு கடவுள் ஆக்கிய,
பலர் புகழ் பாவை அன்ன நின் நலனே.
Once again, it’s a parade of kings in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Saying, ‘My arms have lost their old beauty; Day after day, mother too feels a deep sorrow; As for slander, it’s greater than the uproar that arose at the battlefield of Aalangkaanam, in which the Southern King Cheziyan, who wields tall, swaying, golden chariots, and has strong arms, akin to a fort door’s crossbar, routed his enemies seven!’, do not cry my friend, may you live long! Even though, he has parted away far beyond the tall ranges of Venkatam Hills, covered with bamboos, ruled by the battle-worthy Pulli, who wields huge elephants, it would impossible for him to remain, without thinking about that beauty of yours, which is akin to the statue of that ancient goddess, celebrated by many in the prosperous Kolli hills, filled with red-rooted, rich jackfruits, the land which the king of Mullor, Kaari, who wields red spears and wears warrior anklets, killed Ori, known for his sturdy bows and celebrated for his unceasing fame, and rendered unto the Chera King!”
Time to tread along in the drylands and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the lady’s words, who seems to have been complaining that since the man left, her beauty was shot. Likewise, mother seems to be suffering greatly, she adds. This tells us that this event of separation between the man and the lady has happened before the lady’s marriage with the man. The lady goes on to add that slander too was spreading in town, and to describe its nature, she brings forth the famous battle of Thalaiyaalangkaanam, where the Pandya King Neduchezhiyan defeated not one, not two, but seven great kings in one go, and the lady says, ‘Louder than the victory shouts that arose in this battlefield are the rumours that were abuzz in town!’. After repeating these words from the lady, the confidante gently asks her friend to not cry, and then she talks about how now, the man is in a faraway country, beyond Venkatam hills, ruled by Pulli, famous for his elephants. The confidante concludes by saying, while that may be so, the man has no way of forgetting the lady’s beauty, which she compares to the the goddess statue in Kolli hills, celebrated by all, and then narrates how this land was ruled by Ori, but then came the Mullor king Kaari, who defeated Ori, and gave away the lush region of Kolli Hills to a Chera King!
The base elements are ‘slander is spreading’, ‘the man is far away’ and ‘your beauty will make him return’. But upon this foundation, multiple layers of historic characters and events soar, to inform and educate the world about the events of those times, no doubt. A verse which kindles my imagination once again, wondering about the beauty of that statue at Kolli Hills. In verse after verse, we’ve heard it compared to the exquisite beauty of the lady. If only we could glance at it! Here’s wishing some archaeological excavation someday unearths this statue, so highly regarded in the Sangam world!
In this episode, we perceive the ecstasy of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 208, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flower-filled spaces of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and relays historical references many.
யாம இரவின் நெடுங் கடை நின்று,
தேம் முதிர் சிமையக் குன்றம் பாடும்
நுண் கோல் அகவுநர் வேண்டின், வெண் கோட்டு
அண்ணல் யானை ஈயும் வண் மகிழ்
வெளியன் வேண்மான் ஆஅய் எயினன்,
அளி இயல் வாழ்க்கைப் பாழிப் பறந்தலை,
இழை அணி யானை இயல் தேர் மிஞிலியொடு
நண்பகல் உற்ற செருவில் புண் கூர்ந்து,
ஒள் வாள் மயங்கு அமர் வீழ்ந்தென, ‘புள் ஒருங்கு
அம் கண் விசும்பின் விளங்கு ஞாயிற்று
ஒண் கதிர் தெறாமை, சிறகரின் கோலி,
நிழல் செய்து உழறல் காணேன், யான்’ எனப்
படுகளம் காண்டல்செல்லான், சினம் சிறந்து,
உரு வினை நன்னன், அருளான், கரப்ப,
பெரு விதுப்புற்ற பல் வேள் மகளிர்
குரூஉப் பூம் பைந் தார் அருக்கிய பூசல்,
வசை விடக் கடக்கும் வயங்கு பெருந் தானை
அகுதை கிளைதந்தாங்கு, மிகு பெயல்
உப்புச் சிறை நில்லா வெள்ளம் போல,
நாணு வரை நில்லாக் காமம் நண்ணி,
நல்கினள், வாழியர், வந்தே ஓரி
பல் பழப் பலவின் பயம் கெழு கொல்லிக்
கார் மலர் கடுப்ப நாறும்,
ஏர் நுண், ஓதி மாஅயோளே!
In this trip to this domain, we hardly get to see the mountains, for we are busy visiting a battlefield, as we listen to these words said by the man, when the lady had met him and just parted away:
“For standing at his tall gates in the middle of the night and singing about his honey-soaked mountain peaks, Veliyan Veynmaan AaAy Eyinan would render esteemed, white-tusked elephants with joyous generosity to those singers, who hold fine divining rods, if they sought that from him. Such was the life of grace that this lord lead.
In the Pazhi battlefield, where radiant swords clashed, when confronting Mignili, who owns ornamented elephants and adorned chariots, filled with wounds, Eyinan fell in the middle of the day. Just then, birds joining together, wishing to prevent the rays of the sun, scorching above in the sky, from touching this king’s fallen form, spread their wings to form a canopy and render shade unto him.
Saying, ‘I shall not go and see this sight’, filled with fury, the battle-worthy Nannan refused to go to the battlefield and pay his respects. Since without any grace, he avoided coming there, the many women of the Velir clan, filled with immense anguish, tore at their fresh new flower garlands and created an uproar. At that time, Akuthai, with his mighty army, capable of winning over enmity, came there and ended their sorrow.
Akin to that, in the manner of a huge flood, caused by a heavy downpour that breaks a bank of salt and gushes over, breaking the bounds of her modesty, which was restraining her, she had come here and rendered her grace unto me. May she live long, that dark-skinned maiden, having delicate, exquisite tresses that waft with the scent of flowers in the rain that bloom in the fertile Kolli hills, adorned with many jackfruit trees, ruled by King Ori!”
True to his title of historian poet, Paranar stitches a series of significant events from the Sangam era. The man starts by talking about the nature of a Velir chieftain called Eyinan, describing how he would render elephants to bards, who sang about his peaks. Epitome of generosity indeed. Next, he takes us to another incident in this chief’s life, to the Paazhi battlefield, where Eyinan is waging war against a King named Mignili. Unfortunately, Eyinan is covered in wounds and falls dead on that battlefield. Now a curious thing happens! It appears as if this chief was not only kind to those bards but also to birds! For when he falls dead in the middle of the day, as the sun scorches above, the birds wishing to protect his form from the harsh rays join together and spread their wings, forming a canopy high above. What a moving sight! A testimony to the man’s greatness, no doubt! Anyone would celebrate this, however there was a Velir King named Nannan, who refused to come to the battlefield, possibly, out of envy, and see this rare sight and honour his clansman.
Heartbroken because of this attitude of one of their own, the women of the clan beat their chests, tore their garlands and cried out in pain. At that moment, another clansman Akuthai rose to their aid and ended their sorrow, the man describes. Like how Akuthai ended the misery of those anguished Velir women, the lady, who has tresses as fragrant as the flowers in another king Ori’s domain of Kolli hills, had come to the man, breaking the bounds of her modesty, like how a flood would shatter and overcome a wall of salt, and she had ended the anguish of yearning with her grace, the man connects and concludes.
At the core, it’s just a man in the throes of young love, exulting in the knowledge that his love was reciprocated. How seamlessly the verse stitches together this subtle, intimate moment and an uproarious, historic event, and weaves a tapestry, rich in both inner and outer life!
In this episode, we perceive the wonder in a mother’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 207, penned by Madurai Ezhuthaalan Senthampoothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the formidable nature of this domain.
அணங்குடை முந்நீர் பரந்த செறுவின்
உணங்கு திறம் பெயர்ந்த வெண் கல் அமிழ்தம்
குட புல மருங்கின் உய்ம்மார், புள் ஓர்த்துப்
படை அமைத்து எழுந்த பெருஞ் செய் ஆடவர்
நிரைப் பரப் பொறைய நரைப் புறக் கழுதைக்
குறைக் குளம்பு உதைத்த கல் பிறழ் இயவின்,
வெஞ் சுரம் போழ்ந்த, அஞ்சுவரு கவலை,
மிஞிறு ஆர் கடாஅம் கரந்து விடு கவுள,
வெயில் தின வருந்திய, நீடு மருப்பு ஒருத்தல்
பிணர் அழி பெருங் கை புரண்ட கூவல்
தெண் கண் உவரிக் குறைக் குட முகவை,
அறனிலாளன் தோண்ட, வெய்து உயிர்த்து,
பிறைநுதல் வியர்ப்ப, உண்டனள்கொல்லோ
தேம் கலந்து அளைஇய தீம் பால் ஏந்திக்
கூழை உளர்ந்து மோழைமை கூறவும்,
மறுத்த சொல்லள் ஆகி,
வெறுத்த உள்ளமொடு உண்ணாதோளே?
In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear mother say these words, at a time when her daughter had eloped away with the man:
“In fields that spread near divine seas, flourishes that elixir of white salt with a well-dried texture. Gathering these and intending to take it to regions in the west, biding their time for the right bird omens, organising into groups, men of efficient action traverse along with their donkeys, laden with sacks of salt on the beasts’ white backs, and tread along the stony paths, with pebbles scattered by worn-out hooves of these beasts. Through the same formidable paths in the scorching drylands, treads a male elephant, with long tusks and musth-flowing cheeks, swarming with bees, distressed by the heat, and searches for water, amidst a pit with its long and coarse trunk. From this very pit, digging up brackish water that fills only half a cup, that graceless man, renders unto her. Letting out a hot sigh, as her crescent-moon-like forehead sweats, did she drink that up? When I used to offer honey-infused sweet milk, caressing her tresses and speaking sweet words, she would say ‘no’ and with dislike in her heart, would never drink that up. How could she do this now?”
Let’s brave those scorching spaces once again and know more! Mother starts by describing salt fields near the shore, talking about how people there harvest this much sought-after elixir. Then, she describes these harvesters of salt are not content in keeping their produce for themselves, and wish to take it to regions in the west… this line tells us the salt-making is happening on the eastern coast of present-day South India, near the Bay of Bengal. The vehicles these men use for their journey are donkeys and the backs of these donkeys are heavily laden with sacks of salt, mother describes, and she zooms on to the worn-out hooves of these beasts of burden, and the pebbles they scatter on the stony paths. Mother ends this scene here and after an interval of time, on that same pebble-scattered, stony path, we see heavy footprints of an elephant in musth, running crazily in search of water, roving here and there, and locating a pit, it tries to gather the salty water from there. Once more, this scene with the elephant goes curtain down, and after some time, we see the man digging up the same pit to find some water for his beloved. Now mother concludes by asking how the lady was able to drink this foul liquid, adding that this girl was someone, who would refuse to drink even a portion of honeyed milk, offered with tender care and sweet words by her!
Yet again, it’s that awe that strikes many a mother, when their children seem to grow up and do never-before things independently, why because, a part of their mind will always be etched with the memory of that helpless being they held so protectively in their arms, a while ago!
In this episode, we listen to the distress of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 206, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst scenes of wandering buffaloes in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches the emotions of a jilted woman.
என் எனப்படும்கொல் தோழி! நல் மகிழ்ப்
பேடிப் பெண் கொண்டு ஆடுகை கடுப்ப,
நகுவரப் பணைத்த திரி மருப்பு எருமை
மயிர்க் கவின் கொண்ட மாத் தோல் இரும் புறம்,
சிறு தொழில் மகாஅர் ஏறி, சேணோர்க்குத்
துறுகல் மந்தியின் தோன்றும் ஊரன்,
மாரி ஈங்கை மாத் தளிர் அன்ன
அம் மா மேனி, ஆய்இழை மகளிர்
ஆரம் தாங்கிய அலர்முலை ஆகத்து
ஆராக் காதலொடு தார் இடை குழைய,
முழவு முகம் புலரா விழவுடை வியல் நகர்,
வதுவை மேவலன் ஆகலின், அது புலந்து,
அடுபோர் வேளிர் வீரை முன்துறை,
நெடு வெள் உப்பின் நிரம்பாக் குப்பை,
பெரு பெயற்கு உருகியாஅங்கு,
திருந்துஇழை நெகிழ்ந்தன தட மென் தோளே?
It’s all about the players in this trip to the farmlands, as we listen to these words said by the lady to a female dancer, who had come as a messenger from the man, seeking entry into the lady’s house, after the man had left seeking the company of courtesans:
“Akin to hand gestures of a trans-feminine dancer, shaped with nuance, are the thick, curving horns of a buffalo. Climbing atop the handsome, hair-clad, dark-skinned sides of the beast, young children, always upto many little antics, appear akin to monkeys hopping on a boulder, to those faraway in the town of the lord. As for him, he only seeks to unite with those maiden, who have a beautiful, dark complexion, akin to tender sprouts of a touch-me-not tree, clad in exquisite ornaments. He intends to lie with ceaseless love, amidst the garlands adorning their necklace-clad, blooming bosoms, and remain at their festive mansion with unending drum beats. Hating this, akin to tall mounds of salt in the shores of ‘Veerai’, ruled by the battle-worthy Velirs, which melt away in a huge downpour, these well-etched ornaments slip away from my curving, soft arms! How will this state of mine be talked about, my friend?”
Let’s take in the lush landscape and learn more! The lady starts by making one of those rare references in Sangam literature regarding transgender persons. Here, she seems to be talking about a trans-feminine person, who performs as a dancer. The way the arms of the said dancer would be muscular but the hand gestures would be graceful, is placed in parallel with the thick but delicately curving horns of a buffalo. The buffalo has been brought into the picture by the lady to present an image of young children, who fear nothing, climbing on to the back of this buffalo, and the way they appear as monkeys jumping on a rock to those standing faraway. She renders this scene as a description of the man’s prosperous town and goes on to talk about the man’s current state of being lost in the company of courtesans, always seeking to remain at their mansions, filled with festivities. Owing to this, her ornaments were slipping away from her arms, just the way tall mounds of salt on the shores of ‘Veerai’ ruled by Velir Kings, would melt away in a heavy unexpected downpour, the lady concludes. A pictorial depiction of the man’s thoughtless actions and its consequences on the lady’s state of mind!
In this episode, we listen to a dual expression of sadness and hope, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 205, penned by Nakirar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the prosperity of a renowned Sangam-era town.
உயிர் கலந்து ஒன்றிய தொன்று படு நட்பின்
செயிர் தீர் நெஞ்சமொடு செறிந்தோர் போல,
‘தையல்! நின் வயின் பிரியலம் யாம்’ எனப்
பொய் வல் உள்ளமொடு புரிவு உணக் கூறி,
துணிவு இல் கொள்கையர் ஆகி, இனியே
நோய் மலி வருத்தமொடு நுதல் பசப்புபூர,
நாம் அழ, துறந்தனர் ஆயினும், தாமே
வாய்மொழி நிலைஇய சேண் விளங்கு நல் இசை
வளம் கெழு கோசர் விளங்கு படை நூறி,
நிலம் கொள வெஃகிய பொலம் பூண் கிள்ளி,
பூ விரி நெடுங் கழி நாப்பண், பெரும் பெயர்க்
காவிரிப் படப்பைப் பட்டினத்தன்ன
செழு நகர் நல் விருந்து அயர்மார், ஏமுற
விழு நிதி எளிதினின் எய்துகதில்ல
மழை கால் அற்சிரத்து மால் இருள் நீங்கி,
நீடுஅமை நிவந்த நிழல் படு சிலம்பில்,
கடாஅ யானைக் கவுள் மருங்கு உறழ
ஆம் ஊர்பு இழிதரு காமர் சென்னி,
புலி உரி வரி அதள் கடுப்ப, கலி சிறந்து,
நாட் பூ வேங்கை நறு மலர் உதிர,
மேக்கு எழு பெருஞ் சினை ஏறி, கணக் கலை
கூப்பிடூஉ உகளும் குன்றகச் சிறு நெறிக்
கல் பிறங்கு ஆர் இடை விலங்கிய
சொல் பெயர் தேஎத்த சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to travel to the lady’s past and also to a Chozha town, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Owing to a bond that extends beyond time and makes our lives fuse with each other, he had become one with me, uniting his flawless heart with mine. Then, having a heart capable of rendering lies to appease me, he had said, ‘O young maiden! I shall never part from you’. Now, losing his resolve, making the pallor of pining spread on my forehead, leaving me to cry, he had parted away!
He has traversed narrow mountain paths near slopes, covered in the shade of tall bamboos, and where, akin to the cheek of an elephant in musth, cascades descend down, and akin to the lined stripes of a tiger, with joy, fragrant flowers of the Kino tree drop down, and climbing atop the soaring branches of this tree, a troop of monkeys call aloud, and he has reached the formidable, pebble-filled, difficult paths of the drylands in a land, where an unknown language is spoken!
The Chozha King Killi, adorned in golden ornaments, attacked the powerful army of the prosperous Kosars, whose reputation for honesty was renowned far and wide, wishing to seize their land. The Chozhan king rules over the famous ‘Kaveri Pattinam’, whose backwaters are covered with flowers, and the land is decked with fertile fields many. Even though my beloved has left me to suffer and parted away, may he attain the wealth he seeks easily, so that he can feast with delight, in our prosperous mansion, akin to Killi’s Kaveripoompattinam, at this time when dew descends down like rain, and a confusing darkness spreads!”
Let’s explore the difficult paths of this domain once again! The lady starts on a philosophical note about love, talking about how this bond between her and the man did not happen a few weeks or a few months back. She portrays it as a connection existing beyond time, indicating the belief of this era in destiny bringing those in love together. She talks about how they both united as one, and at this time the man had promised her he shall never part from her. However this turned out to be a lie, for the man seems to have lost that determination, and has parted away, leaving her in the midst of tears and pining, the lady details.
I want to take a moment to record a nuance in this expression by the lady. Since I’m rendering this in English, I have chosen an individualistic style of expression such as, ‘The man has left ‘me’ to cry, has made ‘my’ forehead be covered in pallor’. However, the words to denote the actual expression of the lady would be, ‘The man has left ‘us’ to cry, has made ‘our’ foreheads to be covered in pallor’, as if including the confidante in her feelings. The difference between the two is in a collective representation of mental states and possessions. Though today, this collective representation of mental states is no more, the way of referring to possessions collectively still goes on. For instance, in Tamil, when talking about one’s own house or town, people reflexively use the pronoun ‘namma’ which means ‘ours’ rather than ‘en’ meaning ‘mine’! A curious cultural phenomenon of the Tamil language and culture that seems to extend beyond the centuries.
Returning to the verse, we find the lady talking about where the man has left to, and he has crossed mountainous paths, a region filled with cascades, which are poetically placed in parallel to the fluid pouring down the cheeks of an elephant in musth, and a place, decked in the flowers of a Kino tree, which is placed in parallel to the stripes of a tiger. A group of monkeys are seen leaping and calling aloud from the branches of the said tree. It seems as if we are visiting the ‘Kurinji’ landscape, but this is only the beginning of the man’s journey and he soon reaches the drylands, filled with stony, barren paths that lead to a land, where one doesn’t understand the language being spoken there, the lady describes. This is to say the man has taken a long journey, far away from the comforting sounds of his own language!
Then, the lady goes on to talk about King Killi, his intent of waging war against the honest Kosars and seizing their land, and about Killi’s famous town of ‘Kaveripoompattinam’, renowned for its prosperity and natural beauty. Now, the lady places this town in parallel to their wealthy mansion and she concludes by wishing that the man gains the wealth he seeks and returns soon, for now it was the painful season of winter, and the man needs to slay the confusing darkness that spreads around, with his presence! A verse that wraps time as a multi-layered gift, with the past and its promise of never parting, the present and its pain pf pining, and finally the future and the hope of togetherness!
In this episode, we observe the yearning to be back home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 204, penned by Madurai Kaamakani Nappaalathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the buzzing bees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and relays the emotions at the end of a mission.
உலகு உடன் நிழற்றிய தொலையா வெண்குடை,
கடல் போல் தானை, கலிமா, வழுதி
வென்று அமர் உழந்த வியன் பெரும் பாசறைச்
சென்று, வினை முடித்தனம்ஆயின், இன்றே
கார்ப் பெயற்கு எதிரிய காண்தகு புறவில்,
கணம் கொள் வண்டின் அம் சிறைத் தொழுதி
மணம் கமழ் முல்லை மாலை ஆர்ப்ப,
உதுக்காண் வந்தன்று பொழுதே; வல் விரைந்து,
செல்க, பாக! நின் நல் வினை நெடுந் தேர்
வெண்ணெல் அரிநர் மடி வாய்த் தண்ணுமை
பல் மலர்ப் பொய்கைப் படு புள் ஓப்பும்
காய் நெல் படப்பை வாணன் சிறுகுடித்
தண்டலை கமழும் கூந்தல்,
ஒண் தொடி மடந்தை தோள் இணை பெறவே.
In addition to visiting the fragrant forests, we also take a detour to visit a famous Sangam town, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, after completing his mission of war:
“Having a flawless, white royal umbrella that renders shade to the world entire, a sea-like army, and proud horses, the Pandya King has won the war with determined efforts, and we have completed our mission in this wide and expansive battle-camp. Right now, in that picturesque forest, which has been showered by clouds of the rainy season, swarms of beautiful bees buzz around fragrant wild jasmines in the evening hour. Lo behold! That time has come! Hasten, O charioteer, and wield your well-crafted, decorated, tall chariot! Those who harvest paddy beat on the ‘thannumai drums’, having a folded leather cover, to chase away birds, heading from many flowered groves, from those fertile fields with ripe paddy grains, in the town of ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by ‘Vaanan’. That young maiden with shining bangles, has tresses that waft with the scent of the moist orchards in Vaanan’s Sirukudi! Rush on, O charioteer, so that I can embrace her arms soon!”
Time to speed along with this traveller through the forests! The man starts by talking about how he had come to serve his king, a scion of the Pandya dynasty, who had extended the shade of his rule to the world entire. An exaggeration, no doubt, but we can read it as ‘world as they knew it’! This King had claimed victory in the battlefield and so the man’s mission was complete. While that was good news, the season of rains, which was his promised season of return, had already arrived and was make the forests smile with wild jasmines, inviting the bees in the evening hour. At this time, the man asks his charioteer to speed on and take him to his lady, whose tresses he places in parallel to the many-flowered, moist orchards in the town of ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by ‘Vaanan’, a place filled with lush paddy fields, where people used beat their drums to chase away birds that came to raid ripe grains. The man concludes by telling his charioteer that he wished for nothing more than embracing his beloved’s arms as soon as possible!
In essence, it’s a ‘take me home, right now’ message, celebrating the beauty of the lady and acknowledging the changing seasons. That moment of reunion that a person who had parted away yearns for, that’s something that’s a constant across the ages, and across the miles of this world! These words from the past seem to tell us, ‘No matter how great a mission we have accomplished, nothing can match the joy of being back in the presence of love’!
In this episode, we perceive the angst and yearning in a mother’s voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 203, penned by Kabilar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse resonates with the wishes throbbing in a sorrowful heart.
‘உவக்குநள்ஆயினும், உடலுநள்ஆயினும்,
யாய் அறிந்து உணர்க’ என்னார், தீ வாய்
அலர் வினை மேவல் அம்பற் பெண்டிர்,
‘இன்னள் இனையள், நின் மகள்’ என, பல் நாள்
எனக்கு வந்து உரைப்பவும், தனக்கு உரைப்பு அறியேன்,
‘நாணுவள் இவள்’ என, நனி கரந்து உறையும்
யான் இவ் வறு மனை ஒழிய, தானே,
‘அன்னை அறியின், இவண் உறை வாழ்க்கை
எனக்கு எளிது ஆகல் இல்’ என, கழற் கால்
மின் ஒளிர் நெடு வேல் இளையோன் முன்னுற,
பல் மலை அருஞ் சுரம் போகிய தனக்கு, யான்
அன்னேன் அன்மை நன் வாயாக,
மான் அதர் மயங்கிய மலைமுதல் சிறு நெறி
வெய்து இடையுறாஅது எய்தி, முன்னர்ப்
புல்லென் மா மலைப் புலம்பு கொள் சீறூர்,
செல் விருந்து ஆற்றி, துச்சில் இருத்த,
நுனை குழைத்து அலமரும் நொச்சி
மனை கெழு பெண்டு யான் ஆகுகமன்னே!
Plenty of talking in this trip to the drylands, as we get to hear the lady’s mother say these words, at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement with the man:
“Without thinking, ‘Whether she’s going to be happy about it or whether she’s going to be angry about it, let her mother learn of it herself!’, those back-biting, slanderous women, who love to spread rumours with their cruel mouths, came to me and said, ‘Such is the nature of your daughter’, over many, many days. Thinking that, ‘It will make her feel ashamed’, I said nothing to my daughter, and kept it well hidden. Leaving me alone in this barren house, thinking, ‘If mother comes to know, the life I’ve been leading with him will not be possible for me anymore’, she has left to the formidable drylands, crossing mountains many, with that young man, wearing warrior anklets and holding a radiant, tall spear, leading ahead. To tell the truth that I’m not such a person who is opposed to her, traversing the small, confusing mountain paths, where beasts roam, without any ruin coming to me, I should go ahead of them, reach the isolated hamlet in that barren, tall mountain, and to make them a fine feast, and let them rest for the night, I should enter that hut, surrounded by chaste trees, whose edges sway with tender sprouts, and become the lady of that household!”
Let’s follow along through the scorching spaces and learn more! Mother starts by recollecting what had happened. It all started with the womenfolk of their hamlet, who were known to gossip and spread slander. Without remaining quiet with the thought, ‘When the time comes, let her find it out herself’, they had come to the lady’s mother and spoke about the lady’s relationship with the man. While this was so, mother seems to have refrained from talking about it directly with her daughter, worrying that her girl would feel much shame and distress. While mother was holding back so, the lady seems to have understood that something was amiss. Deciding if mother had indeed come to know of her relationship with the man, then she would forbid it, the lady had left to go far through the drylands, in the company of her lover, the one clad in warrior anklets and holding a shining spear in hand. After this account of what’s happened, mother comes to the present and declares, ‘I’m not opposed to her love and happiness’. ‘To make her understand this, I should somehow rush through those barren mountain paths, without any harm befalling me, and overtake them, and find that isolated mountain village that they would pass through, and going there, I should prepare a feast for the two of them and ensure they have a good rest before they continue their travels. This I can do, if I can somehow transform into the lady of that house, surrounded by chaste trees, with swaying branches of new sprouts’, mother concludes, dreaming!
Something that shines so brightly in this verse is the nature of a mother’s heart. No matter how hurt by the actions of her girl, the mother wants the best for her child and all that that that child loves. Epitome of love indeed! Another thought that struck me was that everything that has happened in this instance is because of communication or its absence! Unwanted communication on the part of those gossiping womenfolk, mother not speaking out to her girl when she should have, and the lady, assuming mother was against her, and leaving without a word. A verse that reiterates the importance of speaking the right words to the right person at the right time!
In this episode, we perceive an attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 202, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar Kannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowering trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and sketches striking similes using the colours of nature.
வயங்கு வெள் அருவிய குன்றத்துக் கவாஅன்,
கயந் தலை மடப் பிடி இனன் ஏமார்ப்ப,
புலிப் பகை வென்ற புண் கூர் யானை
கல்லகச் சிலம்பில் கை எடுத்து உயிர்ப்பின்,
நல் இணர் வேங்கை நறு வீ கொல்லன்
குருகு ஊது மிதி உலைப் பிதிர்வின் பொங்கி,
சிறு பல் மின்மினி போல, பல உடன்
மணி நிற இரும் புதல் தாவும் நாட!
யாமே அன்றியும் உளர்கொல் பானாள்,
உத்தி அரவின் பைத் தலை துமிய,
உர உரும் உரறும் உட்கு வரு நனந்தலை,
தவிர்வு இல் உள்ளமொடு எஃகு துணையாக,
கனை இருள் பரந்த கல் அதர்ச் சிறு நெறி
தேராது வரூஉம் நின்வயின்
ஆர் அஞர் அரு படர் நீந்துவோரே?
In this trip to the mountains, dynamic images await us as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when the man is about to part away after a nightly tryst with the lady:
“In the mountain slopes, filled with radiant white cascades, after winning over the enmity of a tiger and making its herd proud, a male elephant, covered in wounds, lies along with its soft-headed, naive mate. As it raises its trunk and lets out a loud sigh in the rocky highlands domain, fine and fragrant flower clusters of the Kino tree nearby, soar akin to sparks that rise, when a blacksmith blows into his bellows, while stepping on the pedal of the furnace treadle. And then, appearing akin to many, small fireflies, these flowers bunch together and scatter on sapphire-hued, dark bushes in your mountains, O lord! In the dead dark of the night, when the hooded head of the spotted snake is severed by roaring thunder in those wide spaces, with an unrelenting heart, with only a spear for company, through that small and stony path, densely packed with darkness, without any concern, you walk to arrive here. Could there be anyone, who experiences a great suffering than her, as she worries about you?”
Let’s get going on the mountain trek! The confidante starts by describing the man’s country, and to do that, she paints an image of a male elephant, which has defeated an attacking tiger, much to the pride of its herd, and was now resting next to its mate. At the moment, when this elephant raises its trunk and lets out a sigh, the flowers in the Kino tree nearby, seem to soar in the sky, like sparks from a blacksmith’s bellows, and then pulled by inevitable gravity, fall down and settle on the dark bushes, akin to swarming fireflies, the confidante details. Then, she goes on to talk about the dangerous path the man takes at night, walking in the dead darkness, when according to their belief, thunder and lightning struck and severed the heads of snakes, with only a spear for company, through a tiny, stony path, and without worrying about a thing, he comes intent on his tryst with the lady. The confidante concludes by declaring that there’s no one, who would feel a greater sorrow than the lady, because she’s filled with anxiety about the man’s safety, as he continues to take this walk night after night!
It’s the confidante’s way of telling the man, ‘It’s all well and good that you put so much effort to come here. But the lady is worried about you. Isn’t it your duty to put her heart at rest?’ In the scene of the victorious male elephant resting with its mate, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man had overcome difficulties many to be in the company of his beloved. Also, in the scene of the elephant’s sigh, causing the Kino flowers to rise and scatter, the confidante places another intricate metaphor for how the man’s actions was causing slander to spread in town, about his relationship with the lady. In essence, the confidante’s telling the man it’s time to marry the lady. ‘Marry her, Marry her’ indeed. but doesn’t that exquisite montage of an elephant’s sigh, spark-like Kino flowers soaring in the sky, and like a swarm of fireflies, spreading on the sapphire-hued bushes, linger so deliciously in the mind’s eyes?
In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 201, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals aspects of Pandya and Chozha kingdoms.
அம்ம, வாழி தோழி! ‘பொன்னின்
அவிர் எழில் நுடங்கும் அணி கிளர் ஓடை
வினை நவில் யானை விறற் போர்ப் பாண்டியன்
புகழ் மலி சிறப்பின் கொற்கை முன்துறை,
அவிர்கதிர் முத்தமொடு வலம்புரி சொரிந்து,
தழை அணிப் பொலிந்த கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்
பழையர் மகளிர் பனித் துறைப் பரவ,
பகலோன் மறைந்த அந்தி ஆர் இடை,
உரு கெழு பெருங் கடல் உவவுக் கிளர்ந்தாங்கு,
அலரும் மன்று பட்டன்றே; அன்னையும்
பொருந்தாக் கண்ணள், வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும்’ என்று
எவன் கையற்றனை, இகுளை? சோழர்
வெண்ணெல் வைப்பின் நல் நாடு பெறினும்,
ஆண்டு அமைந்து உறைநர்அல்லர் முனாஅது
வான் புகு தலைய குன்றத்துக் கவாஅன்,
பெருங் கை எண்கின் பேழ்வாய் ஏற்றை
இருள் துணிந்தன்ன குவவு மயிர்க் குருளைத்
தோல் முலைப் பிணவொடு திளைக்கும்
வேனில் நீடிய சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we take a detour to the Pandya and Chozha country, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left to earn wealth to claim the lady’s hand in marriage:
“Listen my friend, may you live long! You say to me, ‘Wearing well-etched head ornaments made of gold that glow resplendently, battle elephants of the victorious Pandya king stand proudly, near the shores of Korkai, celebrated for its immense fame, as daughters of pearl-divers, wearing leaf attires around their radiant, striped uplifted waists, spread sparkling pearls and right-whorled conch shells on those cool shores, at that precious time when the sun sets. Akin to how the formidable, huge ocean there would rise high with a roar, slander does soar around town. Hearing this, with sleepless eyes, mother keeps sighing loudly’. Worrying so, don’t feel so helpless, my dearest!
Even if he were to attain the fine country of the Chozhas, which yield unceasing mounds of white paddy, he is not someone who will stay there, content. Indeed the one, who has left to the drylands with a prolonged summer, near the slopes of the mountains with sky-soaring peaks, where a male sloth bear with huge hands and a fierce mouth, frolics with its coarse-haired cub, which looks like a bundle of darkness, and its mate with skinny breasts, will not stay away for anything!”
Time to explore the scorching drylands path! The confidante starts by inviting the lady’s attention and repeating the worry running through the lady’s mind. To do that, she zooms on to ornamented battle elephants belonging to the Pandya kings, victorious in war, as they stand near the shore of the famous town of Korkai. Here, the daughters of pearl divers are performing a special ceremony, by spreading pearls and conch-shells, possibly a festival of gratitude for the king’s victories in the battlefield. This happens at dusk, and at this time, the seas nearby would rise high and roar, the confidante details, and connects it to the slander that was similarly soaring in town about the lady’s relationship with the man. The lady was worried because Mother had heard these rumours and was lying sleepless, sighing ceaselessly. Now, the confidante asks her friend not to feel so anxious and helpless and she promises that the man who had left to the drylands, would not stay there, even if he were to be given the country of the Chozhas, known for its unceasing yield of paddy. The confidante concludes with a description of the place, where the man has left, talking about how in that scorched domain, where summer does not want to part, a male sloth bear finds the means to frolic with its cub and mate!
In the scene of the sloth bear family, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man would soon return and rejoice with his beloved. Yet again, the message we recently encountered, about how no amount of wealth would keep away a man from the lady he loves, echoes aloud. But here, the context differs, and we are presented with a bonus gift of intriguing images that echo the glory and prosperity of ancient Tamil kingdoms!
In this episode, we perceive the communication of a nuanced message as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 200, penned by Ulochchanaar. The verse is situated amidst the shining sands of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and conveys an awaited news.
நிலாவின் இலங்கு மணல் மலி மறுகில்,
புலால் அம் சேரி, புல் வேய் குரம்பை,
ஊர் என உணராச் சிறுமையொடு, நீர் உடுத்து,
இன்னா உறையுட்டுஆயினும், இன்பம்
ஒரு நாள் உறைந்திசினோர்க்கும், வழி நாள்,
தம் பதி மறக்கும் பண்பின் எம் பதி
வந்தனை சென்மோ வளை மேய் பரப்ப!
பொம்மற் படு திரை கம்மென உடைதரும்
மரன் ஓங்கு ஒரு சிறை பல பாராட்டி,
எல்லை எம்மொடு கழிப்பி, எல் உற,
நல் தேர் பூட்டலும் உரியீர்; அற்றன்று,
சேந்தனிர் செல்குவிர்ஆயின், யாமும்
எம் வரை அளவையின் பெட்குவம்;
நும் ஒப்பதுவோ? உரைத்திசின் எமக்கே.
Pleasant scenes of the seashore greet us in this trip, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, who had relayed his interest in trysting with the lady through the confidante:
“Having streets filled with abundant sands that shine like the moon, our beautiful little hamlet, surrounded by water, wafting with the scent of flesh, and having huts, thatched with grass, may have a smallness that does not make it fit to be called a town. Though it may not have houses, comfortable enough to reside, for those who live there just for a day, it would endow so much joy, that would make them forget their own town the next day. Why don’t you come to this hamlet of ours, O lord of the seashore, which is filled with roving sea snails? Rendering praises many, you could spend the day on these shores, filled with soaring trees, where radiant waves resound with a roar, and when the day ends, you could yoke your fine chariot and depart; If you don’t want that and wish to stay here, we will shower our care as best as we can. Is this agreeable to you? Pray tell!”
Let’s get ready to dip our feet in the salty waters and take in the spread of the heart! The confidante starts with a description of the lady’s village, talking about the streets with moon-like sands, thatched huts, and brimming with the scent of fleshy fish. She accepts with humility that it’s indeed a small place that may not deserve to be called a town, perhaps hinting at the prosperous place where the man comes from. She adds that it may not have luxurious places, worthy enough for the lord to stay. While it may be so, it’s also true that anyone, who has been there for a day, would feel so much joy that they would forget their own town, the confidante describes. With that praise for their humble town, the confidante invites the man to spend the day, rejoicing in the roaring shores and soaring trees. Later, when the sun sets, the man could leave in his chariot, if he so chose; however, if he wished to stay, even that was fine and they would extend their hospitality to the best of their ability, the confidante declares and concludes by asking him if this worked out well for him!
The stage of the relationship when this conversation is unfolding is the thing of interest here! It’s at a time, when the man has seen the lady and fallen in love with her. He tries to further his relationship by seeking the confidante’s favour. The confidante tests to see if the lady reciprocates the man’s feelings. After she has received positive vibes from her friend, the confidante returns back to the man, and conveys this, through the said words. In a nutshell, the confidante is telling the man that the lady has agreed for a tryst with him, and whether it is by day or by night, it was fine by the lady. No doubt the man would be jubilant after hearing these words he has been yearning to hear! To me, the highlight of this verse is the perfect balance between humility and pride about the place where they live that the confidante echoes in her words. Through this simple song, the confidante teaches us the right way to have an understanding about anything in life is to accept its weaknesses and celebrate its strengths!
In this episode, we listen to a clear decision made after moments of deliberation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 199, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the dreariness and dangers in this domain.
கரை பாய் வெண் திரை கடுப்ப, பல உடன்,
நிரை கால் ஒற்றலின், கல் சேர்பு உதிரும்
வரை சேர் மராஅத்து ஊழ் மலர் பெயல் செத்து,
உயங்கல் யானை நீர் நசைக்கு அலமர,
சிலம்பி வலந்த வறுஞ் சினை வற்றல்
அலங்கல் உலவை அரி நிழல் அசைஇ,
திரங்குமரல் கவ்விய கையறு தொகுநிலை,
அரம் தின் ஊசித் திரள் நுதி அன்ன,
திண் நிலை எயிற்ற செந்நாய் எடுத்தலின்,
வளி முனைப் பூளையின் ஒய்யென்று அலறிய
கெடுமான் இன நிரை தரீஇய, கலையே
கதிர் மாய் மாலை ஆண் குரல் விளிக்கும்
கடல் போல் கானம் பிற்பட, ‘பிறர் போல்
செல்வேம்ஆயின், எம் செலவு நன்று’ என்னும்
ஆசை உள்ளம் அசைவின்று துரப்ப,
நீ செலற்கு உரியை நெஞ்சே! வேய் போல்
தடையின மன்னும், தண்ணிய, திரண்ட,
பெருந் தோள் அரிவை ஒழிய, குடாஅது,
இரும் பொன் வாகைப் பெருந்துறைச் செருவில்,
பொலம் பூண் நன்னன் பொருது களத்து ஒழிய,
வலம் படு கொற்றம் தந்த வாய் வாள்,
களங்காய்க் கண்ணி நார் முடிச் சேரல்
இழந்த நாடு தந்தன்ன
வளம் பெரிது பெறினும், வாரலென் யானே.
We encounter many different scenes in this trip to the drylands, as we get to hear the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when his heart was pressing him to part in search of wealth:
“As strong winds dash against them, mature flowers of the burflower tree growing in the ranges, drop down and scatter on the rocky surfaces, akin to white waves that leap on shores. Thinking it’s rain that’s falling down, tired elephants, filled with fierce thirst, arrive and return disappointed.
Resting under the sparse shade of parched trees, whose dried branches are covered with cobwebs, the helpless herd of deer, which feeds on thick hemp bushes, move around. With sharp and fierce teeth, akin to the edges of a saw, a red dog attacks them. Escaping, akin to flowers of mountain knotgrass that fly in the wind, screaming, the deer herd scatter in different directions. In the evening hour, when the sun has set, the male deer’s voice calls out aloud, calling them all together. Wanting me to traverse such a sea-like scrub jungle, you say to me, ‘If you leave like others, your journey will be good’, with a heart that ceaselessly yearns for wealth, you nudge me to part away, O heart!
As for me, leaving behind the young maiden with arms that are thick, rounded and curving like fine bamboos, I shall not part, even if I were to attain as much wealth as that in the great country, which the Chera King ‘Kalangaai Kanni Naar Mudi Cheral’, lost and then reclaimed with immense victory, wielding his courageous sword, in the great western battlefield of ‘Perunthurai’, filled with golden lebbeck trees, when he defeated Nannan, clad in gold jewels, and routed him in the battlefield!”
Time for a walk in those barren spaces! The man starts by describing the region where his heart expects him to leave, talking about how thirsty elephants mistake the falling flowers of the burflower tree as rain, as these cover the rocky surfaces like waves on the shore. Then, he moves to another group of animals, a herd of deers which are already languishing in the heat, finding only the shade of cobweb-covered, parched trees, and the hardy food of hemp. Their troubles are further worsened by the attack of a red dog, and the family scatters away helter-skelter, and in the evening hour, the piteous voice of the male, trying to bring together its herd, can be heard, says the man. This is the place you are asking me to leave too, looking at all others around, filled with yearning for wealth in your heart, the man says to his heart! Interesting to note how the man sees his heart as having a heart of its own!
Returning, the man starts narrating the historic battle between Chera King Naarmudi Cheral and King Nannan, in the battlefield of Perunthurai, where Naarmudi Cheral defeated Nannan and won back the country he had lost. The man now comes to the point and says even if he were to get wealth as much as that can be found in the country that Naarmudi Cheral lost and reclaimed, he was sure he did not want to part away from his beloved! In essence, in the struggle between being with a beloved and going in search of wealth, love has triumphed for the moment!
In this episode, we listen to words of passion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 198, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and echoes the beating heart of man in love.
கூறுவம்கொல்லோ? கூறலம்கொல்?’ எனக்
கரந்த காமம் கைந்நிறுக்கல்லாது,
நயந்து நாம் விட்ட நல் மொழி நம்பி,
அரை நாள் யாமத்து விழு மழை கரந்து
கார் விரை கமழும் கூந்தல், தூ வினை
நுண் நூல் ஆகம் பொருந்தினள், வெற்பின்
இள மழை சூழ்ந்த மட மயில் போல,
வண்டு வழிப் படர, தண் மலர் வேய்ந்து,
வில் வகுப்புற்ற நல் வாங்கு குடைச் சூல்
அம் சிலம்பு ஒடுக்கி அஞ்சினள் வந்து,
துஞ்சு ஊர் யாமத்து முயங்கினள், பெயர்வோள்,
ஆன்ற கற்பின் சான்ற பெரியள்,
அம் மா அரிவையோ அல்லள்; தெனாஅது
ஆஅய் நல் நாட்டு அணங்குடைச் சிலம்பில்,
கவிரம் பெயரிய உரு கெழு கவாஅன்,
ஏர் மலர் நிறை சுனை உறையும்
சூர்மகள்மாதோ என்னும் என் நெஞ்சே!
This trip to the highlands is all about reverence, and we get to hear the man say these words, after a tryst by night with his lady:
“The hidden love within me, about which I was deliberating, ‘Should I tell? Should I not?’ failed to heed my shackles, and so, I sent good words to her with much desire. Trusting in these words, in the midnight hour, waiting for the pouring rain to cease, having tresses fragrant with the scent of rain, wearing an intricate attire made of fine threads that enveloped her, akin to a naive peacock descending down from a cloud-covered mountain, clad in moist, well-woven flowers, which were swarming with bees, adorned with exquisite anklets with hollow tubes, curving akin to a bow, taking care to silence the sound of the said anklets, with fear she came walking, and when the town entire was sleeping in that hour, she embraced me and parted away. That great woman, who shines with her deep chastity, is not just a beautiful, dark-skinned young maiden; In the southern lands, in the fearsome mountain slopes, in the fine country of ‘Aay’, called as ‘Kaviram’, there are formidable mountain ranges, filled with picturesque flowers and brimming springs. My heart says she is surely a heavenly maiden from thither!”
Let’s go on that midnight trek in the mountains and learn more! The man starts by reminiscing about the past when he was hesitating about expressing his love for the lady. Beyond all bounds of logic, his love seemed to brim over and he had sent word about the promise of his affections to the lady, and she too had come there to him, in the middle of the night, at a time when there was a break in the rains, with her moist, flower-decked hair, wearing a dainty attire, and taking care to still the sound of her exquisite anklets, embraced him and left from there, the man describes. Now the man reflects on this noble and chaste maiden and concludes by saying that his heart was convinced that she was no ordinary maiden but surely a goddess, the one who is said to reside in the ‘Kaviram’ mountain ranges in Chieftain Aay’s domain!
That feeling of awe and admiration, inevitable elements in the first stages of love, seems to resonate in this mountain song from long ago. So many songs and poems over the ages have echoed this very bewilderment about a beloved – Am I dreaming? Is this life real? Is the other person merely human or could they be an angel in disguise? – A sentiment oft-heard from those in the throes of love, no matter the place or time!
In this episode, we listen to words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 197, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the domain with a heartwarming simile.
மா மலர் வண்ணம் இழந்த கண்ணும்,
பூ நெகிழ் அணையின் சாஅய தோளும்,
நன்னர் மாக்கள் விழைவனர் ஆய்ந்த
தொல் நலம் இழந்த துயரமொடு, என்னதூஉம்
இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! முனை எழ
முன்னுவர் ஓட்டிய முரண் மிகு திருவின்,
மறம் மிகு தானை, கண்ணன் எழினி
தேம் முது குன்றம் இறந்தனர் ஆயினும்,
நீடலர் யாழ, நின் நிரை வளை நெகிழ
தோள் தாழ்பு இருளிய குவை இருங் கூந்தல்
மடவோள் தழீஇய விறலோன் மார்பில்
புன் தலைப் புதல்வன் ஊர்பு இழிந்தாங்கு,
கடுஞ்சூல் மடப் பிடி தழீஇய வெண் கோட்டு
இனம்சால் வேழம், கன்று ஊர்பு இழிதர,
பள்ளி கொள்ளும் பனிச் சுரம் நீந்தி,
ஒள் இணர்க் கொன்றை ஓங்கு மலை அத்தம்
வினை வலியுறூஉம் நெஞ்சமொடு
இனையர் ஆகி, நப் பிரிந்திசினோரே.
In this trip to this domain, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man remains parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Your eyes, akin to dark flowers, have lost their hue; Akin to a pillow that has lost its plumpness, your arms have thinned; The beauty of yours, celebrated by your good friends, have lost the old state! With the sorrow of realising all this, do not suffer ceaselessly, my friend, may you live long! The one, who parted away, making your neat row of bangles slip away, left to the terrifying drylands, which makes one shiver, where akin to the scene in a home, when upon the chest of a strong man, lying down embracing his naive woman, with darkness-like, thick tresses that fall beneath her arms, his young son, with coarse hair, crawls down, on the body of a male elephant, one of a herd, having white tusks, which had been embracing its naive and fully pregnant mate, its calf would climb up and descend down. Indeed, he has parted away, without any grace, with a heart that was pressing him to go on his mission through the drylands, near the soaring mountains, filled with golden shower trees, having radiant flowers. Always chasing away those who dared to rise in opposition, Kannan Ezhini rises with furious strength, wielding a courageous army. Even though your man has crossed the honey-covered, ancient peaks of his, he shan’t delay any longer!”
Time to tread the scorching spaces again! The confidante starts by describing how the lady’s eyes, her arms and her beauty had lost their old state. After acknowledging these changes, the confidante asks the lady to not keep worrying so. Then, she describes the drylands path where the man is traversing, and to do that, she zooms on to a scene in a home, where a little boy would be crawling on the chest of his father, as that man lies embracing his wife with long tresses. Then, the confidante connects this scene to that of a male elephant and its pregnant mate and the way, an elephant calf would be playing, climbing on its father’s back and rolling down. Doesn’t seem like a scary place to me! In any case, that’s how the confidante says this place is, and talks about how the man walks through these lands, crossing highlands with golden shower trees, and walking beyond the peaks of a courageous king named ‘Kannan Ezhini’. The confidante ends by saying while all that is true, the man wouldn’t dream of staying there one moment longer than necessary and would be back soon with the lady.
That scene with the bonding elephant family must be the confidante’s way of projecting the image of future happiness the lady is going to experience once the man returns. Utilising the effective techniques of acknowledging the pain of the present, and visualising the pleasure of the future, this expert ‘psychologist’ of Sangam times heals her languishing friend!
In this episode, we perceive a woman’s anger, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 196, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the uproarious streets of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and contrasts the nature of men and women.
நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் நறவு மலி பாக்கத்து,
நாள் துறைப்பட்ட மோட்டு இரு வராஅல்
துடிக்கண் கொழுங் குறை நொடுத்து, உண்டு ஆடி,
வேட்டம் மறந்து, துஞ்சும் கொழுநர்க்குப் பாட்டி
ஆம்பல் அகல் இலை, அமலை வெஞ் சோறு
தீம் புளிப் பிரம்பின் திரள்கனி பெய்து,
விடியல் வைகறை இடூஉம் ஊர!
தொடுகலம் குறுக வாரல் தந்தை
கண் கவின் அழித்ததன் தப்பல், தெறுவர,
ஒன்றுமொழிக் கோசர்க் கொன்று, முரண் போகிய,
கடுந் தேர்த் திதியன் அழுந்தை கொடுங் குழை
அன்னிமிஞிலியின் இயலும்
நின் நலத் தகுவியை முயங்கிய மார்பே.
In this quick, little trip to this domain, we see interesting sights and get to hear the lady say these words to the man, when he returns home after being with the courtesan:
“In those streets, fluttering with tall flags and brimming with fragrant toddy, after selling the drum-eye-like, fatty pieces of the murrel fish ,with huge bellies, caught during the day at the shore, they drink and dance, and then forgetting the next day’s hunt, the men sleep on. For these husbands of theirs, daughters of bards, spread hot, cooked rice on wide leaves of the water lily, and pour sweet-sour curry of the thick tamarind fruit, and serve them in the early hours of the morning in your town, O lord! For the mistake of ruining the health of her father’s eyes, with fury, she killed the Kosars, who are men of their word, with the aid of ’Thithiyan’, who wields speeding chariots, in the town of Azhunthai, and quenched her enmity. Like this Anni Mignili, who wears curving heavy earrings, that woman, you deem so fitting for you, walks around with pride. I shall not touch the chest of yours that she has embraced! Come not near me!”
Time to see the exuberant and emotional sights of the farmlands! The lady starts by describing the man’s town, and to do that, she zooms on to the men of the town, who catch murrel fish in the river shores, sell these in the evening markets, where flags flutter with flourish. Then, they procure the abundant toddy, eat, drink and make merry, and retire to their homes. So tired out by these exertions they are, that they sleep on, forgetting the next day’s work. Waking them up, their loving wives serve them a tasty meal of cooked rice and sweet-sour curry of tamarind, the lady details. Could this be hangover medicine?
Returning, after describing the man’s town, we find the lady switching gears and talking about a historic event, wherein a lady named Anni Mignili was furious because the tribe of Kosars had hurt her father, and to take revenge, she seeks the aid of a king called ‘Thithiyan’ and in the town of ‘Azhunthai’, kills the Kosars. Just the way that lady walked about, content and proud, at the successful fulfilment of her wish, the man’s courtesan moves around, the lady connects, and concludes by telling him that she has no wish of touching the man’s chest, which had been embraced by the said courtesan and asks him to move away from her.
As we can clearly see, the lady’s ire is on fire! She’s angered about how the courtesan has won over her husband, as projected by the simile of Anni Mignili’s vengeful victory. In the description of the men and the women of the man’s town, the lady intends to place a metaphor for how the men seemed to forget their duty in their pleasure-intent revels, whereas their wives were the epitome of chastity, who fulfilled their duties without fail, and connects to the contrast of her man’s pleasure-seeking and her own duty-mindedness. Interesting how society and history lend their hands to sculpt the scene of this intimate tussle at home!
In this episode, we listen to a mother’s yearning words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 195, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the questions that arise in a Sangam mother’s heart at the moment of her daughter’s elopement.
”அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்த என் பெருந் தோட் குறுமகள்
திருந்துவேல் விடலையொடு வரும்” என, தாயே,
புனை மாண் இஞ்சி பூவல் ஊட்டி,
மனை மணல் அடுத்து, மாலை நாற்றி,
உவந்து, இனிது அயரும் என்ப; யானும்,
மான் பிணை நோக்கின் மட நல்லாளை
ஈன்ற நட்பிற்கு அருளான் ஆயினும்,
இன் நகை முறுவல் ஏழையைப் பல் நாள்,
கூந்தல் வாரி, நுசுப்பு இவர்ந்து, ஓம்பிய
நலம் புனை உதவியும் உடையன்மன்னே;
அஃது அறிகிற்பினோ நன்றுமன் தில்ல;
அறுவை தோயும் ஒரு பெருங் குடுமி,
சிறு பை நாற்றிய பல் தலைக் கொடுங் கோல்,
ஆகுவது அறியும் முதுவாய் வேல!
கூறுகமாதோ, நின் கழங்கின் திட்பம்;
மாறா வருபனி கலுழும் கங்குலில்,
ஆனாது துயரும் எம் கண் இனிது படீஇயர்,
எம் மனை முந்துறத் தருமோ?
தன் மனை உய்க்குமோ? யாது அவன் குறிப்பே?
It’s more about the dunes of the mind in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the lady’s mother say these words, at a time when the lady has left with the man, seeing no other way to sustain her love relationship:
“They say that thinking my daughter with beautiful, thick arms, who parted away to the formidable drylands, will come home, with the young man carrying a well-etched spear, his mother, spreads red mud on the well-adorned, outer walls of their house, scatters fresh sands in front of the home, decorates the spaces by hanging garlands, and goes about many such tasks with much joy.
Even if he does not honour me for having given birth to that naive, good woman, with the gaze of a female deer, he should know that it was me, who cared for that helpless, young girl, with a fine smile, for many days, by combing her tresses, carrying her on my hips, and rendering all I could to enhance her beauty. If he understands this, it will be good.
O wise Velan, clad in white cloth, having a huge tuft, carrying a many-spoked, curving rod, from which hangs a small bag, you are someone who knows what is about to transpire! Won’t you tell me, seeing the spread of your beans, will he render sweet sleep to my eyes, which cease not from crying, filled with suffering, on this dark night, by bringing her first to my home? Or will he take her to his? Pray tell me, what his mind seeks!”
Time to pause and listen to another’s angst! Mother starts by talking about another mother, and this happens to be the man’s mother, about whom the lady’s mother had received some news, saying she was getting ready to welcome her son and the lovely maiden he had chosen as his mate. To this end, she was spreading red mud on their walls, scattering fine sand in front of the house, and tying garlands everywhere. In short , it’s going to be one joyous welcome for the couple, who had eloped and are traversing a harsh domain just then. The lady’s mother continues by saying, ‘All that’s well and fine. But that man should consider it was me who had brought his beloved to this world, and even if he doesn’t care about that, he should have some gratitude for all those days I took care of my girl, when she was a helpless little thing, and I made sure she grew up with much health and beauty’. After this declaration of her predominance in the lady’s life, mother turns to Velan, who is performing some divining with his Molucca beans, and concludes, by asking him, whether the man would do the honour of bringing the lady to her house and slay the sleeplessness and suffering of her eyes or will the man take the lady to his own house.
Didn’t the lady just leave her own house because she thought her mother and relatives were against her love relationship with the man? What would make her return? Perhaps it’s a depiction of a state of mind that we all go through, when things have gone too far in the opposite direction, and yet we cling on to the possibility that we can go back to being how we were! Seeing it from another angle, perhaps like the lady’s mother mentions, the man might think of the lady’s parents and all that they have done for the lady and what they must be going through, and might bring back the lady and seek their approval for their marriage. I know, a slim sliver of a possibility, and that’s exactly what mother’s clinging on, dreaming about clasping her precious daughter back in her arms, somehow! A classic case of ‘hope against hope’!
In this episode, we perceive the arrival of a particular season, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 194, penned by Idaikkaadanaar. The verse is situated amidst the millet fields of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and echoes the disappointment in a person’s heart.
பேர் உறை தலைஇய பெரும் புலர் வைகறை,
ஏர் இடம் படுத்த இரு மறுப் பூழிப்
புறம் மாறு பெற்ற பூவல் ஈரத்து,
ஊன் கிழித்தன்ன செஞ் சுவல் நெடுஞ் சால்,
வித்திய மருங்கின் விதை பல நாறி,
இரலை நல் மானினம் பரந்தவைபோல்,
கோடுடைத் தலைக்குடை சூடிய வினைஞர்,
கறங்கு பறைச் சீரின் இரங்க வாங்கி,
களை கால் கழீஇய பெரும் புன வரகின்
கவைக் கதிர் இரும் புறம் கதூஉ உண்ட,
குடுமி நெற்றி, நெடு மாத் தோகை
காமர் கலவம் பரப்பி, ஏமுறக்
கொல்லை உழவர் கூழ் நிழல் ஒழித்த
வல் இலைக் குருந்தின் வாங்குசினை இருந்து,
கிளி கடி மகளிரின் விளி படப் பயிரும்
கார்மன் இதுவால் தோழி! ”போர் மிகக்
கொடுஞ்சி நெடுந் தேர் பூண்ட, கடும் பரி,
விரிஉளை, நல் மான் கடைஇ
வருதும்” என்று அவர் தெளித்த போழ்தே.
We return to the forests and take in images of farming, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left her for a mission of war:
“In this morning hour that has dispelled the deep darkness, when huge raindrops have fallen down, the land which had been split by the imprint of the plough, scattering dust on both sides, where the mud had been turned upside down in the moistened ground, appearing like torn red flesh, the long furrows in the red soil, which had been planted with many seeds, have now bloomed forth. Appearing as if herds of male deer are moving around, farmers wearing hats with pointed antler tips, pull out the weeds, in sync to the beat of resounding drums, amidst the blooming Kodo millet fields. Eating from the dark-backed, flourishing crop ears, a long peacock with a crested forehead, spreads its feathers, and flies to the branch of a solitary wild lemon tree with thick leaves, left uncut by farmers of this forest land, to serve as the shade for their afternoon meal. Sitting there, with the sound, akin to that made by maiden chasing parrots, the peacock calls aloud, in this rainy season. Isn’t this the season, my friend, that he talked about in his words of consolation, when he left to fight in the war saying, ‘I will rush back in the decorated tall chariot, yoked with fast and fine horses with spreading manes, and be here, when that season arrives’?”
Let’s tread on the vibrant red soil of the forests and unearth the beating heart beneath! The lady starts by talking about the time of the day, saying it’s dawn and the rains have just done pouring. She then talks about the red soil, which has been tamed with much difficulty by these forest farmers, using rugged ploughs, and tearing the land, as if cutting open a piece of meat. Then, she talks about how they had planted many seeds in these furrows and all their hard labour had borne fruit and the crops had risen up. However, weeds do abound and these farmers had been hard at work, wearing hats which made them seem like male deer. Wonder why they went for such an elaborate headgear! The other interesting thing about them is that, as they worked, drums were played and they did their hard work, keeping in tune with the beat of those drums, the lady describes. After all this care, the millets would no doubt flourish and it’s not just the farmers who benefit, but a peacock that loads up on the laden crop ears, and then, content, flies to the top of a single wild lime tree, left uncut by those farmers. And why did they spare the tree? Just making sure they had a spot to sit under and eat, in the afternoon soon! This peacock flies to the top of the tree, and seems to make the exact sounds of maiden chasing away parrots in the nearby mountains, the lady details. These vivid images have been presented by the lady to portray how the season of rains had arrived. And why is she worried? Because the man had promised that he would return by this season when he had left to fight his king’s war, but still there was no sign of him.
It’s a simple statement declaring, ‘The rains are here, but he is not!’. However, this core is wrapped up in the striking images of people, animals, birds, land and agriculture, a gift which magically transports us to another time, another space!
In this episode, we listen to the declaration of a decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 193, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse contrasts the two paths that looms ahead in the mind’s eye.
கான் உயர் மருங்கில் கவலை அல்லது
வானம் வேண்டா வில் ஏர் உழவர்
பெரு நாள் வேட்டம், கிளை எழ வாய்த்த,
பொரு களத்து ஒழிந்த குருதிச் செவ் வாய்,
பொறித்த போலும் வால் நிற எருத்தின்,
அணிந்த போலும் செஞ் செவி எருவை;
குறும் பொறை எழுந்த நெடுந் தாள் யாஅத்து
அருங் கவட்டு உயர்சினைப் பிள்ளை ஊட்ட,
விரைந்து வாய் வழுக்கிய கொழுங் கண் ஊன் தடி
கொல் பசி முது நரி வல்சி ஆகும்
சுரன் நமக்கு எளியமன்னே; நல் மனைப்
பல் மாண் தங்கிய சாயல், இன் மொழி,
முருந்து ஏர் முறுவல், இளையோள்
பெருந் தோள் இன் துயில் கைவிடுகலனே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see striking images and listen to the man say these words to his heart, as it nudges him to leave the lady and go in search of wealth:
“Seeking only isolated paths amidst highland scrub jungles, those farmers, who plough with a bow and look not to the skies, join together with their band and hunt down a huge bounty. From those spaces which has seen their attack, drinking up the flowing blood, rises a red-mouthed, red-headed vulture, having a white neck, as if painted with spots, and red ears, as if sculpted and adorned. It flies towards the tall trunked Ya tree growing on the short mound, where its young one is nestled on an intricate spot of a long branch. As it feeds the little one, a thick, fatty piece of meat slips quickly from the mouth, and becomes the food for an old fox with a murderous hunger, roving beneath. Traversing such a drylands domain is easy indeed for me; However, I shan’t let go of my sweet sleep on the thick arms of the young maiden, with smiling teeth, akin to the eye of a peacock’s feather, the one who speaks sweet words and has many esteemed features, the one who adorns my good home!”
Time to step on those scary, sweltering spaces again! The man paints a vivid picture of the drylands, and to do that, he zooms on to the denizens of this domain, namely the highway robbers, and he calls them, ‘farmers with a bow’ and ‘hunters of men’. In portraying the profession of this tribe, he brings in two others and says how these men look not to the skies for their succour, like the farmers and plough on with their bows, and have no qualms about hunting their own kind. After that nuanced portrait, the man turns to the characteristic bird of this land, a red-headed vulture, and describes its spotted white neck, and hanging red ears, in much detail. Drinking up the blood flowing in those spaces, with a red mouth, this vulture flies to its young one, nestled atop a ‘Ya’ tree and as it feeds the chick, a fleshy piece of meat falls down and is quickly gulped down by a roving, hungry old fox, the man describes. He ends this depiction by saying to go and cross such a space was nothing difficult for him. He continues and concludes by saying however, something else was impossible for him, and that was the thought of parting away from his precious beloved, with a beautiful smile and sweet words, the one who is the jewel of his home.
A statement which declares that parting away from a loved one is even more difficult to fathom and is a thing of fear than even the scariest, goriest of places. The timeless priorities of a heart in love flows like a stream through the lines of this verse, across the years and miles, to that ocean called ‘being human’.
In this episode, we perceive words of hidden persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 192, penned by Pothumpil Kizhaan Venkannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the lush millet fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents intriguing images of wild life from this domain.
மதி இருப்பன்ன மாசு அறு சுடர் நுதல்
பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்டன்று; அன்னோ!
யாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல் தானே? விசும்பின்
எய்யா வரி வில் அன்ன பைந் தார்,
செவ் வாய் சிறு கிளி சிதைய வாங்கி,
பொறை மெலிந்திட்ட புன் புறப் பெருங் குரல்
வளை சிறை வாரணம் கிளையொடு கவர,
ஏனலும் இறங்குபொறை உயிர்த்தன; பானாள்
நீ வந்து அளிக்குவை எனினே மால் வரை
மை படு விடரகம் துழைஇ, ஒய்யென
அருவி தந்த அரவு உமிழ் திரு மணி
பெரு வரைச் சிறுகுடி மறுகு விளக்குறுத்தலின்,
இரவும் இழந்தனள்; அளியள் உரவுப் பெயல்
உரும் இறை கொண்ட உயர்சிமைப்
பெரு மலைநாட! நின் மலர்ந்த மார்பே.
In this vibrant trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man when he arrives for a tryst with the lady:
“Akin to the shining moon, is her flawless, glowing forehead, and now it has taken on a golden hue. Alas! What will become of her? Having a fresh band, akin to the sky’s striped bow that launches not arrows, and a red beak, the little parrot plucks from the tall, coarse crop ears, ruining it, and then unable to bear the weight, drops down the seeds, leaving these for the flock of wild hens with curving wings to peck on. The millet fields have now birthed such an yield of crops, bent over by its weight. If we consider that you will come grace in the middle of the night, she has lost the night too, because glowing gems, spit by snakes, which have been brought down by resounding cascades that have stirred within dark caves, before coming down those high mountains, lights up the streets of our little hamlet in the huge ranges. She’s to be pitied indeed, O lord of the soaring peaks in the huge mountains, filled with heavy downpours, accompanied by roaring thunder, for she has no way of embracing your wide, blooming chest!”
Time to trek on those mountains of yore! The confidante starts with a bang, coming right to the crux of the issue, talking about how normally the lady’s forehead would glow like the moon, without flaws any. However, at the moment it was coated in a golden hue. ‘Having a golden hue is a good thing, isn’t it?’, one might ask with the lens of this fairness-obsessed, modern world. The fact of this particular past is somewhat different and the lady’s dark skin taking on a golden hue implied that the disease of pining had afflicted her and that pallor had covered her head. So, it was by no means, a good news.
After lamenting the state the lady is in, the confidante turns to remark about the state of her father’s millet fields. These were brimming with so much yield that a parrot, which is said to have a rainbow-like neck band and red beak, would come and raid those crop ears, and bite a big one. Later, unable to carry that weight, the parrot would drop it down, leaving the scattered millet grains to be feasted upon by clucking wild hens. A moment to relish the imagery of the ‘sky’s bow that never aims arrows’, in other words, a rainbow on a parrot’s neck. Searching I found this could most probably refer to the ‘Indian Ringnecked Parrot’, also called as the ‘Rose-Ringed Parakeet’, one that has a dark blue to pink band around its neck. Moving on, there must be further, hidden significance for this image, which we will see in a moment, but outwardly the confidante says this, only to highlight the crops have grown so much that it’s time for the harvest, and because it’s time for harvest, the lady would no longer visit the fields, an event that had previously been so conducive for her trysts by day with the man.
The confidante continues the line of thought by saying to the man, ‘If you are thinking, day tryst is not possible. So, I’ll come by night, then think again’. She explains this is because their streets are lit up by the sparkles of the many gems, spit by snakes, which have brought down by cascades from the dark caves of the mountains. This tells the man that there was a danger of discovery by night too. Here again, the confidante echoes that familiar belief of Sangam folks that snakes had the ability to spit gems. I’m wondering what’s the origin of this bizarre belief? Could it be that those regions were so rich in precious gems, and quite close to the surface too, that these were revealed by the slithering movement of snakes, and somehow people associated the two? Just a theory! But imagine the kind of wealth that was strewn about in that ancient land, if at all this was true!
Returning, we find the confidante clarifying to the man that nightly tryst was thus not possible. She concludes by expressing sorrow that the lady seemed to have no way to embrace the man’s chest, day or night. In that scene of the ring-necked parrot dropping the millet grains and leaving it to be pecked on by wild hens, the confidante implies that the man had been intent only on trysting, and not carrying his relationship with the lady to its end of marriage, and he had left that to become an object of slander among the womenfolk of their town. Through this, the confidante intends to make the man see the error of his ways, learn that the lady had been confined within her house owing to these effects, realise that she was in much suffering and understand that the only way forward was to seek the lady’s hand. All these inner transformations in the man the worthy confidante achieves even as she treats us to the dynamic wild life that teems in these mountains of the past! Like those brimming crop ears, even this song seems to bend with its delightful weight of carrying so much in a few lines and leaves us with the thought, ‘Isn’t it our duty to stay the course and carry on, so as to finish what we have begun?’
In this episode, we perceive a decision in the making, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 191, penned by Orodakathu Kantharathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays a sense of protection and care.
அத்தப் பாதிரித் துய்த் தலைப் புது வீ
எரி இதழ் அலரியொடு இடை பட விரைஇ,
வெண்தோட்டு தொடுத்த வண்டு படு கண்ணி,
தோல் புதை சிரற்று அடி, கோலுடை உமணர்
ஊர் கண்டன்ன ஆரம் வாங்கி,
அருஞ் சுரம் இவர்ந்த அசைவு இல் நோன் தாள்
திருந்து பகட்டு இயம்பும் கொடு மணி, புரிந்து அவர்
மடி விடு வீளையொடு, கடிது எதிர் ஓடி,
ஓமை அம் பெருங் காட்டு வரூஉம் வம்பலர்க்கு
ஏமம் செப்பும் என்றூழ் நீள் இடை,
அரும் பொருள் நசைஇ, பிரிந்து உறை வல்லி,
சென்று, வினை எண்ணுதிஆயின், நன்றும்,
உரைத்திசின் வாழி என் நெஞ்சே! ”நிரை முகை
முல்லை அருந்தும் மெல்லிய ஆகி,
அறல் என விரிந்த உறல் இன் சாயல்
ஒலி இருங் கூந்தல் தேறும்” என,
வலிய கூறவும் வல்லையோ, மற்றே?
We perceive some interesting sights in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the man, say these words to his heart, at a time when his heart is nudging him to part away from the lady, and go in search of wealth:
“Bee-swarming garlands, woven with new, coarse-haired trumpet flowers from the drylands, in the hue of fire, interspersed with white flowers of the pandanus, are worn by salt merchants, who hold on to rods and wear leather slippers that resound when walking, and they arrive in huge groups, as if seeing a town entire, directing their wagons through the formidable drylands. The sound of loud bells that resound as their wield their bulls, moving with a determined effort that knows no fatigue, along with their long whistles, rushes in the opposite direction, and conveys a message of protection to those new travellers, who are treading the huge jungles, filled with toothbrush trees. If you wish to traverse those scorching long paths, desiring for that hard-to-attain wealth, and think you have the strength to live apart, and are contemplating parting away, that’s good, my heart! Long may you live! But you have to go and tell her, “O gentle maiden, who wears fully bloomed wild jasmine flowers on your dark, luxuriant tresses, soft to touch, spreading like black sand, you have to console yourself!” Do you have the strength to speak such strong words, O heart?”
Let’s take in the sights and sounds of the sweltering drylands! The man starts by bringing before our eyes, garlands, worn by a specific group of people, the salt merchants, and these are said to be woven both with flowers of the coast, from where these salt merchants are coming, namely the white, pandanus flowers, as well as the flowers of the drylands that they are treading, the red, trumpet flowers. Then, attention is drawn to the kind of footwear these merchants wear, and the sounds these make, as well as the rods they are carrying in their hands. He talks about how seeing a group of them was like seeing a town entire.
After focusing on the vision of their appearance, the man turns his attention to the sounds they emit, such as the loud bells on their sturdy bulls that know no tiredness, as well as their way of communicating through long whistles. He has mentioned these sounds to say that hearing their sounds was the only source of comfort for the anxious wayfarers crossing the drylands jungle and these sounds relayed to them the presence of a group of people, who will extend their protection in a moment of trouble. After depicting the sense of danger in the drylands in this manner, the man now turns to his heart and asks, ‘Is this where you want me to leave? You think you can live apart from the lady and go towards this mission?’. He answers himself, saying to his heart, ‘Well and good. But there’s something you must do. And that is you must go and tell this news to the beautiful, delicate lady with jasmine-clad, silt-like tresses and ask her to console herself. The man ends by asking his heart whether it had the strength to go speak such painful words to the lady.
Another case of separating the heart from oneself to gain some perspective. Here, the man tends towards not leaving in search of wealth as he wishes not to bring pain to his beloved. Even though there are notes of danger and anxiety, the tone that rises above it all is the sense of caring for one another, be it in the way the sounds of the salt merchants comfort the troubled wayfarers or the man’s empathy for the lady’s pain at his parting. In a way, the verse echoes a core philosophy that the social wealth that arises out of this thoughtfulness and care for others, is of much greater value than even mounds of material wealth!
In this episode, we perceive a curious way of revealing something, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 190, penned by Ulochchanaar. The verse is situated amidst the playful waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and narrates a non-incident.
திரை உழந்து அசைஇய நிரைவளை ஆயமொடு
உப்பின் குப்பை ஏறி, எல் பட,
வரு திமில் எண்ணும் துறைவனொடு, ஊரே
ஒரு தன் கொடுமையின் அலர் பாடும்மே;
அலமரல் மழைக் கண் அமர்ந்து நோக்காள்;
அலையல் வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! உயர்சிமைப்
பொதும்பில், புன்னைச் சினை சேர்பு இருந்த
வம்ப நாரை இரிய, ஒரு நாள்,
பொங்கு வரல் ஊதையொடு புணரி அலைப்பவும்,
உழைக்கடல் வழங்கலும் உரியன்; அதன்தலை
இருங் கழிப் புகாஅர் பொருந்தத் தாக்கி
வயச் சுறா எறிந்தென, வலவன் அழிப்ப,
எழில் பயம் குன்றிய சிறை அழி தொழில
நிரைமணிப் புரவி விரைநடை தவிர,
இழுமென் கானல் விழு மணல் அசைஇ,
ஆய்ந்த பரியன் வந்து, இவண்
மான்ற மாலைச் சேர்ந்தன்றோ இலனே!
In this trip to the restoring seashore, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady’s foster mother:
“Tired out from playing in the waves along with playmates, wearing neat rows of bangles, climbing upon the salty sand heaps, as the day ends, young maiden would count approaching ships in the shores of the lord. This town of ours, owing to its matchless cruelty, spreads slander about him. Your girl did not cast her darting, rain-like eyes on him; So torture her not, mother! May you live long! Listen! In the orchards with soaring tree tops, on the branch of a laurel wood tree, a stork that had flown from far away was resting. Making it screech aloud and scatter away, one day, as the sea waves were tossing and turning, pushed by the cold winds, the lord came riding by the shore; At this time, near the river mouth in the backwaters, his horses were attacked by a shark. Owing to this, the charioteer stopped and removed the yokes of those horses, clad with many bells, which had lost their health and speed, and made them rest there. Until, the time in the late evening, when resoundingly, making the fine sands of the shore quiver, new horses were brought thither, the man stayed here; But you should know that he united not with her!”
Time to surf the turbulent waves of this shore! The confidante starts by describing the man’s shore, talking about a place where maiden enjoy playing in the shores all day and then count the ships arriving to their shore by evening. A subtle reference to the prosperous sea trade in the man’s domain! Returning, we see how the confidante turns her attention to the issue in their own town, the way the townsfolk were spreading slander about her friend’s relationship with the man, reiterating that the lady had never looked at him with her rain-like eyes. She requests mother not to torment lady because of this gossip. Then, she goes on to talk about a day, when the man had been going through their town by the shore, when a shark had attacked and wounded his horses. Owing to this mishap, the man’s charioteer had stopped the chariot, removed the horses from their yokes and made them rest. Till the time, fresh horses were brought, the man had stayed on the sands of their shore, the confidante explains and concludes by saying, this was all and the man and the lady never came together.
On the surface, it seems like simple supportive words, vouching for a friend’s behaviour. However, we need to understand the dynamics of communication in these poems. Here, the confidante is saying one thing, and meaning another thing, in fact the exact opposite. Through this, she intends to reveal to the lady’s foster mother, who happens to be her own mother, about how the lady did look at the man with her beautiful eyes and how the man too fell in love with the lady, and had been frequenting their shores. In this roundabout way, by telling something did not happen, she tells mother that it indeed did happen. This information would supposedly be uncoded by the lady’s foster mother, and then taken to the lady’s mother and the entire family, setting the stage for the man to come and seek the lady’s hand. A bizarre way of revealing information indeed, something which makes me wonder what particular thing we do now would evoke the same reaction, some two thousand years later!
In this episode, we listen to a mother’s words of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 189, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the immeasurable pain in losing something precious.
பசும் பழப் பலவின் கானம் வெம்பி,
விசும்பு கண் அழிய, வேனில் நீடி,
கயம் கண் அற்ற கல் ஓங்கு வைப்பின்
நாறு உயிர் மடப் பிடி தழைஇ, வேறு நாட்டு
விழவுப் படர் மள்ளரின் முழவு எடுத்து உயரி,
களிறு அதர்ப்படுத்த கல் உயர் கவாஅன்
வெவ் வரை அத்தம் சுட்டி, பையென,
வயலை அம் பிணையல் வார்ந்த கவர்வுற,
திதலை அல்குல் குறுமகள் அவனொடு
சென்று பிறள் ஆகிய அளவை, என்றும்
படர் மலி எவ்வமொடு மாதிரம் துழைஇ,
மனை மருண்டு இருந்த என்னினும், நனை மகிழ்
நன்னராளர் கூடு கொள் இன் இயம்
தேர் ஊர் தெருவில் ததும்பும்
ஊர் இழந்தன்று, தன் வீழ்வு உறு பொருளே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear a mother say these words, at a time when her daughter had left their home and eloped away with the man:
“The forest, which used to have fresh fruits, hanging from the jackfruit tree, is parched dry. With nothing to cover the skies, the summer sun scorches. In those stony spaces, where the ponds have lost their cover of water, a male elephant embraces its sighing, naive mate, and walks on stony slopes of highlands, akin to warriors carrying their drums, seeking to attend festivities in a faraway country. Daring to go to such a formidable place, slowly walks my young girl with spotted waist, with ‘vayalai’ vines covering her thighs, along with him. She has become a stranger to us. Still, more than me, who is filled with suffering for all time, after searching in all directions, and arriving confused to this home, this town, which is brimming with the sweet music of the good people, delighting in toddy, in the roads with the ceaseless sound of chariots, has lost a much adored treasure!”
Let’s follow along in the trail of the daughter through the drylands. Mother starts by visualising the path the lady walks, an arid scrub jungle with dried-up jackfruit trees, scorching sun, a place where elephants tread the stony spaces. Describing that the lady had decided to walk such a path with the man, mother talks about how the lady had become a stranger to them. At this time, the suffering of being apart from her daughter torments mother after her fruitless search. Even in that moment of pain, she looks around at the town, renowned for its joyous celebrations and ceaseless sound of chariots plying on their roads, and declares that the town had indeed lost its most precious treasure. One can empathise with mother recollecting a time of loss, when all the joy and wealth of the world seems to vanish in a single moment, and all that can be seen by the mind’s eye are the parched drylands all around. Hoping with someone’s care and love, those barren trees that the eyes see will bloom again!
In this episode, we perceive a curious technique of persuading another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 188, penned by Veerai Veliyan Thithanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and hides a throbbing heart amidst the drum beats of thunder.
பெருங் கடல் முகந்த இருங் கிளைக் கொண்மூ!
இருண்டு உயர் விசும்பின் வலன் ஏர்பு வளைஇ,
போர்ப்பு உறு முரசின் இரங்கி, முறை புரிந்து
அறன் நெறி பிழையாத் திறன் அறி மன்னர்
அருஞ் சமத்து எதிர்ந்த பெருஞ் செய் ஆடவர்
கழித்து எறி வாளின், நளிப்பன விளங்கும்
மின்னுடைக் கருவியை ஆகி, நாளும்
கொன்னே செய்தியோ, அரவம்? பொன் என
மலர்ந்த வேங்கை மலி தொடர் அடைச்சி,
பொலிந்த ஆயமொடு காண்தக இயலி,
தழலை வாங்கியும், தட்டை ஓப்பியும்,
அழல் ஏர் செயலை அம் தழை அசைஇயும்,
குறமகள் காக்கும் ஏனல்
புறமும் தருதியோ? வாழிய, மழையே!
A sound and light show awaits us in this quick trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to a rain cloud, when the man listens nearby, as he pretends not to notice him:
“O rain cloud, after gathering from the great seas along with a huge group of your kin, you climb on the right and envelop the dark, high sky. Then, resounding, akin to a war drum covered in leather, you descend down, accompanied by flashes of lightning, which are akin to swords, pulled out of the sheaths, by brave warriors, who rise up in the furious battlefield, in aid of their discerning king, who with his rightful rule, never sways from the path of justice. That which you do all day, is it just futile uproar? Weaving a garland of brimming Kino flowers that have bloomed, akin to gold, along with her radiant playmates, wearing the beautiful red leaves of the ‘Ashoka’ tree, akin to fire, the young mountain maiden walks around, so pleasing to the eyes, flapping her ‘thazhalai’ device and shaking her ‘thattai’ rattle device. Won’t you shower upon that millet field she so protects? May you live long, O rain cloud!”
Let’s listen closely to the subtle sounds of emotion amidst the din of a mountain shower! The confidante starts by talking to a cloud, mentioning its past of joining along with its relatives and drinking up from the oceans of the world. Then, those clouds seemed to have arrived there, and were resounding with thunder. This sound, the confidante places in parallel to the roar of war drums. Then, she moves on to the other eye-catching element that always accompanies or precedes this sound, namely lightning, and to visualise this, she brings forth the unsheathed swords of warriors in the battlefield, and not just any warriors but those who rise in support of a just and discerning king. Sound check, light check! The confidante now comes to the centre-piece and asks the rain cloud, if all this is just a useless show. Then she goes on to describe the lady, who along with her playmates, wearing garlands of fully-bloomed Kino flowers, and ‘Seyalai’ tree leaves, was walking around, swaying her rattle and other musical instruments, so as to chase away the parrots and protect the millet fields. The confidante concludes by questioning the raincloud whether at all it had any plans of showering on that millet field the lady was protecting.
While this may seem like random, playful words said to a raincloud, each one reverberates with a hidden meaning. First, let’s note how the confidante casually remarks about the Kino flower garlands that the lady wears. This is to tell the man that the auspicious time of the year, when the harvest was done and marriage plans were set in motion, had begun, for Kino flowers marked this transition in their lives. The confidante intends to convey to the man that he had been thinking only about the temporary pleasures of trysting, spreading fleeting moments of joy in the lady’s life, akin to lightning. This had led to the thunderous uproar of slander to spread in town. With her pointed question to the cloud as to whether it would only flash and dazzle or whether it would provide the useful effect of watering the millet fields with its rain shower, the confidante nudges the man to take concrete steps to bring forth the useful end of a happy married life with the lady.
And thus we see, beneath the layer of simple words, lies a complex meaning, intending to change the heart of a person and the life of a couple. While we may prefer direct and blunt communication in our modern world, don’t you think there is a thoughtful melody of affection in the subtle aesthetics of this ancient poetry?
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 187, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a stack of similes to sketch this landscape.
தோள் புலம்பு அகலத் துஞ்சி, நம்மொடு
நாள் பல நீடிய கரந்து உறை புணர்ச்சி
நாண் உடைமையின் நீங்கி, சேய் நாட்டு
அரும் பொருள் வலித்த நெஞ்சமொடு ஏகி,
நம் உயர்வு உள்ளினர் காதலர் கறுத்தோர்
தெம் முனை சிதைத்த, கடும் பரிப் புரவி,
வார் கழற் பொலிந்த வன்கண் மழவர்
பூந் தொடை விழவின் தலை நாள் அன்ன,
தரு மணல் ஞெமிரிய திரு நகர் முற்றம்
புலம்புறும்கொல்லோ தோழி! சேண் ஓங்கு
அலந்தலை ஞெமையத்து ஆள் இல் ஆங்கண்,
கல் சேர்பு இருந்த சில் குடிப் பாக்கத்து,
எல் விருந்து அயர, ஏமத்து அல்கி,
மனை உறை கோழி அணல் தாழ்பு அன்ன
கவை ஒண் தளிர கருங்கால் யாஅத்து
வேனில் வெற்பின் கானம் காய,
முனை எழுந்து ஓடிய கெடு நாட்டு ஆர் இடை,
பனை வெளிறு அருந்து பைங் கண் யானை
ஒண் சுடர் முதிரா இளங் கதிர் அமையத்து,
கண்படு பாயல் கை ஒடுங்கு அசை நிலை
வாள் வாய்ச் சுறவின் பனித் துறை நீந்தி,
நாள் வேட்டு எழுந்த நயன் இல் பரதவர்
வைகு கடல் அம்பியின் தோன்றும்
மை படு மா மலை விலங்கிய சுரனே?
In this long and winding path through the drylands domain, we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, at a time, when the man had parted away from her, to go in search of wealth:
“Slaying the loneliness of my arms, he had slept here for many days, in a state of clandestine union with me. On account of his honour, and with a heart that yearned for the precious wealth to be gained in a faraway country, that lover of mine parted away, thinking of my welfare.
After destroying enemies in furious battles, harsh-eyed warriors, clad in sturdy anklets, wielding speeding horses, celebrate the festival of flowers. Akin to the first day of these celebrations, shines the front yard of our wealthy mansion, spread with sands from afar. Won’t it now turn lonely, my friend?
In those uninhabited, faraway spaces, filled with dried-up axle-wood trees, spotting tiny hamlets by the hills, to eat the day’s food, in a protected spot, he stays for a while, and then he continues onward to those scrub jungles, where the summer’s heat scorches the black-stemmed ‘Ya’ trees, having dried black sprouts, akin to the hanging beards of house hens, and he walks on those formidable paths through the ruined lands, where people have fled owing to endless battles, where after feeding on the palmyra fronds, a green-eyed elephant closes its eyes and rests, without a sliver of movement, in the morning hour, filled with tender rays, when the sun scorches not, and appears akin to a boat, sailing in the swaying sea, wielded by fisherfolk, intent on their day’s hunt, as they traverse those cool shores, frequented by sword-mouthed fish. Such are the drylands he traverses near huge, cloud-covered mountains now!”
Let’s brave this dreary domain and learn more! The lady starts by mentioning how the man had been in a secret love relationship with her for long. But realising the importance of seeking her hand, he had left in search of wealth, she adds. She compares the sand-filled front yard of their mansion to the festivities of victorious warriors, and depicts that now that the man had left, it’s going to turn bleak and lifeless. Then, she goes on to visualise the path the man walks, talking about the dried up axle-wood trees, the scrub-jungles, where the hanging sprouts on ‘Ya’ trees, appear like the black beards of house hens, where people have fled the region, owing to the battles that arose there, where an elephant sleeps appearing like the boat of fisherfolk in the morning sun. In much detail, the lady concludes by visualising how the man would try desperately to find a protected spot to have his day’s meal and trudge on through the endless expanse of the drylands, to win the wealth, seeking to uphold the welfare of his beloved. The thought that came to me when reading and reflecting is that timeless sense of how the pain of those we love seems so vivid and tangible, no matter how far apart in space they may be!
In this episode, we listen to the distressed response to an accusation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 186, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the lush lotus-filled ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and portrays the beauty and wealth of an ancient town.
வானம் வேண்டா வறன்இல் வாழ்க்கை
நோன் ஞாண் வினைஞர் கோள் அறிந்து ஈர்க்கும்
மீன் முதிர் இலஞ்சிக் கலித்த தாமரை
நீர்மிசை நிவந்த நெடுந் தாள் அகல் இலை
இருங் கயம் துளங்க, கால் உறுதொறும்
பெருங் களிற்றுச் செவியின் அலைக்கும் ஊரனொடு
எழுந்த கௌவையோ பெரிதே; நட்பே,
கொழுங் கோல் வேழத்துப் புணை துணையாகப்
புனல் ஆடு கேண்மை அனைத்தே; அவனே,
ஒண் தொடி மகளிர் பண்டை யாழ் பாட,
ஈர்ந் தண் முழவின் எறிகுணில் விதிர்ப்ப,
தண் நறுஞ் சாந்தம் கமழும் தோள் மணந்து,
இன்னும் பிறள் வயினானே; மனையோள்
எம்மொடு புலக்கும் என்ப; வென் வேல்,
மாரி அம்பின், மழைத்தோற் பழையன்
காவிரி வைப்பின் போஒர் அன்ன, என்
செறிவளை உடைத்தலோ இலெனே; உரிதினின்
யாம் தன் பகையேம்அல்லேம்; சேர்ந்தோர்
திரு நுதல் பசப்ப நீங்கும்
கொழுநனும் சாலும், தன் உடன் உறை பகையே.
We go on a trip full of twists and turns as we listen to the words of a courtesan, said in the earshot of the lady’s friends, conveying a pointed message about the man to the lady:
“Leading a life without any poverty, one that seeks not the favour of the skies, fisherfolk pull their sturdy nets woven with strong threads, knowing the catch is caught, in the ponds, brimming with fish. The tall-stalked, wide leaf of the flourishing lotus that floats atop the waters of the dark pond, flutters, when touched by the wind, akin to the swaying ear of a huge elephant, in the town of the lord.
The rumours that have risen about my relationship with him is huge indeed; Whereas the extent of his affection for me is only akin to the act of holding on to a raft of thick-stemmed reeds, when playing in the river stream; As maiden wearing shining bangles sing along to the tune of the ancient lute, as moist and cool drums are struck with sticks, the man’s shoulders, wafting with the scent of cool and fragrant sandalwood, would now be embracing another woman, he’s entranced with.
They say his wife is furious with me; Akin to the town of Po-or, watered by the gushing Kaveri, ruled by Palaiyan, renowned for his cloud-like shields, rain-like arrows and white spears, are my beautiful bangles. I have not broken my bangles in anger; Honestly, I’m not her enemy; The one who parts away, leaving the fine foreheads of those he united to be filled with pallor, that rich lord is the right person to be called as the enemy, one within her own abode!”
Time to fish in the ponds of this lush landscape! The courtesan starts with a description of the man’s town, and to do that, she brings forth a certain community of people, whom she describes as leading a life that does not know poverty, for they are fisherfolk and they don’t have to depend on the skies for their wealth and prosperity, a statement which implicitly contrasts them with another group of people in that landscape, those who follow the occupation of farming. After that philosophical statement about their work, the courtesan zooms on to the sturdy nets in their hands and the way they are hauling the fish by pulling their nets out of the ponds. She describes these ponds as brimming with water, filled with lotus flowers and leaves, whose movement in the breeze, she specifically places in parallel with that of the swaying ears of a huge elephant.
After that picturesque description of the man’s town, the courtesan turns her attention to the man himself and describes how gossip about her relationship with him had spread all around town. But in reality, the way the man had treated her was nothing more than how someone would hold on to a raft, made of strong reeds, when playing in the gushing river stream, and then abandoning it, once they are done with their play. She reveals how at the very moment the man was enjoying the company of some other courtesan, embracing her and dancing to the songs of the maiden, accompanied by the music of ancient lutes.
The courtesan goes on to talk about what she has just heard, about how the man’s wife, was mad at her, when he was romping around elsewhere. She then describes a rich and handsome town, one called ‘Po-or’, ruled by a chieftain named Pazhaiyan, renowned for his battle-efficient army of spears, arrows and shields. She has summoned this town only to place it in parallel to her own bangles. She talks about how the lady’s anger had not made her break those bangles of hers in oath and fury. The courtesan concludes by pointing out that the real enemy of the lady was not her, but the lady’s own husband, the lord of the town!
A perfect illustration of a place where men are few, and where power and wealth accumulates in their very hands. The striking aspect of this verse is the way it tells us to pause in our moments of anger and consider who is to be blamed truly. Often, we avoid blaming ourselves or those close to us, and instead direct the anger at those others, whom we think are the cause of our troubles! Just the way this courtesan points out, it would bring great clarity to ponder on the question, ‘Who is the enemy here?’
In this episode, we perceive surprise about the act of parting away, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 185, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the sweltering nature of this domain.
எல் வளை ஞெகிழச் சாஅய், ஆயிழை
நல் எழிற் பணைத் தோள் இருங் கவின் அழிய,
பெருங் கையற்ற நெஞ்சமொடு நத் துறந்து,
இரும்பின் இன் உயிர் உடையோர் போல,
வலித்து வல்லினர், காதலர்; வாடல்
ஒலி கழை நிவந்த நெல்லுடை நெடு வெதிர்
கலி கொள் மள்ளர் வில் விசையின் உடைய,
பைது அற வெம்பிய கல் பொரு பரப்பின்
வேனில் அத்தத்து ஆங்கண், வான் உலந்து
அருவி ஆன்ற உயர்சிமை மருங்கில்,
பெரு விழா விளக்கம் போல, பல உடன்
இலை இல மலர்ந்த இலவமொடு
நிலை உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே.
A deep dive into the dreariness of this domain, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man has parted from her to go in search of wealth:
“Making shining bangles to slip away, bamboo-like, beautiful arms, clad in well-etched jewels to lose their great beauty, leaving behind an utterly helpless heart, he has left, akin to a person, whose sweet life is made of iron! He has strength to be so, that lover of mine, the one who parted away, crossing those high mountains to traverse spaces, where the fading, thick bamboo that soars high with seeds is split and broken, by the speeding arrows of ecstatic robbers, in those scorched spaces, without a spot of green, filled with stones, during the harsh summer, when all the white cascades have dried up in the peaks of the mountains nearby, and where, akin to lamps in a great festival, only the flowers of the silk cotton bloom, bereft of leaves!”
Time to tread the familiar stony paths! The lady talks about what the man’s parting had done to her, namely made her so thin that her bangles slipped away from her arms, and left her heart helpless and pining. Looking at how the man could do this, she concludes that he must be hardened, seemingly as if his life was made of iron. Then, she talks about the drylands space he treads, where bamboos are split by the careless arrows of jubilant robbers, where it’s all bleak and dry, not a spot of water, even the evergreen cascades have dried up in the hills. She concludes by describing how the silk cotton tree blooms with bright red flowers, even though it has no leaves, and appears like the lamps lit during a festivity!
‘Oh! He’s gone. How could he?’ seems to be the lament of the lady about the man’s parting. The interesting element here is the portrait of the silk cotton tree in a phase of having flowers, without any green around, one called ‘leafless blooming’, a characteristic of trees in dry, arid regions to conserve water, and even when struggling to thrive, keeping the species propagating with the blooming flowers and that invitation to pollinators. A subtle lesson on finding the moisture within to keep going and fulfilling your duty, no matter how dry and dreary the world around may seem!
In this episode, we listen to joyous words of welcome, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 184, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the falling flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and relays emotions that arise at the juncture of a homecoming.
கடவுட் கற்பொடு குடிக்கு விளக்கு ஆகிய
புதல்வற் பயந்த புகழ் மிகு சிறப்பின்
நன்னராட்டிக்கு அன்றியும், எனக்கும்
இனிது ஆகின்றால்; சிறக்க, நின் ஆயுள்!
அருந் தொழில் முடித்த செம்மல் உள்ளமொடு
சுரும்பு இமிர் மலர கானம் பிற்பட,
வெண் பிடவு அவிழ்ந்த வீ கமழ் புறவில்
குண்டைக் கோட்ட குறு முள் கள்ளிப்
புன் தலை புதைத்த கொழுங் கொடி முல்லை
ஆர் கழல் புதுப் பூ உயிர்ப்பின் நீக்கி,
தெள் அறல் பருகிய திரிமருப்பு எழிற் கலை
புள்ளி அம் பிணையொடு வதியும் ஆங்கண்,
கோடுடைக் கையர், துளர் எறி வினைஞர்,
அரியல் ஆர்கையர், விளைமகிழ் தூங்க,
செல்கதிர் மழுகிய உருவ ஞாயிற்றுச்
செக்கர் வானம் சென்ற பொழுதில்,
கற் பால் அருவியின் ஒலிக்கும் நல் தேர்த்
தார் மணி பல உடன் இயம்ப
சீர் மிகு குருசில்! நீ வந்து நின்றதுவே.
A glimpse of many, different elements of the lush forest in this trip, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns home after completing his mission:
“Not only to the good woman, with a god-like chastity, a veritable lamp of the household, who has the fame and excellence of bearing your child, but also to me, this is cause for delight! Long may you live! With an esteemed heart that has accomplished a hard task, you have left behind the jungle, buzzing with bees, and crossed the fragrant forest filled with fallen flowers, where white malabar jasmines have bloomed. Here, burying the dull heads of the cactus with sharp thorns and short branches, thick vines of the wild jasmine spread. Removing new flowers that have loosened and fallen from these vines, with its breath, the handsome stag with twisted antlers savours the clear water underneath, and then rests along with its spotted, beautiful mate in those spaces. At this time, when those with sickles in hand, the cleansers of weed seek and drink fine toddy and sway with ecstasy, when the sun with its diminished rays leaves the reddened sky, with the many bells on your chariot, resounding together like a mountain cascade, the way you have arrived here, O noble lord, brings forth immense joy!”
Time to relish the sound of the returning chariot! The confidante sees the man at their doorstep and declares that the man has brought so much happiness not only to the lady, who has borne him a son, but also to her. We should not miss how she celebrates the lady’s chastity and portrays her as a ‘lamp of the household’, a phrase that can be heard in Tamil homes even today, calling a new bride, who enters her husband’s home thus! Returning, we see the confidante narrating the man’s journey back, talking about how he has succeeded in his mission, and has left behind forests, wafting with the scent of many fallen flowers, and where the vines of a wild jasmine cover the dull tops of cactus, and a male deer that comes to drink water nearby, scatters the fallen jasmine flowers with its breath and savours the pure, clear water. After quenching its thirst, the male deer rests peacefully with its beautiful mate, the confidante sketches.
From place, she moves on to time, taking about how it’s the evening hour, when the people hard at work in the fields, those weeding with sickles, are calling it a day, and seeking the refreshment of toddy, as the sun bids bye to them and curls up in the twilight redness. The confidante has referenced this time only to say how the man had returned at this hour with his chariot bells, resounding like a cascade, and she concludes by saying the man has flooded their lives with joy because of his timely return!
A verse in which every sound, word and line reverberates with delight! In the scene where the wild jasmine vines cover the dull cactus, the confidante informs the man how the lady had hidden her feelings of distress and pallor with the garment of her chastity and patience. Likewise, in the scene of the stag blowing away the fallen flowers, relishing the clear water and resting with its mate, the confidante presents an image of events to follow, such as the man slaying the pallor in the lady, relishing her old beauty and resting happily with her. Also interesting how the confidante, who always sees her as one and same as her friend, especially when in sorrow, separates herself from the lady, and conveys her personal satisfaction at the man’s return, no doubt her skilful implementation of the concept of ‘doubling the joy and halving the sorrow’!
In this episode, we perceive the anguish of a parted heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 183, penned by Karuvoor Kalingaththaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the emotional response to words of consolation.
‘குவளை உண்கண் கலுழவும், திருந்திழைத்
திதலை அல்குல் அவ் வரி வாடவும்,
அத்தம் ஆர் அழுவம் நத் துறந்து அருளார்
சென்று சேண் இடையர் ஆயினும், நன்றும்
நீடலர்” என்றி தோழி! பாடு ஆன்று
பனித் துறைப் பெருங் கடல் இறந்து, நீர் பருகி,
குவவுத் திரை அருந்து கொள்ளைய குடக்கு ஏர்பு,
வயவுப் பிடி இனத்தின் வயின்வயின் தோன்றி,
இருங் கிளைக் கொண்மூ ஒருங்குடன் துவன்றி,
காலை வந்தன்றால் காரே மாலைக்
குளிர் கொள் பிடவின் கூர் முகை அலரி
வண்டு வாய் திறக்கும் தண்டா நாற்றம்
கூதிர் அற்சிரத்து ஊதை தூற்ற,
பனி அலைக் கலங்கிய நெஞ்சமொடு
வருந்துவம் அல்லமோ, பிரிந்திசினோர் திறத்தே?
In this trip to the drylands, it’s more about the weather rather than the land, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“‘Making your blue-lily-like, kohl-streaked eyes to brim with tears, the beautiful lines on your spotted loins, adorned with well-etched ornaments, to fade, he parted away to those formidable paths in the drylands. Even though he’s gone afar, he will not delay further in returning’, you say to me, my friend! Dipping into the resounding huge ocean, with a cool shore, guzzling the water from the roaring waves, and brimming with excess, climbing on to the west, appearing here and there, akin to a parade of pregnant elephants, the dark herd of clouds then come together and pour down. Such a day in the season of rains has arrived, and in the evening, sharp buds of the wild jasmine shivering in the cold, open to the nudge of the bees. The irrepressible fragrance of these flowers is spread everywhere, by the winds of the cold season. Isn’t it natural to worry, with a heart shaken by these circumstances, thinking about how the one who parted away, hasn’t returned?”
Let’s hear the roar of the rain clouds and inhale the fragrance of the jasmines! The lady starts by repeating the words of her friend who had been talking about how the man had left, causing the lady’s eyes to brim with tears and her beauty lines to fade, and how though he was far off, he would return soon to the lady’s fold. After acknowledging these words, the lady talks about how the rainy season, characterised by dark clouds, which she imaginatively connects to a herd of pregnant elephants, had come and gone, and now the wild jasmines were blooming. She concludes by relating how shaken by the scent of these flowers and the touch of the cold winds, she had no other go but to worry about the man and his absence.
In all, it seems like just an expression of pining but within hides some intricate elements of therapy, such as a concerned friend and her thoughtful words, as well as acknowledgement of the lady about her friend’s act of consolation and her own expression of worrying emotions within. Aren’t these the exact elements to help overcome those seemingly impossible moments in life?
In this episode, we listen to a hidden message of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 182, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst a scene of leaping monkeys and showering trees, in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and relays the consequences of a person’s present actions.
பூங் கண் வேங்கைப் பொன் இணர் மிலைந்து,
வாங்கு அமை நோன் சிலை எருத்தத்து இரீஇ,
தீம் பழப் பலவின் சுளை விளை தேறல்
வீளை அம்பின் இளையரொடு மாந்தி,
ஓட்டு இயல் பிழையா வய நாய் பிற்பட,
வேட்டம் போகிய குறவன் காட்ட
குளவித் தண் புதல் குருதியொடு துயல் வர,
முளவுமாத் தொலைச்சும் குன்ற நாட!
அரவு எறி உருமோடு ஒன்றிக் கால் வீழ்த்து
உரவு மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
தனியை வந்த ஆறு நினைந்து, அல்கலும்,
பனியொடு கலுழும் இவள் கண்ணே; அதனால்,
கடும் பகல் வருதல் வேண்டும் தெய்ய
அதிர் குரல் முது கலை கறி முறி முனைஇ,
உயர்சிமை நெடுங் கோட்டு உகள, உக்க
கமழ் இதழ் அலரி தாஅய் வேலன்
வெறி அயர் வியன் களம் கடுக்கும்
பெரு வரை நண்ணிய சாரலானே.
In this illustrative trip to this vibrant domain, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, who arrives for a nightly tryst with the lady:
“Wearing golden clusters of the Kino tree, blooming in the picturesque place, placing a curving, sturdy bow on the shoulder, relishing nectar from sweet jackfruit slices in the company of helpers, who wield whistling arrows, followed by fierce dogs that never miss an animal’s track, a mountain man who goes hunting, makes the moist bush of a wild jasmine splatter with blood, when he fells a porcupine, in the peaks of your domain, O lord!
In the dark hour of midnight, when clouds, shaken by winds, pour down rain, accompanied by lightning, and thunder that ruins snakes, you walk on alone. Thinking about the path you tread so, all day, her eyes brim with tears. And so, you must come in the brightness of day here, where an old harsh-voiced monkey, disliking the bite of pepper vine leaves, leaps from the tall and long branches, and shedding and scattering fragrant petals of flowers many, making this slope of the huge mountain, appear like the arena of Velan’s ‘Veri’ ritual!”
Time to track the scent of a porcupine in the hills! The confidante starts with a vivid portrait of the man’s country, and to do that, she zooms on to the quintessential denizen of this place – a mountain hunter, and paints a verbal sketch of the golden Kino flower garland he wears, the strong bow he carries, and his manner of enjoying the nectar of jackfruit, with his helpers. Then, she transports the listener to a particular moment, when with the help of his talented dogs, this mountain hunter has tracked a porcupine and because he has felled it, the blood from the beast splatters on the white flowers, blooming in the wild jasmine bush.
After that graphic account of the man’s country, the confidante switches to talk about how the man comes walking all alone in the middle of the night, when the clouds pour and she talks of how this brings great distress to the lady, making her cry all day. So, she concludes by asking the man to come to their mountain slope, by day, a place where a leaping monkey scatters flowers of the forest on the mountain floor, making it appear like the ‘Veri’ ritual arena, where Velan does his divining dances.
While this may seem like a simple request to change the meeting time, there’s much more going on here! The confidante, by talking about the blood-splattered wild jasmine bushes, brings forth a metaphor for how the man had been trysting with the lady at night and leaving her at other times, which has led to visible signs of distress in her, which in turn has invited the attention of the lady’s kin and the gossiping townsfolk. In that subtle simile about the mountain slope looking like Velan’s arena, the confidante hints that steps are being taken by the lady’s parents to arrange such a ritual, which could end up dishonouring the lady because the true reason for her affliction was not God Murugu, who was being prayed to, but that mortal man she was in love with. Next, by asking the man to come by day, the confidante actually means to tell him to come claim the lady’s hand for all to see. It’s indeed ‘Marry her, Marry her’ but encased in the ancient equivalent of today’s cryptographic encryption!
In this episode, we perceive the resolution of a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 181, penned by Paranar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse links a battlefield and a place of prominence in the ancient world.
துன் அருங் கானமும் துணிதல் ஆற்றாய்,
பின் நின்று பெயரச் சூழ்ந்தனைஆயின்,
என் நிலை உரைமோ நெஞ்சே! ஒன்னார்
ஓம்பு அரண் கடந்த வீங்கு பெருந் தானை
அடு போர் மிஞிலி செரு வேல் கடைஇ,
முருகு உறழ் முன்பொடு பொருது களம் சிவப்ப,
ஆஅய் எயினன் வீழ்ந்தென, ஞாயிற்று
ஒண் கதிர் உருப்பம் புதைய ஓராங்கு
வம்பப் புள்ளின் கம்பலைப் பெருந் தோடு
விசும்பிடை தூர ஆடி, மொசிந்து உடன்
பூ விரி அகன் துறைக் கணை விசைக் கடு நீர்க்
காவிரிப் பேர் யாற்று அயிர் கொண்டு ஈண்டி,
எக்கர் இட்ட குப்பை வெண் மணல்
வைப்பின் யாணர் வளம் கெழு வேந்தர்
ஞாலம் நாறும் நலம் கெழு நல் இசை,
நான் மறை முது நூல் முக்கட் செல்வன்,
ஆலமுற்றம் கவின் பெறத் தைஇய
பொய்கை சூழ்ந்த பொழில் மனை மகளிர்
கைசெய் பாவைத் துறைக்கண் இறுக்கும்
மகர நெற்றி வான் தோய் புரிசைச்
சிகரம் தோன்றாச் சேண் உயர் நல் இல்
புகாஅர் நல் நாட்டதுவே பகாஅர்
பண்டம் நாறும் வண்டு அடர் ஐம்பால்,
பணைத் தகைத் தடைஇய காண்பு இன் மென் தோள்,
அணங்குசால் அரிவை இருந்த
மணம் கமழ் மறுகின் மணற் பெருங் குன்றே.
In this long trip to the drylands, it’s more of a travel to other spaces, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the domain, seeking wealth:
“If you don’t have the courage to cross this formidable and inaccessible jungle, and instead you wish to stand behind me, looking to leave, then go and tell about my state, O heart!
The battle-worthy, victorious Mignili, who has a huge army that has crossed many a soaring enemy fort, crossed spears with Aay Eyinan, who fought with the courage of God Muruku, making the battlefield redden. When Aay fell in battle, preventing the heat of the sun’s shining rays from touching him, a huge flock of birds flew in formation together, high up, with a thunderous uproar, hiding the sky entire.
Later, these birds flew and rested in the flower-filled shore of the great River Kaveri, which brings along huge quantities of fine silt, turning them into heaps of white sand. Nearby, is a place filled with prosperity and ruled by wealthy kings, and happens to be ‘Aalamuttram’, where the Three-Eyed Lord, composed the four ancient scriptures, whose abundant fame spreads around the world. In the picturesque orchards, filled with ponds here, maiden from households craft handmade statues and place on the river shore, where those birds would arrive and rest. This unfolds in the good country of Puhaar, decked with sky-soaring forts, fluttering with fish flags, whose tops cannot even be seen, so tall are the mansions!
Here, with five-part, thick, braided, bee-buzzing tresses, wafting with the scent of merchants’ products in the streets of Puhaar, with curving delicate arms, pleasing to the eyes, akin to bamboos, like a divine spirit, she waits for me, upon a sand hill, wafting with the scent of the fragrant streets nearby.”
Time to catch the conversation between the man and his heart! The man starts with a hidden rebuke to his heart because it wants to leave the man and turn back. He does this by giving it permission to go speak about his state to his beloved. Then, he goes on a tangent, and talks about the battle between Aay Eyinan and Mignili, we have seen in other verses, repeating the victory of Mignili and the defeat of Aay Eyinan, and stressing on how birds flew in formation and prevented the sun’s rays from touching the fallen body of Aay Eyinan, indicating what a lover of birds he had been, in his lifetime. Then apparently, these birds would fly to a particular shore and rest there, which happens to be on the Kaveri river, near a famous place called Aalamuttram, with the religious significance of a God called the ‘Three-Eyed One’, interpreted as God Siva, said to be the very place, where he composed the ancient scriptures. Another marker of this river shore are the hand-made statues carved by married women.
Then, the man explains this river shore is in the renowned country of Puhaar, known also as ‘Kaveripoompattinam’ or ‘Poompuhar’. And such is the fragrance of the streets, wafting with the scent of the many products sold by merchants. Not only are the birds from that battlefield resting here, but the man’s beloved, characterised by her abundant tresses , bamboo-like arms, is also waiting right there, on a sand hill, wafting with the scents of the town, yearning for his return, the man concludes.
The technique of separating the heart from oneself to find motivation in times of hardship is illustrated at the core of this verse. This natural method, which we have seen in many verses, is very much in line with modern psychological principles, which advocate a detachment from troubling thoughts and disturbing feelings and seeing them for what they are, to handle them in the right way. Yet again, this is subtle proof that the Sangam folks were masters of the mind!
In this episode, we perceive the communication of a hidden message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 180, penned by Karuvoor Kannampaalanaar. The verse is situated amidst the sand dunes and flower orchards of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and narrates an incident and its consequences.
நகை நனி உடைத்தால் தோழி! தகை மிக
கோதை ஆயமொடு குவவு மணல் ஏறி,
வீ ததை கானல் வண்டல் அயர,
கதழ் பரித் திண் தேர் கடைஇ வந்து,
தண் கயத்து அமன்ற ஒண் பூங் குவளை
அரும்பு அலைத்து இயற்றிய சுரும்பு ஆர் கண்ணி
பின்னுப் புறம் தாழக் கொன்னே சூட்டி,
நல் வரல் இள முலை நோக்கி, நெடிது நினைந்து,
நில்லாது பெயர்ந்தனன், ஒருவன்; அதற்கே
புலவு நாறு இருங் கழி துழைஇ, பல உடன்
புள் இறை கொண்ட முள்ளுடை நெடுந் தோட்டுத்
தாழை மணந்து ஞாழலொடு கெழீஇ,
படப்பை நின்ற முடத் தாட் புன்னைப்
பொன் நேர் நுண் தாது நோக்கி,
என்னும் நோக்கும், இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே.
In this little trip to the seashore, we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“It makes me laugh out aloud, my friend! Along with my esteemed playmates, clad in garlands, I had climbed on a sand dune, and then was relaxing by building sand houses in that flower-filled orchard. Just then, a speeding, sturdy chariot stopped there. Stepping down, bringing a bee-buzzing head garland, tied tightly with buds of shining blue-lilies that had been blooming in a cool pond, a man tied it to the tresses hanging low on my back, without me seeking that. Then, he took a look at my uplifted, young bosom, stood there thinking for a long time and parted away without staying longer. After searching the flesh-reeking, dark backwaters, along with their flock, birds rest upon the spiny tall branches of the pandanus, fused with the tiger claw, standing next to the laurel-wood tree, with a curving stem, in our hamlet. Just for that unexpected moment with the man, this uproarious, slanderous town looks at me and looks at the gold-like pollen of the laurel wood tree alike!”
Ready for a walk upon the pristine sands of an ancient shore? Here we go! The lady starts by remarking that something seemed ridiculously funny to her. Then she goes on to tell what that incident is, talking about how one day, she had been playing with her mates on the heaped sand in the fragrant orchards by the sea. At that time, a chariot that was whizzing by, stopped near them. A man stepped down, with a garland of blue lilies in his hand. Then, coming near the lady, he seemed to have tied it on her braids, hanging low on her back. The lady insists that she didn’t want that or ask for that. Then she talks about how the man had stood looking at her bosom, thought and sighed for a bit, and left without a word. This was all that happened, and the townsfolk are pointedly looking at me and the golden pollen of the laurel wood tree, the lady concludes.
That seems like a puzzle to you, no doubt! What’s the connection between pollen and the lady and why should this make the lady laugh with exasperation? The answer lies in the association between the golden pallor spots that spread on a lady’s skin and the pollen of this tree. The lady must have got into a relationship with the man and was perhaps yearning for him when he was gone. This would result in the appearance of those spots, leading to gossip and slander in town, the lady implies. These words are said for the benefit of the man, listening nearby, to echo the troubles the lady’s facing and nudge him to seek her hand and put an end to this misery!
If at all these ancient poets are to be believed, imagine what mental gymnastics those in love in that era had to go through to simply understand what was in the mind of the other! On the other hand, perhaps such contortions of the mind are something natural and needed for those in love, no matter where or when they live, with only the ‘why’ changing every time!
In this episode, we listen to a pointed question put to another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 179, penned by Koadimangalathu Vaathuli Narchenthanaar, Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the dreariness of this domain.
விண் தோய் சிமைய விறல் வரைக் கவாஅன்,
வெண்தேர் ஓடும் கடம் காய் மருங்கில்,
துனை எரி பரந்த துன் அரும் வியன் காட்டு,
சிறு கண் யானை நெடுங் கை நீட்டி
வான் வாய் திறந்தும் வண் புனல் பெறாஅது,
கான் புலந்து கழியும் கண் அகன் பரப்பின்
விடு வாய்ச் செங் கணைக் கொடு வில் ஆடவர்
நல் நிலை பொறித்த கல் நிலை அதர,
அரம்பு கொள் பூசல் களையுநர்க் காணாச்
சுரம் செல விரும்பினிர்ஆயின் இன் நகை,
முருந்து எனத் திரண்ட முள் எயிற்றுத் துவர் வாய்,
குவளை நாள் மலர் புரையும் உண்கண், இம்
மதி ஏர் வாள் நுதல் புலம்ப,
பதி பெயர்ந்து உறைதல் ஒல்லுமோ, நுமக்கே?
In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, when he conveys his intention to part away from the lady and go in search of wealth:
“Adjoining those majestic mountains with sky-soaring peaks, in the scorched, stony spaces, filled with mirages, running away from the wide and formidable scrub jungle, where fire spreads rapidly, a small-eyed elephant extends its long arm and opens its wide mouth. Without receiving the satisfying gush of water, it leaves with dejection from there. In those wide spreading spaces, glory of men with curving bows and red-tipped, speeding arrows is etched on hero stones. If you wish to traverse such paths, where there is no one to end the uproarious deeds of the wicked, do you think you are capable of departing from this place and living apart, leaving the lady with a sweet smile, sharp teeth, akin to the eye of a peacock’s feather, red mouth, kohl-streaked eyes, akin to freshly blossomed flowers of the blue-lily, and moon-like, shining forehead, to lament?”
Time to experience the familiar heat of this land! The confidante starts with a vivid description of the place, talking first about the adjoining ranges, telling us this drylands region could be the transformation of a ‘Kurinji’ domain in the heat of summer. Here, she talks about how the heat paints mirages on the land, and fooled, an elephant comes rushing to quench its thirst and leaves in much disappointment, even as wild fires streak around. She points to the many hero stones that echo the glory and death of great warriors, detailing how these are abandoned spaces, away from the protecting hand of law, and there’s no one to quell the mischief of the wicked. After that long description, the confidante talks about the beauty of the lady, her smile, perfect teeth, red mouth, dark eyes, shining forehead, and ends by asking the man how he could even think of staying away from the lady, leaving her in suffering!
To put it in a nutshell, the confidante tells the man, ‘The wealth you are searching for, is nothing but a mirage. What is real is the beauty of the lady, right next to you, and that’s all the wealth you need!’. Whether the man accepts her perspective or not, it sure echoes a timeless philosophical debate about the nature of wealth and its conflict with love!
In this episode, we perceive the trust and confidence in the actions of another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 178, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing springs of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches a day in the life of a wild boar.
வயிரத்தன்ன வை ஏந்து மருப்பின்,
வெதிர் வேர் அன்ன பரூஉ மயிர்ப் பன்றி
பறைக் கண் அன்ன நிறைச் சுனை பருகி,
நீலத்தன்ன அகல் இலைச் சேம்பின்
பிண்டம் அன்ன கொழுங் கிழங்கு மாந்தி,
பிடி மடிந்தன்ன கல் மிசை ஊழ் இழிபு,
யாறு சேர்ந்தன்ன ஊறு நீர்ப் படாஅர்ப்
பைம் புதல் நளி சினைக் குருகு இருந்தன்ன,
வண் பிணி அவிழ்ந்த வெண் கூதாளத்து
அலங்கு குலை அலரி தீண்டி, தாது உக,
பொன் உரை கட்டளை கடுப்பக் காண்வர,
கிளை அமல் சிறு தினை விளை குரல் மேய்ந்து,
கண் இனிது படுக்கும் நல் மலை நாடனொடு
உணர்ந்தனை புணர்ந்த நீயும், நின் தோட்
பணைக் கவின் அழியாது துணைப் புணர்ந்து, என்றும்,
தவல் இல் உலகத்து உறைஇயரோ தோழி
”எல்லையும் இரவும் என்னாது, கல்லெனக்
கொண்டல் வான் மழை பொழிந்த வைகறைத்
தண் பனி அற்சிரம் தமியோர்க்கு அரிது” என,
கனவினும் பிரிவு அறியலனே; அதன்தலை
முன் தான் கண்ட ஞான்றினும்
பின் பெரிது அளிக்கும், தன் பண்பினானே.
In this illuminating trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“A wild boar, with upraised tusks, sharp like a diamond; dense hair, akin to bamboo roots; drinks up water from a brimming spring, akin to the eye of a drum; eats up fleshy tubers, akin to sacrificial offerings of food, from the Blue Taro, with wide leaves, in the hue of sapphires; descends carefully from atop a boulder, akin to a sleeping female elephant; moves towards green shrubs, next to cascades, appearing like river tributaries; and akin to a bird that perches on the curving branches, rests there. As the boar brushes against the swaying clusters of the white nightshade, which has loosened the tightness of its buds, pollen sheds down, making the boar appear like a touchstone, coated in gold dust. It then grazes on dense crop ears of the flourishing little millet, and rests peacefully in the fine mountain country of the lord.
Overcoming your reservations, you united with him. May he render his sweet company always, never letting the bamboo-like beauty of your fine arms fade, and may you live in this world as you would in the flawless other world, my friend! Knowing that, ‘In the moist and cold season, not minding if it’s day or night, dark clouds shower rains resoundingly. A dawn in such a time is hard to bear for those who are alone’, he would never think of parting from you even in his dreams. And also, he has the good nature of showering even more love and grace than what you have seen before!”
Time to track a wild boar in the hills! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she chooses a particular animal, a wild boar, and portrays the animal and its activities with a stack of similes, comparing its pointed tusks to the sharpness of diamonds, and its fur, to knotted bamboo roots. She talks about how this boar feeds on the tubers of the Blue Taro, with sapphire-like leaves, and then steps down from a boulder, which resembles a sleeping female elephant. It goes near lush bushes, growing near cascades, and here it brushes against the white nightshade flower clusters and becomes coated in gold dust, looking like a goldsmith’s touchstone. Then, it looks for even more food amidst the millet fields and filled to the brim, rests peacefully, the confidante sketches. What a life of bliss our boar leads!
The confidante turns from the man’s country and recollects how the lady decided to accept him and united with him. Then, from the past, she moves on to the future, blessing the lady to live joyously with the man, never losing the beauty of her arms. After this, it’s praise for the man saying he’s someone who would never let the lady remain alone in the cold season when the rains pour incessantly. She concludes with the words promising the lady that the man has the nature of showering even more love than the lady had seen thus far.
Why is the confidante singing these praises of the man? It’s because she knows the man has arrived there with the intention of claiming the lady’s hand, and with these words, she wishes to convey to him he’s on the right path. Even in that lengthy description of the wild boar in the man’s mountain country, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man would do all things perfectly and ensure a blissful life for him and the lady. A nuanced strategy on the part of the confidante to express trust in the man’s future behaviour, thereby inspiring him to live up to the image she has presented to the lady! She is indeed a treasure of a friend, who keeps on giving!
In this episode, we listen to words of consolation rendered to allay anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 177, penned by Seyaloor Ilampon Saaththan Kotranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the victory of a king and the beauty of a lady.
தொல் நலம் சிதையச் சாஅய், அல்கலும்,
“இன்னும் வாரார்; இனி எவன் செய்கு?” எனப்
பெரும் புலம்புறுதல் ஓம்புமதி சிறு கண்
இரும் பிடித் தடக் கை மான, நெய் அருந்து
ஒருங்கு பிணித்து இயன்ற நெறி கொள் ஐம்பால்
தேம் கமழ் வெறி மலர் பெய்ம்மார், காண்பின்
கழை அமல் சிலம்பின் வழை தலை வாடக்
கதிர் கதம் கற்ற ஏ கல் நெறியிடை,
பைங் கொடிப் பாகற் செங் கனி நசைஇ,
கான மஞ்ஞைக் கமஞ்சூல் மாப் பெடை
அயிர் யாற்று அடைகரை வயிரின் நரலும்
காடு இறந்து அகன்றோர் நீடினர் ஆயினும்,
வல்லே வருவர்போலும் வெண் வேல்
இலை நிறம் பெயர ஓச்சி, மாற்றோர்
மலை மருள் யானை மண்டுஅமர் ஒழித்த
கழற் கால் பண்ணன் காவிரி வடவயின்
நிழற் கயம் தழீஇய நெடுங் கால் மாவின்
தளிர் ஏர் ஆகம் தகை பெற முகைந்த
அணங்குடை வன முலைத் தாஅய நின்
சுணங்கிடை வரித்த தொய்யிலை நினைந்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Ruining your old beauty, you worry day after day, saying, ‘He still has not returned. How can I bear this?”. Please stop this great lament of yours! He has left to the drylands path, filled with huge stones, sweltering in the heat of the sun’s rays, which scorch the tops of laurel wood trees, in those spaces by the mountain slopes, decked with bamboos, pleasing to the eyes, where desiring the red fruit of the bitter gourd, growing on green vines, a huge, pregnant jungle peafowl, cries aloud, akin to the ‘vayir’ horn on the banks of the ‘Ayiri’ river.
Your oil-moistened, well-tied, five-part braid is akin to the curving trunk of a huge female elephant with small eyes. Even though he is delayed, he will return soon to adorn these tresses of yours, with honey-fragrant, colourful flowers. The great Pannan, who wears warrior anklets, is renowned for changing the hue of his leaf-tipped white spear and destroying the enemy’s elephants, akin to mountains, in the battlefield. To the north of his domain of the ‘Kaveri’ river, there stands a tall-trunked mango tree, rendering its shade to a huge pond. Akin to a tender leaf of this tree, is your tormenting bosom. Dreaming about covering the pallor spots that spread on this beautiful bosom of yours with ‘thoyyil’ paintings, he shall return soon indeed!”
Let’s brave the heat and walk the drylands path to learn more! The confidante starts by describing the lady’s current state of pining for the man, worrying incessantly about how he has not returned, ruining her health. She asks the lady to give up this worry of hers, and then goes on to describe the hot drylands path, by the mountains, that the man walks, where he can hear the cry of a pregnant peahen, which he describes as sounding like a ‘vayir’ horn on the banks of a river. This is excellent material for makers of ancient musical instruments for though the ‘vayir’ is no more, the world still has peahens and it gives hope to recreate the music of the past.
Returning, we find the confidante describing the lady’s thick tresses, which she equates to an elephant’s trunk! Imagine the thickness of that braid, to be characterised as such! Looks like it was a blessed time for women’s hair, without the ubiquitous chemicals and pollutants that destroy the health of many a modern woman’s locks. The confidante has mentioned that the man cannot keep away from the beauty of these tresses and that he would indeed return soon to adorn it with the choicest of fragrant and vibrant flowers. Then, the confidante goes on to talk about how King Pannan quelled his enemy’s elephants in the battlefield, reddening the leaf tip of his spears. She has summoned this king only to say the River Kaveri was part of his domain, and there was a lush mango tree, to the north of this river, by a fertile pond, and she goes on to equate the tender leaf of this particular tree to the beautiful bosom of the lady, which would no doubt torment the man, no matter where he was. With the additional promise that the man would want to return and adorn the pallor spots on the lady’s bosom with thoyyil paintings, the confidante concludes her words to her friend!
In essence, the confidante is saying, ‘How can the man forget your beauty and stay away?’.’Like a force of nature, it will pull him back to your fold’, the friend promises. The reference to a king’s exploits in the battlefield and then the trip to a mango tree in his domain was an unexpected turn of events. Intriguing to reflect on the creativity of Sangam poets, who could connect vastly disparate things like majestic valour in the tangible reality of a battlefield to intimate beauty in the tender abstraction of relationships!
In this episode, we listen to a pointed refusal to a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 176, penned by Marutham Paadiya Ilankadunko. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and presents a precise portrait of the other woman.
கடல் கண்டன்ன கண் அகன் பரப்பின்
நிலம் பக வீழ்ந்த வேர் முதிர் கிழங்கின்
கழை கண்டன்ன தூம்புடைத் திரள் கால்,
களிற்றுச் செவி அன்ன பாசடை மருங்கில்,
கழு நிவந்தன்ன கொழு முகை இடை இடை
முறுவல் முகத்தின் பல் மலர் தயங்க,
பூத்த தாமரைப் புள் இமிழ் பழனத்து,
வேப்பு நனை அன்ன நெடுங் கண் நீர்ஞெண்டு
இரை தேர் வெண் குருகு அஞ்சி, அயலது
ஒலித்த பகன்றை இருஞ் சேற்று அள்ளல்,
திதலையின் வரிப்ப ஓடி, விரைந்து தன்
நீர் மலி மண் அளைச் செறியும் ஊர!
மனை நகு வயலை மரன் இவர் கொழுங் கொடி
அரி மலர் ஆம்பலொடு ஆர்தழை தைஇ,
விழவு ஆடு மகளிரொடு தழூஉ அணிப் பொலிந்து,
மலர் ஏர் உண்கண் மாண் இழை முன்கைக்
குறுந் தொடி துடக்கிய நெடுந் தொடர் விடுத்தது
உடன்றனள் போலும், நின் காதலி? எம் போல்
புல் உளைக் குடுமிப் புதல்வற் பயந்து,
நெல்லுடை நெடு நகர் நின் இன்று உறைய,
என்ன கடத்தளோ, மற்றே? தன் முகத்து
எழுது எழில் சிதைய அழுதனள் ஏங்கி,
வடித்தென உருத்த தித்திப் பல் ஊழ்
நொடித்தெனச் சிவந்த மெல் விரல் திருகுபு,
கூர்நுனை மழுகிய எயிற்றள்
ஊர் முழுதும் நுவலும் நிற் காணிய சென்மே.
A long song and trip to this prosperous but troubled landscape, where we get to hear the confidante, say these words to the man, when he comes seeking entry into the lady’s house, after being in the company of a courtesan for a while:
“Appearing like a sea, as far as the eyes can see, spreads the land. With deep roots, akin to mature tubers that split the earth, with hollow thick stems, appearing akin to bamboos, green leaves, akin to an elephant’s ears, fleshy buds, bursting in between here and there, akin to upraised stakes, are the many lotus flowers that sway here and there in between, like smiling faces. In this field, blooming with lotuses and resounding with bird songs, having tall eyes, akin to neem flowers, a water crab fearing a white bird that’s searching for prey, scuttles on dark, muddy spaces, where rattle-pods have sprouted thickly, and making marks, akin to pallor spots, rushes to hide inside its water-filled mud pits. Such is your town, O lord!
Wearing a fine garment of leaves and flowers, woven with thick vines of ‘vayalai’ creepers, growing in the house, and radiant flowers of white lily, glowing with the beauty of dancing together with maiden at the town festival, having flower-like, beautiful, kohl-streaked eyes, and forearms, decked with fine jewels and small bangles, that lover of yours seems to have sulked with you when you happened to simply loosen your long embrace! She has been crying with yearning, ruining the painted beauty of her face, making pallor spots, akin to melted gold, spread on her form. Cracking her knuckles many, many times, she makes her delicate fingers turn red. That maiden, whose sharp teeth are blunted, now roams the town entire in search of you! Does she have the fate like the lady, to live patiently without you, after bearing and rearing your son, who has a grass-like tuft of hair, and to be shut within the expense of this grain-filled, wide mansion?”
Let’s chase some field crabs and learn what’s cooking in this part of the world! The confidante starts with a long description of the man’s town, bringing before our eyes, the expansive fields, where lotuses are blooming, and she builds a stack of similes calling the bloomed lotus flowers as smiling faces, the buds standing tall as stakes, the leaves as elephant’s ears, the roots as firm and mature tubers and the land itself as the vast and spreading sea. After setting the scene, she zooms on to a particular creature there, a crab, who tall eyes are compared to neem flowers. She then depicts how this animal fears a hovering bird, looking for prey, and rushes to hide in its little mud hole. Such is your town, the confidante tells the man. No doubt she means to conceal some meaning here but we’ll get to that in a moment!
Then she goes on to talk about a particular woman, a courtesan who happens to be the man’s lover. She etches the flowers and leaves that the woman wears, and how the courtesan dances exuberantly in the town festivities. Then, she describes the woman’s eyes and bejewelled forearms. After all the framing, the confidante comes to the crux and says how that courtesan had started quarrelling with the man, just because he happened to loosen his embrace. That lover of his seems to have been filled with much agony, as visible from her tears that ruined her painted beauty, the golden pallor spots and her cracking of the knuckles too many times, reddening those slender fingers. The confidante talks about how that courtesan is searching all over town, to catch hold of the man again. She contrasts the state of the lady, who after giving birth and rearing the man’s child, had to stay within their wealthy mansion, no matter where the man went or what he did, and concludes by sarcastically remarking that the courtesan has no such restrictions!
In the scene of the scuttling crab and the hovering bird, the confidante places a metaphor for how slander spread by the townsfolk had driven the man back to his home, seeking the lady’s company, and it’s not true love that has brought him there. In essence, it’s a refusal to allow the man to return back, after his escapades with the courtesan. Yet again, the natural world echoes the relationship dynamics vividly. The verse also presents the implicit societal rules in the contrasting behaviour of the lady and the courtesan, the former, characterised by patience and restraint, and the latter, by freedom and impulsiveness!
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 175, penned by Alamperi Saaththanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the victory of a historic king and the glory of a supernatural entity.
வீங்கு விளிம்பு உரீஇய விசை அமை நோன் சிலை
வாங்கு தொடை பிழையா வன்கண் ஆடவர்
விடுதொறும் விளிக்கும் வெவ் வாய் வாளி
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் உயிர் செலப் பெயர்ப்பின்,
பாறு கிளை பயிர்ந்து படுமுடை கவரும்
வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்த காதலர் நெஞ்சு உணர
அரிய வஞ்சினம் சொல்லியும், பல் மாண்
தெரி வளை முன்கை பற்றியும், ”வினைமுடித்து
வருதும்” என்றனர் அன்றே தோழி!
கால் இயல் நெடுந் தேர்க் கை வண் செழியன்
ஆலங்கானத்து அமர் கடந்து உயர்த்த
வேலினும் பல் ஊழ் மின்னி, முரசு என
மா இரு விசும்பில் கடி இடி பயிற்றி,
நேர் கதிர் நிரைத்த நேமிஅம் செல்வன்
போர் அடங்கு அகலம் பொருந்திய தார்போல்,
திருவில் தேஎத்துக் குலைஇ, உரு கெழு
மண் பயம் பூப்பப் பாஅய்,
தண் பெயல் எழிலி தாழ்ந்த போழ்தே?
In this trip to the drylands, amidst the whizzing of arrows, we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, after leaving in search of wealth:
“Grazing the edge of the broad shoulder, lies the sturdy bow. When harsh-eyed men bend this bow and aim the arrow, they never miss their mark. Those arrows with sharp mouths, when left out, flies whistling, and end the life of wayfarers on those paths. And so, calling their kith and kin, vultures feast on that reeking flesh. Such is the scorching drylands that my lover has left to! That day, he swore a heartfelt, furious oath, as he held my forearm with many, well-etched, radiant bangles, and declared, ‘I shall return after my mission’! Wielding chariots that move like the wind, is the generous Chezhiyan. More than the spears raised in his victorious battle of Aalangkaanum, are streaks of lightning, and akin to the drums there, roars unceasing thunder in the huge, black sky. Akin to the garland on the enemy-slaying chest of God Selvan, who wields the discus with perfect spokes, a picturesque and colourful rainbow curves above. And so, making the land flower with flourish, clouds have descended down with moist rains. Wasn’t this the time he said he would return, my friend?”
Time to witness the action in the skies! The lady starts by painting a vivid picture of the drylands, zooming on to the highway robbers, mentioning bows hanging on their shoulders, and harp arrows that they launch, which always ends up finding their target in the chests of wayfarers, and delivering their end. What ends there becomes the feast of vultures, the lady adds, saying that’s the dreary place the man has left to. Then she recollects how the man had sworn an oath, holding her forearm, and said he would return by a specific time.
The lady now turns to the confidante and points out how the skies are flashing with streaks of lightning, just like the flashes of spears raised by the victorious army of the Pandya King Chezhiyan at the Thalaiyaalangaanam battle. In other verses we have read about how this king single handedly quelled the armies of seven kings and seized victory there. Returning, the lady then points to the sound of thunder echoing and connects it to the drums in that battlefield. From this king in life and blood, the lady shifts to mention a God, referred as ‘Selvan’ here, which interpreters attribute to ‘God Thirumal’ as identified by the ‘Sudarsana chakra’ or divine discus held in his right hand, symbolising the ‘wheel of time’. Interestingly I learnt today that there has been archaeological discoveries of coins in Taxila, featuring a sixteen-spoke wheel, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, thought to reflect a belief in this very God. This poem too makes specific mention of the perfectly radiating spokes of this discus held in the hand of God ‘Selvan’.
Reverting back to the lady’s words, we learn that she has mentioned this god’s name only to draw in parallel the many-flowered garland on his chest and the radiant rainbow curving in the sky. Lightning done, thunder done, rainbow done. All checks to say that it’s the season of rains, when the clouds pour down and make the land bloom, the lady connects. She concludes by asking her friend, ‘Wasn’t this when he said he would be back, with that firm oath of his?’
With these words, the lady intends to echo her anxiety about the man’s dangerous travels and the unfulfilled promise he made. Hope the man returns the very moment to slay the sorrow in her heart. Fascinating how the verse makes us fly from the feeding vultures down on the ground to the pouring clouds in the sky, on the chariot of a king and the discus of a god!
In this episode, we observe the anxious rumination in a man’s mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 174, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the pouring clouds and blooming jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and expresses the love and yearning in the hearts of those separated by circumstances.
”இரு பெரு வேந்தர் மாறு கொள் வியன் களத்து,
ஒரு படை கொண்டு, வருபடை பெயர்க்கும்
செல்வம் உடையோர்க்கு நின்றன்று விறல்” என
பூக் கோள் ஏய தண்ணுமை விலக்கிச்
செல்வேம்ஆதல் அறியாள், முல்லை
நேர் கால் முது கொடி குழைப்ப, நீர் சொரிந்து,
காலை வானத்துக் கடுங் குரற் கொண்மூ
முழங்குதொறும் கையற்று, ஒடுங்கி, நப் புலந்து,
பழங்கண் கொண்ட பசலை மேனியள்,
யாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல் தானே வேங்கை
ஊழுறு நறு வீ கடுப்பக் கேழ் கொள,
ஆகத்து அரும்பிய மாசு அறு சுணங்கினள்,
நல் மணல் வியலிடை நடந்த
சில் மெல் ஒதுக்கின் மாஅயோளே?
This fragrant trip through the rain-soaked forests takes us in the presence of the man, as he says these words to his heart, when he remains in a battle camp:
“Declaring, ‘Those who possess the wealth of courage to scatter the enemy army with one’s own in the midst of a wide spreading field, where two great kings are waging war against each other, unfading would remain their glory’, drums roar and floral war tributes are presented by the victorious king. Not knowing that I would rush to her, without even waiting for these tributes, that sorrowful maiden, would be feeling dislike for me, and she would curl up helplessly whenever the harsh-voiced, dark clouds resounded in the morning sky, shedding raindrops, and crushing straight-stemmed jasmine flowers blooming on mature vines. Pallor would be spreading on her form, so flawless, having beauty spots, in the hue of fragrant golden flowers of the Indian Kino tree. What would be the state of that dark-skinned maiden, whom I saw walking with short hesitant steps upon the fine sands of our wide mansion, when I left her then?”
Time to travel to the battlefield and listen to the drum beat of the man’s heart! He starts by reflecting on how the king would honour his victorious acts in the battlefield of defeating the enemy army and shower tributes even as drums roar. The man says he would do his duty of fighting in the battle and bringing victory to his king but he wouldn’t wait to receive the king’s tributes because his heart would be in a rush to be back with his beloved, who would be worried that the season of promised return, the rains, had come and gone and still there was no sign of him. He imagines her curling up with pain every time the clouds roared and the rains poured. The man concludes by bringing back the image of the lady, with her fine beauty spots in the hue of yellow Kino flowers, as she was walking with hesitant steps, when he bid farewell to her, back then. A verse filled with tender longing on both sides, with the man tied by the norms of duty in a battlefield, and the lady, bound by the norms of society, to remain back at home!
In this episode, we perceive words of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 173, penned by Mulliyoor Pothiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse highlights the wealth and glory of a Sangam king’s domain.
‘அறம் தலைப்பிரியாது ஒழுகலும், சிறந்த
கேளிர் கேடு பல ஊன்றலும், நாளும்
வருந்தா உள்ளமொடு இருந்தோர்க்கு இல்’ எனச்
செய்வினை புரிந்த நெஞ்சினர், ‘நறு நுதல்
மை ஈர் ஓதி! அரும் படர் உழத்தல்
சில் நாள் தாங்கல்வேண்டும்’ என்று, நின்
நல் மாண் எல் வளை திருத்தினர்ஆயின்,
வருவர் வாழி, தோழி! பல புரி
வார் கயிற்று ஒழுகை நோன் சுவற் கொளீஇ,
பகடு துறை ஏற்றத்து உமண் விளி வெரீஇ,
உழைமான் அம் பிணை இனன் இரிந்து ஓட,
காடு கவின் அழிய உரைஇ, கோடை
நின்று தின விளிந்த, அம் பணை, நெடு வேய்க்
கண் விடத் தெறிக்கும் மண்ணா முத்தம்
கழங்கு உறழ் தோன்றல, பழங் குழித் தாஅம்
இன் களி நறவின் இயல் தேர் நன்னன்
விண் பொரு நெடு வரைக் கவாஅன்
பொன் படு மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands in the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away:
“Deciding, ‘Living a life without swerving away from justice and bearing the many burdens of one’s honourable kith and kin, are both impossible for those, who stay in comfort with a complacent heart!’, the one who wished to part away on the mission of gaining wealth, said, ‘O maiden with a fragrant forehead and thick, moist tresses, you must bear the deep suffering of parting for a few days!’, as he caressed your exquisite, shining bangles.
Tying sturdy ropes with many thick threads to the necks of their oxen, arrive salt merchants on upraised river shores. Startled by their sharp whistles, herds of male deer along with their exquisite mates scuttle away; Making the jungle lose its beauty, the summer sun scorches. The tall and beautiful bamboos, that have dried up bereft of water, burst at the nodes, and scatter soiled seeds that appear akin to beans, which fall into old pits. The man, who has left to these mountains, which lie near the rich, golden lands in the slopes of sky-soaring peaks, belonging to Nannan, who wields fast chariots and is renowned for the sweetness of his toddy, will return to you soon, my friend, may you live long!”
Time to tread those hot sands! The confidante starts by reflecting the man’s words to the lady before he had left on his mission. With much tenderness, he had consoled the lady and explained the reasons he had to undertake the journey, talking about how it was his duty to live a life of justice and to help all their kith and kin in their hour of need, and to do this, he had to leave the comfort of home and go seek wealth. He had requested the lady to bear with this pain for some time and left, the confidante reminds the lady. Then she talks about the place where the man treads now, talking about an arid region, where salt merchants traverse with their oxen, frightening the deer there with their sharp whistles, and where bamboos split open in the heat, scattering their seeds. The confidante concludes by adding that those drylands were in the vicinity of the wealthy domain, filled with gold, ruled by King Nannan, known for his swaying chariots and sweet toddy, and promises the lady that the man would return soon to her.
With those specific words about Nannan’s golden lands, the confidante hints that the man would be blessed with riches in his mission, and the lady’s days of pain were at an end. What a thoughtful friend who highlights the positive qualities of the very person, seemingly the cause of pain! By connecting the goodness of the man in the past, and the promise of his return in the future, this fine friend alleviates the lady’s misery in the present moment. The perfect recipe for reassurance indeed!
In this episode, we perceive an attempt at changing a person’s behaviour, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 172, penned by Madurai Paalaasiriyar Nappaalanaar. The verse is situated amidst the roaring cascades and resounding slopes of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and paints vivid images of life in this domain.
வாரணம் உரறும் நீர் திகழ் சிலம்பில்
பிரசமொடு விரைஇய வயங்கு வெள் அருவி
இன் இசை இமிழ் இயம் கடுப்ப, இம்மெனக்
கல் முகை விடர்அகம் சிலம்ப, வீழும்
காம்பு தலைமணந்த ஓங்கு மலைச் சாரல்;
இரும்பு வடித்தன்ன கருங் கைக் கானவன்
விரி மலர் மராஅம் பொருந்தி, கோல் தெரிந்து,
வரி நுதல் யானை அரு நிறத்து அழுத்தி,
இகல் அடு முன்பின் வெண் கோடு கொண்டு, தன்
புல் வேய் குரம்பை புலர ஊன்றி,
முன்றில் நீடிய முழவு உறழ் பலவில்,
பிழி மகிழ் உவகையன், கிளையொடு கலி சிறந்து,
சாந்த ஞெகிழியின் ஊன் புழுக்கு அயரும்
குன்ற நாட! நீ அன்பிலை ஆகுதல்
அறியேன் யான்; அஃது அறிந்தனென்ஆயின்
அணி இழை, உண்கண், ஆய் இதழ்க் குறுமகள்
மணி ஏர் மாண் நலம் சிதைய,
பொன் நேர் பசலை பாவின்றுமன்னே!
In this action-packed trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, after bringing over the lady for a tryst with him:
“In the water-filled mountains, elephants trumpet; shining white cascades descend, fused with honey, resounding akin to the sweet music of instruments, making clefts and caves in the hills echo with a loud sound; bamboos crowd densely on the slopes of the soaring peaks; Here, a mountain hunter, having black hands, appearing as if cast in iron, climbs on to a blooming bur-flower tree, aims the perfect arrow and pierces the tough chest of an elephant with a lined forehead, and brings its white tusk, capable of attacking enemies with strength, and plants it to dry in front of his hut, thatched with grass. Then, from a jackfruit sprouting in his front yard, appearing akin to a drum, he extracts sweet nectar and relishes it, amidst the uproar of his joyous kith and kin, sharing with them, rice cooked with meat on the fire of sandalwood barks. Such is your domain in the mountains, O lord! I never knew that you were such a loveless person; Had I known that, I wouldn’t have let the beauty of the young maiden, adorned with exquisite ornaments, having kohl-streaked, petal-like eyes, to be ruined, by the spreading of gold-like pallor on her sapphire-like skin!”
Trek time! The confidante starts by bringing the mountains alive. She makes us hear the roar of elephants and the descent of cascades, flowing with the music of an orchestra. She points to the densely crowding bamboos and after giving us a sense of place, she zooms on to a person, namely a mountain hunter, who is perched atop a burflower tree. From his vantage point, he takes aim with a sharpened arrow and hits straight into the chest of an elephant. Then, coming down, he brings home the gentle giant’s tusk and plants it in front of his home. His day’s work done, the hunter delights in drinking the nectar of jackfruit juice and eating rice and meat, cooked on a sandalwood fire, in the boisterous company of his beloved kin. The confidante has mentioned all these vivid elements to represent the man’s domain. After such glowing praise for his land, the confidante arrives at the core concern and declares that she never knew the man would turn up to be such a person, lacking in love. She concludes by lamenting if only she had known, she would have never allowed the lady’s beauty to be ruined by the fair pallor that was spreading on her dark skin!
The confidante means to say to the man, ‘I thought you loved the lady. How can you make her suffer so?’. In response, he would query the reason for such an accusation and the confidante would end up revealing how his absences affected the lady and brought great suffering to her. In the opening scene of elephants trumpeting and cascades roaring, using the imagery of sound, the confidante places a metaphor for how slander is spreading through town about the relationship between the man and the lady. Then in the scene of the mountain hunter felling the elephant and bringing the trophy of its tusk home, the confidante places a wish for the man to fell the enemy of slander and claim the lady’s hand and rejoice in the permanent union, sanctioned and celebrated by the kith and kin. Thus, with the firm stones of vivid images in the outer world, the confidante paves the road to happiness in the life of the man and the lady!
In this episode, we observe an attempt at allaying anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 171, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches vivid elements of life and wildlife in this domain.
”நுதலும் நுண் பசப்பு இவரும்; தோளும்
அகல் மலை இறும்பின் ஆய்ந்து கொண்டு அறுத்த
பணை எழில் அழிய வாடும்; நாளும்
நினைவல்மாது அவர் பண்பு” என்று ஓவாது
இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! புணர்வர்
இலங்கு கோல் ஆய் தொடி நெகிழ, பொருள் புரிந்து
அலந்தலை ஞெமையத்து அதர் அடைந்திருந்த
மால் வரைச் சீறூர் மருள் பல் மாக்கள்
கோள் வல் ஏற்றை ஓசை ஓர்மார்,
திருத்திக் கொண்ட அம்பினர், நோன் சிலை
எருத்தத்து இரீஇ, இடம் தொறும் படர்தலின்,
கீழ்ப்படு தாரம் உண்ணா, மேற் சினைப்
பழம் போற் சேற்ற தீம் புழல் உணீஇய,
கருங் கோட்டு இருப்பை ஊரும்
பெருங் கை எண்கின் சுரன் இறந்தோரே!
In this trip to the drylands, there’s much to see even as we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, as the man, who had left in search of wealth, continues to remain parted away:
“Saying ‘Let intricate spots of pallor spread on the forehead; Let arms, which are akin to well-selected bamboos in the wide mountain forests, lose their beauty and become ruined; Still, I shall not stop thinking of his nature all day, every single day!’, do not suffer unceasingly, my friend, may you live long! Making your well-rounded, resplendent bangles slip away, he left to gain wealth, treading paths abounding with axle-wood trees having scorched tops, through small hamlets in the foothills of the huge mountain, where many people, tense with fear, keep watch for the sounds of a killer male bear, and wait in readiness with their well-sharpened arrows, carrying their sturdy bows on their shoulders. As they spread about hither and thither, knowing of their movements, not feeding on what has fallen down, that huge-handed bear, wishing to instead feed on flowers that taste as sweet as fruits upon high branches, crawls atop trees in those drylands. He shall return and unite with you soon!”
Let’s tread on and trace the dangers of this domain! The confidante starts by repeating the lady’s words, who seems not bothered that pallor would spread on her forehead and that her bamboo-like arms would lose their beauty, and continues to wallow in the memory of the man, who had left her to seek wealth. The confidante goes on to describe where he has gone, talking about the ‘Gnemai’ trees that grow there and their burnt tops in the sweltering summer. Then, she goes on to mention people there, those living in a small town at the foothills, who are always on the lookout for dangerous male bears that could kill, and wait in all readiness with sharp arrows and sturdy bows. Knowing of their movements on land, the bear tries to outsmart them by not eating the easy pick of fallen fruits and flowers, but instead, climbs up on the Mahua tree and goes for the high branches to pluck the flowers that are said to be as sweet as the fruits. The confidante concludes by saying though the man walks through such a land, he will return soon to the lady’s fold. It’s indeed a simple reassurance from a concerned friend but what hides within are interesting aspects of intelligence and evolution in the face of animal-human conflict, something that remains a serious concern in our world today!
In this episode, we perceive an attempt to enlist a unique messenger, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 170, penned by Madurai Kallitru Kadaiyathan Vennaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the silent backwaters of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and etches exquisite scenes of life in this domain.
கானலும் கழறாது; கழியும் கூறாது;
தேன் இமிர் நறு மலர்ப் புன்னையும் மொழியாது;
ஒரு நின் அல்லது பிறிது யாதும் இலனே;
இருங் கழி மலர்ந்த கண் போல் நெய்தல்
கமழ் இதழ் நாற்றம் அமிழ்து என நசைஇ,
தண் தாது ஊதிய வண்டினம் களி சிறந்து,
பறைஇ தளரும் துறைவனை, நீயே,
சொல்லல் வேண்டுமால் அலவ! பல்கால்
கைதைஅம் படுசினை எவ்வமொடு அசாஅம்
கடற் சிறு காக்கை காமர் பெடையொடு
கோட்டுமீன் வழங்கும் வேட்டம் மடி பரப்பின்
வெள் இறாக் கனவும் நள்ளென் யாமத்து
நின் உறு விழுமம் களைந்தோள்
தன் உறு விழுமம் நீந்துமோ! எனவே.
In this trip to the shore, we get to see the lady saying these words to an intriguing little denizen of the domain:
“The seashore grove will not exhort him; The backwaters will not explain to him; The bee-buzzing fragrant laurel wood tree will not expound either; Other than you, I have no one, O crab! Desiring the wafting scent from the petals of the blue lotus, blooming like eyes in the dark backwaters, bees swarm around their cool pollen, and then brimming over with ecstasy, find themselves unable to fly. Such are the shores of the lord! Going to him, you need to tell him something. Upon the curving branch of the many-legged pandanus tree, with suffering, rests a little sea gull, along with its desirable mate, and dreams about white shrimp in the expanses, frequented by swordfish, when the fish hunt has ended, in the darkness of the midnight hour. Please go to him and ask him, ‘How can the one, who ended your sorrow at many such midnight hour, swim across through the sea of her own sorrow, caused by your parting, now?’”
Ready to swim through the backwaters and eavesdrop on a conversation? Here we find the lady having a chat with a crab on the shore. She starts by lamenting to the crustacean about how neither the grove, nor the backwaters, nor the laurel wood tree is going to speak up in her defence, and tells the crab that she has no one else. What a way to make the crab feel special! Then, she describes the man’s domain by the seas and here we find bees drunk on the pollen of blue lotuses and unable to even flap their little wings, so sloshed in the sweetness of the nectar they are! Then, the lady insists to the crab that it must go to the man and remind him of how the lady had come to his rescue in the many hours of the deep darkness of night, when a sea gull dreams of feasting on shrimp, at a time when all the hunting of fish had ceased. She concludes by requesting the crab to question him about how the lady can bear her sorrow if he forgets all that she has done and continues to stay away!
Flying back to the scene of those intoxicated bees, struggling to fly, we understand that the lady has placed it as a metaphor for the man being drunk on the pleasures of temporary trysting and forgetting his duty of keeping her happy. Brimming with excessive love for the man, the lady thus expresses it to the elusive crab on the shore. The beauty of this verse is in how it highlights a human’s attempt to see a friend in an element of nature, reminding us that the world awaits with open ears and a ready shoulder, if only we can open our eyes and heart!
In this episode, we listen to a man’s worry about his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 169, penned by Thondi Aamoor Saathanaar. Set amidst the arid spaces of the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the consequences of parting in a visual manner.
மரம் தலை கரிந்து நிலம் பயம் வாட,
அலங்குகதிர் வேய்ந்த அழல் திகழ் நனந்தலை,
புலி தொலைத்து உண்ட பெருங் களிற்று ஒழி ஊன்
கலி கெழு மறவர் காழ்க் கோத்து ஒழிந்ததை,
ஞெலி கோற் சிறு தீ மாட்டி, ஒலி திரைக்
கடல் விளை அமிழ்தின் கணம் சால் உமணர்
சுனை கொள் தீம் நீர்ச் சோற்று உலைக் கூட்டும்
சுரம் பல கடந்த நம் வயின் படர்ந்து நனி
பசலை பாய்ந்த மேனியள், நெடிது நினைந்து,
செல் கதிர் மழுகிய புலம்பு கொள் மாலை
மெல் விரல் சேர்த்திய நுதலள், மல்கிக்
கயல் உமிழ் நீரின் கண் பனி வார,
பெருந் தோள் நெகிழ்ந்த செல்லலொடு
வருந்துமால், அளியள், திருந்திழைதானே!
A trip to the drylands filled with striking events, where we get to hear the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey to seek wealth:
“Scorching treetops and ruining the land’s fertility, the hot sun spreads its swaying rays in those wide open spaces, where the carcass of a huge elephant that a tiger has attacked, fed on and abandoned, is carried by uproarious highway robbers on a pole, and what’s left over from that, is collected by salt merchants, who travel in hordes, bearing that elixir harvested from the resounding waves of the sea. They light up a small flame with their fire rods and add this meat to the rice cooking in the sweet waters of the spring. As her heart forsakes her and rushes to me, who has crossed many such drylands, with pallor spreading on her form, ceaselessly thinking, pressing her soft fingers on her forehead, with tears spilling over from her eyes, akin to water drops spit out by a fish, her thick arms wasting away, she would be worrying deeply in that evening hour of loneliness, when the sun’s rays diminish. That maiden wearing well-etched jewels is to be pitied indeed!”
Let’s observe the changing scene in this domain and learn more! The man starts by describing the drylands that he has come across. He first talks about the relentless sun, burning and ruining everything in sight. Then, he points to a single spot and talks about three different events that have occurred right there. First, it’s a fight between a tiger and an elephant. The elephant loses out and is killed by the fierce tiger. After the tiger has had its fill of the beast, it abandons the carcass and walks on. Next, a bunch of highway robbers, who come there, carve out a huge portion of the meat and tying it on a pole, they carry it away. Finally, salt merchants arrive there, and of course, there’s still a lot of meat left, for it’s an elephant we are talking about. They set up camp nearby, start a fire with their fire rods, and then to the rice they are cooking in sweet spring water, they add the meat too. No spring water here, for sure. It must be something they have carried along in their carts. Thus, that huge elephant has now been fed upon by not one, not two, but three different parties in the scene.
After that vivid description, the man turns to reflect on the lady and laments to his heart that she is sure to be worried immensely, wondering about his whereabouts, as pallor spreads on her body and her arms thin away. He paints a portrait of the lady sitting there with her hands holding her feverish forehead and tears spilling out of her eyes like water from the mouth of a fish. The man concludes by echoing how his heart throbs with pity for the lady’s state.
In the scene of the elephant carcass that was abandoned by the tiger, being fed on by the highway robbers and salt merchants, the man places a metaphor for how the lady’s beauty abandoned by him is now being feasted upon by pallor and pining. The pain in parting felt in the intimate spaces of the heart is illustrated with the scenes of the wide open spaces in the drylands, highlighting the Sangam poets’ expertise in seamlessly connecting the inner world and the outer!
In this episode, we perceive an attempt to change a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 168, penned by Kotampalathu Thunjiya Cheramaan. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and portrays the dangers of treading through this domain in the dark.
யாமம் நும்மொடு கழிப்பி, நோய் மிக,
பனி வார் கண்ணேம் வைகுதும்; இனியே;
ஆன்றல் வேண்டும் வான் தோய் வெற்ப!
பல் ஆன் குன்றில் படு நிழல் சேர்ந்த
நல் ஆன் பரப்பின் குழுமூர் ஆங்கண்
கொடைக் கடன் ஏன்ற கோடா நெஞ்சின்
உதியன் அட்டில் போல ஒலி எழுந்து,
அருவி ஆர்க்கும் பெரு வரைச் சிலம்பின்
ஈன்றணி இரும் பிடி தழீஇ, களிறு தன்
தூங்குநடைக் குழவி துயில் புறங்காப்ப,
ஒடுங்கு அளை புலம்பப் போகி, கடுங் கண்
வாள் வரி வயப் புலி கல் முழை உரற,
கானவர் மடிந்த கங்குல்
மான் அதர்ச் சிறு நெறி வருதல், நீயே?
In this little trip to the highlands, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, as he prepares to leave after his nightly tryst with the lady:
“After spending nights with you, full of affliction, she remains with tear-filled eyes at other times; And so, you must give it up, O lord of the sky-soaring mountains! In the shadow of a peak called ‘Pallaankundram’, spreads a town called ‘Kuzhumoor’, filled with fine cattle. Here, rules a king called ‘Uthiyan’, the one with an unswerving heart, who has assumed the duty of charity. Akin to the uproar in his kitchen, cascades resound in the slopes of the majestic mountain ranges. Here, embracing its dark mate that has just given birth, a male elephant stands in guard of its calf with a swaying gait, even as a strong, harsh-eyed, striped tiger leaves its cozy den in the cave in loneliness, and steps out, roaring aloud amidst the mountain bamboos, in the dead dark of the night, when the mountain folk are fast asleep. Indeed, you must give up your trips through these small bushy paths, frequented by beasts many, at this hour!”
It’s time for a midnight stroll through the mountains! The confidante talks about how the lady is all smiles and delight when she is with the man, during their nightly trysts, but the moment he leaves, she seems to be filled with suffering, with tears threatening to leap beyond the bounds of her eyelids. So, the confidante tells the man that he must give up something he’s been doing. Without directly telling what it is, she goes on to talk about a king named ‘Uthiyan’ and his town of ‘Kuzhumoor’, a town in the shadow of a peak called ‘Pallaankundram’, which translates as ‘the peak of cattle many’. No coincidence, the town is said to have many cattle indeed, echoing its wealth. The confidante takes us to the kitchen of this king’s palace and there’s a loud noise, lot of uproar, why because the king had sworn to uphold unceasing charity. That’s why his kitchen was always abuzz! The confidante has mentioned this fact only to place in parallel that uproar to the resounding roar of the cascades in their mountains. And here, she points to how a male elephant is embracing its female and guarding their newborn calf, even as the roar of a tiger that has left its cave resounds in the air. The confidante details how all this is happening in the middle of the night and it’s his walking in the dark amidst those narrow mountain paths that the man must give up!
‘Don’t you add angst to the lady’s heart’, the confidante seems to be telling the man, revealing how much the lady fears for the man’s safety, echoing her love for him. At the same time, telling the man that the lady cannot bear to be apart from him. In a hidden way, the confidante tells the man the only path forward was to forget this temporary trysting and seek the lady’s hand in marriage. ‘Marry her, marry her’ indeed, but interesting that we got to listen to the uproarious sounds in an ancient kitchen that never stops working, and keeps piling mounds and mounds of food, for all those who arrive at that doorstep, seeking! A capture of generosity and prosperity in one shot!
In this episode, we observe a person’s decision-making process, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 167, penned by Kadiyaloor Uruthirankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches in detail the state of an abandoned house in this domain.
வயங்கு மணி பொருத வகைஅமை வனப்பின்
பசுங் காழ் அல்குல் மாஅயோளொடு
வினை வனப்பு எய்திய புனை பூஞ் சேக்கை,
விண் பொரு நெடு நகர்த் தங்கி, இன்றே
இனிது உடன் கழிந்தன்றுமன்னே; நாளைப்
பொருந்தாக் கண்ணேம் புலம்பு வந்து உறுதரச்
சேக்குவம்கொல்லோ, நெஞ்சே! சாத்து எறிந்து
அதர் கூட்டுண்ணும் அணங்குடைப் பகழிக்
கொடு வில் ஆடவர் படு பகை வெரீஇ,
ஊர் எழுந்து உலறிய பீர் எழு முது பாழ்,
முருங்கை மேய்ந்த பெருங் கை யானை
வெரிந் ஓங்கு சிறு புறம் உரிஞ, ஒல்கி
இட்டிகை நெடுஞ் சுவர் விட்டம் வீழ்ந்தென,
மணிப் புறாத் துறந்த மரம் சோர் மாடத்து
எழுது அணி கடவுள் போகலின், புல்லென்று
ஒழுகுபலி மறந்த மெழுகாப் புன் திணைப்
பால் நாய் துள்ளிய பறைக்கட் சிற்றில்,
குயில் காழ் சிதைய மண்டி, அயில் வாய்க்
கூர் முகச் சிதலை வேய்ந்த
போர் மடி நல் இறைப் பொதியிலானே?
We get to glimpse a striking chain of events in this trip to this domain, as we hear the man say these words to his heart:
“With the dark-skinned maiden, who wears a green string woven exquisitely with shining gems of many kinds around her waist, lying on the flowery mattress laid out on a bed, etched with fine art, staying within the sky-soaring tall mansion, the whole of today has passed on pleasantly indeed!
As for tomorrow, with eyes that sleep not, as loneliness arrives to torment, won’t we be there, O heart? Fearing the terrors of those men with curving bows and demonic arrows, who live and eat together by attacking merchants and stealing their possessions, people had left town. In such an abandoned and arid place, ridge-gourd vines had spread around the ruins. Arriving here, a long-trunked elephant, which had just grazed on drumstick leaves, rubs its itching back against a wall, and that wall with loosened bricks falls down, pulling the ceiling too. Startled, pigeons that had been pecking about in the courtyard fly away in fear. In this space, where trees look listless, and where well-etched portraits of gods have faded, upon the uncleaned, dull platform, which had not seen divine offerings in many days, a dog suckling its young lies about in that forgotten old little house, where destroying the once-sturdy wood, termites with sharp faces, akin to spear edges, spread around. That’s the place, right there, in that wide open, unprotected space, amidst that caved-in roof, where we shall arrive tomorrow, won’t we, O heart?”
Let’s brave the dangers of this domain and tread on! The man starts by describing how his today went so pleasantly in the company of his beloved on their comfortable bed, within the cozy expanse of their sturdy and well-etched tall mansion. After this account, he turns to his heart and says, ‘Do you know where we’ll be tomorrow?’, and then goes on to describe this very place. He takes his heart to the drylands, a place frequented by highway robbers, whose livelihood is killing and stealing from wayfarers. There used to be a town nearby, but fearing the antics of these men, the people had left that town, seeking safer spaces. Near one abandoned house in this town, an elephant, which had been feeding on the leaves of a drumstick tree arrives, wanting to scratch its itchy back. Finding a wall, it goes about doing what it came to do, but that wall, unable to bear the impact, comes falling down and pulling the roof along too. At that moment, startled the pigeons which had been pecking about lazily, flutter away in fear.
In this abandoned house, the paintings of gods have lost their lustre and offerings are no more done. On that platform, where such devout rituals used to happen, now there lies a dog suckling its puppies. Not only that, the wood in these houses is being feasted upon by termites, which swarm around everywhere. The man concludes his long description of this place by saying that’s where he’ll be lying down, without a moment’s rest, filled with loneliness, if at all he followed the nudge of his heart to leave in search of wealth. In essence, by contemplating and contrasting the pleasure of his present and the horror of his future, the man comes to a decision not to part away from his beloved!
In this episode, we listen to the sarcastic words of a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 166, penned by Idaiyan Nedunkeeranaar. The verse is situated amidst the river shores of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and echoes the tension and rivalry in a rich town.
‘நல் மரம் குழீஇய நனை முதிர் சாடி
பல் நாள் அரித்த கோஒய் உடைப்பின்,
மயங்குமழைத் துவலையின் மறுகு உடன் பனிக்கும்
பழம் பல் நெல்லின் வேளூர்வாயில்,
நறு விரை தெளித்த நாறுஇணர் மாலை,
பொறி வரி இன வண்டு ஊதல கழியும்
உயர் பலி பெறூஉம் உரு கெழு தெய்வம்,
புனை இருங் கதுப்பின் நீ கடுத்தோள்வயின்
அனையேன்ஆயின், அணங்குக, என்!’ என
மனையோட் தேற்றும் மகிழ்நன்ஆயின்,
யார்கொல் வாழி, தோழி! நெருநல்
தார் பூண் களிற்றின் தலைப் புணை தழீஇ,
வதுவை ஈர் அணிப் பொலிந்து, நம்மொடு,
புதுவது வந்த காவிரிக்
கோடு தோய் மலிர்நிறை ஆடியோரே?
Here’s a dash of gods and oaths in this trip to the farmlands, as we listen to the courtesan say these words to her friend, on receiving a particular news about the man:
“Saying, ‘When the measuring stick breaks a jug of toddy, which had been aged for many days, the contents would shower down, confusing people as if it’s the drizzle of rainclouds, in the streets of the ancient town of Veloor, known for its heaps of paddy. At the gates of this town, striped bees fear to buzz around fragrant garlands, woven with scented buds, and fly away, seeing the huge offerings laid alongside, in front of the statue of that formidable god. O maiden with thick, flowing tresses, as you doubt, if at all I had embraced the other, let this god possess and torment me’, the lord of the town had consoled his wife, I hear. If this is true, who might that be, my friend, may you live long? The one who came yesterday, akin to a garlanded elephant, and held on to the edge of the raft, and shone like the jewel of the group, and rejoiced playing with us, as the new flood of the River Kaveri brimmed over the shores?”
Time to stroll into the expanse of this prosperous town and listen on! The courtesan starts by repeating the words of the man. The man seems to have described the ancient town of Veloor, by mentioning how toddy would shower as rain on its people, when a pot containing aged liquor was accidentally broken by a measuring stick. He continues by talking about how even bees don’t buzz around the garlands, offered to the mighty god at the gates of this town, in fear. The reason he had mentioned this god is to say to his wife, who was doubting his actions, that he never embraced anyone else. He reiterates his statement, telling her, that if at all, as she was suspecting, he had embraced another, he invites that god to smite him, then and there. In short, he has sworn an oath in the name of that fearsome God about his innocence before his wife. Hearing this, the courtesan shoots back to her friend saying, ‘If what the man is saying is true, then who was that person, who was life and soul of the party, yesterday, as we played and swam in the new flood of the River Kaveri, as it leaped over the banks?’
The intention of the courtesan was for these words to travel back to the lady and reinstate that the man is not so true as he claims to be and he was indeed entranced by the courtesan. Leaving behind this mere tussle over a man, let’s turn our focus to that activity of the Tamils recorded here, and that is to play in the river, when it comes rushing with fresh new waves, after the rains. No doubt the river brings the freshness of the mountains in its waves and energises the folks on the plains. A record of how this culture did not worship this life-giving river as a distant God, but saw it as a delightful companion, one which nourishes the soul!
In this episode, we perceive a mother’s angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 165, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse talks about the consequences of a lady’s parting away with her beloved.
கயந் தலை மடப் பிடி பயம்பில் பட்டென,
களிறு விளிப்படுத்த கம்பலை வெரீஇ,
ஒய்யென எழுந்த செவ் வாய்க் குழவி
தாது எரு மறுகின் மூதூர் ஆங்கண்,
எருமை நல் ஆன் பெறு முலை மாந்தும்
நாடு பல இறந்த நன்னராட்டிக்கு
ஆயமும் அணி இழந்து அழுங்கின்று; தாயும்
”இன் தோள் தாராய், இறீஇயர் என் உயிர்!” என,
கண்ணும் நுதலும் நீவி, தண்ணென,
தடவு நிலை நொச்சி வரி நிழல் அசைஇ,
தாழிக் குவளை வாடு மலர் சூட்டி,
தருமணற் கிடந்த பாவை என்
அருமகளே என முயங்கினள் அழுமே!
It’s all about the state of those left behind in this trip to the drylands, where we get to hear the onlookers say these words about the lady’s family, at the juncture of the lady’s elopement with her man:
“As the naive female elephant with a soft head fell into a pit, the male elephant trumpets aloud. Startled by the uproar, their red-mouthed, young calf quickly rises up and runs to the ancient town, having streets coated with pollen dust, and drinks up milk from the heavy udders of the good buffalo. Crossing many such places, the esteemed maiden had parted away; And so her playmates now look listless, shorn of their beauty; As for her mother, she picks up the doll lying about in the imported sands, caresses its eyes and forehead. Then placing it upon the coolness of the swaying, lined shade of the chaste tree with curving branches, she adorns it with faded blue lilies from the urn. Embracing the doll, she sheds tears saying, ‘My dearest daughter, won’t you offer your sweet arms for me to embrace? Let my life part away!’”
Time to hear the uproar in the drylands. The onlookers start by relating the state of a male elephant, whose mate has fallen into a pit. Hearing its troubled cries, its young one is startled and runs away to a nearby town, where the streets are covered in pollen. Here, a mother buffalo accepts the elephant calf as its own and suckles it with kindness. The lady would have traversed many places with such scenes, the onlookers connect. Then, moving from where the lady was, they turn to talk about those she left behind, and mention how her friends are all looking sad and crestfallen. As for the lady’s mother, she goes about picking the lady’s doll lying about on the sands brought from elsewhere, and places it in the shade of the chaste tree and adorns it with blue lilies. Then embracing the doll, and seeing it as her daughter, she asks the doll to offer her arms and wishes her unbearable life would depart, conclude the onlookers.
In the scene of a mother buffalo taking care of an elephant calf, parted from its family, hides the metaphor of the lady’s family hoping that the lady finds love and care in those places that she has left to. In essence, a tender verse filled with emotions of loss, lament and love for the one departed!
In this episode, we perceive a heartfelt wish throbbing in a man’s mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 164, penned by Madurai Tamil Koothan Naakanthevanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and relays the yearning in a person to be with their beloved.
கதிர் கையாக வாங்கி, ஞாயிறு
பைது அறத் தெறுதலின், பயம் கரந்து மாறி,
விடுவாய்ப்பட்ட வியன் கண் மா நிலம்
காடு கவின் எதிரக் கனை பெயல் பொழிதலின்
பொறி வரி இன வண்டு ஆர்ப்ப, பல உடன்
நறு வீ முல்லையொடு தோன்றி தோன்ற
வெறி ஏன்றன்றே வீ கமழ் கானம்.
”எவன்கொல் மற்று அவர் நிலை?” என மயங்கி,
இகு பனி உறைக்கும் கண்ணொடு இனைபு, ஆங்கு
இன்னாது உறைவி தொல் நலம் பெறூஉம்
இது நற் காலம் கண்டிசின் பகைவர்
மதில் முகம் முருக்கிய தொடி சிதை மருப்பின்,
கந்து கால் ஒசிக்கும் யானை,
வெஞ் சின வேந்தன் வினை விடப்பெறினே!
A verse in which we witness the transformation of this domain as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as he remains at a battle encampment, in the service of his king, and parted away from his lady love:
“Extending its rays as hands, the sun had seized every drop of moisture, and so, losing its green utterly, changing from its stance of fertility, the wide spreading land, became parched with cracks many. For the land to regain its state of being filled with lush green, the rains have poured heavily, and so fragrant flowers of wild jasmine along with flame-lilies have bloomed, making swarms of striped bees buzz around, spreading a rich scent across that forest of fallen flowers! At this time, worried wondering, ‘What state might he be in?’, with tears pooling in her eyes, helpless, my lady remains there. Our king possesses battle elephants, which after tearing apart gates of enemy forts, now stand with ruined golden rings on their tusks and pull against the posts to which they are tied. Good times would arrive truly and my lady would attain her old beauty, if only our furious king decides to end his mission of war!”
Let’s inhale that intense scent of a rain-soaked forest and learn more! The man starts by talking about how summer had come and the sun had been greedy about gathering with its many hands and gulping down every bit of water on the expanse of land. As a consequence, there was no sign of anything fertile, and the earth looked listless, all parched and thirsty. As if granting the wish of this land, the rains had arrived in the due season, and poured down, filling the forest with wild jasmines and flame-lilies, much to the excitement of bees around, the man describes. Then, in his mind’s eye, the man leaves the world around behind and visits the lady. He sees her worrying about him, wondering what he’s going through, and her eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears. He returns back to his camp and takes in the battle elephants that have done their job of smashing enemy gates quite well. and are now standing there, with broken tusk rings, shaking their posts, still seething with the remnants of fury. The man concludes by saying that good times would return in his life and his lady would regain her old beauty, if only the king decided his war was over.
Inferring from the state of the elephants, though the king had gained victories, he seemed not satisfied and perhaps, he was intent on continuing the war. This is what the man wishes would end and that in turn, he could end the suffering of his beloved. There’s a flowing beauty in the thought of this verse in how the man talks about the nature of the parched land and the effect of the pouring rains, subtly connecting to the state of his pining lady, parted from him and his hope to end her suffering! As a modern office-goer would say, ‘It’s all in the boss’ hands!’ Here’s wishing our man gets his leave of absence and returns home soon, and ends up pouring as the loving rain upon the parched earth of the lady’s heart!
In this episode, we perceive the lady’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 163, penned by Kazhaar Keeran Eyitriyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays heartfelt words said to an element of the weather.
விண் அதிர்பு தலைஇய, விரவு மலர் குழைய,
தண் மழை பொழிந்த தாழ்பெயற் கடை நாள்,
எமியம் ஆக, துனி உளம் கூர,
சென்றோர் உள்ளிச் சில் வளை நெகிழ,
பெரு நசை உள்ளமொடு வருநசை நோக்கி
விளியும் எவ்வமொடு, ”அளியள்” என்னாது
களிறு உயிர்த்தன்ன கண் அழி துவலை
முளரி கரியும் முன்பனிப் பானாள்,
குன்று நெகிழ்ப்பு அன்ன குளிர் கொள் வாடை!
எனக்கே வந்தனை போறி! புனற் கால்
அயிர் இடு குப்பையின் நெஞ்சு நெகிழ்ந்து அவிழ,
கொடியோர் சென்ற தேஎத்து, மடியாது
இனையை ஆகிச் செல்மதி;
வினை விதுப்புறுநர் உள்ளலும் உண்டே!
In this trip to the drylands, we don’t get to see much of the domain but we hear the lady say these words to the cold northern winds, when the confidante asks her to bear with the man’s continued absence:
“Quaking the skies, crushing the flowers, the moist rain clouds have poured down on this last day of the season. All alone, I stand here, with suffering soaring in my heart, thinking about the one, who parted away, even as the few bangles left too slip away, with a deeply desiring heart, looking at the path he would lovingly return, with a sorrow that seems capable of ending me. Without thinking, ‘She’s to be pitied’, akin to the sigh of an elephant, you spray droplets, ruining everything, during this midnight hour in this early dew season, when a lotus becomes burnt black, spreading a coldness that makes even a mountain quiver, O northern wind! You seemed to have arrived just to assail me! Akin to how the river sand is moistened by the gushing water, to make his heart fill with tenderness, why don’t you depart to the place, where that cruel one treads, and without tempering yourself, being just as you are, blow thither? Perhaps that will make the one, who only desires to complete his mission, think about me!
Time to experience the shivering cold in the lady’s life! The lady starts by talking about the world within and outside of her just then. Outside, we see that it’s the last day of the rains, which have made the skies tremble and drenched the flowers too. Inside her, it’s all about suffering. She spends all her time thinking of the one, who parted away, glancing over and over again at the direction he would return home, as the last few bangles on her hands slip away, indicating how much she has thinned down and lost her health. Now she turns to the northern wind and says that the wind doesn’t seem to consider how pitiable her state was, but instead, it was intent on tormenting her even more by spraying its moist droplets in that season of ‘early dew’ and spreading the kind of coldness that makes lotuses turn black and even mountains tremble! What an imagination to think that a mountain would shiver in the cold! No doubt the lady’s saying, ‘If a mighty mountain can quiver, how can I, a little human being, bear this attack!’
In any case, after accusing the wind to be targeting her specifically, the lady concludes by putting forth a request, asking the wind to go blow, where the man is, with the full force it has now, so that he would think of her and return home, instead of being only intent on his mission of seeking wealth. Here’s a creative expression, personifying a non-living entity and projecting the angst within on the action of a natural event!
In this episode, we listen to the passionate heart of a man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 162, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks and descending cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and reveals the beauty of a lord’s mountain country.
கொளக் குறைபடாஅக் கோடு வளர் குட்டத்து
அளப்பு அரிது ஆகிய குவை இருந் தோன்றல
கடல் கண்டன்ன மாக விசும்பின்
அழற்கொடி அன்ன மின்னு வசிபு நுடங்க
கடிதுஇடி உருமொடு கதழ்உறை சிதறி,
விளிவு இடன் அறியா வான் உமிழ் நடு நாள்,
அருங் கடிக் காவலர் இகழ்பதம் நோக்கி,
பனி மயங்கு அசைவளி அலைப்ப, தந்தை
நெடு நகர் ஒரு சிறை நின்றனென்ஆக;
அறல் என அவிர்வரும் கூந்தல், மலர் என
வாள் முகத்து அலமரும் மா இதழ் மழைக் கண்,
முகை நிரைத்தன்ன மா வீழ் வெண் பல்,
நகை மாண்டு இலங்கும் நலம் கெழு துவர் வாய்,
கோல் அமை விழுத் தொடி விளங்க வீசி,
கால் உறு தளிரின் நடுங்கி, ஆனாது
நோய் அசா வீட முயங்கினள் வாய்மொழி
நல் இசை தரூஉம் இரவலர்க்கு உள்ளிய
நசை பிழைப்பு அறியாக் கழல்தொடி அதிகன்
கோள் அறவு அறியாப் பயம் கெழு பலவின்
வேங்கை சேர்ந்த வெற்பகம் பொலிய,
வில் கெழு தானைப் பசும் பூண் பாண்டியன்
களிறு அணி வெல் கொடி கடுப்ப, காண்வர
ஒளிறுவன இழிதரும் உயர்ந்து தோன்று அருவி,
நேர் கொள் நெடு வரைக் கவாஅன்
சூரரமகளிரின் பெறற்கு அரியோளே.
In this somewhat long trip to the mountains, we get to hear the man say these words to his heart, after a tryst with his lady love:
“Never diminishing no matter how much is taken, having an unmeasurable depth where conches bloom, appearing with a thick darkness is the ocean! The vast skies seemed akin to glimpsing this ocean, and here, akin to a vine of flames, lightning flashed, splitting the clouds, along with roaring thunder and scattered heavy rain, with no end in sight. Such was the dark hour of midnight, shrouded in a downpour. Just then, watching for the moment the stern guards would relax, as cold and moist winds tormented me, I stood on one side of her father’s tall mansion.
Akin to river sand, cascaded down her tresses; Akin to flowers blooming on her shining face, were her huge-petaled, rain-like eyes; Akin to bee-buzzing buds, assembled in a row, were her white teeth; Akin to jewels, radiantly shone her exquisite red mouth; Swaying her hands and making her rounded, brilliant bangles tinkle, akin to a sprout that had grown legs, trembling, she had come to end my unceasing affliction and embraced me tight.
In the mountains ruled by Athikan, who wears warrior anklets, known for his words of honesty, and having the fine fame of generosity that renders to supplicants, never leaving them in a state of unfulfilled wishes, fertile jackfruit trees, which have never known a moment of not bearing a fruit, flourish along with Kino trees. Here, akin to the victorious flag, fluttering atop elephants, owned by Pasumpoon Pandiyan, who wields an army of skilled archers, pleasing to the eyes, descend down from high, radiant cascades. Akin to the tormenting divine spirits that live in the slopes of this tall and majestic mountain range, my lady is hard to attain!”
Let’s soak in the shower of the mountains and listen on! The man starts by describing the skies that appear before him just then, and to do that, he summons the deep and immeasurable seas in parallel. In this sea-like sky, lighting was flashing, thunder was roaring and the rain was pouring, with no respite, the man says. He illustrates how he was standing there, shivering in the cold, by the mansion belonging to the lady’s father, waiting for the right moment the guards would relax their watch. Fulfilling his yearning, the lady seemed to have arrived there, walking like a vine with legs, quivering. That’s not all he says about the lady, of course. He calls her tresses, black sand; Her eyes, blue-lotus flowers; Her teeth, wild jasmine buds; Her mouth, red coral jewels; He vividly records how the lady came there, with her bangles tinkling, and embraced him, putting his painful disease of yearning at ease.
Then, he goes on to talk about the fertile mountain slopes of a lord named Athikan, who was known for his honesty and generosity, a place, where there were lush jackfruit trees, bursting over with fruits from every part, and radiant Kino trees as well. To describe the cascades flowing down in this mountain, the man summons another historic character, Pasumpoon Pandiyan, and specifically talks about the victorious flags fluttering atop his elephants. Returning back to Athikan’s mountain slopes, the man says this region was inhabited by female spirits, and concludes by declaring however hard it would be to attain those female spirits, it was so with his beloved too. In essence, though the man has just embraced his love, he is already pining for her! That’s the handiwork of love, especially in the blooming stage, modern psychologists would concur, remarking there’s not that much of a distance between love and addiction, symptomatically speaking!
In this episode, we listen to an attempt at dissuading a person from carrying out their intention, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 161, penned by Madurai Pullankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands’ landscape, the verse etches the domain’s elements and the lady’s emotions.
வினைவயிற் பிரிதல் யாவது? ”வணர் சுரி
வடியாப் பித்தை, வன்கண் ஆடவர்
அடி அமை பகழி ஆர வாங்கி;
வம்பலர்ச் செகுத்த அஞ்சுவரு கவலை,
படுமுடை நசைஇய வாழ்க்கைச் செஞ் செவி
எருவைச் சேவல் ஈண்டுகிளை பயிரும்
வெருவரு கானம் நீந்தி, பொருள் புரிந்து
இறப்ப எண்ணினர்” என்பது சிறப்பக்
கேட்டனள்கொல்லோ தானே? தோள் தாழ்பு
சுரும்பு உண ஒலிவரும் இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,
அம் மா மேனி, ஆய் இழை குறுமகள்
சுணங்கு சூழ் ஆகத்து அணங்கு என உருத்த
நல் வரல் இள முலை நனைய
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் பரந்தன பனிஏ.
In this quick trip to the drylands, we glance at a striking bird and hear the confidante say these words to the man, at a time when he intends to part with the lady and leave on a mission to earn wealth:
“How can you part away on your mission? Did she already hear about your intention to leave, desiring wealth, and traverse that formidable jungle, where harsh-eyed men with thick, curly and untameable hair, aiming their sharp-edged arrows, kill wayfarers, who happen upon those fear-evoking paths, and where having a life of desiring reeking flesh, the male of the red-eared vulture beckons its close kin with a resounding call? I say this because that young maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments, having a beautiful, dark complexion, and thick, black tresses, descending down her shoulders, around which bees buzz around, was standing there, drenching her fine and upraised young bosoms, filled with pallor spots, which torment like a divine spirit, with tears that were brimming over from her many petaled, kohl-streaked eyes!”
Time to brave the fear-evoking paths through the scrub jungle! The confidante starts with a pointed question to the man, asking how he thinks he can leave on his mission. Then she goes on to the describe the place he intends to traverse so as to fulfil his mission, namely the formidable drylands path, where harsh-eyed robbers rove with their bows and arrows and have no qualms about ending the lives of wayfarers, and to feast on their flesh, the red-headed vulture beckons its kin. After this description, the confidante asks the man if the lady has already come to know that the man would part away. This is because at the moment when the confidante had gone to inform the lady about the man’s intention and secure her permission, even before she said anything, the lady was standing there, crestfallen, soaking her fine bosoms with tears, brimming over from her flower-like eyes, the confidante concludes.
‘So dangerous is your path and she’s shedding tears already. Do you really have to leave?’, the confidante means to ask the man and prevent him from pursuing his intention of parting away. In the scene of the red-headed vulture feeding on the flesh of the corpse, left behind by highway robbers, the confidante places a metaphor for how the townsfolk would feed on the lady’s health and beauty with their rumours, after the man has felled her with the arrow of his parting!
Stepping aside from this frequent theme of the lady’s helplessness at the man’s parting, let’s zoom on to that bird mentioned vividly here. The Tamil description of this bird translates as ‘red-eared vulture’, though the contemporary common name is the ‘red-headed vulture’ or the ‘Pondicherry vulture’. This bird does have distant ear-like flaps on the sides of its head and seemingly the Tamils have focused on this aspect to give the bird its name. The bird apparently does not feed in a large group and just calls one other, possibly its mate, in the carrion sharing. Perhaps that’s what the verse means when it says ‘close kith and kin’. Today, I also learnt how this bird, which seems to have impressed our age-old ancestors, is much threatened by contemporary humans. It has moved into the ‘Endangered category’ mainly because of the use of a drug called ‘diclofenac’, used by vets to treat livestock. One species’ pill is another’s poison! Some remedial steps being taken are to feed diclofenac-free meat to this essential scavenger of the skies. Yet again, truly fascinating how a few lines of ancient poetry about inner life and relationships has led us to reflect on biology, ecology and opened our eyes to the world around!
In this episode, we listen to an intriguing way of communicating an awaited information, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 160, penned by Kumizhi Gnaazhalaar Nappasalaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the sandy shores of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and conveys the change in the man’s manner and what it means to the lady’s life.
ஒடுங்கு ஈர் ஓதி நினக்கும் அற்றோ?
நடுங்கின்று, அளித்து, என் நிறை இல் நெஞ்சம்.
அடும்பு கொடி சிதைய வாங்கி, கொடுங் கழிக்
குப்பை வெண் மணற் பக்கம் சேர்த்தி,
நிறைச் சூல் யாமை மறைத்து ஈன்று, புதைத்த
கோட்டு வட்டு உருவின் புலவு நாறு முட்டை
பார்ப்பு இடன் ஆகும் அளவை, பகுவாய்க்
கணவன் ஓம்பும் கானல்அம் சேர்ப்பன்
முள் உறின் சிறத்தல் அஞ்சி, மெல்ல
வாவு உடைமையின் வள்பின் காட்டி,
ஏத் தொழில் நவின்ற எழில் நடைப் புரவி
செழு நீர்த் தண் கழி நீந்தலின், ஆழி
நுதிமுகம் குறைந்த பொதி முகிழ் நெய்தல்,
பாம்பு உயர் தலையின், சாம்புவன நிவப்ப,
இர வந்தன்றால் திண் தேர்; கரவாது
ஒல்லென ஒலிக்கும் இளையரொடு வல் வாய்
அரவச் சீறூர் காண,
பகல் வந்தன்றால், பாய்பரி சிறந்தே.
This trip to the coast provides a glimpse of the teeming life in this domain and takes us in the presence of the confidante, as she says these words to the lady:
“O maiden with well-set, moist tresses, is it the same for you too? My pitiable, unfulfilled heart is shivering! Ruining the beach morning glory vines by pulling it, the pregnant turtle clears the heap of white sand in the backwaters and then hides itself before laying eggs. Then it buries the flesh-reeking eggs in the shape of ivory dice. Its mate with a split open mouth guards with devotion, until these eggs turn into hatchlings, in the orchards by the picturesque seashore in the domain of the lord.
Fearing that if thorny goads are used, it would leap, his horse with an elegant gait, which has learnt the art of pouncing like an arrow, is gently directed to slow down, with the hold of the bridle. Since his chariot comes striding through the cool and lush backwaters, the sharp wheels sever the blooming clusters of the blue lotus, making them wilt, and akin to the hoods of snake, these bob up in the waters. The lord’s sturdy chariot used to arrive this way in the quiet of the night. But now, without any restraint, with uproarious helpers, letting our small town with strong mouths see, he arrives by day, speeding on his pouncing horses!”
Time to take a dip in the cool waves of the shore and know more! The confidante starts by declaring that her heart is shell-shocked and she questions the lady if she feels the same way too. Without explaining a thing, she goes on to describe the man’s domain and to do that, first she brings in a mother turtle in the middle of laying its eggs, amidst the sand beneath the beach morning glory vines, in a well-hidden way. Later, the confidante points to us how these eggs are being guarded by the father turtle, which apparently takes care of these, until they turning into hatchlings.
A moment to consider this statement about father turtles guarding eggs. In our current world, there are no instances of paternal involvement, when it comes to protecting turtle eggs. There may be a few species in which the mother offers a little protection, but that too would mostly be in the nesting stage, and after that, the baby turtles would normally have to fend for themselves, with no support from either parent. So, either the Sangam folks are mistaken in their understanding or perhaps there was some unknown species of turtle, which had this characteristic, and one, which has possibly gone extinct now. In any case, at the core, there’s the element of projecting human values on the behaviour of this animal.
Returning, we find the confidante turning the spotlight from the man’s domain to the man’s actions. First, she talks about how he used to come so quietly at night, taming the intensity of his horses, and wielding his chariot silently through the waters, severing some blue lotuses in the process. Then, she concludes by contrasting this discreet way of visiting the lady to how he has now come, attracting a lot of attention from their townsfolk with gossiping mouths, led by his boisterous helpers and speeding on his horses, in the bright light of day.
Now, we can connect it to the confidante’s statement about her heart stopping at this sight, and understand this is her way of telling the lady, ‘Your man has come to seek your hand. All’s well now’! Even in that scene of the male turtle guarding the eggs, the confidante hides a subtext of how the man has ensured that precious egg of the secret love relationship between him and the lady has turned into the hatching of a happy married life. In essence, the confidante has simply spiced by the story with a little drama in the beginning about her poor heart and ended with the news that’s sure to make the lady’s heart brim over with joy!
In this episode, we listen to words of consolation rendered to allay the anxiety of another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 159, penned by Aamoor Kavuthaman Saathevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the fame and wealth of a Sangam era town.
தெண் கழி விளைந்த வெண் கல் உப்பின்
கொள்ளை சாற்றிய கொடு நுக ஒழுகை
உரனுடைச் சுவல பகடு பல பரப்பி
உமண் உயிர்த்து இறந்த ஒழிகல் அடுப்பின்,
வடி உறு பகழிக் கொடு வில் ஆடவர்
அணங்குடை நோன் சிலை வணங்க வாங்கி,
பல் ஆன் நெடு நிரை தழீஇ, கல்லென
அரு முனை அலைத்த பெரும் புகல் வலத்தர்,
கனை குரற் கடுந் துடிப் பாணி தூங்கி,
உவலைக் கண்ணியர், ஊன் புழுக்கு அயரும்
கவலை, ”காதலர் இறந்தனர்” என, நனி
அவலம் கொள்ளல்மா, காதல் அம் தோழி!
விசும்பின் நல் ஏறு சிலைக்கும் சேண் சிமை
நறும் பூஞ் சாரற் குறும் பொறைக் குணாஅது
வில் கெழு தடக் கை வெல் போர் வானவன்
மிஞிறு மூசு கவுள சிறு கண் யானைத்
தொடியுடைத் தட மருப்பு ஒடிய நூறி,
கொடுமுடி காக்கும் குரூஉகண் நெடு மதில்
சேண் விளங்கு சிறப்பின் ஆமூர் எய்தினும்,
ஆண்டு அமைந்து உறையுநர்அல்லர், நின்
பூண் தாங்கு ஆகம் பொருந்துதல் மறந்தே.
A dash of drylands and a pinch of history in this trip, where we get to listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man remains parted away, having left on his mission to seek wealth:
“Taking white salt that was harvested from the clear backwaters, salt merchants journey on, shouting out the price and selling their produce. Then untying their bulls with strong napes, from the curved yokes of their carts, they let the beasts loose to graze around, as they take rest and eat around their stone stoves, which they leave behind, when parting away. Men with curving bows, and arrows, which never miss their targets, bend their sturdy bows, which seem to contain spirits within, and seize many herds of cattle, with a resounding uproar, which makes the land quiver, and then those victorious warriors sway to the sharp beats of thick-throated drums, wearing leaf garlands, and relish the meat they cook on those abandoned stone stoves in those formidable drylands paths! Don’t fall into a deep suffering, thinking that your lover has parted away to such a place, my loving friend!
Having soaring peaks, where the sky’s white steed leaps about, and slopes filled with fragrant flowers, are the hills of ‘Kurumporai’. To the east of these hills, is the town of Aamoor, filled with dazzling places, guarded by tall forts, under the protection of ‘Kodumudi’, who attacked and seized the bangle-clad tusks of the small-eyed elephants, around whose cheeks, bees buzz, owned by the victorious ‘Vanavan’, who wields a skilful bow in his strong hands. Even if your man were to attain this renowned town of Aamoor, whose fame spreads far and wide, he is not one remain there satisfied, forgetting the embrace of your jewel-clad bosom!”
Time to traverse those well-worn arid paths through the drylands! The confidante starts her words to the pining lady by asking her to focus on an object lying about in the drylands. This object is a stove, made of stone, and it’s one that has been abandoned by salt merchants, who had come that way, after selling their harvest of salt from the backwaters. Arriving at this spot after a long journey, they seem to have decided to give their bulls a break, and take one themselves. After loosening the yokes of the cattle, they had settled down for a meal around their stone stove. Once down, they seem to have left that stove behind and gone their way. Cut and we are back in the same spot, but after some time has elapsed. Now, we find jubilant warriors, who seem to have seized cattle, and are celebrating their victory by dancing to the beats of the drum, and settling down for a meal around that same stone stove, abandoned by those salt merchants. After this vivid description, the confidante reveals that this place is none other than the one which the man traverses now. She looks at her friend and asks the lady to worry not, thinking about the man’s travels thither.
Then leaving the barren drylands behind, the confidante takes the lady to the soaring peaks of Kurumporai, where lightning flashes, and the scent of flowers envelops. From there, they travel east and end up in a town called ‘Aamoor’, which has tall forts and is protected by a lord named ‘Kodumudi’, who has the honour of subduing the great elephants of King Vanavan, a Chera king, and seizing their tusks. The confidante concludes by emphatically telling the lady that even if the man were to attain that celebrated town of Aamoor as his reward, the man was not a person to stay behind, settle down and forget the warm embrace of his beloved!
In essence, the confidante wishes to stress upon the lady that the man will never forsake her, no matter what the temptation is, and that he would be back the moment his mission was complete. The highlight of this verse though is the journey of that abandoned stove from the hands of salt sellers to the hands of these cattle warriors. Looking at it from another angle, I see how food is the unifying factor here, between very different groups of people, who seemingly have nothing in common. A reminder that if we look closely enough, we’ll be able to find some streak of commonality with people, no matter how far apart in space or time they are from us!
In this episode, we observe how communication is used effectively to convey two different things to two different people, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 158, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the slopes and fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and portrays the intriguing way in which the confidante rises to the aid of the lady.
”உரும் உரறு கருவிய பெரு மழை தலைஇ,
பெயல் ஆன்று அவிந்த தூங்குஇருள் நடுநாள்,
மின்னு நிமிர்ந்தன்ன கனங்குழை இமைப்ப,
பின்னு விடு நெறியின் கிளைஇய கூந்தலள்,
வரை இழி மயிலின் ஒல்குவனள் ஒதுங்கி,
மிடை ஊர்பு இழிய, கண்டனென் இவள்” என
அலையல் வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் படப்பைச்
சூருடைச் சிலம்பில், சுடர்ப்பூ வேய்ந்து
தாம் வேண்டு உருவின் அணங்குமார் வருமே;
நனவின் வாயே போலத் துஞ்சுநர்க்
கனவு ஆண்டு மருட்டலும் உண்டே; இவள்தான்
சுடர் இன்று தமியளும் பனிக்கும்; வெருவர
மன்ற மராஅத்த கூகை குழறினும்,
நெஞ்சு அழிந்து அரணம் சேரும்; அதன்தலைப்
புலிக் கணத்தன்ன நாய் தொடர்விட்டு,
முருகன் அன்ன சீற்றத்துக் கடுந் திறல்
எந்தையும் இல்லன் ஆக,
அஞ்சுவள் அல்லளோ, இவள் இது செயலே?
This unique trip to the hills takes us in the presence of the confidante, as she says these words to mother, when the man listens nearby, hidden from view:
“Saying, “After a heavy downpour accompanied by roaring thunder, when the rains have ceased in that dark hour of midnight, when a mist of darkness pervades, akin to a lightning streak that suddenly flashes, her heavy earrings sparkled. With tresses that had escaped from the tightness of her braids, with the hesitant gait of a peacock when descending down a hill, I saw her coming down from the loft in the fields’, do not rebuke her so. May you live long! Listen to me, mother!
In the mountain slopes near our hamlet, filled with spirits many, wearing flaming flowers, those apparitions might take on any form of their choice and descend down. They could appear so real in the dreams of those who sleep and confuse them;
As for her, she would shiver even if she was caught alone without a lamp in hand; When the owl perched atop the burflower tree in the town centre hoots aloud, terrorised, she would lose her calm and rush to find a place of safety; On top of that, when father, who has the ferocious strength and fury of God Murugan, and who roves with hunting dogs, which are like an ambush of tigers, remains at home, won’t she fear to do this?”
Time to brave the dark and walk the ups and downs of the hilly terrain! The confidante starts by asking mother not to trouble the lady. From the confidante’s words, we understand that mother had been worried that the lady has been out trysting with the man. In fact, mother had been talking about how she had glimpsed the lady, climbing down the loft in the fields, as if she were a dainty peacock, descending down the hill, and come walking, with her earrings flashing like lightning on a dark night after the rains. After repeating these words of hers, the confidante tells mother that she was mistaken, and goes on to talk about how their mountain slopes were full of spirits and that they often take human forms of their choice and rove around, adorned with flowers. After trying to impress on mother that she might have dreamt seeing the lady because of the tricks of one such spirit, which makes people believe that what they saw was the truth, when it was nothing more than a dream.
Then, the confidante also mentions what a scaredy-cat the lady is, for she was someone who was afraid to even be alone in the dark, and would scream and rush to find someone, when she hears the owl on the bur-flower tree hooting in the middle of the night. Besides, last but not least, father, ferocious father, known to be out hunting with his fearsome dogs, was right there at home. ‘How will the lady dare to do what you think she has done?’, the confidante concludes by questioning mother!
On the one hand, this is the confidante’s way of removing any doubts in mother’s mind about the lady’s relationship with the man by pulling a fast one about wandering mountain spirits and what-not. At the same time, the confidante is saying to the listening man, ‘Do you see what kind of stories I have to weave to confuse mother and keep her from suspecting your relationship with the lady? How long do you think mother darling is going to fall for it?’. Through this, the confidante allays mother’s anxiety about the lady’s activities, and also nudges the man to conclude that his temporary trysting cannot go on and that it was time to seek the lady’s hand. A classic case of one stone, two birds!
In this episode, we perceive a person’s alarm at the prospect of an approaching event, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 157, penned by Vempattroor Kumaranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the lady’s inability to bear with the man’s parting.
அரியற் பெண்டிர் அல்கிற் கொண்ட
பகுவாய்ப் பாளைக் குவிமுலை சுரந்த
அரி நிறக் கலுழி ஆர மாந்தி,
செரு வேட்டு, சிலைக்கும் செங் கண் ஆடவர்,
வில் இட வீழ்ந்தோர் பதுக்கை கோங்கின்
எல்லி மலர்ந்த பைங் கொடி அதிரல்
பெரும் புலர் வைகறை அரும்பொடு வாங்கி,
கான யானை கவளம் கொள்ளும்
அஞ்சு வரு நெறியிடைத் தமியர் செல்மார்
நெஞ்சு உண மொழிபமன்னே தோழி!
முனை புலம் பெயர்த்த புல்லென் மன்றத்து,
பெயல் உற நெகிழ்ந்து, வெயில் உறச் சாஅய்,
வினை அழி பாவையின் உலறி,
மனை ஒழிந்திருத்தல் வல்லுவோர்க்கே!
In this little trip to the drylands, we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante brings news that the man intends to part away to gather wealth:
“Relishing the muddy-hued, cloudy filtrate, pouring out of the tapering spouts of the pot, with a curving mouth, held on the hips of a toddy-selling woman, with intoxication and fury, uproarious red-eyed men kill wayfarers with their bows. The stone graves of those killed stand near the buttercup tree. Upon this tree, spreads the vines of the wild jasmine, which had just bloomed the previous night. At the bright and early hour of dawn, pulling the vines of this buttercup and wild jasmine flowers, a forest elephant swallows it as its ball of food in those formidable paths. My friend, you say that he will walk alone in such a path, to satisfy his heart! In the listless town centre, forsaken by people, owing to the outbreak of a battle, shrinking in the rains and fading in the sun, a well-etched female figurine would languish. To accept his parting is only possible for those, who have the ability to be in that state of that statue and remain at home!”
Time to traverse the dangerous domain! The lady starts by conjuring the image of a toddy selling woman, who carries a pot on her hips. Procuring the filtrate from this seller, drylands men get sloshed and red-eyed. Full of fury, they attack wayfarers and bury them in stone graves, near the buttercup tree. On this tree, spreads a vine of wild jasmine that blossomed just the previous night. Not caring about the tenderness of these flower buds, a wild elephant pulls these vines and buttercup flowers along with it, to feed on the same in the early hour of dawn. The lady describes how the confidante has informed her that such is the dangerous path that the man will walk soon. When wars break out, people abandon their towns and rush away to a place of safety. At this time, the female figurines worshipped in the town centre would be abandoned and would shrink in the rains and fade in the sun, with no one to care for it. Only those who can be like that lifeless statue can bear with the man’s parting and remain calm at home, the lady concludes, implying she does not know the way to be so!
In short, the lady tells the confidante, ‘I’m no statue to accept his parting, without any emotion’, and voices her doubts about being able to bear with what’s about to happen. Perhaps the confidante will relay this information to the man and prevent him from travelling or perhaps she will console the lady saying, ‘Girl, you have it in you. Worry not!. Whatever be the counsel and the course of action, the lady has done the right thing in expressing the anxiety within and that’s half the battle won!
In this episode, we perceive an attempt at persuading another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 156, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar. The verse is situated amidst the lush fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and talks about the wealth and faith in this domain.
முரசுடைச் செல்வர் புரவிச் சூட்டும்
மூட்டுறு கவரி தூக்கியன்ன,
செழுஞ் செய் நெல்லின் சேயரிப் புனிற்றுக் கதிர்
மூதா தின்றல் அஞ்சி, காவலர்
பாகல் ஆய்கொடிப் பகன்றையொடு பரீஇ,
காஞ்சியின் அகத்து, கரும்பு அருத்தி, யாக்கும்
தீம் புனல் ஊர! திறவிதாகக்
குவளை உண்கண் இவளும் யானும்
கழனி ஆம்பல் முழுநெறிப் பைந் தழை,
காயா ஞாயிற்றாக, தலைப்பெய,
”பொய்தல் ஆடிப் பொலிக!” என வந்து,
நின் நகாப் பிழைத்த தவறோ பெரும!
கள்ளும் கண்ணியும் கையுறையாக
நிலைக் கோட்டு வெள்ளை நால்செவிக் கிடாஅய்
நிலைத்துறைக் கடவுட்கு உளப்பட ஓச்சி,
தணி மருங்கு அறியாள், யாய் அழ,
மணி மருள் மேனி பொன் நிறம் கொளலே?
This is one of those rare songs where though the landscape is defined in one way, the theme tends in a totally different direction. Here, we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when she brings over the lady for a tryst with him:
“Appearing akin to the lifted yak-fur fans, fastened to heads of horses, belonging to wealthy lords with victorious drums, are the tender, red-streaked stalks of paddy in the fertile fields. Fearing that an old bull would feed on and ruin these stalks, guards pluck beautiful vines of bitter gourd along with the rattlepod, and using that, tie the bull to the trunk of a portia tree, and feed it sugarcane stems in your town, filled with sweet streams, O lord! When I had come with her, who has exquisite kohl-streaked eyes, akin to lush blue lilies, adorned in attires of green leaves and flawless flowers of field lilies, when the sun was not scorching, so that we could play in the pond and delight, we made the mistake of smiling at you, O lord! Even after offering toddy and garlands, along with a white male goat with hanging ears and sturdy horns as sacrifice, to the god who guards the river shore, with the right chants from the heart, seeing no relief whatever, her mother cries, as her sapphire-hued skin continues to be covered in a golden hue!”
Let’s take a stroll on the banks of the town’s fields and river shore and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the man’s fertile farm town, and to do that, she compares the lush paddy crop to the uplifted yak-fur fans tied to the horses of the wealthy. These yak-fur fans were quite the rage in the ancient world, known by the Tamil term ‘Saamaram’, and it was also used as a manual fan in the royal courts. Returning, we see how the paddy stalks look lush and tender, and no doubt, wanting to protect their crop, fearing that the old cow in their farm would run amok and ruin the stalks, the guards tie up the animal using cords of bitter gourd and rattlepod and distract it with sugarcane stalks. After that description of the man’s rich riverine town, the confidante turns to the past and declares the lady and herself had made the mistake of smiling at the man, when they had come to bathe in the pond, at a time when the sun was not raging yet. The confidante then ends with the explanation for this cryptic statement saying that the lady’s mother had done offerings to the river god with toddy, garlands and even a strong ram, but there seemed to be no respite to the golden-hued pallor spreading on the shining dark skin of the lady.
While the lady was happy when the man came around, she was pining for him whenever he left, leading to the attack of pallor and the consequence of mother’s worry, implies the confidante. This statement about offering to a river god would remind us of the ‘Veriyattam’ scenes in the Kurinji landscape, where a girl’s problems were attributed to ‘God Murugu’ and he is appeased with offerings and prayer. In this landscape, a river God takes the role of ‘Murugu’. As in those situations we have seen many a time, God is of no help, when the cure is in the hands of the man. The confidante understands this well and by subtly revealing the situation at hand, she nudges the man to let go of the temporary trysting and choose the path of a permanent union with the lady. In that metaphor of tying the old cow and preventing it from feeding on the tender paddy stalks, the confidante places a metaphor for her hope that the man would bind the mouths of the slanderous townsfolk and offer them the sweet sugarcane of a happy wedding with the lady. Lands may change, Gods may change, yet the confidante remains the steadfast friend who knows what’s what and what needs to be done for the happiness of all concerned! If you ask me, a friend like that is the true God in one’s life!
In this episode, we perceive a moment of understanding of another’s motivation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 155, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the nature of this domain with a striking simile.
“அறன்கடைப் படாஅ வாழ்க்கையும், என்றும்
பிறன்கடைச் செலாஅச் செல்வமும், இரண்டும்
பொருளின் ஆகும், புனையிழை!” என்று, நம்
இருள் ஏர் ஐம்பால் நீவியோரே
நோய் நாம் உழக்குவம்ஆயினும், தாம் தம்
செய் வினை முடிக்க, தோழி! பல்வயின்
பய நிரை சேர்ந்த பாண் நாட்டு ஆங்கண்
நெடு விளிக் கோவலர் கூவல் தோண்டிய
கொடு வாய்ப் பத்தல் வார்ந்து உகு சிறு குழி,
நீர் காய் வருத்தமொடு சேர்விடம் பெறாது
பெருங் களிறு மிதித்த அடியகத்து, இரும் புலி
ஒதுங்குவன கழிந்த செதும்பல் ஈர் வழி,
செயிர் தீர் நாவின் வயிரியர் பின்றை
மண் ஆர் முழவின் கண்ணகத்து அசைத்த
விரல் ஊன்று வடுவின் தோன்றும்
மரல் வாடு மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, after the man had parted away from her, in search of wealth:
“Saying, “To live a life, without erring in justice, and to have the prosperity, ensuring never to seek in the house of another, both are possible only by seeking wealth, O maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments!”, he caressed my beautiful, five-part tresses, in the hue of darkness. In the ‘Paan’ country, having many different breeds of useful cattle, cowherds, known for their long whistles, have dug up wells, and with their curved-mouth vessels, draw and pour out water in the little pits. Seeing those dried pits, bereft of water, with much sadness, not finding a spot to rest and refresh, a huge elephant walks away. Stepping on the footprints of that elephant, a tiger treads through those moist and muddy spaces, leaving marks, which appear akin to impressions, made by the fingers of perfect-tongued ‘Vayiriyar’ musicians, on the vibrating skin of mud-streaked drums, hanging on their backs, in those mountains, where even the sturdy hemp fades. It’s to such a place that he has left to, and even if I were to languish, owing to this affliction of parting, let him complete his intended mission, my friend!”
Time for another walk through this formidable landscape! The lady starts by explaining the reasons the man had given to her before he parted away, speaking of how it was important to live a life of justice and have prosperity so that they never have to go seeking in another’s abode, and this was possible only with wealth. He had said this with much tenderness, caressing her tresses and left away, the lady describes. Then, she moves on to talk about where he’s gone and this happens to be a place in the country of ‘Paanan’, known for its tribe of cowherds and their diverse cattle. To take care of these beings in the sweltering summer, the cowherds had dug up wells and were known to pour water into little pits. Knowing the presence of these comforts, wild animals such as elephants used to arrive there, but such was the heat at that time that these pits were all dried up and that elephant would walk away in disappointment. Later a tiger which comes there, tracks the footprints of the elephant and walks away, leaving its own footmarks upon that muddy space. This, the lady connects to the impressions of the drummers’ fingers on the clay-coated leather of their drums, and concludes by declaring that the man had left to such a desolate place, where even the sturdy hemp bushes cannot sustain, and no matter how much she suffers, she sends out a wish for him to complete the mission he set out to accomplish!
Thus, we see the lady, going beyond her own pain, and understanding the man’s motivation and importance of doing what he has to do. No better cure in that moment of languishing about one’s condition than to see the situation from the eyes of the other!
In this episode, we perceive the eagerness of a man to return home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 154, penned by Pothumpil Pullaalankanniyaar. The verse is situated amidst the falling jasmines and blooming glory-lilies of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and etches the vibrant beauty of a land after the rains.
படு மழை பொழிந்த பயம் மிகு புறவின்
நெடு நீர் அவல பகுவாய்த் தேரை
சிறு பல் இயத்தின் நெடு நெறிக் கறங்க,
குறும் புதற் பிடவின் நெடுங் கால் அலரி
செந் நிலமருங்கின் நுண் அயிர் வரிப்ப,
வெஞ் சின அரவின் பை அணந்தன்ன
தண் கமழ் கோடல் தாது பிணி அவிழ,
திரி மருப்பு இரலை தெள் அறல் பருகிக்
காமர் துணையொடு ஏமுற வதிய,
காடு கவின் பெற்ற தண் பதப் பெரு வழி;
ஓடுபரி மெலியாக் கொய்சுவற் புரவித்
தாள் தாழ் தார் மணி தயங்குபு இயம்ப
ஊர்மதி வலவ! தேரே சீர் மிகுபு
நம் வயிற் புரிந்த கொள்கை
அம் மா அரிவையைத் துன்னுகம், விரைந்தே.
This trip to the forests is based on the familiar theme of a man returning after completing his mission and here, we hear the man say these words to his charioteer, on his way back home to the lady:
“In the fertile forests, where heavy rains have poured, from the deep pools of water, toads with mouths wide open, croak aloud, akin to many small musical instruments along those long paths; Long-stemmed wild jasmine buds from short bushes drop down on the fine sand of red ground beneath and decorate it with artistic patterns; Appearing akin to furious snakes, which have their hoods raised, cool and fragrant glory-lilies spread open their tight, pollen-filled buds; The male deer with twisted antlers relishes the clear waters and then resides with joy along with its desirable mate; Such is the cool, great road, surrounded by the blessed beauty of the forest. O charioteer! Always speeding and never slowing, ride on the horses with trimmed manes, making bells tied low on their feet to sway and resound, and hasten the chariot towards the abode of that beautiful, dark-skinned lady, who has an esteemed principle of perfect love for me!”
Time to speed along with the man on those ancient roads! The man starts by depicting the world around him in much detail. He talks of the rain-washed forests and the consequence of toads croaking like musical instruments from those deep pools of water. Then his eyes fall on the wild jasmine flowers that have dropped down from their bushes and he admires the decorations these flowers make on the red soil of the forest, no doubt reminding him of the ‘kolam’ or patterns drawn in front of homes with rice powder. From these gentle flowers, he turns to a fiery, floral neighbour, a radiant glory-lily, which seems to him like a furious snake, staring with its hood, raised high. After this, he takes in a male deer with twisted antlers and sees the animal feeding on clear waters and then lying down with its loveable mate. The man summarises all these aspects by remarking on the exquisite beauty of the forest after the rains. He concludes by asking his charioteer to speed on the horses and ride their chariot swiftly to the lady, who waits with much love for the man!
Here, we see the man declare how beautiful the outer world had turned because of the shower of rains, and at the same time, he understands this is no time to linger and celebrate this beauty, for someone awaits him, with much yearning and distress, as the season of his promised return had arrived. The man seems to recharge himself with an observation of his environment and with the rejuvenation gained, turns his attention to his ultimate destination. To me, this seems to say that no matter how far we want to go, we have to begin right where we are, drawing our strength and focus from the here and now!
In this episode, we listen to the anguished words of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 153, penned by Cheraman Ilanguttuvan. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse muses on the transformation of a young girl.
நோகோ யானே; நோதகும் உள்ளம்;
அம் தீம் கிளவி ஆயமொடு கெழீஇ,
பந்துவழிப் படர்குவள் ஆயினும், நொந்து நனி,
வெம்பும்மன், அளியள்தானே இனியே,
வன்கணாளன் மார்புஉற வளைஇ,
இன் சொற் பிணிப்ப நம்பி, நம் கண்
உறுதரு விழுமம் உள்ளாள், ஒய்யெனத்
தெறு கதிர் உலைஇய வேனில் வெங் காட்டு,
உறு வளி ஒலி கழைக் கண் உறுபு தீண்டலின்,
பொறி பிதிர்பு எடுத்த பொங்கு எழு கூர் எரிப்
பைது அறு சிமையப் பயம் நீங்கு ஆர் இடை
நல் அடிக்கு அமைந்தஅல்ல; மெல் இயல்
வல்லுநள்கொல்லோ தானே எல்லி
ஓங்கு வரை அடுக்கத்து உயர்ந்த சென்னி
மீனொடு பொலிந்த வானின் தோன்றி,
தேம் பாய்ந்து ஆர்க்கும் தெரி இணர்க் கோங்கின்
கால் உறக் கழன்ற கள் கமழ் புது மலர்
கை விடு சுடரின் தோன்றும்
மை படு மா மலை விலங்கிய சுரனே?
In this trip to the hot drylands, we get to hear the mother say these words, at the juncture she learns that her daughter has eloped away with her beloved:
“I’m hurting; My heart suffers; Joining together with her playmates, who render sweet and beautiful words, even when she used to lightly move around, playing with her ball, she would feel fatigued and distressed. Isn’t she to be pitied, now that the harsh-eyed man had embraced her close to his chest and said sweet words many, and believing that, without thinking of the angst-ridden sorrow she inflicts on us, she has parted away to the searing forest, which the summer sun burns with its scorching rays, and as hot winds dash against and caress lush bamboos, sparks fly about and huge flames soar high in those mountains, lacking any vegetation, leaving those long paths, bereft of any comfort, making these unsuitable for the treading of fine feet! In the peaks of soaring mountain ranges, appearing like the star-studded sky, buttercup trees’ flower clusters are buzzed around by bees, and their new flowers, wafting with the scent of toddy, break apart in the breeze and appear, akin to sparks that scatter when a hand kindles a lamp. Has my gentle-natured girl become capable now of crossing such a harsh drylands, amidst those huge cloud-enveloped hills?”
Let’s brave the fiery drylands and learn more! Mother starts by declaring that she’s in much pain. She thinks back to how her girl would fuss and cry after just playing ball with her playmates. But now, that delicate girl had fallen for the words of a man, and trusting him, she had left to the harsh drylands, where the summer sun throws its weight about, making sparks fly from bamboos, destroying anything green, thus leaving those paths unfit for use. Mother further talks about how the buttercup tree, bereft of leaves, but filled with flowers looks like the night sky, dotted with stars, and at the moment, the winds raid the branches, those flowers fall down and appear akin to sparks that fly out, when a lamp is kindled by hand. Mother concludes by wondering from where her daughter gained the strength to traverse such a long and formidable path!
At the core, it’s the timeless surprise that pops in the minds of parents, when taking in the dramatic changes in their children, whom they once held in their hands as helpless beings, utterly dependant on them for everything, but who have suddenly sprouted wings and taken to bold new skies on their own!
In this episode, we perceive beauty from the lens of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 152, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the orchards and peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a glimpse of history through its mention of prominent people and places.
நெஞ்சு நடுங்கு அரும் படர் தீர வந்து,
குன்றுழை நண்ணிய சீறூர் ஆங்கண்
செலீஇய பெயர்வோள் வணர் சுரி ஐம்பால்
நுண் கோல் அகவுநர்ப் புரந்த பேர் இசை,
சினம் கெழு தானை, தித்தன் வெளியன்,
இரங்குநீர்ப் பரப்பின் கானல்அம் பெருந் துறை,
தனம் தரு நன் கலம் சிதையத் தாக்கும்
சிறு வெள் இறவின் குப்பை அன்ன
உறு பகை தரூஉம் மொய்ம் மூசு பிண்டன்
முனை முரண் உடையக் கடந்த வென் வேல்,
இசை நல் ஈகைக் களிறு வீசு வண் மகிழ்,
பாரத்துத் தலைவன், ஆர நன்னன்
ஏழில் நெடு வரைப் பாழிச் சிலம்பில்
களி மயிற் கலாவத்தன்ன தோளே
வல் வில் இளையர் பெருமகன் நள்ளி
சோலை அடுக்கத்துச் சுரும்பு உண விரிந்த
கடவுட் காந்தளுள்ளும், பல உடன்
இறும்பூது கஞலிய ஆய்மலர் நாறி,
வல்லினும், வல்லார்ஆயினும், சென்றோர்க்குச்
சால் அவிழ் நெடுங் குழி நிறைய வீசும்,
மாஅல் யானை ஆஅய் கானத்துத்
தலையாற்று நிலைஇய சேயுயர் பிறங்கல்
வேய் அமைக் கண் இடை புரைஇ,
சேய ஆயினும், நடுங்கு துயர் தருமே.
In this long trip through the mountains, we travel to many different regions in ancient Tamil land, as we listen to these words said by the man, after his tryst with the lady:
“After coming here to end the deep suffering that makes my heart quiver, she parts away to her little hamlet, amidst the hills.
Her thick and curly tresses, worn as a five-part braid, are akin to the feathers of a dancing peacock in the slopes of Paazhi, situated amidst the picturesque mountain ranges, in the domain of Nannan, clad in sandalwood garlands, the leader of ‘Paaram’, renowned for his immense charity of rendering elephants with joy on supplicants, and his victorious spear, which crossed the battlefront and won over Pindan, swarming around him, with a deep enmity, akin to small, white shrimps that attacks, destroying fine ships, bringing great wealth in the huge shores of Kaanaalam, near the roaring expanse of the seas, ruled by ‘Thithan Veliyan’, possessing a huge, furious army, and having the great fame of rendering his patronage to bards holding intricate rods.
As for her arms, they waft with the scent of the divine flame lily, blooming to be fed upon by bees, and the scent of many other beautiful flowers flourishing in the mountain orchards of the great lord Nalli, who wields an army of young men, skilled in archery. Indeed, those arms are akin to the slender and smooth stems between nodes of bamboos, flourishing in the forests amidst the tall mountains of ’Thalaiyaaru’, ruled by Aay, possessing huge elephants, known for his copious rendering of fine cooked rice, making bowls of supplicants, who seek him, brim over, whether they possess great abilities or whether they don’t.
Those tresses and arms of hers, even though they be far, render a quivering suffering in me!”
Time to explore ancient places and rendezvous with rulers to understand the song in the man’s heart! He starts by talking about how the lady had come to allay his yearning to be with her and had now parted away to her village in the hills. He then goes on to talk about the lady’s tresses. To put it in a nutshell, he says these thick and curly locks are very much like the feathers of a peacock in ‘Paazhi’, a mountainous region ruled by ‘Nannan’, with his capital at Paaram. Though that’s the destination, there are many outer roads that lead here. For instance, the man talks about the swarming shrimps surrounding the wealth-laden ships arriving at the harbour of ‘Kaanalam’, ruled by Thithan Veliyan. This mention of swarming shrimps is made to place in parallel the way Nannan surrounded the army of Pindan and scored a resounding victory over him. That’s the road that leads to Nannan’s slopes and the dancing peacocks, summoned in parallel to the lady’s exquisite tresses.
Next, the man’s mind turns to the lady’s slender arms and these are said to waft with the scent of flame-lilies and other beautiful flowers blooming in the mountain orchards of ‘Nalli’. Not only that, those arms are akin to the smooth spaces between the nodes of bamboos in the hills of ‘Thalaiyaaru’, ruled by ‘Aay’. Thus, five different kings have been called to the court of the man’s mind, to depict the beauty of his beloved. The man mentions the fame of each of these kings, such as Nannan’s generosity of showering elephants, Thithan’s greatness in rendering his patronage to bards, Nalli’s army of men with skilful bows, and Aay’s charity of making the bowls of his supplicants brim over with rice, regardless of their talent. He concludes by saying how those tresses and arms of the lady torment him, even when they have parted away and gone afar! It’s just a man musing on his beloved and feeling the pain of being apart from her, but this poet weaves the beauty of a nameless person with the history of the prominent and renders a crash course on connecting the disparate with creativity!
In this episode, we perceive the core reason for the man’s parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 151, penned by Kavanmullai Bootharathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape, the verse presents a vivid portrait of this domain.
தம் நயந்து உறைவோர்த் தாங்கி, தாம் நயந்து
இன் அமர் கேளிரொடு ஏமுறக் கெழீஇ,
நகுதல் ஆற்றார் நல்கூர்ந்தோர் என,
மிகு பொருள் நினையும் நெஞ்சமொடு அருள் பிறிது
ஆபமன் வாழி, தோழி! கால் விரிபு
உறுவளி எறிதொறும் கலங்கிய பொறி வரிக்
கலைமான் தலையின் முதல்முதற் கவர்த்த
கோடல்அம் கவட்ட குறுங் கால் உழுஞ்சில்
தாறு சினை விளைந்த நெற்றம், ஆடுமகள்
அரிக் கோற் பறையின், ஐயென ஒலிக்கும்
பதுக்கைத்து ஆய செதுக்கை நீழல்,
கள்ளி முள் அரைப் பொருந்தி, செல்லுநர்க்கு
உறுவது கூறும், சிறு செந் நாவின்
மணி ஓர்த்தன்ன தெண் குரல்
கணி வாய் பல்லிய காடு இறந்தோரே!
In this trip to the drylands, we perceive plenty of striking images and associations, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, after the man has parted away in search of wealth:
“He lacks the ability to delight with and remain joyfully together with his pleasant kith and kin, protecting those who love him, and loving them in return, for he thinks of those, who are impoverished, and goaded by his heart, which wishes to earn much wealth, he forgets his grace and loses sympathy! Long may he live, my friend! In those wide spaces, where hot and strong winds blow forcefully, the branches of the short-trunked Lebbeck tree, akin to twisted antlers, bursting out for the first time from the head of a male deer, with dispersed dots and spots, shake with seed pods, akin to the pebble-filled sticks used to play on drums by dancing maiden, and resound with a sharp sound, near the hollow stone graves, in the diminished shade of those wild spaces, where holding on to the thorny trunks of cactuses, expressing right things to wayfarers, clear voices of fortune-telling lizards with short, red tongues tinkle, akin to bells. It is to such a scrub jungle, he has parted away to!”
Let’s walk on through those hot and arid spaces and understand the emotions expressed therein! The lady starts by talking about the man’s nature and remarks how he seems utterly incapable of simply laughing and remaining happy with those who love him. This is because his mind takes in the pitiable state of those who are impoverished and who come seeking to him. In order to alleviate their suffering, the man had decided to leave in search of wealth, the lady relates, talking about how he seems not to have any pity for her own state. Then, she goes on to describe the place he has left to and talks of the fiery winds, of how the branches of the Lebbeck tree, which she connects with the antlers of a male deer, shakes and the seed pods on that tree, resound like the drum sticks of dancing maiden, and of how lizards perched on trunks of cactuses, send out noises, that seem to announce the fortunes of wayfarers traversing that path!
The lady thus visualises in her mind’s eye, the desolate space the man walks, and attributes his reason for parting away to his noble nature of caring for the poor. In the process, the man has forgotten the ‘poor me’, the lady seems to say. The verse highlights the timeless conflict that often arises in an individual’s balancing act between serving the wider society and caring for those close at home!
In this episode, we listen to persuasive words seeking the welfare of a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 150, penned by Kuruvazhuthiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the teeming fish and blooming flowers of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and relays the lady’s state of mind.
பின்னுவிட நெறித்த கூந்தலும், பொன்னென
ஆகத்து அரும்பிய சுணங்கும், வம்பு விடக்
கண் உருத்து எழுதரு முலையும் நோக்கி;
‘எல்லினை பெரிது’ எனப் பல் மாண் கூறி,
பெருந் தோள் அடைய முயங்கி, நீடு நினைந்து,
அருங் கடிப்படுத்தனள் யாயே; கடுஞ் செலல்
வாட் சுறா வழங்கும் வளை மேய் பெருந் துறை,
கனைத்த நெய்தற் கண் போல் மா மலர்
நனைத்த செருந்திப் போது வாய் அவிழ,
மாலை மணி இதழ் கூம்ப, காலைக்
கள் நாறு காவியொடு தண்ணென மலரும்
கழியும், கானலும், காண்தொறும் பல புலந்து;
‘வாரார்கொல்?’ எனப் பருவரும்
தாரார் மார்ப! நீ தணந்த ஞான்றே!
In this little boat trip to this vibrant domain, we hear these words said by the confidante to the man, when he leaves after a tryst by day with the lady:
“Glancing at the well-grown, ready-to-be-braided, long and curly tresses, the pallor spots in gold budding on the bosom, and the upraised and well-formed breasts that brim over the bustier cloth, saying ‘You have become radiant like the day’, mother rendered many praises and embraced, clasping her fully. Then, mother thought for long, and placed her under a strict guard.
Speeding fish with sword-like horns traverse near the huge sea shore, where conches rove about, and here, in the evening, as the blue lotus, with its dark and thick flowers, appearing like eyes, closes its sapphire-like petals, the golden champak, moistened by this blue lotus, opens its pollen-filled buds. Then in the morning, the blue lotus blossoms with coolness, along with the red lotus, which wafts with the fragrance of toddy. Every time, she sees these scenes in the backwaters and groves, she laments a lot and wonders with angst, ‘Won’t he come back?’. This is what happens every moment you remain parted away from her, O garland-clad one!”
Let’s swim along with the swordfish, and then climbing on to the shore, track the scents of the many blooming flowers! The confidante starts her address to the man by talking about how the lady’s mother had reacted to the changes in the lady’s form. Mother seems to have taken a deep look at the lady’s tresses, long and flowing, pallor spots, glowing in gold, and her blooming bosom, brimming over her cloth band, and praised the lady for her radiant beauty. After this shower of praise, mother seems to have pondered a lot and then placed the lady on a strict watch.
After rendering these words, the confidante goes on to talk about the flowers in the evening hour, a time when the blue lotus, not seeing its beloved sun, closes its petals, whereas at the same time, the golden champak opens its pollen-filled buds. Then, the confidante fast forwards to the morning hour, and points to how the same blue lotus blossoms out, in the company of the red lotus, spreading splashes of colour everywhere! The reason the confidante has talked about these flowers is to say that no matter how beautiful the backwaters and groves may appear, every moment the man is not present, the lady laments and yearns for that time when he would return. In essence, to relieve the lady’s worry, the confidante is subtly nudging the man to give up his temporary trysting and asking him to seek a permanent union with the lady!
Reading about the opening and closing of these buds, I wanted to know more about the differences in the flowers mentioned. This led me to learn about how, just like in humans, there are ‘morning larks’ and ‘evening owls’, among flowers, there are day bloomers and night bloomers, and each type has its own unique characteristics. Whereas the day bloomers like the blue and red lotus rely on the power of sight, owing to the abundant light, showered by the sun, to attract their pollinators, such as bees, the night bloomers like the golden champak, use the power of scent, to pull in their specific pollinators, such as moths! It’s interesting how this verse connects so very delicately, the opening and closing of flower buds to the lady’s delight when the man is near and her angst when he is away. Another instance of the Sangam poets superior ability of seeing one in the world and the world in one!
In this episode, we listen to words of resolve, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 149, penned by Erukkaattoor Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse showers the spotlight on prominent Sangam-era cities and the extent of their wealth.
சிறு புன் சிதலை சேண் முயன்று எடுத்த
நெடுஞ் செம் புற்றத்து ஒடுங்கு இரை முனையின்,
புல் அரை இருப்பைத் தொள்ளை வான் பூப்
பெருங் கை எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்
அத்த நீள் இடைப் போகி, நன்றும்
அரிது செய் விழுப் பொருள் எளிதினின் பெறினும்
வாரேன் வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! சேரலர்
சுள்ளிஅம் பேரியாற்று வெண் நுரை கலங்க,
யவனர் தந்த வினை மாண் நன் கலம்
பொன்னொடு வந்து கறியொடு பெயரும்
வளம் கெழு முசிறி ஆர்ப்பு எழ வளைஇ,
அருஞ் சமம் கடந்து, படிமம் வவ்விய
நெடு நல் யானை அடுபோர்ச் செழியன்
கொடி நுடங்கு மறுகின் கூடற் குடாஅது,
பல் பொறி மஞ்ஞை வெல் கொடி உயரிய,
ஒடியா விழவின், நெடியோன் குன்றத்து,
வண்டு பட நீடிய குண்டு சுனை நீலத்து
எதிர் மலர்ப் பிணையல் அன்ன இவள்
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் தெண் பனி கொளவே.
A small foray into the drylands unfolds along with other fascinating voyages, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when it’s pressing him to part with the lady and go seek wealth:
“Tiring of the comb mud, within the tall, red mound, raised with much effort by little, dull-hued termites, a bear with huge arms goes in search of the rough-trunked Mahua tree and steals its hollow, white flowers in the drylands. Traversing the winding paths herein, even if I were to attain the hard-to-get, good wealth with ease, I shan’t come with you, my heart! May you live long!
Muddling the white-foamed, beautiful river called ‘Sulli Periyaaru’ in the domain of the Cheras, fine and well-etched boats of foreigners, arrive with gold and leave with pepper from the prosperous town of Musiri. Surrounding this town, creating a great uproar, waging war, the battle-worthy Chezhiyan, with a tall, fine elephant, captured the golden emblem of the city. His flag flutters high in the streets of his capital Koodal, and to the west of this city, up above, flutters a flag with a victorious mark of a many-specked peacock. In that peak of the Great One, filled with unceasing festivity, bees buzz around blue lotuses, blooming in the deep and wide springs herein. Akin to a garland woven with two blue lotuses from this place are her exquisite, rain-like eyes and leaving these to brim over with clear tears, I surely shan’t part away with you, O heart!”
Let’s trace the path through this dreary domain, as seen by the man’s vision. He starts by talking about the drylands region, by bringing before our eyes, the familiar sight of a bear digging up termite comb and after having its fill, feeling discontent with it, and then venturing in the direction of the Mahua trees, to feast on its white flowers. The man says even if the wealth, which is sought out by traversing such harsh paths, something so impossible to obtain, were to be easily attainable by him, he has no thought of leaving, as nudged by his heart. Then, suddenly he leaves the drylands and transports us to a brimming river in the domain of the Cheras, to see how the waves are pushed right and left by well-etched ships arriving from foreign nations. The word used to describe these foreigners is ‘Yavanar’ and it could be a reference to the ‘Ionian Greeks’ or it could be a term for all foreign traders, be it from Rome or Egypt!
Pointing to these ships, the man informs us that these bring great quantities of gold and leave with a barter of what they considered ‘Black Gold’ – Pepper, which grew bountifully in the mountains of this region. Many a historian has remarked how India was the ‘sink of precious metals’ in the ancient era, drawing the wealth from all over the world in exchange for its natural wealth of pepper. The man has mentioned all this not to give us a historic tour but to connect it to the Pandya King Chezhiyan’s siege and conquest of this city. From Musiri on the west coast, we traverse to King Chezhiyan’s capital of Koodal, also known as Madurai. Stopping not even at this wealthy city, the man continues to a hill to the west of this city, a pilgrimage site for a God, identified by his peacock flag. The reference most probably talks about God Murugan and his seat of Thiruparankundram. The reason why the man has brought us here is not to pay our respects at the holy site, but to gaze in awe at the picturesque scene of bees buzzing around blue lotuses in the springs of this hill. Finally, the man connects these blue lotuses to the lady’s eyes and concludes by declaring that it was impossible for him to leave in search of wealth, making those eyes of hers fill with tears.
To summarise the long tale, the man is simply refusing to follow his heart’s nudge and go in search of wealth, for he doesn’t want to bring any sorrow to his beloved! The subtle element here is in presenting how the bear tires of one food and immediately seeks the next, in the beginning, which could be a hidden implication that wealth-seeking is all about jumping from one thing to the next, never content, with no end to desire! Interesting also to note how the core concept of wealth is approached from many angles, such as the difficult wealth the man must seek, the golden wealth that arrives from foreign shores to Musiri, the natural wealth of pepper growing here, the wealth of Musiri brought to the city of Koodal by the warring King Chezhiyan and the natural wealth of the blue lotuses in the hills of Thiruparunkundram – Something that makes us muse on what wealth could mean to us! Though the man doesn’t want to begin a journey, he has taken us on an insightful one, showing us the splendour of those ancient Sangam places, bustling with trade and worship, etching the renown of this part of the world in that period of time!
In this episode, we perceive an alternate proposal of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 148, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the rocky paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and describes an astonishing historic moment.
பனைத் திரள் அன்ன பரு ஏர் எறுழ்த் தடக் கை,
கொலைச் சினம் தவிரா மதனுடை முன்பின்,
வண்டு படு கடாஅத்து, உயர் மருப்பு யானை
தண் கமழ் சிலம்பின் மரம் படத் தொலைச்சி;
உறு புலி உரறக் குத்தி; விறல் கடிந்து;
சிறு தினைப் பெரும் புனம் வவ்வும் நாட!
கடும் பரிக் குதிரை ஆஅய் எயினன்
நெடுந் தேர் மிஞிலியொடு பொருது, களம் பட்டென,
காணிய செல்லாக் கூகை நாணி,
கடும் பகல் வழங்காதாஅங்கு, இடும்பை
பெரிதால் அம்ம இவட்கே; அதனால்
மாலை வருதல் வேண்டும் சோலை
முளை மேய் பெருங் களிறு வழங்கும்
மலை முதல் அடுக்கத்த சிறு கல் ஆறே.
In this little trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives to tryst with the lady by day:
“Having a thick, beautiful, sturdy and curving trunk, akin to a palmyra tree, expressing a fierce strength with killer rage, flowing with bee-buzzing musth, and bearing upraised tusks, an elephant dashes and ruins a tree, in the cool and fragrant mountain slopes, pierces and overpowers a tiger that opposes it, and then snatches small millets in the huge fields of your land, O lord! When Aay Eyinan, the possessor of speedy horses, clashed with Mignili, the owner of tall chariots, and perished in the battlefield, unable to go visit him in the harsh time of day, an owl felt much shame. Even more than that owl’s suffering is hers, during the day. And so, you must come to that narrow, stone-filled path through the mountains, frequented by a huge elephant that comes to graze on bamboos in the grove, only in the evening hour!”
Let’s tread those mountain paths at different times of the day and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the man’s mountain country, bringing into spotlight an elephant in rut, with a thick trunk and upraised tusks. This pachyderm is on a rampage, destroying a tree, most probably a Kino tree, no doubt, mistaking it for its arch enemy. Then, finding the real deal, it fights and kills a tiger, and then devours millets in the fields. After this animated portrait of a being in the man’s land, the confidante turns to history and describes an incident from the battle between two kings, Aay Eyinan and Mignili. In this clash, Aay Eyinan was killed, and at that moment, birds seemed to soar in the sky and shield Aay Eyinan from the harsh sun. The reason for this action of the birds is attributed to the nature of this king. Apparently, he was a great protector of birds, and at the moment of his death, the birds with their superior perception had arrived to pay their respects.
Returning, the confidante continues by saying at that time when all the birds of this land arose to shield this bird-lover of a king, one bird was not able to come there, and that was an owl, and though it very much wanted to arrive there, owing to its inability to move about in the day, it remained where it was, filled with shame. Now, the confidante turns to the lady’s state and connects it to the angst-ridden owl, saying that the lady too is in a terrible position of being unable to see the man by day. This is possibly because of the soaring gossip in town about the lady’s relationship with the man. So, the confidante concludes by telling the man that he should choose the evening hour to come tryst with the lady, treading those narrow paths, traversed by huge, fearsome elephants, seeking bamboos to graze on!
It’s a seemingly simple thought asking the man to not come by day but to come by night. However, concealed in that last line about dangerous elephants in his path, the confidante seems to be hinting that even a tryst by night would not be remain suitable and the best thing for the man to do would be to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. Even within that scene of the elephant thrashing about trees and tigers and then feasting on the millets, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man should put an end to the slander in town and then feast on the lady’s company. Leaving these concerns of that past moment aside, when we turn to that exquisite comparison of the lady’s suffering with an owl’s distress of being unable to visit that famous king in his moment of death, and perceive the kindness to birds that this king must have shown to evoke such a reaction, we can see how this oft-repeated portrait is streaked in the timeless hues of what’s best in humanity!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 147, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the aura of danger in this domain.
ஓங்குமலைச் சிலம்பில் பிடவுடன் மலர்ந்த
வேங்கை வெறித் தழை வேறு வகுத்தன்ன
ஊன் பொதி அவிழாக் கோட்டு உகிர்க் குருளை
மூன்று உடன் ஈன்ற முடங்கர் நிழத்த,
துறுகல் விடர் அளைப் பிணவுப் பசி கூர்ந்தென,
பொறி கிளர் உழுவைப் போழ் வாய் ஏற்றை
அறு கோட்டு உழை மான் ஆண் குரல் ஓர்க்கும்
நெறி படு கவலை நிரம்பா நீளிடை,
வெள்ளி வீதியைப் போல நன்றும்
செலவு அயர்ந்திசினால் யானே; பல புலந்து,
உண்ணா உயக்கமொடு உயிர் செலச் சாஅய்,
தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைய, நாளும்
பிரிந்தோர் பெயர்வுக்கு இரங்கி,
மருந்து பிறிது இன்மையின், இருந்து வினைஇலனே!
We witness a birth in our trip through this domain, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, in response to her friend’s words about the man’s parting away:
“In the slopes of the soaring hills, along with wild jasmine, the Kino tree’s bright flowers burst into bloom. As if bunches of these fragrant flowers have been grouped separately, three cubs, whose curving claws are still concealed by flesh, have been birthed by the female tiger, which stands languishing, in the shade of a corner, within a cave, amidst the boulders. Perceiving the hunger of this female, its mate with radiant specks and a huge mouth, lies in wait, intently listening to the voice of the male deer, with broken antlers, in those long and winding paths through the drylands. Akin to Velli Veethi, I wish to traverse these paths, lamenting a lot. Filled with the fatigue of starving, thinning away as if my life would leave any moment, losing the old beauty of my arms, suffering day after day because of his parting away, without any other cure, I know not what else to do!”
Time to brave it all and tread the drylands path! The lady begins by describing this region, and to do that, she brings before our eyes a female tiger that has given birth to three cubs, and she places in parallel three bunches of the ‘Vengai’ tree’s bright yellow flowers, a connection oft-seen in Sangam literature. A moment to consider the choice of number three for that litter of cubs! My curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know how many cubs a tigress normally gives birth to, at a time. I learnt this figure ranged from 2 to 7, on the extreme, 2 to 4 normally, with 3 being the average number. Without the aid of modern censuses, our Sangam ancestors have zeroed in on this number, just with their observation!
Returning, from the mother and the babies, the lady turns her attention to the father tiger, who understanding its mate’s tiredness and hunger, has gone hunting for a male deer in the mountains. Such are these paths filled with terror, the lady says, and yet, she says she wants to walk on these paths, in search of her beloved, just like the famous Velli Veethiyar, when she lost her husband. The lady concludes by saying as there is no other medicine for her affliction which makes her starve, thin away, and lose her beauty, this was the only thing she could think of doing! Here’s a unique lesson in healing oneself by finding a commonality with another person, who has walked the same stony path!
In this episode, we perceive a pointed refusal to entertain a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 146, penned by Uvarkannoor Pullankeeranaar. The verse is situated amidst the ponds and fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and paints a portrait of rivalry in a rich town.
வலி மிகு முன்பின் அண்ணல் ஏஎறு
பனி மலர்ப் பொய்கைப் பகல் செல மறுகி,
மடக் கண் எருமை மாண் நாகு தழீஇ,
படப்பை நண்ணி பழனத்து அல்கும்
கலி மகிழ் ஊரன் ஒலி மணி நெடுந் தேர்,
ஒள் இழை மகளிர் சேரி, பல் நாள்
இயங்கல் ஆனாதுஆயின்; வயங்கிழை
யார்கொல் அளியள்தானே எம் போல்
மாயப் பரத்தன் வாய்மொழி நம்பி,
வளி பொரத் துயல்வரும் தளி பொழி மலரின்
கண்பனி ஆகத்து உறைப்ப, கண் பசந்து,
ஆயமும் அயலும் மருள,
தாய் ஓம்பு ஆய்நலம் வேண்டாதோளே?
In this quick little trip to this lush landscape, we get to hear these words said by the lady to the bard, who has come as a messenger from the man, to resolve the lady’s ire over the man’s relationship with courtesans and help him re-enter his home:
“The esteemed male buffalo, brimming with strength and sturdiness, wallows all day in the pond with dew-covered flowers, embraces a beautiful young female buffalo with naive eyes, and then approaches the village to stay in a field within the ecstatic town of the lord. As the sound of his tall chariot bells wasn’t heard for many days in the neighbourhood of women wearing radiant jewels, like me, believing that the words of that false philanderer was the truth, akin to a rain-soaked flower, swaying in the breeze, with tears moistening her chest, having eyes filled with pallor, worrying her friends and neighbours, she loses that fine beauty, nurtured by her mother. Whoever that maiden, wearing shining ornaments, may be, isn’t she to be pitied?”
Let’s track that prosperous buffalo and learn more! The lady starts by describing the man’s town and do that, the familiar face of a male buffalo is etched by her. This buffalo, honoured with epithets, such as strong, sturdy and esteemed, is first seen playing about in the pond of flowers, then embracing a young female buffalo, and after all its exertions, heading to the village fields. Such a loaded description must have other meanings, for sure! Before we get to that, let’s turn back to the lady, who continues by saying the man’s chariot had not visited the community of courtesans for quite some time, and because of this, there was a young maiden, shedding tears like a rain-coated flower in a breeze, and then to the worry of all, who were near and dear to her, she seemed to be losing that fine beauty of hers. The lady concludes by saying that the poor girl deserves all their pity!
In a nutshell, the answer to the bard’s question as to whether the man can come back to the house is a strict ‘no’. The lady seems to be telling the bard, ‘Go take the man to those courtesans, who are pining for him, thinking his words are so true, like I once did’. In that scene of the buffalo, the lady places an obvious metaphor for how her man seemed to be enjoying his days in the company of courtesans, seeking pleasures, and finally at night, he wants so dutifully return to his post at his home. The lady seems to put her foot down and say, ‘I’m not letting this happen. Let him go fool someone else’. Apart from these regular tussles in this land of plenty, the thing that always amuses me is how these Sangam folks had no qualms seeing their lord and leader as a buffalo!
In this episode, we perceive the remorse of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 145, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a contrast of the dreariness of this domain and the prosperity of the lady’s home.
வேர் முழுது உலறி நின்ற புழற்கால்,
தேர் மணி இசையின் சிள்வீடு ஆர்க்கும்,
வற்றல் மரத்த பொற் தலை ஓதி
வெயிற் கவின் இழந்த வைப்பின் பையுள் கொள,
நுண்ணிதின் நிவக்கும் வெண் ஞெமை வியன் காட்டு
ஆள் இல் அத்தத்து, அளியள் அவனொடு
வாள்வரி பொருத புண் கூர் யானை
புகர் சிதை முகத்த குருதி வார,
உயர் சிமை நெடுங் கோட்டு உரும் என முழங்கும்
”அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனள்” என்ப பெருஞ் சீர்
அன்னி குறுக்கைப் பறந்தலை, திதியன்
தொல் நிலை முழு முதல் துமியப் பண்ணிய
நன்னர் மெல் இணர்ப் புன்னை போல,
கடு நவைப் படீஇயர்மாதோ களி மயில்
குஞ்சரக் குரல குருகோடு ஆலும்,
துஞ்சா முழவின், துய்த்து இயல் வாழ்க்கை,
கூழுடைத் தந்தை இடனுடை வரைப்பின்,
ஊழ் அடி ஒதுங்கினும் உயங்கும் ஐம் பாற்
சிறு பல் கூந்தற் போது பிடித்து அருளாது,
எறி கோல் சிதைய நூறவும் சிறுபுறம்,
”எனக்கு உரித்து” என்னாள், நின்ற என்
அமர்க் கண் அஞ்ஞையை அலைத்த கையே!
A deep dive into this domain, as we listen to the lady’s mother say these words, at the juncture she learns of her daughter’s elopement with her man:
“In the hollow trunk of a tree that has dried up from root to tip, crickets resound with the sound of chariot bells. Upon this parched tree, standing amidst a place that has lost its beauty owing to the scorching heat, a golden-headed lizard, crawls up with much suffering, in those wide spaces of the uninhabited drylands, filled with axle-wood trees. After fighting with the tiger, having sword-like stripes, the wounded elephant, with blood dripping from its crushed, spotted face, trumpets akin to thunder that resounds in the soaring peaks of tall hills. To such a formidable drylands, my poor girl has left with him, they say!
In the spacious mansion of her prosperous father, where ecstatic peacocks and birds with elephantine voices, call aloud, and drums roar ceaselessly, living a life of plenty and comfort, she would feel sorrowful even if she were to miss a step and stumble. Catching hold of the garland tied tightly to her thick tresses with five-part braids, without any grace, shattering the stick, when I struck again and again, acting as if her little back was not even hers, she stood still, that daughter of mine with exquisite eyes. May these hands that made her suffer so, become utterly ruined like the ‘Laurelwood tree’ with fine and soft flower clusters, belonging to Thithiyan, when it was chopped at its trunk of many years, by the famous ‘Anni’ at the ‘Kurukkai’ battlefield!”
Let’s brave the parched air of the drylands and walk on! Mother starts by describing this domain, and to do that, she brings before us, a seared tree, which seems not to have a drop of water right from its root to the tip of its topmost branch. From inside the hollows of this tree, crickets resound and a reptile, possibly the Indian golden gecko, treads upon it, with much languish. There’s sweltering heat everywhere, and not a sign of any human around. Here, after a clash with a tiger, a bleeding elephant walks about, roaring like the thunder in the mountains, mother continues. She then connects this place to her situation saying this is where her daughter had left to, with her beloved.
Then, from these impossible places, she turns to describe the lady’s home, talking about her rich father, the wide mansion, where peacocks and birds, which trumpet like elephants, are to be found. A moment to ponder on what bird this might be! On searching, I learnt that it could be the Great Hornbill that has a unique, loud voice, somewhat close to an elephant’s trumpet. Possibly, the mansion had hornbills and peacocks brought in from the mountains to adorn it! Returning, mother continues by talking about how drums resound ceaselessly, possibly indicating this was the house of some lord or king, always winning at battles. Mother says that the lady lived such a comfortable life that her only pain or suffering would come, when she happened to stumble a little when walking about. What a blessed teenager to have nothing to worry about, but a misplaced foot!
Getting back on track, after these rendition of the pleasant past of the lady, mother turns her focus to something she did recently. She seems to have struck the lady so fiercely that the stick broke, but still her girl stood there as if her back did not even belong to her, unflinching, not displaying any emotion. Now, mother realises that the lady had made up her mind to leave her home with her man and that’s why she could face that, with such calm. Mother is overcome with guilt at what she has done and wishes that her hands fall to ruin, just like Thithiyan’s ‘Punnai’ tree, felled by his enemy Anni, in the ‘Kurukkai’ battlefield!
Seeing with our modern eyes, it is indeed truly shocking to read that a mother would cane her daughter so, but possibly those times were such that something like this wasn’t given much thought! What’s relatable though is how we are overcome with guilt about an incident, where we have been harsh to another, when we later realise what the other had been going through. That’s the moment we need to make amends and hope for their forgiveness. Reversing to the past, let’s part by wishing this ancient mother’s cry of repentance reaches the ears of her daughter and reminds her of a mother’s undying love in the faraway drylands!
In this episode, we perceive the hope in a man’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 144, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhalaar Makanaar Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming wild jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents dual perspectives from the home front and the battlefront.
‘’’வருதும்’ என்ற நாளும் பொய்த்தன;
அரி ஏர் உண்கண் நீரும் நில்லா;
தண் கார்க்கு ஈன்ற பைங் கொடி முல்லை
வை வாய் வால் முகை அவிழ்ந்த கோதை
பெய் வனப்பு இழந்த கதுப்பும் உள்ளார்,
அருள் கண்மாறலோ மாறுக அந்தில்
அறன் அஞ்சலரே! ஆயிழை! நமர்” எனச்
சிறிய சொல்லிப் பெரிய புலப்பினும்,
பனி படு நறுந் தார் குழைய, நம்மொடு,
துனி தீர் முயக்கம் பெற்றோள் போல
உவக்குநள் வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! விசும்பின்
ஏறு எழுந்து முழங்கினும் மாறு எழுந்து சிலைக்கும்
கடாஅ யானை கொட்கும் பாசறை,
போர் வேட்டு எழுந்த மள்ளர் கையதை
கூர் வாட் குவிமுகம் சிதைய நூறி,
மான் அடி மருங்கில் பெயர்த்த குருதி
வான மீனின் வயின் வயின் இமைப்ப,
அமர் ஓர்த்து, அட்ட செல்வம்
தமர் விரைந்து உரைப்பக் கேட்கும் ஞான்றே.
A little of the forest and more of the fierce battlefield in this trip, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as his charioteer listens, at the moment the man’s returning home after his mission:
“Saying, ‘The day he had marked for his return has turned out false; Tears stop not from these beautiful, kohl-streaked eyes with red lines; The pointed, white buds of green-vined wild jasmines have burst into bloom because of the cool rains; He thinks not of how my tresses that used to be clad in garlands, have lost their lustre; If he, who does not fear righteousness, no longer wants to render his grace to me, so be it, O maiden clad in well-etched ornaments!’, she would be expressing a little and lamenting a lot.
As thunder soars in the skies and resounds aloud, standing opposite, wild battle elephants reflect that sound in equal measure in the battlefield. Here, desiring war, soldiers rise with sharp swords in hand. Blunting these sharp edges, they have scattered much blood, which gather in the pits made by hooves of horses, and twinkle hither and thither, akin to stars in the sky. O heart, may you live long! When our kin rush to her and tell her about how I quelled enemies in this battlefield and heaped wealth, she shall delight, as if crushing her dew-covered, fragrant garland, she has attained a flawless union with me!”
Let’s trot along with the man on his way home through the jasmine-clad forest and listen in! The man starts by expressing the thoughts that would be passing through the head of his lady just then, about how the man was not back when he promised he would be, about the way her eyes were overflowing with tears, and how the wild jasmines have bloomed in the rains and yet her tresses cannot be adorned with garlands, owing to his absence. She may even wonder if the man’s love for her has changed and call him an unjust person, the man says aloud. He tells his heart that for sure the lady would be worrying a lot in this manner. While that may be so, the minute she hears their relatives talk about how the man vanquished enemies in that fierce battlefield, and brought back great wealth, the lady would forget all her laments and would feel the same delight she does when she attains a sweet sleep in his embrace, the man concludes.
The man’s subtle way of pressing his charioteer to speed the horses and hasten home! In the thought that his actions would bring happiness to the lady in spite of the pain he has inflicted by his parting, the man echoes the same hope each of us carry, when we give up pleasures in the short run and yearn for greater things. Just like this ancient ancestor of ours, all we can do is hope, wishing that no matter how they seem now, things will turn out well in the end!
In this episode, we observe an attempt to change a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 143, penned by Alamperi Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse transports us to the domain of a king’s commander.
செய்வினைப் பிரிதல் எண்ணி, கைம்மிகக்
காடு கவின் ஒழியக் கடுங் கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
நீடு சினை வறிய ஆக, ஒல்லென
வாடு பல் அகல்இலை கோடைக்கு ஒய்யும்
தேக்கு அமல் அடுக்கத்து ஆங்கண் மேக்கு எழுபு,
முளி அரிற் பிறந்த வளி வளர் கூர் எரிச்
சுடர் நிமிர் நெடுங் கொடி விடர் முகை முழங்கும்
வெம் மலை அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி ஐய
சேறும் என்ற சிறு சொற்கு இவட்கே,
வசை இல் வெம் போர் வானவன் மறவன்
நசையின் வாழ்நர்க்கு நன் கலம் சுரக்கும்,
பொய்யா வாய்வாள், புனைகழல் பிட்டன்
மை தவழ் உயர் சிமைக் குதிரைக் கவாஅன்
அகல் அறை நெடுஞ் சுனை துவலையின் மலர்ந்த
தண் கமழ் நீலம் போல,
கண் பனி கலுழ்ந்தன; நோகோ யானே.
This trip offers a study in contrast when it comes to the features of the domain, as we listen to these words the confidante says to the man, at a time when he’s planning to part away from the lady, to gather wealth:
“When I said to her, ‘Intending to part away on a mission to gather wealth, the lord plans to go to those formidable drylands near the sweltering mountains, where immensely ruining the beauty of the forests, the harsh sun scorches, and dries up long branches, and the hot summer winds wither many leaves and take them away, with a rustling sound, in those ranges, filled with teak trees, and here, soaring above, a fierce flame, birthed in the dried-up bushes and reared by the wind, rises tall and resounds aloud in the clefts and caves’, just hearing these few words, akin to the cool and fragrant blue lotus, which has bloomed in the spray of the wide and deep spring in the tall peak of the ‘Kuthirai’ mountains, enveloped by clouds, ruled by the army commander of the impeccable, battle-worthy King Vanavan, Pittan, who wears well-etched anklets, wields a victorious sword, and one, who renders fine vessels to those who come seeking with desire to him, her eyes filled with tears! I suffer so!”
Let’s take a walk through those searing spaces and learn more! The confidante tells the man that she happened to go to the lady and tell her that he was planning to leave to the drylands. In her usual style, she presents a vivid view of the drylands, painting the drying branches, withering leaves and soaring wildfire. It was interesting to note the words used to describe this wildfire, by mentioning how it was born in the dried-up bushes but fostered and reared into a force of nature by the winds. The hidden metaphor of a child, born in a family, and raised by the world entire, to become who they become, was intriguing to note. Returning, we find the confidante continuing her narrative, telling the man that the moment she said these words, the lady’s eyes started shedding tears. To etch this image, she summons blue-lotuses, which have apparently bloomed because of the spraying water droplets from a spring nearby, and she locates this place as the domain called ‘Kuthirai mountains’, belonging to a brave commander of King Vannan, a a person named Pittan, renowned for his generosity. The confidante concludes by saying seeing those tear-filled eyes of the lady made her suffer much agony.
In essence, the confidante means to tell the man that the mere thought of him leaving had reduced the lady to such a state, projecting the implied question, ‘What would befall her, if the man were to actually leave?’. The confidante has intervened on behalf of the lady and hopes to prevent the man from proceeding with his plan of parting with the lady. The lady encapsulates a deeply human sentiment of worrying about something, even before it happens – the downside of our unique powers of imagination. Curious isn’t it that it’s this same human imagination, which has made these poets perceive a child in a wildfire and connect a water-soaked flower to a tear-filled eye!
In this episode, we listen to words of delight after an awaited event, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 142, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the golden flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse depicts the generosity of a king and the courage of a commander in the battlefield.
இலமலர் அன்ன அம் செந் நாவின்
புலம் மீக்கூறும் புரையோர் ஏத்த,
பலர் மேந் தோன்றிய கவி கை வள்ளல்
நிறைஅருந் தானை வெல்போர் மாந்தரம்
பொறையன் கடுங்கோப் பாடிச் சென்ற
குறையோர் கொள்கலம் போல, நன்றும்
உவ இனி வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! காதலி
முறையின் வழாஅது ஆற்றிப் பெற்ற
கறை அடி யானை நன்னன் பாழி,
ஊட்டு அரு மரபின் அஞ்சு வரு பேஎய்க்
கூட்டு எதிர்கொண்ட வாய் மொழி மிஞிலி
புள்ளிற்கு ஏமம் ஆகிய பெரும் பெயர்
வெள்ளத் தானை அதிகற் கொன்று, உவந்து
ஒள் வாள் அமலை ஆடிய ஞாட்பின்,
பலர் அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பைப்பய,
நீர்த் திரள் கடுக்கும் மாசு இல் வெள்ளிச்
சூர்ப்புறு கோல் வளை செறித்த முன்கை
குறை அறல் அன்ன இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,
இடன் இல் சிறு புறத்து இழையொடு துயல்வர,
கடல் மீன் துஞ்சும் நள்ளென் யாமத்து,
உருவு கிளர் ஓவினைப் பொலிந்த பாவை
இயல் கற்றன்ன ஒதுக்கினள் வந்து,
பெயல் அலைக் கலங்கிய மலைப் பூங் கோதை
இயல் எறி பொன்னின் கொங்கு சோர்பு உறைப்ப,
தொடிக்கண் வடுக்கொள முயங்கினள்;
வடிப்பு உறு நரம்பின் தீவிய மொழிந்தே.
There’s only a dash of this domain in this instance, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when he has trysted with his lady, after a long separation:
“Celebrated by wise bards, who have skilled red tongues, akin to silk-cotton flowers, is the one with generous hands, exalted above all others, that conquering king with an unstoppable army, known as ‘Mantharam Poraiyan Kadunko’. Akin to the vessels of those impoverished, who return after singing about him, you shall brim over now, my heart! May you live long!
Without swerving from his just path, with his talents, the great Nannan won over elephants with huge feet. In his town of ‘Paazhi’, his commander Minili, renowned for his honesty, undertook the task of feeding the insatiable and terrifying spirits of death, and routed the famous Athikan, with a flood-like army, renowned for being a protector of birds. After this, Minili, performed the ecstatic ‘Amalai’ dance, with his shining sword. Akin to the uproar that arose in the battlefield just then, slander would spread in town if they knew of our relationship. Fearing that, walking gently, wearing many neat rows of flawless silver, curving bangles on her forearms, having thick, dark tresses, akin to silt-laden sand, caressed by the river, extending and swaying beyond her slender waist, my lady love came at the dark hour of midnight, when even fish in the seas sleep, moving with a delicate gait, akin to a radiantly painted doll, which was just learning to walk, and making my honey-soaked garland of mountain flowers, tousled by the rains, shed flowers, akin to golden sparks that scatter in a smithy, she embraced me, leaving impressions of her bangles, and uttering sweet words, resounding like the well-played strings of a lute!”
Let’s hear the heartbeat of this mountain man! He starts by talking about a great king, Mantharam Poraiyan Kadunko, one who was celebrated by silver-tongued bards, only here, their truthful tongues are placed in parallel to the red flowers of a silk-cotton tree. The man goes on to say how generous this king was known to be, and just like how the bowls of those who had come seeking to him would overflow, the man’s heart too was in the same state of brimming over with joy!
Before telling us why, the man talks about the nature of slander that would spread in the lady’s town if her relationship with him were to be found out. To do that, he makes the verse echo with the uproar in the battlefield at the moment a commander of King Nannan, a lord named ‘Minili’ defeated the powerful Athikan and did the victory dance. Connecting this uproar to the rumours in town, the man says the lady feared that very much. This nugget tells us that the man had not been meeting the lady as much as he would like, for she had been avoiding seeing him owing to her fear. But just a while ago, she had come walking like a doll, and making the golden flowers of his rain-soaked garland scatter, she had embraced him tightly, leaving imprints of her bangles on him. Not only that, she had ended by speaking words as sweet as the music of lutes, the man concludes. Since this event occurred, that’s the reason his heart is brimming over, we understand. A record of a relatable feeling that many of us would have felt when a much awaited meeting goes on better than our expectations! Situations may change, reasons may differ, but emotions remain the same!
In this episode, we perceive the positive attitude of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 141, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a dual portrait of an ancient Tamil festival and a Chozha town’s prosperity.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! கைம்மிகக்
கனவும் கங்குல்தோறு இனிய; நனவும்
புனை வினை நல் இல் புள்ளும் பாங்கின;
நெஞ்சும் நனிபுகன்று உறையும்; எஞ்சாது
உலகு தொழில் உலந்து, நாஞ்சில் துஞ்சி,
மழை கால்நீங்கிய மாக விசும்பில்
குறு முயல் மறு நிறம் கிளர, மதி நிறைந்து,
அறுமீன் சேரும் அகல் இருள் நடு நாள்;
மறுகு விளக்குறுத்து, மாலை தூக்கி,
பழ விறல் மூதூர்ப் பலருடன் துவன்றிய
விழவு உடன் அயர, வருகதில் அம்ம!
துவரப் புலர்ந்து தூ மலர் கஞலி,
தகரம் நாறும் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பின்
புது மண மகடூஉ அயினிய கடி நகர்ப்
பல் கோட்டு அடுப்பில் பால் உலை இரீஇ,
கூழைக் கூந்தற் குறுந் தொடி மகளிர்
பெருஞ் செய் நெல்லின் வாங்குகதிர் முறித்து,
பாசவல் இடிக்கும் இருங் காழ் உலக்கைக்
கடிது இடி வெரீஇய கமஞ்சூல் வெண் குருகு
தீம் குலை வாழை ஓங்கு மடல் இராது;
நெடுங் கால் மாஅத்துக் குறும் பறை பயிற்றும்
செல் குடி நிறுத்த பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால்
வெல் போர்ச் சோழன் இடையாற்று அன்ன
நல் இசை வெறுக்கை தருமார், பல் பொறிப்
புலிக் கேழ் உற்ற பூவிடைப் பெருஞ் சினை
நரந்த நறும் பூ நாள் மலர் உதிர,
கலை பாய்ந்து உகளும், கல் சேர் வேங்கை,
தேம் கமழ் நெடு வரைப் பிறங்கிய
வேங்கட வைப்பிற் சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
In this long trip, we get to traverse not only this harsh domain, but also a prosperous ancient town, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante worries that the lady will not be able to bear with the parting of the man, who has left in search of wealth:
“Listen, my friend! May you live long! Every night, the dreams are exceptionally pleasant; In real life too, in the well-etched, fine mansion, bird omens that are heard sound good; As for the heart, it too rests in a state of calm love;
At the time when the mighty profession of the world diminishes and ploughs fall asleep, in that season when pouring rainclouds have departed with the wind, and in the sky, the little hare glows in a dark hue, as the full moon reaches its favourite star, in the midnight hour, amidst the expanding darkness, when all the streets are lit up and adorned with high garlands in our fertile and prosperous ancient town, at this time, hope he will return to relish the festivities, celebrated by the gathering of many!
Adorning fully blossomed perfect flowers, along with sandalwood paste, on her cool and fragrant tresses, the new bride, boils milk on the many-sided stove in that rich mansion, filled with plentiful food, and then along with maiden, wearing small bangles and having short hair, pounds on paddy grains, harvested from bent stalks in the huge field, to make flattened rice. Hearing the din of this dark-stemmed pestle, startled by the loud and explosive sounds, a pregnant white bird, takes a short flight from the wide branch of a plantain tree, with sweet fruit clusters, to the tall-trunked mango tree, in the town of Idaiyaaru, ruled by the famous Chozha King Karikaalan, who has the ability to restore even a ruined town. Wanting to bring back prestigious wealth, akin to this town, he has left to the drylands, where making fragrant blooms on the huge branches of the tree, with flowers in the hue of the many-striped tiger, namely the Kino tree, soaring near a boulder, a male monkey leaps and frolics, in the honey-fragrant, tall hills of the Venkata mountain ranges!”
Let’s explore the many roads leading to diverse destinations in this verse! The lady starts by talking about how her dreams are filled with pleasant scenes and even in her waking hours, all she hears are good omens from the birds. Owing to all this, her heart seems to be in a state of calm. What a refreshing change from the usual lamenting lady, who cries and cries about her sleepless eyes, thinning arms and pining heart, whom we have encountered in song after song from this domain.
Next, the lady talks about a time when the work of farming takes a break, a time when the clouds are done pouring, and are on their way out. To etch another element, she talks about this, as the time when the little rabbit glows bright. On reading further, we understand that this little rabbit is the one we see in the moon, and the lady wants to say it’s the time of full moon, and so that rabbit is all the more vivid. It’s also a time, when the moon traverses and meets with a particular star, identified as ‘Karthigai’ or ‘Pleiades star cluster’. At this time, lights are lit up and garlands adorn their streets, the lady details, and she makes a wish that her man returns at least by this time, to partake in these grand festivities, when people gather together. A moment to note how the festival of ‘Karthigai’, celebrated even today in Tamilnadu, by the lighting of lamps, is an ancient custom, originating in the Sangam era.
After this, the lady talks about two aspects in connection with the man. One characterises the wealth he’s searching for, and to do that, the lady brings in the simile of a fertile town of Idaiyaaru, ruled by the famous Chozha King Karikaalan, and when depicting this town, she presents a rather interesting domestic scene, wherein a new bride, who has come to live in the rich mansion of her husband, adorns her hair with flowers and sandalwood paste, and then boils milk in a stove with many divisions, implying that multiple food items can be cooked at the same time, and the house too is sketched as one with an unceasing supply of foods. This bride then joins together with many other maiden and pounds paddy. Hearing the loud and repeated sounds of this pestle, a pregnant white bird is startled and takes off, from a short plantain tree to a tall mango tree, perhaps in an attempt to put some distance between itself and its tormentors. Such is the fertility of this town and my man wants to bring back wealth that’s equal in stature to this town, the lady explains.
The next aspect she dwells on is where the man has gone to, to attain such a wealth and she informs us this is to a drylands in the extent of the Venkata hills, identified as ‘Tirupathi’ in Contemporary Andhra Pradesh, and she describes this place, as one filled with Kino trees, with bright yellow flowers in the hue of tiger stripes, and talks about how a male monkey leaps about, making this tree’s flowers fall. The lady concludes with this image of falling yellow flowers, perhaps as a wish that it should rain gold on the man, in his journey to seek wealth, so that he would return in time for the festival of lights, and she promises to her confidante that she would bear well with the parting until this time! What a patient and thoughtful lady, who understands and perseveres, in spite of her pain of parting! No wonder the lady has pleasant dreams and hears good omens, for it’s only with the brush of hope and positivity, can we change the scene in the canvas of our present!
In this episode, we listen to the heartfelt words of a man in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 140, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is situated amidst the salt pans of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and reveals fascinating aspects of commerce in the Sangam era.
பெருங் கடல் வேட்டத்துச் சிறுகுடிப் பரதவர்
இருங் கழிச் செறுவின் உழாஅது செய்த
வெண் கல் உப்பின் கொள்ளை சாற்றி,
என்றூழ் விடர குன்றம் போகும்
கதழ் கோல் உமணர் காதல் மடமகள்
சில் கோல் எல் வளை தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி,
‘நெல்லின் நேரே வெண் கல் உப்பு’ எனச்
சேரி விலைமாறு கூறலின், மனைய
விளி அறி ஞமலி குரைப்ப, வெரீஇய
மதர் கயல் மலைப்பின் அன்ன கண் எமக்கு,
இதை முயல் புனவன் புகைநிழல் கடுக்கும்
மா மூதள்ளல் அழுந்திய சாகாட்டு
எவ்வம் தீர வாங்கும் தந்தை
கை பூண் பகட்டின் வருந்தி,
வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும் நோய் ஆகின்றே.
In this quick trip to the seas, we get to travel with traders, as we listen to the man say these words to his friend, in response to the friend’s rebuke about the man’s unbalanced behaviour:
“Fisherfolk of the small hamlet, who hunt in the huge seas, harvest white salt, without ploughing the fields of the dark marshland. Announcing the price of this produce, these salt merchants, wielding a goad to speed, traverse peaks, split apart by the sun’s heat. Their naive and loving daughter, shouts out, ‘White salt for paddy in the same measure’, even as her few, shining bangles tinkle, relaying the exchange price in that village. A dog residing in a home, hearing that strange voice starts barking aloud. Startled, as her beautiful eyes quiver, akin to two fighting fish, they attack me with an affliction, which makes me sigh endlessly, akin to that bullock, held in reins, by her father, as he goads it to pull out the wheel lodged in a ditch, filled with aged, black slush, in the hue of smoke rising, when a mountain farmer slashes and burns to render the land arable!”
Time to travel from the seas to the hills along with a caravan of salt merchants! The man starts by talking about a group of fishermen, who live by the sea, and their ways of not ploughing the land like the farmers in the fields, and yet being able to harvest something valuable, namely salt. Heaping these sacks of salt, they take on the long journey from the seas to hilly regions. The thing I most admire about these salt merchants is that they take their families along and include them in their trade. In this instance, it’s the salt merchant’s daughter, who is announcing the exchange rate of salt and paddy in a hamlet. In one of those houses, a dog on the watch out, hears this strange voice and starts barking. The young girl is startled by those furious barks and her eyes tremble with fear. The man recounts all this and concludes by informing his friend, when those eyes of the lady leaped about like fighting fish, it became a source of a painful affliction in him, something which makes the man sigh aloud, much like the bullock, which is goaded to pull out a wheel, stuck in the black mud, akin to the smoke raised by slash-and-burn mountain farmers, by that salt-selling girl’s father!
In essence, the man is telling his friend that his heart too is stuck like that wheel in the mud and indirectly requests his friend to quit scolding him and start helping him, just the way we have seen the lady’s confidante help the lady many a time. Apart from the relatable bitter-sweet feeling of falling in love that this man so vividly explains with a single scene, elements that excite those who study cultures also abound in this verse. In mentioning not only the salt merchants, their travel for trade, barter specifics, challenges faced but also the mountain farmers and their ancient techniques to tame the land, the verse transports us to the past and acquaints us with the work and life of two different professionals from two varied landscapes in the Sangam era!
In this episode, we observe the anxiety soaring in a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 139, penned by Idaikkaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the picturesque changes in the land after the rains.
துஞ்சுவது போல இருளி, விண் பக
இமைப்பது போல மின்னி, உறைக்கொண்டு
ஏறுவது போலப் பாடு சிறந்து உரைஇ,
நிலம் நெஞ்சு உட்க ஓவாது சிலைத்து ஆங்கு,
ஆர் தளி பொழிந்த வார் பெயற் கடை நாள்;
ஈன்று நாள் உலந்த வாலா வெண் மழை
வான் தோய் உயர் வரை ஆடும் வைகறை,
புதல் ஒளி சிறந்த காண்பு இன் காலை,
தண் நறும் படுநீர் மாந்தி, பதவு அருந்து
வெண் புறக்கு உடைய திரிமருப்பு இரலை;
வார் மணல் ஒரு சிறைப் பிடவு அவிழ் கொழு நிழல்,
காமர் துணையொடு ஏமுற வதிய;
அரக்கு நிற உருவின் ஈயல் மூதாய்
பரப்பியவைபோற் பாஅய், பல உடன்
நீர் வார் மருங்கின் ஈரணி திகழ;
இன்னும் வாரார் ஆயின் நன்னுதல்!
யாதுகொல் மற்றுஅவர் நிலையே? காதலர்
கருவிக் கார்இடி இரீஇய
பருவம் அன்று, அவர், ‘வருதும்’ என்றதுவே.
Only the heart of this verse is situated in the drylands and the whole tends more in the direction of rainy forest landscapes, in these words said by the lady to the confidante, when the man who went in search of wealth, remains parted away:
“Darkening as if closing the eyes to sleep, flashing and splitting the sky as if blinking open, clouds that climb up with water resound aloud, echoing above, startling the heart of the land beneath, endlessly thundering, and then fall as a heavy downpour in those last days of the rainy season. After giving birth, these dried-up, half-white clouds surround the sky-high, tall mountains at dawn. At this beautiful hour, when light spreads around the bushes of the forest, after drinking the cool and fragrant water, the male deer with twisted antlers and a white underside eats wild grass, and then rests along with its loving mate on one side of the spreading sands, under the thick shade of the blooming wild jasmine tree. Near them, in the hue of lac, red velvet mites crawl around, as if scattered by hand, in hordes, adorning that moist earth with much beauty. Even at this time, he returns not, O maiden with a fine forehead! What could be his state now? Didn’t he promise that he would return before the arrival of that season, when rain clouds would resound with light and thunder!”
Time to glimpse the sights on a rainy morning! The lady starts by talking about the world outside, bringing in relatable similes to talk about the rains. The darkening of clouds becomes the closing of eyes to sleep and the flashing of lightning is the blinking of eyes, over and over again. Then, in a striking imagery, which brought a smile, the lady talks about how the heart of land beneath trembles at the repeated sound of the resounding thunder. I imagined the land beneath as a person clutching their heart, every time thunder roared aloud! Returning, the lady says all that’s done, the clouds have poured and retired, their job of giving birth to the rains complete, and they have taken to swirling lethargically around those lofty peaks. As dawn spreads the next day, and the gentle light brightens the bushes, a male deer contently feeds on cool and plentiful water, and munches on wild grass, and takes to resting with its lovely mate in the shade of the blooming jasmine trees, even as red velvet mites run around and have the time of their life on those moist expanses.
The lady has recounted this beautiful scene not as an expression of pleasure, but in contrast to talk about how the man had promised he would be back before this rainy season and yet he hadn’t returned. She concludes by expressing her worry to her friend about his state just then! The lady is just following all the advice a modern psychologist would give a person handling something outside their control – Being acutely mindful of the world outside, being present with the pain inside and expressing all this to a trusted person! Just like how this would help many of us in our own modern troubles, hope the lady too found respite and regained the strength to trust and wait with the patience that the land does, as it waits for the rains after a long summer!
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 138, penned by Ezhuvoo Pandri Naakan Kumaranaar. The verse is situated amidst the dark paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and etches a scene from a ritual of worship.
இகுளை! கேட்டிசின், காதல் அம் தோழி!
குவளை உண்கண் தெண் பனி மல்க,
வறிது யான் வருந்திய செல்லற்கு அன்னை
பிறிது ஒன்று கடுத்தனள்ஆகி வேம்பின்
வெறி கொள் பாசிலை நீலமொடு சூடி,
உடலுநர்க் கடந்த கடல் அம் தானை,
திருந்துஇலை நெடு வேற் தென்னவன் பொதியில்,
அருஞ் சிமை இழிதரும் ஆர்த்து வரல் அருவியின்
ததும்பு சீர் இன் இயம் கறங்க, கைதொழுது,
உரு கெழு சிறப்பின் முருகு மனைத் தரீஇ,
கடம்பும் களிறும் பாடி, நுடங்குபு
தோடும் தொடலையும் கைக்கொண்டு, அல்கலும்
ஆடினர் ஆதல் நன்றோ? நீடு
நின்னொடு தெளித்த நல் மலை நாடன்
குறி வரல் அரைநாட் குன்றத்து உச்சி,
நெறி கெட வீழ்ந்த துன் அருங் கூர் இருள்,
திரு மணி உமிழ்ந்த நாகம் காந்தட்
கொழு மடற் புதுப் பூ ஊதும் தும்பி
நல் நிறம் மருளும் அரு விடர்
இன்னா நீள் இடை நினையும், என் நெஞ்சே.
It’s a walk at night through this landscape as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he’s in earshot:
“O companion! Listen to me, my loveable friend! As my blue-lily-like, kohl-streaked eyes filled with clear tears, perceiving my sadness, mother decided that it was because of a different reason. Becoming worried, she arranged for a worship of ‘Murugu’, known for his glorious form, inviting the god home, with folded hands, singing about his burflower trees and elephants, holding a fluttering garland of palm fronds in hand, and dancing, with the accompaniment of musical instruments, brimming over with fine notes, akin to the sound of cascades that resounds and descends from the formidable peaks of the Pothiyil mountains, ruled by the Southern King, the one who wields a tall spear and commands a sea-like army that triumphs over enemies. If this worship goes on all day, is this right? The lord of the fine mountains, who has spoken for long and clarified the future to you, comes for trysts in the middle of the night, descending from the mountain’s peak, in a sharp and thick darkness that makes one lose the path, and herein a serpent, which has spit a fine jewel, looks at the bee buzzing around the new flower of the thick-petaled flame lily and mistakes its rich shine for its stone in those deadly clefts. When I think about his dangerous walk through those long paths, my heart trembles!”
Let’s walk on through the mountain paths, skirting over serpents and noting the glow of the buzzing bees! The lady starts by beckoning the attention of her friend and recounts how when mother saw her tear-filled eyes, she decided that was because they had invited the ire of ‘God Murugu’ in some way and so to appease him, she arranges for the ‘Veri’ ritual. In this ritual, there’s worship with folded hands, singing about the elements that signify this God, such as his burflower tree and the elephants of his domain, and then there’s dancing to the tune of resounding musical instruments, and to etch this sound, the roaring cascades in the mountains of the victorious, battle-worthy Pandya King is called in parallel. After describing the Veri ritual, the lady asks the confidante if this goes on all day and night, is this right?
Why the lady asks this question is because she’s absolutely clear her sorrow is not because of this God, but only because she worries about the man, walking in the darkness of midnight, when he comes to tryst with her every night, fearing he may lose his path, in those mountain clefts, where serpents which have spit their gems, come searching for it and mistake the buzzing bees for their sapphires! A moment to note the Sangam belief that snakes spit gems and then moved about in the light of the same! In this scene of the snake mistaking the bees for its gems, lies a metaphor for mother mistaking the lady’s anxiety about the man as God’s ire. These words are especially for the benefit of the listening man, who had clarified to the confidante that he would wed the lady soon. This is to make him realise that the situation he’s subjecting the lady to, is unbecoming of his promise, thereby nudging him to hasten the steps to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. My wonder is why don’t these people talk directly? Why doesn’t the daughter tell her mother what she’s feeling and why she’s feeling so? Why doesn’t the lady tell the man what she wishes for him to do? Perhaps that would have suited a peaceful life but not a piece of poetry that lives on to educate us about the past! As long as we are not penning poetry, don’t you think being direct is better for our complicated lives of today?
In this episode, we perceive the distress of a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 137, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukooththanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse pens a portrait of places ruled by two great kings of ancient Tamil land.
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் சேறு கிளைத்து உண்ட
சிறு பல் கேணிப் பிடி அடி நசைஇ,
களிறு தொடூஉக் கடக்கும் கான்யாற்று அத்தம்
சென்று சேர்பு ஒல்லார்ஆயினும், நினக்கே
வென்று எறி முரசின் விறற் போர்ச் சோழர்
இன் கடுங் கள்ளின் உறந்தை ஆங்கண்,
வருபுனல் நெரிதரும் இகுகரைப் பேரியாற்று
உருவ வெண் மணல் முருகு நாறு தண் பொழிற்
பங்குனி முயக்கம் கழிந்த வழிநாள்,
வீ இலை அமன்ற மரம் பயில் இறும்பில்
தீ இல் அடுப்பின் அரங்கம் போல,
பெரும் பாழ்கொண்டன்று, நுதலே; தோளும்,
தோளா முத்தின் தெண் கடற் பொருநன்
திண் தேர்ச் செழியன் பொருப்பிற் கவாஅன்
நல் எழில் நெடு வேய் புரையும்
தொல் கவின் தொலைந்தன; நோகோ யானே.
It’s a short walk in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady suspects the man is going to part away from her in search of wealth:
“Seeing the many small pits, from which newbie wayfarers had dug up the mud to find some drinking water, and mistaking these for its mate’s footprints, with desire, a male elephant touches it and walks on disappointed, in that drylands path, extending like a wild river. Even though he wants not to go thither, your forehead is greatly ruined, akin to the festival arena, with scattered stoves, having no hint of fire, near the little jungle, filled with trees, densely packed with leaves and flowers, on the day after the ‘pankuni’ festival of togetherness, which takes place on the honey-fragrant, cool orchards, atop white sands, on the banks of that great river, brimming with copious water, in the city of Uranthai, known for its sharp and sweet toddy, ruled by the courageous Chozhas, renowned for their roaring, victorious battle drums. Whereas your arms, which were akin to the tall and exquisite bamboos in the mountains, ruled by the lord of the pearl-filled southern seas, Chezhiyan, renowned for his sturdy chariots, have now lost their old beauty! I suffer so!”
Time to amble along with some elephants in the drylands! The confidante starts by sketching a scene from this harsh domain, pointing out to small, rounded pits, which she explains are tiny wells, dug by wayfarers, who are new to the game, so as to find some water amidst the mud. Why are these wayfarers said to be newcomers? Possibly because they have come unprepared without a supply of drinking water or the knowledge of more dignified ways of finding the same. As a male elephant walks that way and glimpses at these round pits, for a moment, it takes these to be the footprints of its mate, and it comes near and touches the same over and over again, smelling it and then walking away in dejection. Such is the horrid drylands, a place the man doesn’t even want to leave to, at the moment, the confidante connects.
She then turns to the lady and says, ‘In spite of that, your forehead has become listless, like an abandoned festival arena, with scattered stoves lying about, without any kindling of fire, the day after the event of Pankuni festival, celebrated with gusto, on the sands of the River Kaveri, in the Chozha capital of Uranthai, known for its sweet toddy. From the lady’s ruined forehead, the confidante moves on to the lady’s arms, and compares those to the bamboos in the Pandya King Chezhiyan’s mountains, celebrating the king as the ruler of the southern seas with an unending supply of pearls, and declaring that those arms had lost their beauty too. The confidante concludes by talking about her own suffering on seeing her friend in such a state!
The use of place and people similes to underscore the lady’s state informs us about the cultural events of the Chozha country as well as the natural wealth of the Pandya country. Turning to the crux of the issue, we understand that the man hadn’t even left, and here was the lady already wallowing about his possible departure! This state of being highlights the emotion of anxiety that many of us would have felt at the prospect of some event in the future. Hope we can learn to hear the timeless whisper from these pages of the past to overcome that fear of the future by living fully and mindfully in the now!
In this episode, we perceive a unique technique to appease a person’s ire, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 136, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated amidst the decorated mansions and bejewelled denizens of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches the events in an ancient wedding ceremony.
மைப்பு அறப் புழுக்கின் நெய்க் கனி வெண் சோறு
வரையா வண்மையொடு புரையோர்ப் பேணி,
புள்ளுப் புணர்ந்து இனிய ஆக, தெள் ஒளி
அம் கண் இரு விசும்பு விளங்க, திங்கட்
சகடம் மண்டிய துகள் தீர் கூட்டத்து,
கடி நகர் புனைந்து, கடவுட் பேணி,
படு மண முழவொடு பரூஉப் பணை இமிழ,
வதுவை மண்ணிய மகளிர் விதுப்புற்று,
பூக்கணும் இமையார் நோக்குபு மறைய,
மென் பூ வாகைப் புன் புறக் கவட்டிலை,
பழங் கன்று கறித்த பயம்பு அமல் அறுகைத்
தழங்குகுரல் வானின் தலைப்பெயற்கு ஈன்ற
மண்ணு மணி அன்ன மாஇதழ்ப் பாவைத்
தண் நறு முகையொடு வெண் நூல் சூட்டி,
தூ உடைப் பொலிந்து மேவரத் துவன்றி,
மழை பட்டன்ன மணல் மலி பந்தர்,
இழை அணி சிறப்பின் பெயர் வியர்ப்பு ஆற்றி,
தமர் நமக்கு ஈத்த தலைநாள் இரவின்,
”உவர் நீங்கு கற்பின் எம் உயிர் உடம்படுவி!
முருங்காக் கலிங்கம் முழுவதும் வளைஇ,
பெரும் புழுக்குற்ற நின் பிறைநுதற் பொறி வியர்
உறு வளி ஆற்றச் சிறு வரை திற” என
ஆர்வ நெஞ்சமொடு போர்வை வவ்வலின்,
உறை கழி வாளின் உருவு பெயர்ந்து இமைப்ப,
மறை திறன் அறியாள்ஆகி, ஒய்யென
நாணினள் இறைஞ்சியோளே பேணி,
பரூஉப் பகை ஆம்பற் குரூஉத் தொடை நீவி,
சுரும்பு இமிர் ஆய்மலர் வேய்ந்த
இரும் பல் கூந்தல் இருள் மறை ஒளித்தே.
Though we don’t actually get to travel to the outer spaces of this domain in this verse, we get a sense of the culture here, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when the lady is in the midst of a fight with him, as she listens nearby:
“The cooked white rice, having flawless pieces of meat, brimming with ghee, was rendered with limitless hospitality and guests were welcomed. Sounds of birds uniting echoed sweetly in the air; The beautiful dark sky shined with a clear light, and at this time, the moon and the wheel-shaped star come together in a perfect union; The wedding home was decorated and god’s praises were sung; As the thick and huge ‘panai’ drums resounded, along with ‘muzhavu’ wedding drums, the women who bathed her as part of the wedding ceremony, not blinking their flower-like eyes, quickly vanished; The delicate-bottomed forked leaves of the Lebbeck tree, with soft flowers, and the cool and fragrant buds of the huge-petaled flower, in the hue of well-washed sapphires, blossoming in the sky’s first rains, upon the wild ‘arukai’ grass, spreading in the crevices, and grazed upon by mature calves, are tied together with a white thread, and adorned on her, along with pristine clothes. Then coming together with affection, in that sand-filled pavilion, resounding with the sound of falling rain, wiping away the sweat that runs down, because of heavy jewels worn, her kith and kin rendered her to me.
On the night of this first day together, saying to her, “O maiden, who is the form to my life, filled with blemish-less chastity! As you have covered your form entire with a thick attire, feeling rather hot, your crescent-moon-like forehead would be coated in beads of sweat. Letting the flowing breeze to cool it, why not remove it?”, with a desiring heart, I pulled away the cover, and there she was, shining akin to a sword, pulled out from its sheath. Without knowing how to hide herself, she was overcome with shyness and bent her head. Understanding her state, I came to her aid and removed the radiant, thick white-lily garland, which was like a foe to her, just then, spreading her thick and black, bee-buzzing tresses, filled with beautiful flowers, and with that cover of darkness, helped her hide herself!”
Let’s participate in this ancient farmlands wedding and learn more! The man simply takes a walk down memory lane, recollecting the day of his wedding with his lady. He remembers the pots of rice and meat, cooked with ghee, and served to guests ceaselessly. He talks about how the sweet sounds of birds uniting resounded in the air. The man then talks about how the moon was supposed to be coming close to and uniting with a star in a wheel-shaped constellation, that day. Interpreters have identified this particular star to be ‘Rohini’, also known as the Aldebaran star, said to be the ‘eye’ of the Taurus constellation, in another astronomical classification. There have been numerous mythological stories about the connection between this star and the moon, and here too, we encounter one such belief in Sangam culture that the coming together of these two celestial bodies was an auspicious moment for a couple to begin their journey together.
Returning, the man turns his attention to the wedding decorations in the home, praising god, and the resounding roar of wedding drums many. The lady was given a ceremonial bath from maiden and then she was adorned with flowers of the Arukai grass and leaves of the Vaakai tree, atop glowing clothes. After dressing the bride so, the lady’s kith and kin, wiping away the sweat, owing to wearing heavy ornaments, offered the lady to the man, and formalised their union.
From these festivities, the man turns to a personal moment between him and the lady on their first night together, when he observes her covering herself in a thick attire. He seems to have pulled it away, so that the beads of sweat on the lady’s forehead would be dried by the cool breeze. As he pulled the cover apart, the lady appeared like a sword out of sheath, glowing, the man recounts. At that moment, she seemed to have been filled with shyness and without knowing how to cover herself, she had bent her head. The man seems to have come to her aid and removed the clasp of her white-lily garland and turned the darkness of her thick, black tresses as her new attire, he concludes.
We know the man and lady had been fighting. The man had been trying many attempts to appease her but to no avail. He finally chooses the strategy of talking about a happy, delightful moment, in their early years, to take the lady to the past, reminding her of who she had been to the man, and make her forget the present moment of conflict. Though we do not know whether the man’s strategy worked out for him, on our part, we got to go to an ancient Tamil wedding, feast our senses with food and festivity and delight in the many glimpses of plenty and prosperity of this domain!
In this episode, we listen to the agony in a lady’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 135, penned by Paranar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse connects a historic event to a person’s state of mind.
திதலை மாமை தளிர் வனப்பு அழுங்க,
புதல் இவர் பீரின் எதிர் மலர் கடுப்பப்
பசலை பாய்ந்த நுதலேன் ஆகி,
எழுது எழில் மழைக் கண் கலுழ, நோய் கூர்ந்து,
ஆதிமந்தியின் அறிவு பிறிதுஆகி,
பேதுற்றிசினே காதல்அம் தோழி!
காய்கதிர் திருகலின் கனைந்து கால் கடுகி,
ஆடுதளிர் இருப்பைக் கூடு குவி வான் பூ,
கோடு கடை கழங்கின், அறைமிசைத் தாஅம்
காடு இறந்தனரே, காதலர்; அடுபோர்,
வீயா விழுப் புகழ், விண் தோய் வியன் குடை,
ஈர் எழு வேளிர் இயைந்து ஒருங்கு எறிந்த
கழுவுள் காமூர் போலக்
கலங்கின்றுமாது, அவர்த் தெளிந்த என் நெஞ்சே.
It’s a brief foray into the drylands and a deeper trek into the lady’s mind in this one, as we listen to the lady express these words to her confidante, when the man remains parted away:
“Making my exquisite dark complexion filled with pale specks, akin to a tender sprout, lose its beauty, akin to ridge gourd flowers on a bush, pallor has spread on my forehead. As my rain-like eyes, with a beauty that invites to be sketched, shed tears, with my affliction soaring, akin to Aathimanthi, who lost her senses, I stand troubled and confused, my loving friend! Owing to the attack of the scorching sun, shaken by heavy winds, pointed white flowers of the Mahua tree, with swaying sprouts, spread atop rocks, akin to dice drilled from conch shells, in the drylands scrub jungle, and that lover of mine has left to this place; And so, akin to how the town of Kaamoor, ruled by Kazhuvul, renowned for his victory in wars, unswerving great fame and sky-soaring parasol of his reign, when that town was attacked together by fourteen Velir kings, fell into disarray, stands troubled my heart that had hoped he wouldn’t part away!”
Let’s walk on through sweltering drylands and catch a glimpse of the quivering heart! The lady starts by talking about how her exquisite beauty is all gone and she seems to behaving like the famous character Aathi Manthi, who had utterly lost her head. We have come across this person in many other poems, which talks about her deep suffering when her beloved was swept away by a river. When we ask with concern why the lady is so, she explains that’s because her man had left to the scorching drylands, where the flowers of the Mahua tree lie scattered like dice made of conch shells, upon the rocks. The lady concludes by saying because she is unable to bear the parting, she feels exactly like the town of Kaamoor, ruled by a great king Kazhuvul, when it faced the coordinated attack of fourteen Velir kings- So utterly devastated! Nothing but an expression of deep sorrow felt in parting! Hope this brings some respite to the suffering lady. Moving beyond this oft-repeated theme, such verses make me wonder if these pointed outpourings of the heart were the Sangam poets’ way of sharing historic knowledge, in a striking manner, with the people of then and the future!
In this episode, we listen to the thoughtful words of a man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 134, penned by Seethalai Saaththanaar. The verse is situated on the radiant red earth of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and paints a picturesque portrait of this lush land in the rains.
வானம் வாய்ப்பக் கவினி கானம்
கமஞ் சூல் மா மழை கார் பயந்து இறுத்தென,
மணி மருள் பூவை அணி மலர் இடைஇடை,
செம் புற மூதாய் பரத்தலின், நன் பல
முல்லை வீ கழல் தாஅய், வல்லோன்
செய்கை அன்ன செந் நிலப் புறவின்;
வாஅப் பாணி வயங்கு தொழிற் கலிமாத்
தாஅத் தாள் இணை மெல்ல ஒதுங்க,
இடி மறந்து, ஏமதி வலவ! குவிமுகை
வாழை வான் பூ ஊழுறுபு உதிர்ந்த
ஒழிகுலை அன்ன திரிமருப்பு ஏற்றொடு
கணைக் கால் அம் பிணைக் காமர் புணர் நிலை
கடுமான் தேர் ஒலி கேட்பின்,
நடுநாட் கூட்டம் ஆகலும் உண்டே.
A delightful trip into the forests, in these words of the man to his charioteer, on his return home, after completing a mission:
“As the skies had rendered their grace, the forest has turned picturesque. As huge and pregnant clouds have brought in the rainy season and stayed behind, amidst the exquisite, sapphire-like ironwood flowers, the crimson-backed red velvet bugs crawl around, and many, fine flowers of the wild jasmine loosen from their stalks and fall down, upon this red-earthed forest, akin to an expert’s painting. So that the leaping feet of these speeding, proud horses move softly, do not goad them, O charioteer! For if the male deer with twisted antlers, in the shape of the empty fruit cluster of a banana tree, whose closed buds of white flowers have reached ripeness and fallen down, and the thick-legged beautiful female deer hear the sound of our chariot, with speeding horses, their desirable state of union in the middle of the night would be disturbed!”
Let’s trot along with the man through the rain-washed roads and learn more! The man starts by focusing on how the rains have poured, and as we know, when rains pour, the earth smiles, and brings great beauty to the face of the land. The rainy season had stepped in, reeled in by the clouds, and because of their handiwork, dark-blue ironwood flowers were blooming, and in between the dark blue blooms, red velvet bugs were frolicking about, making the wild jasmine flowers fall down. The whole scene before him seems like the artwork of an expert painter, says the man. This makes me yearn to see the paintings of that era, which would have surely been a much-earlier artistic predecessor of the famous 19th century landscape paintings.
Returning, we find the man now turning to his charioteer and asking him specifically not to goad the horses to make them fly fast, instead to ensure they run softly. This is a curious request indeed! In song after song, we have only seen the man ask his charioteer to hasten the horses, fly like the wind, so that he can embrace his lady. What could be the reason for this man’s change of stance? He reveals that to us by concluding if the charioteer were to rush fast, the sound of the speeding chariot might disturb the joyful union of a male deer and its mate at midnight. In an interesting coincidence, that very male deer and its mate that the lady in the previous verse predicted her man would see and return back to her, leap into this verse in one of those rare continuums in this anthology.
The man’s wish to not disturb the deer echoes the immense love brimming over in his heart to be united with his beloved, wanting not to bring that pain to any other life. What a caring and considerate human he is! Such thoughtfulness is indeed the need of the hour and this ancient ancestor truly inspires us to welcome not just other humans but all other forms of life in our loving circle of care!
In this episode, we listen to a recollection of a past moment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 133, penned by Uraiyoor Maruthuvan Damotharanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents vivid images of elements of nature and weather.
குன்றி அன்ன கண்ண, குரூஉ மயிர்,
புன் தாள், வெள்ளெலி மோவாய் ஏற்றை
செம் பரல் முரம்பில் சிதர்ந்த பூழி,
நல் நாள் வேங்கை வீ நன்கனம் வரிப்ப,
கார் தலைமணந்த பைம் புதற் புறவின்,
வில் எறி பஞ்சியின் வெண் மழை தவழும்
கொல்லை இதைய குறும் பொறை மருங்கில்,
கரி பரந்தன்ன காயாஞ் செம்மலொடு
எரி பரந்தன்ன இலமலர் விரைஇ,
பூங் கலுழ் சுமந்த தீம் புனற் கான் யாற்று
வான் கொள் தூவல் வளி தர உண்கும்;
எம்மொடு வருதல் வல்லையோ மற்று?’ எனக்
கொன் ஒன்று வினவினர்மன்னே தோழி!
இதல் முள் ஒப்பின் முகை முதிர் வெட்சி
கொல் புனக் குருந்தொடு கல் அறைத் தாஅம்
மிளை நாட்டு அத்தத்து ஈர்ஞ் சுவற் கலித்த
வரி மரற் கறிக்கும் மடப் பிணைத்
திரிமருப்பு இரலைய காடு இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we perceive interesting scenes, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, who worries that the lady will not be able to bear the man’s separation, as he left in search of wealth:
“The bearded, male white rat, with eyes, akin to rosary peas, hair with a rich hue, and short legs, kicks up dust on the rough land, filled with red pebbles, upon which the auspicious Kino flowers fall, making it appear like a ‘Veri ritual’ arena. Above such a fresh forest space, which the rains have graced, akin to carded cotton, white clouds crawl across. In these cleared forests on the side of small hills, as if charcoal was scattered, ironwood flowers bloom, and as if fire was spreading, silk cotton flowers bloom. Bearing the nectar of these flowers, flows the sweet waters of the wild river, which the sky snatches, and then renders as a sweet drizzle in the wind. ‘Accepting this as your food, are you capable of coming with me?’, he asked with fear then, my friend! He, who parted away to that drylands jungle, where the mature buds of the jungle flame, appearing akin to claws of quails, lie fallen down along with wild lime flowers from cleared forests, on the rocky surfaces of the drylands country in the ‘Milai Naadu’, where a male deer with twisted antlers unites with its naive mate, which feeds on the lined hemp, flourishing in the wet wastelands!”
Time to take in the life throbbing in this domain! The lady starts by observing the actions of a white rat, which is described so vividly as having the protruding red eyes, appearing like rosary peas. This little animal is kicking up a huge dust in that land, where Kino flowers have fallen. A moment to observe that these Kino flowers are marked by the adjective ‘auspicious’ to indicate that this is the season of marriages. Perhaps, this separation had happened before the lady’s wedding to the man, and she remarks how there seems to be pressure at home to get married. Returning, we find the lady comparing this red earth on which Kino flowers are fallen to a ‘Veri’ ritual ground, possibly hinting at such occurrences at her own home.
Next, from the ground below, the lady zooms to the sky above, where the white clouds appear akin to carded cotton. Why because they have done their task of pouring the rains on the forests, where the dark blue ironwood flowers are blooming like charcoal and the red flowers of the silk-cotton are blooming like fire. Now, since the rains have poured, rivers are brimming over with floods, which snatches these fallen flowers. From these gushing rivers, the skies pick up the nectar of these flowers and splash as drizzle, the lady continues. Now, she connects these elements and concludes by saying, the man had said these words to her, and then, turned to her and asked if it was possible for the lady to walk on with him, eating this drizzle from the skies as her only food, with much concern, and then he left to the drylands, where the jungle flame flowers and wild lime flowers lie scattered on the rocks, and where the male deer seeks out its naive mate, which had been feeding on the wild hemp, and unites together.
What we have to infer from this song is that the lady understands and appreciates the man’s concern in taking her along with him on his journey! She perceives his true love and believes he will return to her, which is also echoed in the scene of the male deer uniting with its mate, a metaphor for the lady’s own happy union with the man. Through this, the lady hopes to reassure her friend and wait with patience, trusting in the love of her beloved!
In this episode, we relish scenes of nature’s plenty, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 132, penned by Thayankannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the bee-buzzing blooms of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and puts forth a persuasive plea.
ஏனலும் இறங்கு குரல் இறுத்தன; நோய் மலிந்து,
ஆய்கவின் தொலைந்த, இவள் நுதலும் நோக்கி
ஏதில மொழியும், இவ் ஊரும்; ஆகலின்,
களிற்று முகம் திறந்த கவுளுடைப் பகழி,
வால் நிணப் புகவின் கானவர் தங்கை
அம் பணை மென் தோள் ஆய் இதழ் மழைக் கண்
ஒல்கு இயற் கொடிச்சியை நல்கினைஆயின்,
கொண்டனை சென்மோ நுண் பூண் மார்ப!
துளிதலைத் தலைஇய சாரல் நளி சுனைக்
கூம்பு முகை அவிழ்த்த குறுஞ் சிறைப் பறவை
வேங்கை விரி இணர் ஊதி, காந்தள்
தேனுடைக் குவிகுலைத் துஞ்சி, யானை
இருங் கவுட் கடாஅம் கனவும்,
பெருங் கல் வேலி, நும் உறைவு இன் ஊர்க்கே.
In this trip to the mountains, there’s plenty to feast our senses on, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, after she brings over the lady for a tryst with him:
“In the millet fields, the bent crops have been harvested; As her affliction soars, her forehead has lost its old beauty; Seeing that, this town too speaks strange words; And so, please take away this sister of hunters, who feed on white meat, and possess arrows that can pierce the cheek of a male elephant; this mountain maiden, who has beautiful, bamboo-like arms, and exquisite petals of rain-like eyes, a swaying gait, and leave to that sweet town you reside in, surrounded by the fence of great hills, where because the skies have showered their raindrops, springs are brimming over with water, and here a small-winged bee, after opening a closed bud, buzzes around the pollen of the blooming golden shower flowers, and then sleeps in the honey-filled, bunched clusters of the flame-lily, and dreams about tasting the musth flowing down the dark cheeks of an elephant!”
Time to swim in the springs and take a trek through these hills! The confidante starts by giving the news of the region, talking about how the harvest season is done with, implying that the lady will not be coming anymore for guarding the millet fields and chasing away parrots. Next, because of the interruptions in her tryst with the man, the lady’s forehead seems to be shedding its old beauty, the confidante mentions. She then relates owing to that, the village is abuzz with gossip about the lady. Then, she turns to describe her friend, the lady, as a sister of hunters, who like to feed on white fatty meat and who have such sharp arrows that these can pierce the thick cheeks of elephants. From her relatives, the confidante turns to shower praise on the lady and describes her as one have beautiful arms and eyes and an adorable manner of walking. It’s now she comes to the point and asks the man to take the lady and leave to his own town amidst the hills, and ends with a description of that place, lushly filled with overflowing springs and blooming flowers, where a bee takes up the task of opening buds, then moves on to the golden shower flowers, that are spreading out their petals, another indication that the harvest season is over and the marriage season was here, and that busy bee then finds its way to the bed of flame-lily clusters, and here, it lies and dreams of savouring the musth liquid, pouring from the cheek of a male elephant in rut!
The confidante is simply presenting her case of ‘Marry her, marry her’ to make the man move away from temporary trysting with the lady and turn to pursuing a permanent union. In that scene of the bee that hops from flower to flower and dreams of other delights, the confidante conceals a metaphor and a criticism for the man’s focus on pursuing pleasures with the lady, instead of finding lasting joy. Here, the confidante could be pressing the man to go for elopement, when she’s talking about taking the lady away or the formal route of seeking the lady’s hand from her kith and kin. The formidable and fierce nature of the lady’s family is depicted in that description of sharp arrows. Thus, we find in a simple song on relationships, intricate details of the natural delights that excite not only the bee, but also us, and make us dream about tasting the beauty of that pristine past!
In this episode, we perceive a man’s dilemma in choosing between two worthy pursuits, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 131, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches events and scenes from this domain.
‘விசும்பு உற நிவந்த மாத் தாள் இகணைப்
பசுங் கேழ் மெல் இலை அருகு நெறித்தன்ன,
வண்டு படுபு இருளிய, தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்
சுரும்பு உண விரிந்த பெருந் தண் கோதை
இவளினும் சிறந்தன்று, ஈதல் நமக்கு’ என
வீளை அம்பின் விழுத் தொடை மழவர்
நாள் ஆ உய்த்த நாம வெஞ் சுரத்து
நடை மெலிந்து ஒழிந்த சேண் படர் கன்றின்
கடைமணி உகுநீர் துடைத்த ஆடவர்
பெயரும் பீடும் எழுதி, அதர்தொறும்
பீலி சூட்டிய பிறங்குநிலை நடுகல்
வேல் ஊன்று பலகை வேற்று முனை கடுக்கும்
வெருவரு தகுந கானம், ‘நம்மொடு
வருக’ என்னுதிஆயின்,
வாரேன்; நெஞ்சம்! வாய்க்க நின் வினையே.
We get to see many interesting aspects of the drylands, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart:
“As if the green-hued, soft leaves of the dark-trunked ‘Ikanai’ tree, which soars to the skies, are densely placed together, are her low-hanging dark tresses, swarming with bees. Thinking that more than this maiden, wearing a huge, moist garland, with blossoms wide open and inviting bees, charity is important, you say to me, ‘Come on with me, to the formidable, hot drylands, filled with fear-evoking jungles, appearing akin to an enemy king’s battlefield, dotted with spears and shields, filled with radiant hero stones amidst bushes, and which are adorned with peacock feathers, and inscribed with the name and fame of those men, who wiped away the tears flowing down the eyes of calves, which were unable to walk for a long distance, at a time when robbers with whistling arrows that fail not, had stolen the mother cows!’. I shan’t come with you, O heart! May your mission succeed!”
Time to walk through those arid spaces filled with monuments of valour. The man starts by talking about the lady’s beauty, and to do that, he mentions her thick and long hair, which resembles the leaves of an unidentified tree named ‘Ikanai’, which is said to be sky-soaring and having a black trunk. Since many candidates suit the role, perhaps the tree has remain unidentified. Another subtle element is how the colour dark green of the leaves and the colour black of the lady’s tresses are seen as one and the same in this culture. Returning, we find the man mentioning how bees buzz around those beautiful tresses of the lady and also around the garlands she wears. The man now reveals why he has talked at length about the lady, when he turns to his heart and says, ‘You have been insisting to me that the joy obtained from the lady’s company is not as important as my duty of charity’. What is this duty of charity and why should be in conflict with the lady?
The man then goes on to say his heart has been telling him this opinion and nudging him to travel to the fearsome drylands, which he then goes on to talk about as a place, which appears like an enemy king’s battlefield, for spears and shields are decked around memorial stones, tied with peacock feathers. Looking closely at these memorial stones, we can read the glorious things written about certain warriors, who are said to have wiped the tears of calves, left behind, when their mother cows where stolen by the bow-wielding highway robbers with unfailing arrows. Of course, wiping the tears could actually mean the physical wiping away of tears of these calves, crying for their mothers, but here, it most probably refers to how those warriors had gone in pursuit of the highway robbers, and recovered the stolen cows, victoriously, while some died in the mission, and thus got glorified on those hero stones. The man concludes by replying to his heart saying that he will not be joining it in its mission to earn wealth and wishes good luck to his heart in its journey.
In essence, the man is separating himself from his heart to get some perspective as he stands at the crossroads. On one side is his love and the joy of the lady’s presence, and on the other side, is his sense of duty, which is to give unto others, for which he needs wealth, and that meant, leaving the lady. Here, the man seems to choose the side of love, and yet, he wishes well to his heart to succeed in its mission. So, it’s an open-ended conclusion, telling us the man could have remained at home or he could have followed his heart, for where can the heart go, if we don’t?
In this episode, we listen to a strong rebuttal to a reprimand, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 130, penned by Venkannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant pandanus trees of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and showers high praise on a land and a lady.
அம்ம வாழி, கேளிர்! முன் நின்று
கண்டனிர்ஆயின், கழறலிர்மன்னோ
நுண் தாது பொதிந்த செங் காற் கொழு முகை
முண்டகம் கெழீஇய மோட்டு மணல் அடைகரை,
பேஎய்த் தலைய பிணர் அரைத் தாழை
எயிறுடை நெடுந் தோடு காப்ப, பல உடன்
வயிறுடைப் போது வாலிதின் விரீஇ,
புலவுப் பொருது அழித்த பூ நாறு பரப்பின்
இவர் திரை தந்த ஈர்ங் கதிர் முத்தம்
கவர் நடைப் புரவி கால் வடுத் தபுக்கும்
நல் தேர் வழுதி கொற்கை முன் துறை
வண்டு வாய் திறந்த வாங்குகழி நெய்தற்
போது புறங்கொடுத்த உண்கண்
மாதர் வாள் முகம் மதைஇய நோக்கே.
Another crisp trip to the seashore, where we get to relish the space with all our senses, as we listen to this unique situation, of a man, replying to the words of his friend, who admonishes him for his recent behaviour:
“Listen, may you live long, my dear friend! The red-stemmed fleshy bud of the water thorn, filled with fine pollen, flourishes on the sand mounds of the shore, near a pandanus tree, with a rough trunk, branches looking like heads of ghosts, long leaves with thorns, akin to teeth protecting them, and flowers, with deep cores, spreading out with purity, waging war against the scent of flesh, and emerging victorious by spreading the fragrance of the flowers in that space, where soaring waves bring along moist and radiant pearls, which leaves scars on the feet of horses with an alluring trot in Korkai, ruled by the Pandya King Vazhuthi, who owns fine chariots many. The bee-buzzing blue lotus, blooming in the shores of this city, by the curving backwaters, would pale in comparison before the kohl-streaked eyes of her exquisite, shining face. Had you stood before and seen her divine gaze, you wouldn’t rebuke me so!”
Let’s take a breezy walk on those ancient shores, brimming with flowers and bees, and learn more! The man starts to respond to the words of his friend by first blessing him. It doesn’t matter if the other had been scolding him. It’s the culture that makes the speaker bless even the one, who happens to be speaking against them! Then, the man launches into a lengthy description of a seashore, where we see water-thorn flowers blooming, pandanus trees, which are painted with words, fighting against the reeking odours of the sea with their fragrant flowers, also waves bringing along pearls and scattering these on the shore, which then goes on to leave imprints on the feet of trotting horses. We learn that this naturally prosperous place is none other than the world famous Korkai, the capital of the Pandya King Vazhuthi, renowned for the fine chariots he possesses. The man has taken us along to that distant shore, only to point out to us the exquisite blue lotuses blooming there. He then connects these flowers to the eyes of his beloved, saying those flowers would bow down in shame before the lustre of her eyes, and concludes by telling his friend that had he seen the shining face of the lady, standing before her, he wouldn’t be scolding the man so, for his behaviour, seemingly lacking in honour!
Thus we understand it’s a friend who has been telling the man, ‘Bro, you are not yourself. Why are you lowering yourself so, before a mere slip of a girl? Aren’t you a worthy leader?’ and so on and so forth. The man arms himself with the sword of the lady’s beauty, and quells this dissent of his friend, saying ‘She is so worthy of all that you accuse me of doing!’. A sweet song on the timeless theme of defending love for a beloved before a concerned friend!
In this episode, we perceive the reasons outlined for a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 129, penned by Kudavayil Keeraththanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays various scenes in this harsh domain.
”உள்ளல் வேண்டும் ஒழிந்த பின்” என
நள்ளென் கங்குல் நடுங்கு துணை ஆயவர்
நின் மறந்து உறைதல் யாவது? ”புல் மறைந்து
அலங்கல் வான் கழை உதிர்நெல் நோக்கி,
கலை பிணை விளிக்கும் கானத்து ஆங்கண்,
கல் சேர்பு இருந்த கதுவாய்க் குரம்பைத்
தாழிமுதற் கலித்த கோழிலைப் பருத்திப்
பொதி வயிற்று இளங் காய் பேடை ஊட்டி,
போகில் பிளந்திட்ட பொங்கல் வெண் காழ்
நல்கூர் பெண்டிர் அல்கற் கூட்டும்
கலங்குமுனைச் சீறூர் கை தலைவைப்ப,
கொழுப்பு ஆ தின்ற கூர்ம் படை மழவர்,
செருப்புடை அடியர், தெண் சுனை மண்டும்
அருஞ் சுரம் அரியஅல்ல; வார் கோல்
திருந்து இழைப் பணைத் தோள், தேன் நாறு கதுப்பின்,
குவளை உண்கண், இவளொடு செலற்கு” என
நெஞ்சு வாய் அவிழ்ந்தனர் காதலர்
அம் சில் ஓதி ஆயிழை! நமக்கே.
Back to the drylands and we get to meet the people and animals inhabiting this space, as we listen to the confidante render these words to the lady, as the man continues to remain parted away, after leaving in search of wealth:
“Declaring with anxiety, ‘I will surely end up thinking with lament, about her after parting away’, the one who was your companion in the darkness of the night trembled. As the grass was left no more, looking at the shed grains of the swaying bamboo, the male deer calls out to its female in the jungle, where in a dilapidated hut, amidst a rocky surrounding, near a big urn, the thick-leaved cotton plant flourishes. Taking the unripe fruit of the cotton plant, with a bulging belly, a bird splits it open to feed its mate, and throws the furry white seeds, which are collected by impoverished women, to be eaten later, in that little hamlet, near a raging battlefield. Making this hamlet shout out in alarm, robbers, wearing footwear and holding sharp spears, steal and feed on their fat cows and drink from the clear springs in the formidable wastelands. ’Such places are harsh for the maiden, wearing neat rows of well-etched ornaments, having bamboo-like arms, honey-fragrant tresses, and kohl-streaked eyes, akin to blue lilies, to traverse with me’, your lover had said, expressing the truth in his heart to us, O maiden wearing exquisite ornaments and having beautiful, soft hair. How is it possible for him to forget you and stay away?”
Time to brave the dangers of the drylands and explore more! The confidante starts by recollecting the words the man said before he left predicting that for sure he’s going to think about the lady and worry endlessly after he leaves. This is followed by a lengthy description of the drylands, where first we see a male deer calling out to its mate the moment it glimpses a few shed grains of the swaying bamboo, as there’s no more grass left for them to graze on. Then the focus shifts to a broken-down old hut, in a rocky space, where a cotton plant is sprouting near an urn, and a bird nabs the unripe fruit, pecks it open and feeds its mate, throwing away the white seeds. These are then collected by poor women, who have nothing else to eat in that little hamlet, which is in such a ruined state, because it’s just seen a battle break out near it. The troubles of this hamlet are not over, and any people left behind are left to scream in agony by the robbers, who come there to steal the cattle and feed on its meat, and then drink up cool waters. Two interesting facts are mentioned about this ancient tribe of people, in that they used to eat the meat of cattle, and two, their footwear is pointedly referred to, telling us that this is no commonplace occurrence. Perhaps it was an object of necessity for these robbers, when traversing those dry and harsh wastelands!
Returning, we find the confidante revealing that it was the man, who has been narrating this long description of the drylands space, only to say such a domain would be hard for the delicate lady to cross along with him. She then concludes with the pointed question as to how the man, who had thought with so much care and concern, for the lady, could possibly stay away without returning. Words of consolation from this darling friend again!
The subtle highlight in this narrative appears in how, be it in the depiction of the deer calling its doe or the bird feeding its hen, the care of the male towards its mate shines so brightly, letting the confidante dip her brush in the hues of these expressions, and paint the streaks of the man’s love and care on the lady’s heart!
In this episode, we listen to the beat of an anxious heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 128, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and rugged paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and presents thoughtful words to change the course of another.
மன்று பாடு அவிந்து மனை மடிந்தன்றே;
கொன்றோரன்ன கொடுமையோடு இன்றே
யாமம் கொள வரின் கனைஇ காமம்
கடலினும் உரைஇ, கரை பொழியும்மே.
எவன்கொல் வாழி, தோழி! மயங்கி
இன்னம் ஆகவும், நன்னர் நெஞ்சம்
என்னொடும் நின்னொடும் சூழாது, கைம்மிக்கு,
இறும்பு பட்டு இருளிய இட்டு அருஞ் சிலம்பில்
குறுஞ் சுனைக் குவளை வண்டு படச் சூடி,
கான நாடன் வரூஉம், யானைக்
கயிற்றுப் புறத்தன்ன, கல்மிசைச் சிறு நெறி,
மாரி வானம் தலைஇ நீர் வார்பு,
இட்டு அருங் கண்ண படுகுழி இயவின்,
இருளிடை மிதிப்புழி நோக்கி, அவர்
தளர்அடி தாங்கிய சென்றது, இன்றே?
In this trip to the mountains, we get to closely follow someone in the middle of the night, even as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, as her man listens nearby:
“The uproar of the village common spaces has diminished and the houses therein are now at rest; When the midnight hour arrives today with the cruelty of a killer, my passion would swell and spread more than the sea, crossing the bounds of the shore. Why is it, my friend, may you live long, when we are here in this confused state, my good heart, without consulting either with me or you, leaves my control, and flies away to that little forest, covered in darkness, in that inaccessible mountain slope, where wearing the bee-buzzing blue lily, blooming in the little spring, the man of the mountains, filled with jungles, comes walking on that stone-filled, small path, akin to an elephant’s back with a rope’s imprint, where the rainy season’s sky has ended its downpour and parted away, causing the land be filled with pits and holes, and appear formidable to cross across, and that heart of mine now stands looking at how he takes step after step in that dark path, waiting to bear his feet, whenever they happen to stumble?”
Ready for the mountain trek at night? Here we go. The lady starts be remarking how their bustling village full of chatter was now in a state of nil volume, and also, the people and houses entire seemed to be fast asleep. She talks about how the midnight hour was fast approaching, predicting that would be the time when her love would surge like the sea and break all bounds. Turning to her friend, as if in wonderment, she talks about how when this is her state, not minding the swirling confusion within, her heart decides to do something on its own accord, without bothering to check either with the lady or the confidante. That something is the way the heart decides to take off and fly to that narrow path in the mountains, where her lover comes walking, wearing a garland of blue-lilies from the little spring. It’s not only dark, but the rainy season having just done its work and parted, the roads are filled with pits many, the lady details. She concludes by remarking how astonishing it is that her heart was there with the man, waiting as he took step after step in the dark, intending to catch him if he were to stumble and fall!
The lady’s heart seems not to be bothered about how the lady was suffering with passion and confusion in the man’s absence, and cared only about the welfare of her man, braving the dark and dangerous trek! These words are an attempt to make the man understand the anxiety the lady faces as she waits for him to arrive for their tryst and nudge him into choosing the well-lit, comfortable path of a permanent union with her. Going beyond this transient context, these words do reflect the timeless yearning of a person in love, caring about the welfare of their beloved above all else!
In this episode, we perceive a persuasive promise, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 127, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches a noble portrait of the man.
இலங்கு வளை நெகிழச் சாஅய், அல்கலும்,
கலங்குஅஞர் உழந்து, நாம் இவண் ஒழிய
வலம் படு முரசிற் சேரலாதன்
முந்நீர் ஓட்டிக் கடம்பு அறுத்து, இமயத்து
முன்னோர் மருள வணங்குவில் பொறித்து,
நல் நகர் மரந்தை முற்றத்து ஒன்னார்
பணி திறை தந்த பாடுசால் நன்கலம்
பொன்செய் பாவை வயிரமொடு ஆம்பல்
ஒன்று வாய் நிறையக் குவைஇ, அன்று அவண்
நிலம் தினத் துறந்த நிதியத்து அன்ன
ஒரு நாள் ஒரு பகற் பெறினும், வழிநாள்
தங்கலர் வாழி, தோழி! செங் கோற்
கருங் கால் மராத்து வாஅல் மெல் இணர்
சுரிந்து வணர் பித்தை பொலியச் சூடி,
கல்லா மழவர் வில் இடம் தழீஇ,
வருநர்ப் பார்க்கும் வெருவரு கவலை
மொழி பெயர் தேஎத்தர் ஆயினும்,
பழி தீர் காதலர் சென்ற நாட்டே.
We not only travel to the drylands but also get to visit the capital city of a famous king, in this instance, as we hear the lady’s confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away:
“Leaving us to suffer with sorrow and angst day after day, making you lose your health, as your shining bangles slip away, your flawless lover, who parted away to that faraway country, where other languages are spoken, and where wearing the soft, white flower clusters of the black-trunked, red-branched burflower tree, on their thick, curly hair, adorning it, illiterate highway robbers, holding on to a bow on their sides, keep a lookout for wayfarers, in those fear-evoking paths, even if he were to obtain the fine jewels, golden statues and diamonds, which were offered as tribute in the centre of the fine city of Maranthai, by the enemies of the great Cheralathan, who owns victorious battle drums, and who sailed the oceans to sever the sacred burflower tree of his enemies, and akin to his ancestors, imprinted their clan mark of the curving bow in the Himalayas; even if that great wealth were to be heaped on an immeasurable extent of land, spread out as if it was left behind for the land to feast on; even if your lover were to get all this in one day, one hour, he shall not stay back for another day, my friend, may you live long!”
Let’s catch a glimpse of the flower-clad highway robbers and learn more! The confidante’s words to the lady can be seen as a rendition of three parts. The first part focuses on where the man has left to, and she mentions that it’s a faraway place, where other languages are spoken, one filled with paths, where highway robbers, who are said to be uneducated, and are described as decorating their curly locks with burflower tree’s buds, as they stand to keep a watch for wayfarers. Since we associate flowers with softness, it’s rather hard for us to connect these fear-evoking men of the drylands and their interest in wearing flowers on their tresses. But it’s just an aspect of those times, wherein people in different regions identified themselves by wearing certain flowers of that land, a practice ingrained in the culture then.
Returning, the confidante’s second part talks about a renowned Chera King Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan, who had the fame of installing their clan emblem of a bow in the distant Himalayas, underscoring the extent of his victory and fame. Apparently enemies came and heaped jewels, golden statues and diamonds by the cartloads in the centre of this king’s capital city of Maranthai. Now, the confidante’s third and final part connects these two disparate facts and concludes by saying to the lady that even if the man were to attain that wealth, heaped in Cheralathan’s Maranthai, that too even if it were spread to an extent of land denoted by the huge number of ‘Aambal’, and even if all this wealth were to come to the man within the short time of a day, an hour, even then, the man will not leave the lady to suffer and stay back in that place.
In essence, though it’s wealth the man had gone in search for, once he has attained what he was looking for, the man will not be tempted by anything else, to delay his return home is the message conveyed by the confidante. By painting such a glorious image of the man, connecting him to the exploits of a famous king, the confidante hopes to bring cheer and positivity back into the pining lady’s heart. If you ask me, a friend like that is worth more than all that wealth, won by the victorious Cheralathan indeed!
In this episode, we perceive a man’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 126, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing rivers of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relates a personal situation to a historic event.
நின் வாய் செத்து நீ பல உள்ளி,
பெரும் புன் பைதலை வருந்தல் அன்றியும்,
மலைமிசைத் தொடுத்த மலிந்து செலல் நீத்தம்
தலை நாள் மா மலர் தண் துறைத் தயங்கக்
கடற்கரை மெலிக்கும் காவிரிப் பேரியாற்று
அறல் வார் நெடுங் கயத்து அரு நிலை கலங்க,
மால் இருள் நடுநாட் போகி, தன் ஐயர்
காலைத் தந்த கணைக் கோட்டு வாளைக்கு,
அவ் வாங்கு உந்தி, அம் சொல், பாண்மகள்,
நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் நறவு மலி மறுகில்
பழஞ் செந் நெல்லின் முகவை கொள்ளாள்,
கழங்கு உறழ் முத்தமொடு நன்கலம் பெறூஉம்
பயம் கெழு வைப்பிற் பல் வேல் எவ்வி
நயம் புரி நன் மொழி அடக்கவும் அடங்கான்,
பொன் இணர் நறு மலர்ப் புன்னை வெஃகி,
திதியனொடு பொருத அன்னி போல
விளிகுவைகொல்லோ, நீயே கிளி எனச்
சிறிய மிழற்றும் செவ் வாய், பெரிய
கயல் என அமர்த்த உண்கண், புயல் எனப்
புறம் தாழ்பு இருளிய பிறங்கு குரல் ஐம்பால்,
மின் நேர் மருங்குல் குறுமகள்
பின்னிலை விடாஅ மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சே?
In this trip to the farmlands, we listen to another side of the story in the usual love quarrel between the man and lady involving a courtesan, as we get to hear these words said by the man to his heart, as the confidante listens nearby:
“O heart, thinking that your thoughts are so true, you have attained not only an immense suffering-filled sorrow; The brimming flood that descends down from the mountains sways, with huge, freshly bloomed flowers, in the cool shores, as the River Kaveri’s huge stream flows, shrinking the seashore. Muddying the precious state of the silt-filled river mouth, in the darkness of midnight, her brothers fished and brought back the thick-crested scabbard fish in the morning. Taking this catch, the bard’s daughter with a curving belly and sweet words, goes to the streets, where tall flags flutter and toddy brims over. Instead of just accepting the barter of heaps of old red paddy, she seeks and obtains fine jewels with pearls as big as molucca beans, in the prosperous expanses of the land, ruled by the many speared Evvi. Without heeding his fine and thoughtful words and standing down, desiring the laurel-wood tree with golden clusters of fragrant flowers, Anni waged war against Thithiyan. O naive and ignorant heart of mine, if you insist on bowing and standing behind that maiden, with a red mouth, akin to that of a parrot that babbles but a few words; well-set, kohl-streaked eyes, akin to a pair of fish; five-part thick tresses that descend darkly down her back, akin to a cloud in the storm; a waist, akin to lightning; then like that Anni, you are sure to lose your life too!”
Time to fish in the flooding rivers and visit the rich streets of the farmland towns! The man starts by addressing his heart saying it seemed to be torturing itself with so many thoughts and believing in the truth of it all. He remarks how it seemed to be in a state of much suffering. However that was not the only thing to be worried about, the man hints. Instead of saying what else, the man goes on to talk about the prosperous land of a king named Evvi, mentioning how the River Kaveri brings a flood of freshly bloomed flowers and how fishermen gather bountiful fish from the river mouth, and take their catch home. Apparently, the task of selling this fish fell on the women of the household, and in this case, the fishermen’s sister takes it to the marketplace. There, instead of simply accepting the offered paddy in exchange for the fish, the shrewd businesswoman she is, the girl bargains for fine jewels studded with pearls as big as Molucca beans and gets it too. This is mentioned to remark on the prosperity and plenty of Evvi’s country. The man has mentioned King Evvi only to say that another ruler named Anni failed to heed the words of this good king, and instead, he went charging against a king named Thithiyan, and chopped down Thithiyan’s sacred ‘Punnai’ tree. These historic facts we have already seen in Natrinai 180 and Aganaanooru 45! What happened after this incident is revealed in the next few words of the man, when he turns to his heart and says, ‘Just the way Anni died after this incident in the hands of Thithiyan, you too will die if you continue to keep begging before that young and beautiful maiden’, implying that he was heartbroken at the constant refusal of his lady, to accept him back.
These words are meant to nudge the confidante into obtaining the lady’s forgiveness for the man and her acceptance to take him back into the home. Like a river that starts in the mountains, meanders through the plains and reaches the ocean, the verse too starts with a sharp downward fall of the man’s state of mind, then swirls through the landscape of ancient rivalry between kings, and reaches the destination of bringing about a change in another’s heart. Historic moments and the heart’s beats dance a duet to the rhythm of repentance in this one!
In this episode, we listen to an angry retort to an inanimate element, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 125, penned by Paranar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse weaves in a relevant historical reference as an apt simile to echo an emotion within.
அரம் போழ் அவ் வளை தோள் நிலை நெகிழ,
நிரம்பா வாழ்க்கை நேர்தல் வேண்டி
இரங் காழ் அன்ன அரும்பு முதிர் ஈங்கை
ஆலி அன்ன வால் வீ தாஅய்,
வை வால் ஓதி மைஅணல் ஏய்ப்பத்
தாது உறு குவளைப்போது பிணி அவிழ,
படாஅப் பைங் கண் பா அடிக் கய வாய்க்
கடாஅம் மாறிய யானை போல,
பெய்து வறிது ஆகிய பொங்கு செலற் கொண்மூ
மை தோய் விசும்பின் மாதிரத்து உழிதர,
பனி அடூஉ நின்ற பானாட் கங்குல்
தனியோர் மதுகை தூக்காய், தண்ணென,
முனிய அலைத்தி, முரண் இல் காலை;
கைதொழு மரபின் கடவுள் சான்ற
செய்வினை மருங்கின் சென்றோர் வல் வரின்
விரிஉளைப் பொலிந்த பரியுடை நல் மான்
வெருவரு தானையொடு வேண்டு புலத்து இறுத்த
பெரு வளக் கரிகால் முன்னிலைச் செல்லார்,
சூடா வாகைப் பறந்தலை, ஆடு பெற
ஒன்பது குடையும் நன் பகல் ஒழித்த
பீடு இல் மன்னர் போல,
ஓடுவை மன்னால் வாடை! நீ எமக்கே.
We stay back with the lady, instead of taking the tour of the drylands, in this instance, and hear her say these words to the northern winds, as her confidante listens nearby, when she learns that her man, who had parted away was on his way home to her:
“Making those beautiful bangles, shaped by a saw, to slip away from the arms; Having an intention of destroying this incomplete life; Plucking white flowers, akin to hailstones from the touch-me-not tree, whose mature buds are like the ironwood tree’s seeds; Loosening the buds of the blue lily, filled with pollen, akin to the dark beard of the sharp-tailed lizard; As thick clouds, dried up after pouring down the rain, appearing akin to a strong male elephant with sleepless green eyes, wide feet and strong mouth, in whom the flow of musth has stopped, roll around in the dark and wide expanses of the sky, in the middle of the dark night, when the dew pours down, without understanding the limits of those who are lonely, even when I have no quarrel with you, you spread suffering by blowing with coolness;
When the one who has parted away, worshipping his mission with folded hands and seeing it as God, returns speeding on his fine, radiant horses, with swaying manes, then akin to those kings lacking honour, who lost nine royal umbrellas on one single day, when the great and famous Karikaal Peruvalathaan arrived with his fear-evoking army, seized the lands he desired and conquered them, in the battlefield of ‘Vaagai’, you too shall run away, O cruel northern wind, turning your back to me!”
Time to observe the antics of an element of the weather! The lady starts by detailing the activities of the northern winds in the cold season. First, it’s the wind’s effect on her, which is the epitome of pining, reflected in the slipping away of her bangles, and then, she makes a comment that the intention of the wind seems to end her still incomplete life, echoing the torment she feels. Then, the lady moves on to the outer effects such as, how the winds make touch-me-not white flowers drop down, and how these open out the tightly closed buds of the blue lily. There’s a striking comparison here which led me to a curious discovery. The pollen on the blue lily has been placed in parallel to the beard of a lizard, which was said to have a sharp tail. When searching for an Indian lizard with a beard, I came across an ‘Oriental Garden Lizard’, and Lo, its tail was long and ended in a sharp point. Looking closely at its neck, I found the reptile to have a serrated, scaly neck and this image turned out an exact match for the pollen-filled inner core of a blue lily. This left me with awe at the skills of these ancients in connecting disparate elements like a flower and a lizard, which stands testimony to their creativity.
Returning, we see the lady continuing to detail what the northern winds are up to, by talking about the dry clouds in the sky, appearing like elephants, whose period of musth is done with, telling us this season appears after the rainy season, and most probably is the ‘Koothir Kaalam’, the ‘Cold Season’ by Sangam definition. Next, she talks about how the dew pours down ceaselessly, and the cold that envelops test the very limits of those who are lonely, and she asks the northern winds why it’s doing all this to her, when she has no fight with it! Finally, she turns to the winds and concludes by saying, ‘The moment my beloved, who has left on his mission, returns, you will run away, defeated in front of me!’. To etch this image, the lady brings in the battlefield of Vaagai, where King Karikaalan defeated not one, not two, but nine kings, and seized their royal parasols, and made them flee in fear!
The beauty of this verse is the exquisite layering with unique and stunning similes, ending with that celebration of a renowned Sangam King. A moving expression by the lady on how the elements seem to turn an enemy, when her beloved was not by her side, and the hope she has of conquering this foe, in the near future, just with an embrace of her dearest!
In this episode, we listen to a man’s yearning to be back home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 124, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming jasmines and buzzing bees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and describes a homeward journey.
‘நன் கலம் களிற்றொடு நண்ணார் ஏந்தி,
வந்து திறை கொடுத்து, வணங்கினர், வழிமொழிந்து
சென்றீக’ என்பஆயின், வேந்தனும்
நிலம் வருத்துறாஅ ஈண்டிய தானையொடு
இன்றே புகுதல் வாய்வது நன்றே.
மாட மாண் நகர்ப் பாடு அமை சேக்கைத்
துனி தீர் கொள்கை நம் காதலி இனிதுற,
பாசறை வருத்தம் வீட, நீயும்
மின்னு நிமிர்ந்தன்ன பொன் இயற் புனை படை,
கொய்சுவல் புரவி, கை கவர் வயங்கு பரி,
வண் பெயற்கு அவிழ்ந்த பைங் கொடி முல்லை
வீ கமழ் நெடு வழி ஊதுவண்டு இரிய,
காலை எய்த, கடவுமதி மாலை
அந்திக் கோவலர் அம் பணை இமிழ் இசை
அரமிய வியலகத்து இயம்பும்
நிரை நிலை ஞாயில் நெடு மதில் ஊரே.
In this familiar path through the forest, we hear the man say these words to his charioteer, when he’s about to return home, after completing his mission of aiding his king in battle:
“If it becomes true that enemies would arrive with elephants and fine vessels, offer tributes, bow to the king, praise his greatness and bid farewell, then there’s a good chance that the king, along with his huge army, which torments the earth beneath, would return to his country today. That’s a good thing!
In the fine, decorated mansion, upon the well-crafted bed, lies my beloved with no notion of dislike. To delight her and to diminish my pains of the battlefield, you have to ride like a flash of lightning, wielding with firm reins, the speedy horses, having a swaying mane and fitted with a golden saddle. Dashing through the long roads, fragrant with the scent of fallen flowers of the wild jasmine, with green vines, loosened by the steady downpour, at the time, when bees buzz along, hasten, so that, as the fine music of beautiful bamboo flutes of the herders resounds around the widespread spaces, we shall reach the tall-walled town, with rows of fortified gates!”
Time to trot along in the speeding chariot through the fragrant forest! The man looks at the happenings around him and declares everything looks set for the enemies to surrender to his king, offer him tributes, and bid him farewell. He declares that would be a wonderful thing because in that case the king would return with his huge army, back to his capital. The man’s mind turns to his beloved waiting patiently for him back home and he sees how she has not a bit of anger towards him. He decides that he must delight this beautiful soul, and at the same time, give him the much needed relief from the exertions of the battlefield. To this end, the man concludes by asking his charioteer to ride like the lightning through the forests, blooming with jasmines and buzzing with bees, and enter the gates of his fortified town, even as the music from the flutes of the herders spreads around that space, in the tormenting hour of twilight. In this request to express the eagerness in the man’s heart to be back home, we learn about the man’s mission to aid a king in battle, the success of that king, the mode of transport, the highways of the past, the season of flowering jasmines and the man’s rich and fortified town, implying his position as a wealthy lord and leader! Amusing how there’s so much story in these simple words, whose modern equivalent would be nothing more than a GPS location!
In this episode, we perceive the troubled mind of a man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 123, penned by Kaveripoompattinaththu Kaarikkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse talks about the oscillations in the midst of an endeavour.
உண்ணாமையின் உயங்கிய மருங்கின்
ஆடாப் படிவத்து ஆன்றோர் போல,
வரை செறி சிறு நெறி நிரைபுடன் செல்லும்
கான யானை கவின் அழி குன்றம்
இறந்து, பொருள் தருதலும் ஆற்றாய்; சிறந்த
சில் ஐங் கூந்தல் நல் அகம் பொருந்தி
ஒழியின், வறுமை அஞ்சுதி; அழிதகவு
உடைமதி வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! நிலவு என
நெய் கனி நெடு வேல் எஃகின் இமைக்கும்
மழை மருள் பல் தோல் மா வண் சோழர்
கழை மாய் காவிரிக் கடல் மண்டு பெருந் துறை,
இறவொடு வந்து கோதையொடு பெயரும்
பெருங் கடல் ஓதம் போல,
ஒன்றில் கொள்ளாய், சென்று தரு பொருட்கே.
In this little trip to the drylands, we journey more into the mind rather than this domain, as we hear the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands, having parted from the lady in search of wealth:
“Having the shrivelled, starving stomachs of ascetics, who bathe not, jungle elephants, along with their herd, walk on, in the small path, amidst the dense mountains, in those highlands, bereft of beauty. You seem not to be able to go there steadfastly and bring back wealth; On the other hand, you are not able to stay on the beautiful bosom of my beloved with fine, beautiful tresses, woven into five-part braids, because you fear the poverty that would ensue; You are doomed, may you live long, my heart! Having well-oiled, tall iron spears that shine like the moon, and many shields, akin to rain clouds, are the great and compassionate Chozha kings. Akin to the waves of the huge ocean, which arrives with shrimps and parts away with garlands, from their huge river shore of Kaveri, whose bed no bamboo pole can touch, you stay not firm in one place, with the sole intention of bringing back wealth!”
Let’s listen to the troubles that walk along with the man through the drylands! The man starts by presenting a vivid image of elephants, walking in a herd through narrow paths amidst mountains, which are shorn of their usual beauty, no doubt owing to the scorching summer. He zooms on to how the bellies of these beasts are shrivelled up, and to etch the image, he brings in the parallel of the shrunken stomachs of ascetics, who don’t eat or bathe, but are intent on their penance. After describing the drylands with this singular image, the man accuses his heart of not going there, with determination, to earn wealth, and at the same time, not staying with his beloved lady, because it feared the lack of wealth. Because of this, his heart seemed to be behaving like the waves of the huge ocean that arrives at the river mouth of the Chozhas’ Kaveri, showering the shrimps it holds, and stealing the garlands on the shore, moving forwards and backwards, and refusing to stay in one place, the one that would make him earn wealth and return, the man concludes.
A simple thought about a heart that wavers even after a decision has been taken! The man seems to be separating himself from his heart to see how he wants to go forward and earn wealth, and at the same time, remain in the joy of his beloved’s company. This seeming contradiction he projects on his heart and hopes to find the will to keep moving forward towards his goal. A relatable verse whose thought about the pendulum motion of a heart swings across time timelessly!
In this episode, we listen to a list of impediments to trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 122, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the hooting owls and crowing roosters of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse presents the problems in the present and subtly nudges a change of course.
இரும் பிழி மகாஅர் இவ் அழுங்கல் மூதூர்
விழவு இன்றுஆயினும் துஞ்சாது ஆகும்;
மல்லல் ஆவண மறுகு உடன் மடியின்,
வல் உரைக் கடுஞ் சொல் அன்னை துஞ்சாள்;
பிணி கோள் அருஞ் சிறை அன்னை துஞ்சின்,
துஞ்சாக் கண்ணர் காவலர் கடுகுவர்;
இலங்குவேல் இளையர் துஞ்சின், வை எயிற்று
வலம் சுரித் தோகை ஞாளி மகிழும்;
அர வாய் ஞமலி மகிழாது மடியின்,
பகல் உரு உறழ நிலவுக் கான்று விசும்பின்
அகல்வாய் மண்டிலம் நின்று விரியும்மே;
திங்கள் கல் சேர்பு கனை இருள் மடியின்,
இல் எலி வல்சி வல் வாய்க் கூகை
கழுது வழங்கு யாமத்து அழிதகக் குழறும்;
வளைக்கண் சேவல் வாளாது மடியின்,
மனைச் செறி கோழி மாண் குரல் இயம்பும்;
எல்லாம் மடிந்தகாலை ஒரு நாள்
நில்லா நெஞ்சத்து அவர் வாரலரே; அதனால்,
அரி பெய் புட்டில் ஆர்ப்பப் பரி சிறந்து,
ஆதி போகிய பாய்பரி நன் மா
நொச்சி வேலித் தித்தன் உறந்தைக்
கல் முதிர் புறங்காட்டு அன்ன
பல் முட்டின்றால் தோழி! நம் களவே.
It’s all about who sleeps and who doesn’t, in this trip to the mountains, where we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, before a nightly tryst, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“Having people, who ceaselessly delight in drinking toddy, this uproarious, ancient town sleeps not, even when there are no festivities; Even if the buzzing markets and bustling streets fall asleep, mother who speaks sharp, harsh words sleeps not; Even if mother, who is akin to a strong prison that ties one down, sleeps, with sleepless eyes, guards would roam about hither and thither; Even if those young helpers with shining spears sleep, the sharp-toothed dog, with a right-whorled tail, would bark aloud; Even if that saw-mouthed dog doesn’t bark and falls asleep, rendering the appearance of day, the moon would spread its light, standing so bright in the middle of the wide sky; Even if the moon were to disappear into the mountains and fall sleep, rendering a thick darkness, the strong-mouthed owl, which has just nabbed the house rat, would hoot, evoking terror in the midnight hour, when ghouls walk about; Even if the owl, which lives in a tree hollow, sleeps without a peep, the rooster that lives in the house would crow out with its rich voice; Even on a day, when everything falls asleep, he, who has a heart that stays not in one place, does not turn up;
Lord Thithan, has fine, pouncing horses, which trot to a perfect rhythm, making their pebble-filled anklets resound, and he rules over Uranthai, surrounded by a fence of chaste trees. Akin to the dense, mountainous protective forest around Thiththan’s Uranthai, filled with obstacles many, is my secret love relationship with him, my friend!”
Time to go on a midnight prowl in the mountains! The lady starts by talking about how the people in their town, who are known to relish toddy, don’t seem to sleep at all, even if there’s no excuse of a festival time. If at all, by some good grace, the town, with its busy marketplaces and streets, finally rest, their mother, who speaks sharp words, does not seem to sleep; If mother sleeps, then the guards don’t sleep and keep roaming about, doing their duty; If these guards decide it’s time to get some winks, then the dog takes their place and keeps up its loud barking; Even if the dog were to call it a day, the moon too would call the night a day and spread its bright rays, standing bang in the middle of the sky; Even if the moon decides to end its shine and settle down in the mountains, the owl, which has captured a rat, celebrates its success with a loud hoot; Even if the owl settles down without a squeak, our friend, the rooster, decides it’s time to grace the world with its resounding voice; By some glorious fortune, if at all, all these various creatures decide to render perfect silence, then that day, the man, who’s always wavering, doesn’t come here, the lady connects. She ends by saying just like the protected, stone jungle around the well-guarded town of Uranthai, ruled by Thithan, who has pouncing horses, the path of her love relationship with the man, was filled with pitfalls many!
In essence, the lady is telling the man, ‘Don’t you see how many things have to go right for us to keep doing what we do?’. Hearing this angst-filled question from his beloved, the man would hopefully give up this temporary trysting and seek her hand in marriage. Beyond the usual theme of ‘Marry me, marry me’, what stays with us is the logical and lucid outlining of all the risks and dangers of the present course of action, which is the perfect fuel for the journey forward. Isn’t it a classic lesson to follow even today, whenever a wise voice within hints to us, ‘It’s time to change that path!’
In this episode, we perceive an animated reaction to a proposal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 121, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relates the discomfort in a journey through this domain.
நாம் நகை உடையம் நெஞ்சே! கடுந் தெறல்
வேனில் நீடிய வான் உயர் வழி நாள்
வறுமை கூரிய மண் நீர்ச் சிறு குளத்
தொடுகுழி மருங்கில் துவ்வாக் கலங்கல்
கன்றுடை மடப் பிடிக் கயந்தலை மண்ணி,
சேறு கொண்டு ஆடிய வேறுபடு வயக் களிறு
செங் கோல் வால் இணர் தயங்கத் தீண்டி,
சொரி புறம் உரிஞிய நெறி அயல் மரா அத்து
அல்குறு வரி நிழல் அசைஇ, நம்மொடு
தான் வரும் என்ப, தட மென் தோளி
உறுகண் மழவர் உருள் கீண்டிட்ட
ஆறு செல் மாக்கள் சோறு பொதி வெண் குடை
கனை விசைக் கடு வளி எடுத்தலின், துணை செத்து
வெருள் ஏறு பயிரும் ஆங்கண்,
கரு முக முசுவின் கானத்தானே.
In this crisp trip through the drylands, we encounter many different scenes as we hear the man say these words to his heart, on hearing from the lady’s confidante that the lady intends to accompany the man, if he were to part away:
“It makes me burst out laughing, O heart! As the sweltering heat of summer rained down day after day on those sky-high paths, impoverished, the tank dug up for drinking water, turns muddy, losing its moisture. In that slushy space with undrinkable water, a strong male elephant rubs mud on the soft head of its pregnant, naive mate, and then bathes in that mud. With its hue changed, it pulls the red-stalked, white clusters hesitantly and then rubs its rough and itchy back on the burflower tree, near the path. Resting under the lined shade of such a tree, the maiden with curving, soft arms, would accompany me, they say, through those paths, where after harsh-eyed highway robbers have troubled wayfarers, their white palmyra boxes holding food, would be carried away by fast-blowing winds, and would sound like a shower of arrows to a male deer, which would call out frightened, for the safety of its mate, in that jungle, filled with black-faced monkeys many!”
Let’s join the man in his walk through the drylands and learn more! The man starts by saying that he has heard some really amusing words that are making him laugh out loud. Without saying what these are, the man launches into a long description of the drylands, in which first we see how the sun has scorched the moisture out of the region, in that harsh season of summer, and owing to that, tanks that had been dug up thoughtfully to provide drinking water to wayfarers had dried up, and in that slush-filled vicinity, a male elephant was cooling its pregnant mate’s head by rubbing some mud, and then, the male elephant takes care of itself by rolling in that slush with meagre moisture, after which it searches for a burflower tree trunk to rub its scratchy back against. The man connects to this scene by saying that the lady was planning to come with him, through the drylands, resting under such a burflower tree now and then, and walk on. He then goes on to describe that space as filled with paths, where highway robbers have troubled wayfarers and the lunch boxes of these travellers, made of palmyra leaves were lying scattered, only to be picked up by the hot wind. As these palmyra leaves are pushed and pulled by the hot winds, the sound that arises resembles a shower of arrows, which startles a male deer and makes it fear for the safety of its mate, and such is the jungle, filled with black faced monkeys that the lady wants to accompany him, the man concludes, explaining that this was the reason for his mirth!
That the man believes that such a drylands path was no place for his delicate lady is evident from his reaction. The portrayal of the male elephant taking care of its mate by rubbing mud and the male deer startled by the seeming sound of arrows and worried about its mate’s safety are all projections of the man’s mind about his beloved’s ability to bear the dangers and discomfort of the journey through the drylands. Is this a right assessment of the lady’s ability to handle the discomfort or an underestimation of her abilities? It reminds me of the mother’s amazement at how her delicate girl is going to bear the journey through the drylands, when she hears that the girl has eloped away with her man. In both instances, love is being portrayed as fear and protectiveness. Something tells me in spite of all these worries in the minds of those who care, the lady has what it takes to brave the discomforts and take on any journey she needs to!
In this episode, we listen to a pointed request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 120, penned by Nakeeranaar. The verse is situated in the blue-lotus blooming backwaters of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and presents a subtle way to change a person’s course of action.
நெடு வேள் மார்பின் ஆரம் போல,
செவ் வாய் வானம் தீண்டி, மீன் அருந்தும்
பைங் காற் கொக்கினம் நிரை பறை உகப்ப,
எல்லை பைப்பயக் கழிப்பி, குடவயின்
கல் சேர்ந்தன்றே, பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு
மதர் எழில் மழைக் கண் கலுழ, இவளே
பெரு நாண் அணிந்த சிறு மென் சாயல்
மாண் நலம் சிதைய ஏங்கி, ஆனாது,
அழல் தொடங்கினளே பெரும! அதனால்
கழிச் சுறா எறிந்த புண் தாள் அத்திரி
நெடு நீர் இருங் கழிப் பரி மெலிந்து, அசைஇ,
வல் வில் இளையரொடு எல்லிச் செல்லாது,
சேர்ந்தனை செலினே சிதைகுவது உண்டோ
பெண்ணை ஓங்கிய வெண் மணற் படப்பை
அன்றில் அகவும் ஆங்கண்,
சிறு குரல் நெய்தல் எம் பெருங் கழி நாட்டே?
A scenic trip to the coast where we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he comes to tryst with the lady:
“Akin to the garland on the chest of the Tall-speared One, grazing against the reddened twilight sky, the green-legged flock of storks, which feed on fish, spread their wings in a neat row. Slowly, slowly, diminishing the day, the many-rayed sun has reached the mountains in the west. Her beautiful, rain-like eyes fill with tears, and she, adorned with a great modesty and having a delicate, fine appearance, pines away and destroys her celebrated beauty with her ceaseless shedding of tears, O lord! And so, without taxing your mule, which is moving slowly in the vast spaces of the dark backwaters, as its legs have been wounded by the attack of backwater sharks, instead of leaving with your helpers, wielding strong bows, during the day, would anything fall to ruin, if you were stay for longer and then leave from this country, filled with vast backwaters, brimming with small-stalked blue lotuses, wherein palm trees soar upon white sands and the red-naped ibis cries aloud?”
Time to take in the sounds of an evening by the sea! The confidante starts by sketching the time of the day and to do that she calls a God denoted as the ‘Tall-speared one’, most probably referring to God Murugan. She zooms on to the white flower garlands encircling his red-hued chest and says that’s exactly how the storks are rising in neat rows on the canvas of the blushing sky at dusk. Then, the confidante details the time of the day even more closely by saying that the sun has slowly drawn the curtains on the day and had gone to rest its many rays in the mountains of the west. Now, from this detailed look at the time of the day, the confidante turns her attention to the crux of the matter and points to how the lady seems to be shedding tears ceaselessly, ruining her beauty. When we ask why, instead of explaining directly, she makes us understand through her next question to the man, wherein she asks what harm would happen if at all he would defer leaving with his bow-clad helpers and his mule, which is anyway moving slowly, wounded by the attack of sharks in the backwaters, and instead stay there in the lady’s village, filled with white sands, where palm trees sprout tall, and atop which, a red-naped ibis is crying aloud!
Remember how these birds were seen as an inseparable couple that even death can’t part, in the eyes of Sangam folks? Subtly evoking this profound feeling, the confidante seems to be asking the man, ‘Don’t you hear the pining of the lady in the call of that red-naped ibis?’. These words are to convey to the man how his absence seems to affect the lady so greatly, and thereby, gently nudge him to give up this now-on-now-off trysting, and instead seek the forever joy of a permanent union. A sudden thought pops up in my mind as to whether all such songs are a tool employed to tell us to go beyond the temporary and transient to the permanent and lasting, in all that we feel, think and do!
In this episode, we perceive the yearning in a lady to part away with her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 119, penned by Kudavayil Keeraththanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents various aspects of this domain.
”நுதலும் தோளும், திதலை அல்குலும்,
வண்ணமும், வனப்பும், வரியும், வாட
வருந்துவள், இவள்” எனத் திருந்துபு நோக்கி,
”வரைவு நன்று” என்னாது அகலினும், அவர் வறிது,
ஆறு செல் மாக்கள் அறுத்த பிரண்டை,
ஏறு பெறு பாம்பின் பைந் துணி கடுப்ப,
நெறி அயல் திரங்கும் அத்தம், வெறி கொள,
உமண் சாத்து இறந்த ஒழி கல் அடுப்பில்
நோன் சிலை மழவர் ஊன் புழுக்கு அயரும்
சுரன் வழக்கு அற்றது என்னாது, உரம் சிறந்து,
நெய்தல் உருவின் ஐது இலங்கு அகல் இலை,
தொடை அமை பீலிப் பொலிந்த கடிகை,
மடை அமை திண் சுரை, மாக் காழ் வேலொடு
தணி அமர் அழுவம் தம்மொடு துணைப்ப,
துணிகுவர்கொல்லோ தாமே துணிகொள
மறப் புலி உழந்த வசி படு சென்னி
உறுநோய் வருத்தமொடு உணீஇய மண்டி,
படி முழம் ஊன்றிய நெடு நல் யானை
கை தோய்த்து உயிர்க்கும் வறுஞ் சுனை,
மை தோய் சிமைய, மலைமுதல் ஆறே?
A winding tour of the drylands in this one, where we hear these words spoken by the lady to her confidante, who has come with the news of the man’s intention to part away from the lady:
“Without seeing with clear eyes that ‘Making her forehead, arms and spotted waist lose its light, lustre and lines, she would worry greatly’, and without deciding ‘Seeking her hand is the right way’, he intends to part away to those barren paths, cluttered with the vines of the adamant creeper, appearing akin to pieces of a snake, shot down by thunder. Near such paths in the drylands, reeking with odour, lies the stone stove, abandoned by the caravan of salt merchants, now being used by highway robbers, with curving bows, to cook their meat. Without thinking that such spaces are forsaken by all, with strength in his heart, holding a dark-tubed spear, which appears akin to a blue lotus, and is fitted firmly, with a beautiful, shining, leaf-like tip and a stem, adorned with peacock feathers, as he leaves to subdue that raging battlefield, will he dare to take me along, in that mountain path, surrounded by dark clouds, where a tall, fine elephant, attacked by a strong tiger, and wounded on its head, with much pain and sorrow, bends its legs and thrusts its trunk in vain into that dried-up spring, letting out a loud sigh?”
Time to capture the essence of this desolate space. The lady starts by declaring how the man doesn’t seem to realise that she would lose her health and beauty and be thrown into the throes of depression. Why she says this is because the man seems to have no thought about seeking her hand, but instead he has decided to walk on, to aid his king and subdue the enemy in that raging battlefield. To this end, the man walks on with his sturdy spear for company, through the drylands, where one can see pieces of ‘pirandai’ vines, chopped up by wayfarers, appearing like pieces of a snake, severed by thunder. A moment to note that this is an echo of the Sangam people’s belief that thunder was snake’s arch enemy and it had this one purpose of ruining this creature! Returning, the lady moves on to other sights, bringing our attention to an abandoned, old stove, which once belonged to travelling salt merchants, now under the custody of the fear-evoking robbers, who are using the apparatus to cook their reeking meat. The lady continues her description of the drylands by talking about the plight of an elephant, wounded on its head by a fierce tiger, which has come running, panting, seeking a drop of refreshing water, and has found only a dried-up spring, and no matter how it nudges with its trunk, no water rises to quench its angst, making that gentle giant let out a loud sigh. Connecting that this is where her man walks, the lady concludes by wondering if the man would dare to take her along through such a drylands path.
The lady wishes to elope away with the man, instead of falling a prey to the slander of the townsfolk, much like how the stone stove belonging to the salt merchants has fallen into the fierce hands of the highway robbers. She sketches her own state of pain and anguish by projecting these emotions on the wounded elephant in search of the succour of water. The question remains as to whether the man would concede to take the lady along through these dangerous paths or will he choose the alternate path of seeking the approval of the lady’s kith and kin to marry her. Whatever be his answer, the verse echoes how the lady has boldly decided that ‘No matter the danger, my place is by my man’s side!’.
In this episode, we perceive words of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 118, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the roars of drums and tigers in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and points the way forward in a subtle manner.
கறங்கு வெள் அருவி பிறங்கு மலைக் கவாஅன்,
தேம் கமழ் இணர வேங்கை சூடி,
தொண்டகப் பறைச் சீர் பெண்டிரொடு விரைஇ,
மறுகில் தூங்கும் சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கத்து,
இயல் முருகு ஒப்பினை, வய நாய் பிற்பட,
பகல் வரின், கவ்வை அஞ்சுதும்; இகல் கொள,
இரும் பிடி கன்றொடு விரைஇய கய வாய்ப்
பெருங் கை யானைக் கோள் பிழைத்து, இரீஇய
அடு புலி வழங்கும் ஆர் இருள் நடு நாள்
தனியை வருதல் அதனினும் அஞ்சுதும்.
என் ஆகுவள்கொல்தானே? பல் நாள்
புணர் குறி செய்த புலர்குரல் ஏனல்
கிளி கடி பாடலும் ஒழிந்தனள்;
அளியள்தான், நின் அளி அலது இலளே!
A short trip to the mountains where we hear the confidante say these words to the man:
“Near the radiant mountain slopes, where white cascades resound, wearing honey-fragrant clusters of Kino flowers, they dance together with beautiful women, to the beat of ‘thondakam’ drums, in the streets of our little hamlet. Having an appearance, akin to God Murugu, followed by strong dogs, if you were to come by day, we fear the slander that would follow;
A male elephant, with a huge and curving trunk, escapes capture, and takes its dark mate and calf to safety, thereby maddening a killer tiger, which roams around with fury, in the deep darkness of midnight. If you were to come by, all alone, at that time, we fear that even more.
But what is to become of her? In the millet fields with drying stalks, where you trysted together for many days, she no more sings songs to chase away parrots. She is to be pitied indeed, for she has nothing to lean on but your grace!”
Let’s take in the sights of the dancing mountain folk and the fleeing elephant family and learn more! The confidante starts by saying if the man were to come by day, adorned with Kino flower clusters, appearing like God Murugan himself, when mountain men would dance along with their women, to the beat of thondakam drums, he would be discovered and slander would spread. If instead, he were to come at night, all alone, when an elephant has just escaped from the attack of a tiger, leaving the beast to fume over, and wait for another prey, that would cause even more anxiety in the lady, the confidante mentions. Then she talks about how the lady is to pitied so much because there’s going to be no more singing to chase away parrots in the millet fields, the favourite trysting spot of the man and the lady this far, and concludes by saying the lady is to be pitied for she relies on seeing the man and receiving his graces more than anything else.
In a nutshell, the confidante says to the man, ‘Don’t come by night, Don’t come by day; Lady’s locked up; No more trysting for you’. Through this, she intends to convince the man that the only course of action is to seek a permanent union with the lady. Again, a clever negotiation technique by presenting the risks and losses in the present course of action, nudging another without explicitly commanding to choose the right path!
In this episode, we listen to a mother’s words of love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 117, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse brings out the tender thoughts in a mother’s heart at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement.
மௌவலொடு மலர்ந்த மாக் குரல் நொச்சியும்,
அவ் வரி அல்குல் ஆயமும், உள்ளாள்,
ஏதிலன் பொய்ம்மொழி நம்பி, ஏர் வினை
வளம் கெழு திரு நகர் புலம்பப் போகி,
வெருவரு கவலை ஆங்கண், அருள்வர,
கருங் கால் ஓமை ஏறி, வெண் தலைப்
பருந்து பெடை பயிரும் பாழ் நாட்டு ஆங்கண்,
பொலந்தொடி தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி; சேவடிச்
சிலம்பு நக இயலிச் சென்ற என் மகட்கே
சாந்து உளர் வணர் குரல் வாரி, வகைவகுத்து;
யான் போது துணைப்ப, தகரம் மண்ணாள்,
தன் ஓரன்ன தகை வெங் காதலன்
வெறி கமழ் பல் மலர் புனையப் பின்னுவிட,
சிறுபுறம் புதைய நெறிபு தாழ்ந்தனகொல்
நெடுங் கால் மாஅத்து ஊழுறு வெண் பழம்
கொடுந் தாள் யாமை பார்ப்பொடு கவரும்
பொய்கை சூழ்ந்த, பொய்யா யாணர்,
வாணன் சிறுகுடி வடாஅது
தீம் நீர்க் கான்யாற்று அவிர்அறல் போன்றே?
It’s more about the lady than the drylands in this trip and we hear these words spoken by the lady’s mother, after the lady has eloped away with her man:
“Without thinking about the chaste tree with dark leaf clusters, upon which wild jasmine vines spread and bloom, or her playmates with beautiful, lined waists, believing in the lies of that stranger, she has left her well-etched, prosperous mansion in loneliness, and departed to that fear-evoking path, where climbing atop a black-trunked toothbrush tree, the white-headed kite calls out piteously to its mate, in the expanses of those wastelands. Here, she walks swaying her hands, making her golden bangles jangle, and the anklets on her red feet tinkle. When I used to comb her thick tresses, coated with dried sandalwood paste, split it into parts, and adorn it with flowers, she would refuse to let me apply the ‘agarwood’ paste. Now, when her esteemed lover, who has a great love just like hers, ties many different flowers, wafting with intense fragrance, on her tresses, would it hide the small of her back and descend down, appearing akin to the radiant sand on the shore of the wild river with sweet waters, which flows to the north of Vaanan’s ‘Sirukudi’, with unending fertility, filled with ponds, where tortoises with curved legs, along with their little ones, nab the fallen ripe, white fruits of the tall-trunked mango tree?”
Time to hear the sad cry of a drylands kite! Mother starts by declaring how her girl didn’t spare a thought either for the ‘nochchi’ tree that she grew with love, or her dearest playmates, with whom she has spent many an hour of joy, and just believing in the false words of a strange man, she has left them all, leaving their wealthy mansion to cry in loneliness. Then, mother turns to briefly mention where the lady is walking and this happens to be drylands path, where a white-headed bird of prey, possibly a Brahminy Kite, is crying out to its mate, sitting atop a toothbrush tree. Here, mother sees her daughter walking vigorously with her bangles and anklets tinkling. Then, her mind rewinds to that past moment when she would adorn the lady’s hair with flowers and try to apply a paste referred to as ‘thakaram’, and at that moment, the lady would refuse to let her mother do that. A moment to pause and investigate this ‘thakaram’ mentioned! On researching, I learnt that this could be either a paste or an oil made from ‘agarwood’, a natural resin, which is referred to as ‘liquid gold’ for such is its worth, and apparently, this ingredient is found in many hair products, and it seems to endow numerous benefits such as providing strength and nourishment for the hair, and also controlling dandruff and lice too! These ancient mothers seem to have realised the many benefits of this wood, exploited by the cosmetic industry currently!
Returning, mother’s thoughts seem to turn from the past, where she was grooming her girl’s hair, to the present, when she imagines the lady’s lover to be tying many different, fragrant flowers to the lady’s head, and she wonders if her girl’s tresses would descend down, and appear like the silty sand on the river shores, to the north of a town called ‘Sirukudi’, belonging to a lord named ‘Vaanan’, where there were many fertile ponds, and the tortoises living therein would savour the fallen fruits of the mango tree. In short, mother weaves a garland between that past moment of her caressing her daughter’s hair to this present moment, where another, the lady’s lover, has taken over. A moment of realisation in mother that her young girl was no more hers to protect, but someone whose joy has now passed on to the care of other hands!
In this episode, we hear the reason for a refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 116, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the paddy stalks and lotus blooms of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and illustrates the events of a historic battle.
எரி அகைந்தன்ன தாமரை இடை இடை
அரிந்து கால் குவித்த செந் நெல் வினைஞர்
கள் கொண்டு மறுகும் சாகாடு அளற்று உறின்,
ஆய் கரும்பு அடுக்கும் பாய்புனல் ஊர!
பெரிய நாண் இலைமன்ற; ‘பொரி எனப்
புன்கு அவிழ் அகன்துறைப் பொலிய, ஒள் நுதல்,
நறு மலர்க்காண் வரும் குறும் பல் கூந்தல்,
மாழை நோக்கின், காழ் இயல் வன முலை,
எஃகுடை எழில் நலத்து, ஒருத்தியொடு நெருநை
வைகுபுனல் அயர்ந்தனை’ என்ப; அதுவே,
பொய் புறம் பொதிந்து, யாம் கரப்பவும், கையிகந்து
அலர் ஆகின்றால் தானே; மலர்தார்,
மை அணி யானை, மறப் போர்ச் செழியன்
பொய்யா விழவின் கூடற் பறந்தலை,
உடன் இயைந்து எழுந்த இரு பெரு வேந்தர்
கடல் மருள் பெரும் படை கலங்கத் தாக்கி,
இரங்குஇசை முரசம் ஒழிய, பரந்து அவர்
ஓடுபுறம் கண்ட ஞான்றை,
ஆடு கொள் வியன் களத்து ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே.
A trip to the farmlands, which throbs against our eardrums, as we hear these words said by the confidante to the man, when he seeks entry to the lady’s house, after his tryst with a courtesan:
“In the midst of lotus flowers, blazing like a fire, harvesters heap stalks of red paddy. When the cart, which roves around, bringing fresh toddy to them, gets stuck in the mud, they chop and pile beautiful stems of sugarcane in a row to heave the cart out. Such is the prosperous town of yours with pouncing streams!
You have no sense of shame, O lord! They say, ‘By the wide shores, where the beechwood tree, with blooming flowers, akin to puffed rice, you were playing along with a maiden, who has a shining forehead, short and thick tresses woven with many fragrant flowers, eyes akin to tender mangoes, a beauteous bosom, adorned by a pearl strand, the one who has an intricate, fine beauty, in the brimming streams yesterday’. Even though we tried to suppress it saying it’s nothing but a lie, beyond our hold, it leaps out and spreads as slander.
The courageous, battle-worthy Chezhian, who possesses dark and decorated elephants adorned with flower garlands, attacked and shattered the huge sea-like armies of the two great kings, who came together in the battlefield of Koodal, with unending festivities, and made them abandon their roaring drums and run away. At that moment, when the backs of the retreating enemies were seen, in that wide battlefield, filled with victory dances, a tumultuous shout erupted. The slander that spreads because of you is louder than that uproar!”
Sparks are flying in the land of plenty again! The confidante starts by describing the man’s town as a place, where harvesters heap red paddy amidst red lotuses, which appear like a blazing fire. These lines paint the song red, hinting at the angry mood that is to follow. The confidante also talks about a roving toddy cart, which apparently goes about the fields, quenching the thirst of these hardworking harvesters. Being a slushy terrain, the carts would happen to get lodged in the mud, and to help these carts to be on their way, the harvesters seemed to chop the sugarcane stalks growing by, without a thought, and use that as a board to heave the cart out. After that seemingly random description of the man’s town, the confidante comes to the crux of the issue, and tells the man that many people were saying that the man was courting a courtesan by the river shores, having great fun with her, by playing in the stream. She claims that she and the lady’s friends tried to shush it calling it a lie, but even so, the slander was spreading.
To describe the nature of this slander, the confidante traverses to the famous battlefield of Koodal, where the Pandya King Chezhiyan routed the armies of the two other great kings, namely the Chera and Chozha kings, making their armies, which had been akin to twin seas, abandon their war drums and retreat. The moment they retreated, there arose a victorious uproar on that battlefield and the man’s doings was making the slander soar louder than that uproar, the confidante connects and concludes.
In that scene of sugarcane being chopped to pull out the cart from the slush, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man was ruining the beauty of the lady and climbing over her goodness, so that he could rove about and frolic with the courtesans, akin to that toddy cart! A clear ‘No’ to the man’s ‘May I come in?’, said by the confidante, on behalf of the lady. We take note of a momentous conflict between the three great rulers of ancient Tamil land, and how two of them sided against one, and in spite of that, how that one emerged the victor in the battlefield at that ancient and ageless city of Koodal, known as ‘Madurai’ in contemporary times. Yet again, the Sangam poets prove that they are masters of creativity, adept at weaving the ripples of a domestic tussle with the roar of a historic battle!
In this episode, we perceive the pain in a lady’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 115, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the consequences of the man’s parting away.
அழியா விழவின், அஞ்சுவரு மூதூர்ப்
பழி இலர்ஆயினும், பலர் புறங்கூறும்
அம்பல் ஒழுக்கமும் ஆகியர்; வெஞ் சொல்
சேரிஅம் பெண்டிர் எள்ளினும் எள்ளுக;
நுண் பூண் எருமை குட நாட்டன்ன என்
ஆய்நலம் தொலையினும் தொலைக; என்றும்
நோய் இலராக, நம் காதலர் வாய் வாள்
எவ்வி வீழ்ந்த செருவில் பாணர்
கைதொழு மரபின் முன் பரித்து இடூஉப் பழிச்சிய
வள் உயிர் வணர் மருப்பு அன்ன, ஒள் இணர்ச்
சுடர்ப் பூங் கொன்றை ஊழுறு விளைநெற்று
அறைமிசைத் தாஅம் அத்த நீளிடை,
பிறை மருள் வான் கோட்டு அண்ணல் யானை,
சினம் மிகு முன்பின், வாம் மான், அஞ்சி
இனம் கொண்டு ஒளிக்கும் அஞ்சுவரு கவலை,
நன்னர் ஆய்கவின் தொலைய, சேய் நாட்டு,
நம் நீத்து உறையும் பொருட்பிணிக்
கூடாமையின் நீடியோரே.
In this tour of the drylands, we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man, who went in search of wealth, remains parted away.
“In our formidable, ancient town, with endless festivities, even when there is no need for censure, there are many who speak behind the back and spread slander. Let those women of the village, who speak harsh words, mock at me, if they want to; Let my fine beauty, akin to Kudanaadu, ruled by Erumai, wearing intricate ornaments, be ruined, if it has to be!
Akin to the resounding, curving stems of lutes, broken and thrown with worshipping, folded hands by bards, when Evvi, with a victorious sword, fell in the battlefield, mature seed pods of the radiant golden shower tree, lies scattered on the rock surfaces in the drylands path, where Anji, who possesses esteemed elephants, with crescent-moon-like, white tusks, and raging, strong horses, hides herds of cattle captured from his enemies. Traversing such a fearsome path, letting my exquisite beauty fade, he has forsaken me, departed to a faraway country, and with his affliction to seek wealth not abating, he continues to stay away. I only wish that he remains with no trace of ill health forever!”
Time to walk on through fearsome drylands spaces! The lady starts by talking about her own town. Although it has a lot of good, when considering how it has existed from ancient times and how it seemed to have festivities all year though, there was one thing wrong about it and that was the presence of gossiping women, who cast aspersions, when there is no need at all. After making that statement, the lady declares that she doesn’t mind if those women were going to mock her. Also, she adds that she was not even going to worry if her beauty, which she places in parallel to a place called ‘Kudanaadu’, ruled by a lord called ‘Erumai’, fades away.
After this, she goes on to describe the drylands and do that, she brings before our eyes, the seed pods of golden shower trees lying on rock surfaces, and to etch the image, she places the parallel of a scene, depicting the sorrow of bards, when their generous patron ‘Evvi’ perished in the battlefield, and they broke their fine lutes and threw the curving stems, in front of the dying king, worshipping his greatness. After connecting that element of nature with a historical reference, the lady further describes the drylands as a place where Anji, a leader is known to hide cattle he has raided from his enemies. Crossing such spaces filled with much conflict, the man has left her to seek wealth and that quest seemed to be never-ending, the lady remarks, and concludes by saying that the only thing she wished for, was whatever may happen to her, no harm should befall the man. In spite of all the pain he seems to have inflicted on her, the lady only wishes for the man’s welfare, echoing the true love that beats in her heart!
In this episode, we perceive a man’s eagerness to return to his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 114, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated amidst the scattered flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and visualises a person living far away.
‘கேளாய், எல்ல! தோழி! வேலன்
வெறி அயர் களத்துச் சிறு பல தாஅய
விரவு வீ உறைத்த ஈர் நறும் புறவின்,
உரவுக் கதிர் மழுங்கிய கல் சேர் ஞாயிறு,
அரவு நுங்கு மதியின், ஐயென மறையும்
சிறு புன் மாலையும் உள்ளார் அவர்” என,
நப் புலந்து உறையும் எவ்வம் நீங்க,
நூல் அறி வலவ! கடவுமதி, உவக்காண்
நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் வான் தோய் புரிசை,
யாமம் கொள்பவர் நாட்டிய நளி சுடர்
வானக மீனின் விளங்கித் தோன்றும்,
அருங் கடிக் காப்பின், அஞ்சு வரு, மூதூர்த்
திருநகர் அடங்கிய மாசு இல் கற்பின்,
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண், அமை புரை பணைத் தோள்,
அணங்கு சால், அரிவையைக் காண்குவம்
பொலம்படைக் கலி மாப் பூண்ட தேரே.
In this quick trip to the forests, we get to hear the man say these words to his charioteer, when he is returning after his mission:
“Saying, ‘Listen to me, my friend, in this moist and fragrant forest, scattered with many fallen flowers, akin to the many small flowers, Velan the priest spreads in the arena of the ‘Veri’ ritual, when the sun, with its scorching rays diminished, has reached the mountains, and is vanishing slowly, like the moon being eaten by a snake, at this time of a suffering-filled evening, he does not think about me’, she would be sulking. Lo behold, a sky-soaring fort with tall flags fluttering, where the night guards have planted many bright lamps, glowing akin to the stars in the sky. In this well-protected, formidable ancient town, in a wealthy mansion, with a flawless chastity, having lined, exquisite rain-like eyes, well-set, bamboo-like arms, akin to a goddess, lives the young maiden. So as to see her now and end her sorrow, O charioteer, who knows to wield the reins well, hasten this chariot, tied with proud horses, adorned with golden ornaments!”
Time to trot along with the man and listen to his passion speak! The man starts by imagining the words his beloved would be saying just then. She would be looking at the setting sun, in that forest, spread with many flowers, which would remind her of Velan’s arena during the ‘Veri’ ritual and she would lament that even at such a painful time, the man had no thought of her. So, the man concludes by telling his charioteer that he doesn’t want her to suffer anymore and asks him to speed up his horses to the wealthy mansion of the lady, living in a fortified ancient town, in a wealthy mansion, waiting for his return. From the words in this verse, we can infer that this parting has taken place, before the lady’s marriage to the man, with its subtle mention of ‘Veri’ rituals, and talking about where the lady lives to the charioteer, for if it was the man’s own house, wouldn’t the charioteer know the way? Hope the man reaches his loved one’s abode safe and sound! Wishing that, we can partake in the man’s tender feeling, recalling the moment most of us would have experienced, when returning home eagerly after a parting!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s anguished voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 113, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse pens detailed portraits of some historical characters in the Sangam era.
நன்று அல் காலையும் நட்பின் கோடார்,
சென்று வழிப்படூஉம் திரிபு இல் சூழ்ச்சியின்,
புன் தலை மடப் பிடி அகவுநர் பெருமகன்
அமர் வீசு வண் மகிழ் அஃதை போற்றி,
காப்புக் கைந்நிறுத்த பல் வேல் கோசர்
இளங் கள் கமழும் நெய்தல்அம் செறுவின்
வளம் கெழு நல் நாடு அன்ன என் தோள் மணந்து,
அழுங்கல் மூதூர் அலர் எடுத்து அரற்ற,
நல்காது துறந்த காதலர், ”என்றும்
கல் பொரூஉ மெலியாப் பரட்டின் நோன் அடி
அகல்சூல் அம் சுரைப் பெய்த வல்சியர்
இகந்தனர்ஆயினும், இடம் பார்த்துப் பகைவர்
ஓம்பினர் உறையும் கூழ் கெழு குறும்பில்
குவை இமில் விடைய வேற்று ஆ ஒய்யும்
கனை இருஞ் சுருணைக் கனி காழ் நெடு வேல்
விழவு அயர்ந்தன்ன கொழும் பல் திற்றி
எழாஅப் பாணன் நல் நாட்டு உம்பர்,
நெறி செல் வம்பலர்க் கொன்ற தெவ்வர்
எறிபடை கழீஇய சேயரிச் சில் நீர்
அறுதுறை அயிர் மணற் படுகரைப் போகி,
சேயர்” என்றலின், சிறுமை உற்ற என்
கையறு நெஞ்சத்து எவ்வம் நீங்க,
அழாஅம் உறைதலும் உரியம் பராரை
அலங்கல் அம் சினைக் குடம்பை புல்லெனப்
புலம் பெயர் மருங்கில் புள் எழுந்தாங்கு,
மெய் இவண் ஒழியப் போகி, அவர்
செய்வினை மருங்கில் செலீஇயர், என் உயிரே!
A long trip to the drylands, where we are mostly meeting with royal delegates from those times, and we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man, who went in search of wealth, remains parted away:
“With an unswerving principle of never swaying from the path of friendship, even when times are not good, the Kosars, with their many speared army, supported and stabilised the rule of the great lord Akthai, who renders naive female elephants, with delicate hair, to those who come seeking to him with much joy, even in the battlefield. Akin to the Kosars’ town of ‘NeythalamCheru’, fragrant with the scent of fresh toddy, in their fine and fertile country, are my arms. After embracing that, making this uproarious, ancient town spread slander, without rendering his graces, my lover has parted away.
Pannan, the one who never retreats from his mission, the one who never tires of treading on pebble-filled paths, and walks on with strong feet, resounding musically, the one who carries abundant food in bamboo bowls and delights in fleshy meat, akin to those served in festivities, wielding his well-oiled iron rod with a heavy, dark ring, would seize humped bulls and other cattle, in well-guarded forts with lots of food, belonging to his enemies, locating the same, even if they are far away.
Beyond the extent of Pannan’s fine country, is a shore, forsaken by people, with fine sand and scanty water, which is reddened, because robbers who killed wayfarers, had washed their weapons there. They say he has travelled far beyond this place. Hearing this, wounded lies my helpless heart. To end its suffering, akin to how leaving its nest upon a beautiful, swaying branch of a rough-trunked tree, a bird soars to migrate afar, leaving my body here, my life should depart to the place, where he is at work! If it does, then I may be able to endure this state without tears!”
Time to walk along in those barren spaces and learn more! The lady starts by talking about a king called Akthai, renowned for his generosity to bards, even in the midst of a battle, and how a clan called ‘Kosars’ protected this king, with an unswerving steadiness. She has mentioned these details only to place her own arms in parallel to the prosperous town of these Kosars, fragrant with the scent of toddy, known by the name of ‘NeythalamCheru’. After this very modest comparison by Sangam standards, the lady goes on to talk about another character called Pannan, about how he never tires from walking on pebble filled paths, how he loves to feast on fatty flesh, and how he always locates the forts of his enemies and manages to capture their cattle. Now, these details are mentioned to say that beyond the country of Pannan, there’s an abandoned river shore with very little water, that too reddened by the robbers washing their weapons, which had done their killing work on wayfarers. People have told her that it’s this dangerous path that the man, who loved embracing those beautiful arms of hers, but deserted her, leaving her a prey for the slanderous town, is now treading, the lady connects. She declares the only way to bear this suffering would be if her life were to leave her body and soar to where the man was, much like a bird leaving its nest, when it is time to migrate elsewhere! The lady concludes by saying that only in that case, she could remain without crying, conveying to us that the whole thought is a reply to the confidante’s words of consolation.
Here’s an outlet for pain, which should no doubt bring a sense of calm in the lady. The question I have in this verse is about what determines a poet’s choice of a place or a historical character? Say, in this instance, would the poet be singing this verse in the presence of Akuthai or the Kosars or Pannan or none of the above? Was it a way of recording history through the sketch of these ancient personalities? Whatever be the answer, the verse does take us to a different place and time, and introduces us to certain personalities and their traits, telling us what aspects defined a person in that era!
In this episode, we listen to a persuasive request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 112, penned by Neythal Saaithuitha Aavoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated amidst the roving bears and roaring tigers in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and attempts at changing a person’s path.
கூனல் எண்கின் குறு நடைத் தொழுதி
சிதலை செய்த செந் நிலைப் புற்றின்
மண் புனை நெடுங் கோடு உடைய வாங்கி,
இரை நசைஇப் பரிக்கும் அரைநாட் கங்குல்
ஈன்று அணி வயவுப் பிணப் பசித்தென, மறப் புலி
ஒளிறு ஏந்து மருப்பின் களிறு அட்டுக் குழுமும்
பனி இருஞ் சோலை, ‘எமியம்’ என்னாய்,
தீங்கு செய்தனையே, ஈங்கு வந்தோயே;
நாள் இடைப்படின், என் தோழி வாழாள்;
தோளிடை முயக்கம் நீயும் வெய்யை;
கழியக் காதலர்ஆயினும், சான்றோர்
பழியொடு வரூஉம் இன்பம் வெஃகார்;
வரையின் எவனோ? வான் தோய் வெற்ப!
கணக் கலை இகுக்கும் கறி இவர் சிலம்பின்
மணப்பு அருங் காமம் புணர்ந்தமை அறியார்,
தொன்று இயல் மரபின் மன்றல் அயர,
பெண் கோள் ஒழுக்கம் கண் கொள நோக்கி,
நொதுமல் விருந்தினம் போல, இவள்
புது நாண் ஒடுக்கமும் காண்குவம், யாமே.
Plenty of scenes from the wild in this trip to the mountains, where we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives to tryst with the lady by night:
“A pack of bears, with bent backs and short steps, desiring to eat from tall, red termite mounds, by breaking open the muddy edges, roam about in the middle of the night. At this time, since its mate, which had just given birth was wallowing in hunger, a brave tiger fells an elephant, with upraised, shining tusks, and roars aloud in that cold and dark grove. Without thinking, ‘I’m all alone’, you come here, traversing this space, doing much harm. It’s also true that my friend shan’t live, if a day passes, without you coming here. On your part, you desire embracing her arms very much; Even if it’s on account of love, the wise will never accept a pleasure that comes with censure! And so, why can’t you seek her hand, O lord of the sky-soaring mountains?
In these mountain slopes, flourishing with pepper vines and grunting herds of deer, as those who do not know about your precious, secret love relationship, perform the marriage of their daughter, in the public spaces, according to ancient tradition, I shall feast my eyes on the scene, and in the manner of a visiting stranger, I will gaze at her special new shyness and relish it so!”
Let’s take in the scenes of a mountain country and listen to the heart’s beat! The confidante starts by sketching the dangers of the hill country in the darkness of the night, mentioning hordes of bears roving to feed on termite mounds and a tiger roaring after killing an elephant, so as to satisfy its mate’s hunger. Inspite of all these dangers, the man comes walking in the dark to tryst with the lady and even though it’s an act of love, it’s something wrong, the confidante remarks. She talks about how the lady can’t go on even a day without the man and the man too wishes to embrace the lady. Given this situation, why can’t you seek her hand?, the confidante asks the man. Then, the confidante imagines the day when the lady’s parents would marry the lady to the man, as per their ancient tradition, and particularly, she sees herself standing at a distance, as if she doesn’t know anything about this relationship, and looking at the lady’s shyness like a stranger and smiling at the lady’s joy.
Usually, we have cases of the confidante beating about the bush to convey the message of ‘Marry the lady’ to the man. Here, it’s a refreshing change to see these direct words, propelling the man to action. On a tangent, what a sweet friend she is! Not only does she care and comfort her friend, she also communicates in the perfect way to the other, with logic and compassion, presenting all sides of the story and then showing the only way forward! An inspiring lesson to help us handle the negotiations in life!
In this episode, we perceive words of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 111, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse vividly sketches the life in this domain.
உள் ஆங்கு உவத்தல் செல்லார், கறுத்தோர்
எள்ளல் நெஞ்சத்து ஏஎச் சொல் நாணி
வருவர் வாழி, தோழி! அரச
யானை கொண்ட துகிற் கொடி போல,
அலந்தலை ஞெமையத்து வலந்த சிலம்பி
ஓடைக் குன்றத்துக் கோடையொடு துயல்வர,
மழை என மருண்ட மம்மர் பல உடன்
ஓய்களிறு எடுத்த நோயுடை நெடுங் கை
தொகுசொற் கோடியர் தூம்பின் உயிர்க்கும்
அத்தக் கேழல் அட்ட நற் கோள்
செந்நாய் ஏற்றை கம்மென ஈர்ப்ப,
குருதி ஆரும் எருவைச் செஞ் செவி,
மண்டு அமர் அழுவத்து எல்லிக் கொண்ட
புண் தேர் விளக்கின், தோன்றும்
விண் தோய் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே.
Unlike the previous verse, this one is all about a place, and we get to hear these words said by the confidante to the lady, when the man, who left in search of wealth, remains parted away:
“Without being content with what he had, feeling ashamed to hear the sharp, arrow-like words, from the mocking hearts of adversaries, he has left to the drylands, where akin to the transparent, white banners adorning a royal elephant, on the parched branches of the axlewood tree, a spider weaves its web in the Odai peak. Confused thinking that these webs are rain clouds, brought by the swaying western winds, many young elephants join together and raise their tired, tall trunks and trumpet out, making a loud sound, akin to the praising musicians’ ‘thoompu’ horns. Here, as the red dog drags the fine male boar that it attacked and killed with haste, the gushing blood is guzzled by a vulture, whose red ears, appear akin to lamps, taken out to the battlefield, at the end of the day, to scan the wounds of soldiers. He, who has left to such a drylands domain, in the sky-soaring mountains far away, will return soon, my friend! May you live long!”
Time to take in the fearsome sights of the drylands! The confidante starts by spelling out the reasons for the man’s journey to the drylands in search of wealth. She remarks how the man could have stayed put, being content with the wealth he already possessed, but he feared words of mockery from his detractors and that’s why he left to the drylands. From this statement, we can infer that the unwritten code in Sangam culture was that even if a man had wealth he received from his ancestors, he was expected to earn his own.
Returning to the flow of the verse, the confidante then launches into a lengthy description of the drylands, where we first see spider webs atop axlewood trees and these are placed in parallel to the silver flags on top of a royal elephant. Next, some thirsty elephants coming that way think these webs are the rain clouds brought by the winds and trumpet out aloud, which sounds like the ‘thoompu’ horns of musicians, who sing praises of kings. Then, the image of a wild boar being dragged by a red dog is brought before our eyes, and the blood that gushes out is being drunk by a red-headed vulture, whose ears are then compared to the lamps taken out to the battlefield, at the end of the day, to scan and treat the wounds of soldiers. Saying, though the man has left to such a drylands beyond the hills, he will return soon, the confidante consoles her friend.
Why scare the poor girl with these gory images? Not the kind of consolation we would give but perhaps it’s a Sangam notion to be present with reality and still remain with hope. The nuance of this verse lies in how scenes in a king’s life, be it in the adornment of royal elephants, the booming praises of musicians, the treatment of soldiers in a battlefield, are compared so aptly with scenes in the wild. The ways and wars of humans aren’t so much different from the confusions and conflicts of animals, the verse seems to say, with a wise nod!
In this episode, we listen to a confession, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 110, penned by Ponthai Pasalaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the waves and sands of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and narrates a significant event on the shore.
அன்னை அறியினும் அறிக; அலர்வாய்
அம் மென் சேரி கேட்பினும் கேட்க;
பிறிது ஒன்று இன்மை அறியக் கூறி,
கொடுஞ் சுழிப் புகாஅர்த் தெய்வம் நோக்கி,
கடுஞ் சூள் தருகுவன், நினக்கே; கானல்
தொடலை ஆயமொடு கடல் உடன் ஆடியும்,
சிற்றில் இழைத்தும், சிறு சோறு குவைஇயும்,
வருந்திய வருத்தம் தீர, யாம் சிறிது
இருந்தனமாக, எய்த வந்து,
‘தட மென் பணைத் தோள் மட நல்லீரே!
எல்லும் எல்லின்று; அசைவு மிக உடையேன்;
மெல் இலைப் பரப்பின் விருந்து உண்டு, யானும் இக்
கல்லென் சிறுகுடித் தங்கின் மற்று எவனோ?’
என மொழிந்தனனே, ஒருவன். அவற் கண்டு,
இறைஞ்சிய முகத்தெம் புறம் சேர்பு பொருந்தி,
‘இவை நுமக்கு உரிய அல்ல; இழிந்த
கொழு மீன் வல்சி’ என்றனம், இழுமென.
‘நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் நாவாய் தோன்றுவ
காணாமோ?’ எனக் காலின் சிதையா,
நில்லாது பெயர்ந்த பல்லோருள்ளும்
என்னே குறித்த நோக்கமொடு, ‘நன்னுதால்!
ஒழிகோ யான்?’ என அழிதகக் கூறி,
யான் ‘பெயர்க’ என்ன, நோக்கி, தான் தன்
நெடுந் தேர்க் கொடிஞ்சி பற்றி
நின்றோன் போலும் இன்றும் என் கட்கே.
There’s less of place and more of people in this trip to the seas, and we get to hear these words, spoken by the lady, to the foster mother:
“Even if mother comes to know, let her! Even if those with gossiping mouths in this beautiful hamlet were to hear, let them! Promising you that there’s nothing else, I will swear to you a fierce oath in front of the God of Puhaar, renowned for its swirling waves.
With playmates, wearing garlands of flowers from the groves, we had been bathing in the sea, building small houses, pretending to cook food, and sitting there, relaxing after our exertions. At this time, coming close to us, a man said, ‘O good, naive maiden, having curving, soft, bamboo-like arms, the day has ended; I’m filled with fatigue; May I partake in the feast you have spread on these soft leaves, and stay back in this uproarious, little hamlet?’.
Seeing him, with bent heads, we hid behind each other’s backs, and said softly, ‘These are not fit for you. For this is made of the fatty fish, thrown down by the waves’.
Many there ran away without waiting, after flattening the sand houses with their feet, shouting, ‘Lo behold! Ships with tall flags fluttering are appearing. Shall we go see?’. Among all of them, he focussed his attention on me, and piteously said, ‘O maiden with a fine forehead! Shall I leave?’. When I replied, ‘Please go’, the way he stood there, holding on to the seat of his tall chariot, remains in my eyes even today!”
Let’s play along in the shore and learn more! Though there are varying interpretations about whether the speaker is the confidante or the lady, to me, the voice of the lady sounds as more fitting the context. The lady starts by saying she doesn’t mind if her birth mother were to come to know of this, a statement that should tell us that the lady found this foster mother more approachable, when it came to talking about sensitive things. Next, the lady also declares that she doesn’t care if the gossipmongers of the town hear about this. She is also prepared to solemnly swear before the God of a place called ‘Puhaar’, also known as ‘Kaveripoompattinam’, an ancient but now sunken harbour on the Coromandel coast, where many underwater archaeological excavations are ongoing to unearth the significance of this place, much renowned in the ancient world.
Returning, after declaring these opening statements, the lady launches into a tale of what happened one day at the shore, when she was playing with her mates, building sand houses, and pretend playing as cooks. Just then, a man had approached them and asked whether he too could join in that feast they had spread on soft leaves. Feeling shy, the girls bent their heads and hid behind each other and said that the food was not fit to be had by the man, since it was made of fish, thrown by the sea, perhaps implying these are beached fish, and not freshly caught. Then, distracted by the appearance of tall ships with fluttering flags, the girls seem to have run away, razing their sand houses.
Just then, the man seems to have pointedly looked at the lady and asked with sorrowful eyes whether he should leave. When the lady replied he should, he seemed to have stood there, by his chariot, looking deeply into her eyes. The lady concludes by declaring that that image of the man standing there, looking at her, was frozen in her mind’s eye! This is a case of revealing the relationship to the foster mother, who would then take it to the birth mother, who would take it to the extended family, and thus pave the way for the lady’s marriage with the man. The highlight in this verse is the timeless capture of how long after the event, a certain expression – a look, a smile, a word, from a special person, remains indelibly etched in our mind!
In this episode, we perceive the dangers in a journey, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 109, penned by Kadunthodai Kaavinaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays an indirect message of motivation.
பல் இதழ் மென் மலர் உண்கண், நல் யாழ்
நரம்பு இசைத்தன்ன இன் தீம் கிளவி,
நலம் நல்கு ஒருத்தி இருந்த ஊரே
கோடு உழு களிற்றின் தொழுதி ஈண்டிக்
காடு கால்யாத்த நீடு மரச் சோலை
விழை வெளில் ஆடும் கழை வளர் நனந்தலை,
வெண் நுனை அம்பின் விசை இட வீழ்ந்தோர்
எண்ணு வரம்பு அறியா உவல் இடு பதுக்கைச்
சுரம் கெழு கவலை கோட்பால் பட்டென,
வழங்குநர் மடிந்த அத்தம் இறந்தோர்,
கைப்பொருள் இல்லைஆயினும், மெய்க் கொண்டு
இன் உயிர் செகாஅர் விட்டு அகல் தப்பற்குப்
பெருங் களிற்று மருப்பொடு வரி அதள் இறுக்கும்
அறன் இல் வேந்தன் ஆளும்
வறன் உறு குன்றம் பல விலங்கினவே.
In the previous trip to the drylands, we saw how a journey to be taken was visualised. In contrast, now the journey that has been taken is described in these words by the man, speaking to his heart, in the middle of his travel through the drylands, to seek wealth:
“With kohl-streaked eyes, akin to a many-petalled, soft flower, speaking sweet words, akin to the music from the string of a fine lute, is the one, who renders her beauty to me. The wide spaces we have crossed are where herds of elephants kill with their tusks; where mating squirrels play around in the dense groves with tall trees; where those who fell to the speed of the white-tipped arrows are heaped in countless pebble-filled graves; where, fearing that people would be killed in these deadly paths, wayfarers avoid on principle; where, if by chance, a person traverses this path, with nothing in their hands, and if the robbers let them leave without ending their lives, as penalty, the ruler of those robbers, the one who lacks justice, demands a huge elephant’s tusk and striped skin of a tiger, in those arid, dreary peaks. Beyond such places many, is the town, where my beloved lives!”
Let’s take a daring walk through the drylands! The man starts by reflecting on the beauty, sweetness and love of his beloved and he thinks about where her town is. When he does that, images of ruthless elephants, countless stone-graves, and uninhabited paths that he has crossed flashes before his mind. He remarks how in these spaces, normally people avoid knowing that there is a high chance of being killed by the robbers, and if in case, an unknowing person does walk through that path, and if that person has nothing worth in their hands, and the robbers let the man leave with his life, then the leader of this group would be so furious that he would demand those robbers to bring him elephant’s tusk and tiger’s skin as penalty. Such is the harsh nature of the people there, the man depicts, and concludes by saying his dearest’s town is beyond such places many, which the man has traversed. In a nutshell, the man is telling his heart, you may think of the lady, but we have crossed so many dangers to come here, and there is no point in turning back, and that the only way is the way forward! Sounds like a much-needed message for all of us, in our different journeys through life!
In this episode, we perceive a hidden attempt at persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 108, penned by Thankaal Porkollanaar. The verse is situated in the bee-buzzing hills of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and depicts the dangers in trysting.
புணர்ந்தோர் புன்கண் அருளலும் உணர்ந்தோர்க்கு
ஒத்தன்றுமன்னால்! எவன்கொல்? முத்தம்
வரைமுதல் சிதறியவை போல், யானைப்
புகர் முகம் பொருத புது நீர் ஆலி
பளிங்கு சொரிவது போல் பாறை வரிப்ப,
கார் கதம்பட்ட கண் அகன் விசும்பின்
விடுபொறி ஞெகிழியின் கொடி பட மின்னி,
படு மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
ஆர் உயிர்த் துப்பின் கோள் மா வழங்கும்
இருளிடைத் தமியன் வருதல் யாவதும்
அருளான் வாழி, தோழி! அல்கல்
விரவுப் பொறி மஞ்ஞை வெரீஇ, அரவின்
அணங்குடை அருந் தலை பை விரிப்பவைபோல்,
காயா மென் சினை தோய நீடிப்
பல் துடுப்பு எடுத்த அலங்கு குலைக் காந்தள்
அணி மலர் நறுந் தாது ஊதும் தும்பி
கை ஆடு வட்டின் தோன்றும்
மை ஆடு சென்னிய மலைகிழவோனே.
The elements put up quite a show in this trip to the mountains, where we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“To remove the suffering of those they love is the duty of the wise, isn’t it? Then why doesn’t he? Frightened by the spotted peacock, the snake’s divine and fearsome hood spreads out. Akin to that, as the ironwood tree’s slender branch grazes on it, clusters of the flame-lily, akin to a many-oared boat, sways. And to feed on the fragrant pollen of those beautiful flowers, bees, appearing like dice played by hand, swarm around, in those hills, whose heads are covered in clouds, in the domain of the lord! On the elephant’s spotted face, appearing as if pearls have been scattered on a hill top, fresh hail stones dash against and then spread on the rocks, like scattered marbles, when furious clouds in the wide sky, flash vines of lightning, akin to a sparking fire brand, and heavy rain pours down in the middle of the night. At such a time, when killer animals roam, with a desire to feed on precious lives, in the dark, alone he comes. How is this rendering grace, my friend? May you live long!”
Time to take a walk in the dark through the ups and downs of a hill! The confidante starts with a declarative statement that the foremost duty of those who say they love another is to avoid causing pain to them, and do all it takes to end any suffering on their part. She nails it, indeed! But it’s not to muse on the nature of love that the confidante says these words. She reveals the reason by saying that the man does not seem to be doing that.
After launching into a description of his mountain country, with layered similes depicting ironwood trees, flame lilies and buzzing bees, the confidante details how the man has been coming to see the lady in the dead dark of the night, when carnivorous animals are on the prowl, looking out for a prey, and this is a time when the rains pour down, with hail stones as well, with angry clouds punching each other and sending sparks of fury in the form of lightning flashes. The confidante concludes by wondering how this can be seen as thoughtful rendering of grace by the lord of the mountains towards the lady.
In essence, it’s the confidante’s way of pointing to the man that he has been trysting for too long, instead of taking steps towards a permanent union with the lady. Without directly saying it to his face, the confidante appeals to his sense of justice in a seemingly secret conversation with her friend. The highlight of this verse though are the many stunning similes, such as a scattering of pearls on a rocky surface to etch the image of the spots on an elephant’s face. This matter-of-fact accessing of precious elements of the sea talks about how these ornaments were to be found ubiquitously in that domain. Other interesting similes are the many-oared boat for a flame-lily’s flower clusters, stressing on the culture’s ship-building sensitivities. And finally, it’s not all work or wealth, there’s also representation of play, as echoed by the comparison of a buzzing bee to dice in a game. Thus, aspects of life in the Sangam era gently shine in these similes, much like the confidante’s subtle attempt at changing the man’s path!
In this episode, we listen to a message of acceptance, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 107, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaarikkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse visualises the journey ahead for a couple.
நீ செலவு அயரக் கேட்டொறும், பல நினைந்து,
அன்பின் நெஞ்சத்து, அயாஅப் பொறை மெலிந்த
என் அகத்து இடும்பை களைமார், நின்னொடு
கருங் கல் வியல் அறைக் கிடப்பி, வயிறு தின்று
இரும் புலி துறந்த ஏற்றுமான் உணங்கல்,
நெறி செல் வம்பலர் உவந்தனர் ஆங்கண்,
ஒலிகழை நெல்லின் அரிசியொடு ஓராங்கு
ஆன் நிலைப் பள்ளி அளை பெய்து அட்ட
வால் நிணம் உருக்கிய வாஅல் வெண் சோறு
புகர் அரைத் தேக்கின் அகல் இலை மாந்தும்
கல்லா நீள் மொழிக் கத நாய் வடுகர்
வல் ஆண் அரு முனை நீந்தி, அல்லாந்து,
உகு மண் ஊறு அஞ்சும் ஒரு காற் பட்டத்து
இன்னா ஏற்றத்து இழுக்கி, முடம் கூர்ந்து,
ஒரு தனித்து ஒழிந்த உரனுடை நோன் பகடு
அம் குழை இருப்பை அறை வாய் வான் புழல்
புல் உளைச் சிறாஅர் வில்லின் நீக்கி,
மரை கடிந்து ஊட்டும் வரைஅகச் சீறூர்
மாலை இன் துணைஆகி, காலைப்
பசு நனை நறு வீப் பரூஉப் பரல் உறைப்ப,
மண மனை கமழும் கானம்
துணை ஈர் ஓதி என் தோழியும் வருமே.
We pass through different scenes in this trip to the drylands as we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man:
“Hearing about your wish to take her away with you, pondering a lot, with a loving heart, seeing how my bosom had thinned away with the pain of this unbearable burden, wanting to end my suffering, she has agreed to come with you.
Spreading on the wide space of a black boulder, after eating to its full, a huge tiger abandons a stag’s meat. Seeing this dried-up carcass, wayfarers passing through feel much joy. Taking rice that came from paddy grains of luxuriant stalks, adding together the thick curd that came from the community of cattle herders, and the fatty meat of the carcass, they cook the rice, and then spread the food on the spotted-trunked teak tree’s wide leaf and savour the same, in those formidable spaces, belonging to the Vadugars, who possess hunting dogs, and speak an unknown language from long ago. She will traverse through such a drylands domain with you.
With much sorrow lies a once-strong bull that has been forsaken to live alone, owing to its broken leg, when it slipped on a dangerous slope. As it fears to tread a narrow path with loose sand, little boys with scanty tufts of hair, with their bows, bring down a beautiful cluster of flowers, with hollow tubes, from the Mahua tree, and after chasing away the deer that comes to munch on it, they bring it to the bull and feed it, in those little hamlets by the hills. Staying as your sweet companion in these hamlets in the evening, then, during the day, as fragrant, fresh flowers drop down on dense rocks, through that forest, wafting with the scent of a house of wedding festivities, as your mate, my friend, the maiden with moist tresses, shall walk on!”
Time to trail this couple through the drylands! The confidante starts by giving a message the man had been waiting to hear, and that is acceptance on behalf of the lady to elope away with the man. The confidante talks about how the lady took pity on the confidante, caught between the two, and worrying about where this was going, and offered her decision to leave with the man. Then, the confidante goes on to sketch two different places, the first being a scorching space, where a tiger had left behind a deer carcass, after feeding on it. When wayfarers come that way, they are delighted to find some good food, and they prepare a unique ‘Paalai Biriyani’ by cooking that meat, along with rice, and some thick curd. Then, placing this food on the biodegradable plate of a teak leaf, they savour it. A moment to note how humans are also much like the scavenger birds, who have no qualms about eating what they did not work for! Let’s return to this thought in a moment.
The confidante has mentioned that harsh drylands space to be the domain of a tribe of people called ‘Vadugars’, who are said to speak an old language, but not a developed one, possibly meaning that this language had no script of its own, unlike Tamil. Next, these nuggets have been mentioned by the confidante to talk about how the lady will bravely cross such spaces with the man.
Next, the confidante takes us to a little town with kind-hearted boys, who bring down flower clusters of the Mahua, and take it carefully to feed a bull that has broken its leg, slipping on a slope, as it went to drink water. In such a town, the lady will rest with the man at night, the confidante connects, and concludes by saying, in the morning, the lady would wake up and walk on through the forests, which smell like a house filled with wedding festivities, thanks to the flowers that fall and spread on the rocks beneath.
In short, wherever you take her, the lady shall follow and be your sweet companion, the confidante conveys to the man. Returning to that scene of wayfarers relishing food hunted by the tiger, the confidante places this scene as a metaphor for the man, choosing the path of elopement, instead of taking steps to gain the lady’s hand in marriage. In the scene of the boys feeding the bull, after chasing away the deer, the confidante places it as a metaphor for her own action of sending the lady with the man, away from her kith and kin, as the man had not been able to succeed in claiming the lady’s hand. Thus, seamlessly scenes in the journey ahead are woven with the dynamics of the situation at hand, presenting to us a time travel through those spaces of the past!
In this episode, we observe the fury of a scorned woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 106, penned by Alangudi Vanganaar. The verse is situated amidst the fertile fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands Landscape’ and reflects the sparks of rivalry in a rich town.
எரி அகைந்தன்ன தாமரைப் பழனத்து,
பொரி அகைந்தன்ன பொங்கு பல் சிறு மீன்,
வெறி கொள் பாசடை, உணீஇயர், பைப்பயப்
பறை தபு முது சிரல் அசைபு வந்து இருக்கும்
துறைகேழ் ஊரன் பெண்டு தன் கொழுநனை
நம்மொடு புலக்கும் என்ப நாம் அது
செய்யாம்ஆயினும், உய்யாமையின்,
செறிதொடி தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி, சிறிது அவண்
உலமந்து வருகம் சென்மோ தோழி!
ஒளிறு வாட் தானைக் கொற்றச் செழியன்
வெளிறு இல் கற்பின் மண்டு அமர் அடுதொறும்
களிறு பெறு வல்சிப் பாணன் எறியும்
தண்ணுமைக் கண்ணின் அலைஇயர், தன் வயிறே.
In this visit to the farmlands, we receive a unique perspective in the usual love-quarrel situation, as we hear a courtesan, say these words to her friend, as the lady’s friends listen nearby:
“In the field, where a lotus blooms, akin to a flame, many little fish leap about, akin to grains, when roasted, amidst the thick, green leaves. To feed on them, slowly, very slowly, an old kingfisher, with broken wings, hops thither, in the lord’s town with a prosperous river shore. They say that the lord’s woman connects me to her husband and speaks disparagingly, even though I haven’t done anything at all. Tinkling these neat rows of bangles, let’s go there and roam around a little, come, my friend! Akin to how a bard beats on the eye of the ‘thannummai drum’, when he receives an elephant as his reward, after the conquest of every battle in a flawless fashion, by the victorious Chezhiyan, with an army of shining swords, let her beat upon her stomach and lament!”
Let’s take in the sights of blooming lotuses and burning hearts in this one! The courtesan starts by describing the lord’s town, and she mentions lotuses blazing like a fire in the field and amidst the thick green leaves, little fish leap about like puffed rice. Wanting to feed on these little fish, an old kingfisher, whose wings don’t seem to work like before, hops on to that spot, with soft steps, says the courtesan. Then, she turns to the matter at hand, and talks about how people had told her that the lord’s wife has been speaking ill of the courtesan, suspecting of a liaison between the man and the courtesan. All this when I haven’t even done a thing, the courtesan remarks, and then turns to her friend and says we must go to the street where she lives and walk around, tinkling our bangles. The courtesan concludes with the reason for the same saying then the lady will beat upon her stomach, much like the bards’ beating on the drums, when they receive gifts of elephants from the victorious Chezhiyan, after the king’s success in the battlefield!
In short, a verse that simply wants to taunt another! Even in the scene of the man’s town, that’s not a mere description, but a metaphor for the situation, wherein the little leaping fish are the courtesans, and the aged kingfisher with ruined wings is none other than the lady, who is bashing up the courtesans. By symbolising the lady as an old kingfisher, the courtesan is mocking at the lady’s age and echoing the pride in her own youth. All this bickering over a man! Perhaps that’s what you can expect when he holds the power and the purse in that prosperous town?
In this episode, we perceive a mother's shock, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 105, penned by Thaayankannanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse depicts the unlikely journey of a young girl through a challenging terrain.
In this episode, we listen to words of a joyous welcome, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 104, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowering bushes of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and portrays a friend's delight.
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 103, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Chenkannanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse describes the pain caused by the man's parting away.
In this episode, we listen to an attempt at persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 102, penned by Madurai Ilampaalaasiriyan Chenthan Koothanaar. The verse is situated amidst the lush millet fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and portrays the consequences of the man’s delay in seeking the lady’s hand.
உளைமான் துப்பின், ஓங்கு தினைப் பெரும் புனத்துக்
கழுதில், கானவன் பிழி மகிழ்ந்து வதிந்தென;
உரைத்த சந்தின் ஊரல் இருங் கதுப்பு
ஐது வரல் அசைவளி ஆற்ற, கை பெயரா,
ஒலியல் வார் மயிர் உளரினள், கொடிச்சி
பெரு வரை மருங்கில் குறிஞ்சி பாட;
குரலும் கொள்ளாது, நிலையினும் பெயராது,
படாஅப் பைங் கண் பாடு பெற்று, ஒய்யென
மறம் புகல் மழ களிறு உறங்கும் நாடன்;
ஆர மார்பின் அரி ஞிமிறு ஆர்ப்ப,
தாரன், கண்ணியன், எஃகுடை வலத்தன்,
காவலர் அறிதல் ஓம்பி, பையென
வீழாக் கதவம் அசையினன் புகுதந்து,
உயங்கு படர் அகலம் முயங்கி, தோள் மணந்து,
இன் சொல் அளைஇ, பெயர்ந்தனன் தோழி!
இன்று எவன்கொல்லோ கண்டிகும் மற்று அவன்
நல்காமையின் அம்பல் ஆகி,
ஒருங்கு வந்து உவக்கும் பண்பின்
இருஞ் சூழ் ஓதி ஒண் நுதற் பசப்பே?
Picturesque sights await us in this trip to the mountains, where we get to hear the lady say these words to the confidante, pretending not to notice the man, listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“With the strength of a lion, sitting on a loft, atop a huge millet field with soaring crops, the mountain man relishes his toddy and remains there; As the breeze sways by with beauty, his mountain maiden dries her thick, dark tresses, spread with sandalwood oils, by running her fingers through her locks, and sings the ‘Kurinji’ song in those mountain spaces; Listening to this song, without eating the crops, without moving away from there, attaining sleep in those sleepless, green eyes, the brave, young elephant lies down and rests in the mountains of the lord.
With his sandalwood-streaked chest, swarming with bees, wearing a garland and head garland, holding a spear in his right hand, taking care to prevent guards from hearing his approach, softly, opening the unbolted door, he entered within, embraced with desire my spreading chest, held on to my arms, said sweet words and then left me, my friend! But since he does not render his grace now, slander has risen, and on my shining forehead, surrounded by dark tresses that wish only to render joy, pallor has spread. How can I bear this now?”
Time to go on that mountain trek at night and read the minds! The lady starts with a nuanced description of the man’s mountain country, talking first about a mountain dweller, who guards the millet fields sitting on a loft above the fields. Forgetting his duties, he seems to be relishing sweet toddy and lost in that pleasure. While this is happening on one side, his mate, the mountain maiden, dries her thick tresses in the wind, and sings a song, which echoes across the mountain clefts. Hearing this song, a young male elephant forgets about eating the crops, does not move away from there, but instead lies down and sleeps at peace, the lady sketches. Let’s return to this interesting scene in a moment.
Then, the lady goes on to talk about the way the man comes at night, wearing his garlands and holding a spear, stealthily avoiding the lookout of the guards, and then enters the unbolted door to embrace the lady, say sweet words and leave. While this is such a joyous thing, when he does not come, pallor coats my forehead and slander spreads in town, the lady says and concludes asking her confidante, how she could go on in this manner.
In the image of the toddy-drinking mountain dweller, the lady places a metaphor for the man’s actions of wanting only to enjoy the pleasures of trysting and his forgetting of his duties. In the scene of the mountain maiden singing her song thinking about her man, the lady talks about her own changes because of the man’s relationship; Finally, in the unintended consequence of the elephant sleeping to the maiden’s song, the lady talks about how it’s the town’s folk who seem to be alert to her changes and are dropping all their work to spread gossip about her. In short, the one for whom the lady’s heart sings that song seems not to pay heed, the lady implies, connecting to the man’s interest in temporary trysting and not in the permanent union with her. Though it’s the same theme of ‘Marry me, marry me’, the verse leaves us with exquisite glimpses of life in the mountain country.
In this episode, we perceive the distress in separation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 101, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse vividly depicts the people and events of this arid land.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! ”இம்மை
நன்று செய் மருங்கில் தீது இல்” என்னும்
தொன்றுபடு பழமொழி இன்று பொய்த்தன்றுகொல்?
தகர் மருப்பு ஏய்ப்பச் சுற்றுபு, சுரிந்த
சுவல் மாய் பித்தை, செங் கண் மழவர்
வாய்ப் பகை கடியும் மண்ணொடு கடுந் திறல்
தீப் படு சிறு கோல் வில்லொடு பற்றி,
நுரை தெரி மத்தம் கொளீஇ நிரைப் புறத்து
அடி புதை தொடுதோல் பறைய ஏகி,
கடி புலம் கவர்ந்த கன்றுடைக் கொள்ளையர்,
இனம் தலைபெயர்க்கும் நனந்தலைப் பெருங் காட்டு,
அகல் இரு விசும்பிற்கு ஓடம் போல,
பகலிடை நின்ற பல் கதிர் ஞாயிற்று
உருப்பு அவிர்பு உளரிய சுழன்று வரு கோடை,
புன் கால் முருங்கை ஊழ் கழி பல் மலர்,
தண் கார் ஆலியின், தாவன உதிரும்
பனி படு பல் மலை இறந்தோர்க்கு
முனிதகு பண்பு யாம் செய்தன்றோஇலமே!
It’s all about the dread of the drylands in this one and we get to hear the lady say these words to the confidante, after the man had left in search of wealth and continues to remain parted away:
“Listen, my friend! May you live long! It appears as if that ancient proverb, which says, ‘If you only do good in this life, no evil shall befall you’ has become false today. The red-eyed Mazhavars, with their long, curling locks of hair, hiding their necks, akin to the horns of a ram, holding termite mud in their mouths to quell that enemy called cough, carrying a small fire rod capable of kindling a huge fire, along with a bow, steal churning rods with foam lines. Then those bandits, with their slippers masking the sound of their foot steps, stealthily capture herds of cattle, along with their calves, from well-guarded spaces, and then move the herds to other places in that spreading, huge scrub jungle, where appearing like a raft on the wide sky, the many-rayed sun spreads its heat and scorches during the day, making the many flowers of the dull stemmed drumstick tree, wither down, akin to hail in the cool, rainy season. Such is the harsh and hilly region, which makes one shiver, that the man has left too. We have done nothing hateful to him ever!”
Let’s brave the heat and take a walk in the drylands to learn more! The lady starts with an abstract statement about a well-known proverb seemingly becoming false. This said proverb is the one which says that no harm shall come to a person, who only does good in this life. Instead of saying what she means by that, the lady launches into a detailed description of the drylands, by sketching a portrait of the robbers called as ‘Mazhavars’. Their curly hair is placed in parallel to the ram’s horns, in a striking simile.
Then there’s a rather curious mention of these men, having termite mud in their mouths, so as to quell an enemy of the mouth. This enemy of the mouth is nothing other than the respiratory issues, such as cough, sneeze and so on. Obviously the robbers do not want to give away their discreet approach just before nabbing their goods, and that’s why they are taking so much care to prevent any disturbances in their throats. Like me, you may wonder, all that’s fine but termite mud, what’s that got to do with arresting a cough? On researching, a scientific article enlightened me about how termites have been used for long in south Indian traditional medicine as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory diseases by indigenous tribes such as the Irulas, Panniyars, Kannikaarar, etc. Felt amazed by how this subtle line in a two thousand year old poetry connects to the medicine of indigenous tribes even today.
Returning, we find these robbers seizing the curd-churning rods and then stealthily approaching the sheds of these cattle, with their slippers masking their footsteps. With such precautions, they succeed at their attempt in stealing away the cattle and the calves, and move these herds to other places in that scrub jungle, where the sweltering heat makes the drumstick tree shed its flowers, like hail in the rainy season. Such a vivid description of the drylands has been given by the lady to say this is where the man is walking now. She concludes by declaring that she has done nothing wrong to the man, connecting back to her opening statement, implying even though she has done only good, the harm of separation has befallen on her. Yet again, it’s the theme of separation but this verse shines as an anthropologist’s delight, in linking the humans of the past and present!
In this episode, we perceive subtle words of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 100, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated amidst the roaring waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’, and reveals the concern with the man’s current course of action.
அரையுற்று அமைந்த ஆரம் நீவி,
புரையப் பூண்ட கோதை மார்பினை,
நல் அகம் வடுக் கொள முயங்கி, நீ வந்து,
எல்லினில் பெயர்தல் எனக்குமார் இனிதே.
பெருந் திரை முழக்கமொடு இயக்கு அவிந்திருந்த
கொண்டல் இரவின் இருங் கடல் மடுத்த
கொழு மீன் கொள்பவர் இருள் நீங்கு ஒண் சுடர்
ஓடாப் பூட்கை வேந்தன் பாசறை,
ஆடு இயல் யானை அணி முகத்து அசைத்த
ஓடை ஒண் சுடர் ஒப்பத் தோன்றும்
பாடுநர்த் தொடுத்த கை வண் கோமான்,
பரியுடை நல் தேர்ப் பெரியன், விரிஇணர்ப்
புன்னைஅம் கானல் புறந்தை முன்துறை
வம்ப நாரைஇனன் ஒலித்தன்ன
அம்பல் வாய்த்த தெய்ய தண் புலர்
வைகுறு விடியல் போகிய எருமை
நெய்தல் அம் புது மலர் மாந்தும்
கைதை அம் படப்பை எம் அழுங்கல் ஊரே!
Many fascinating sights of the shore are to be found in this trip to the seas, and here, we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he is about to leave, after his nightly tryst with the lady:
“Applying well-ground sandalwood paste and wearing a garland high upon your chest, you come here at night, embrace her fine bosom, leaving wounds in it, and then part away at daybreak. This is something pleasant to me too.
Our town is a place, where on those cloud-filled nights, when other than the huge roar of the oceans, the world stands still, and fishermen in search of fatty fish traverse the dark seas, and dispel darkness with a radiant lamp, whose light is akin to the bright glow that emits from the golden ornament, adorning the face of a battle elephant, in the encampment of a great king, with a principle of never retreating, and one, which is fenced by pandanus trees, where on a cool and fresh morning, a buffalo feeds on the new flower of the blue lotus!
Akin to the calls of flocks of storks arriving in the shore of Puranthai, filled with groves of laurel wood trees, ruled by the great King Periyan, renowned for his generosity, the one who has horses and fine chariots, whom singers have praised endlessly, slander resounds in this uproarious town of ours!”
Time to take a walk amidst the pandanus trees of this shore and learn more! The confidante starts by sketching what the man has been doing lately, which is to arrive at the lady’s place, with his chest, streaked with sandalwood paste, and embrace her by night, and leave in the morning. This friend concedes it’s indeed a good thing. Then she goes into a lengthy description of their town, talking about how the fisherfolk traverse the seas at night, with lamps on their boats, and which glow like the golden ornament of a battle elephant. Is the confidante warning the man that there’s danger of discovery by these night fishermen? Then, she also mentions how this town is naturally fenced by pandanus trees, and when dawn breaks, a buffalo can be found savouring a newly bloomed blue lotus flower. No doubt she says this as a metaphor for the man’s secret trysting with the lady!
Finally, the confidante comes to the crux of the matter and points to the loud sounds echoing from the throats of storks that arrive in the fertile port town of Puranthai, ruled by the celebrated King Periyan, and connects this noise to the rumours spreading in their town about the man’s relationship with the lady. In short, the confidante impresses upon the man that it’s time to give up his temporary trysting and choose the permanent path of happiness with the lady. In this song filled with vivid images, the line that made me smile was the reference to the buffalo munching on the blue lotus and the connection of this scene in nature to the dynamics of a relationship!
In this episode, we observe the beauty of a place, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 99, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadungo. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches a word of support expressed to a beloved.
வாள் வரி வயமான் கோள் உகிர் அன்ன
செம் முகை அவிழ்ந்த முள் முதிர் முருக்கின்
சிதரல் செம்மல் தாஅய், மதர் எழில்
மாண் இழை மகளிர் பூணுடை முலையின்
முகை பிணி அவிழ்ந்த கோங்கமொடு அசைஇ, நனை
அதிரல் பரந்த அம் தண் பாதிரி
உதிர்வீ அம் சினை தாஅய், எதிர் வீ
மராஅ மலரொடு விராஅய், பராஅம்
அணங்குடை நகரின் மணந்த பூவின்
நன்றே, கானம்; நயவரும் அம்ம;
கண்டிசின் வாழியோ குறுமகள்! நுந்தை
அடு களம் பாய்ந்த தொடி சிதை மருப்பின்,
பிடி மிடை, களிற்றின் தோன்றும்
குறு நெடுந் துணைய குன்றமும் உடைத்தே!
None of the dreariness of the drylands in this one, and here, we hear the man uttering these words to the lady, in the middle of their journey, after they have eloped together from the lady’s town:
“Akin to the killer claws of a tiger, with sword-like stripes, are the blooming red buds of the thorny coral tree. As bees suckle honey, the mature, wilting flowers have fallen down and spread all around; Akin to the bejewelled bosoms of maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments and having exquisite beauty, are buttercup flowers that have burst out of their tight buds, and these lie around too, fused with moist wild jasmine buds, cool trumpet flowers that have been shed from a beautiful branch, and the burflower tree’s differing flowers. All this makes the forest waft with the fragrance of many flowers, akin to the divine mansions where people pray. Picturesque, it is! Do you see, O young maiden? May you live long! Akin to your father’s elephant, which has pounced on battlefields many and broken its adorning tusk rings, standing along with its mate, a short hill with a tall one for company, appears before us!”
Let’s smell the fragrance of the assorted flowers and sense the emotion herein! The man points out to the lady the various flowers that are lying on the ground and in the branches around them. First to the ‘Murukkam’ tiger-claw-like flowers, and then the ‘Kongam’ buds, akin to the jewel-clad bosoms of maiden, and others like the Athiral, Paathiri and Kadamba flowers. The scent of these various flowers reminds the man of places, where people worship to spirits, no doubt by offering an assortment of flowers, much like the temples of South India, even today. The man calls out to his lady and concludes by asking her to look around at the mesmerising beauty, in the sight of the hills, one tall and one small, looking much like the battle elephant of the lady’s father, in the company of its mate.
From these words, we can infer the lady comes from a wealthy and powerful household. At this time, the man understands both the mental anguish and the physical pain of the lady, and intending to take her heart away from all this distress, he calls her attention to the beauty of their present. What better way to show his love and support for the one who has left behind a world of comfort, just to be with him!
In this episode, we perceive the consequences of impending events, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 98, penned by Veri Paadiya Kaamakkanniyaar. Set in the domain of the spirits, the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse portrays a subtle but striking technique of persuasion.
பனி வரை நிவந்த பயம் கெழு கவாஅன்,
துனி இல் கொள்கையொடு அவர் நமக்கு உவந்த
இனிய உள்ளம் இன்னாஆக,
முனிதக நிறுத்த நல்கல் எவ்வம்
சூர் உறை வெற்பன் மார்பு உறத் தணிதல்
அறிந்தனள் அல்லள், அன்னை; வார்கோல்
செறிந்து இலங்கு எல் வளை நெகிழ்ந்தமை நோக்கி,
கையறு நெஞ்சினள் வினவலின், முதுவாய்ப்
பொய் வல் பெண்டிர் பிரப்பு உளர்பு இரீஇ,
”முருகன் ஆர் அணங்கு” என்றலின், அது செத்து,
“ஓவத்தன்ன வினை புனை நல் இல்,
பாவை அன்ன பலர் ஆய் மாண் கவின்
பண்டையின் சிறக்க, என் மகட்கு” எனப் பரைஇ
கூடு கொள் இன் இயம் கறங்க, களன் இழைத்து,
ஆடு அணி அயர்ந்த அகன் பெரும் பந்தர்,
வெண் போழ் கடம்பொடு சூடி, இன் சீர்
ஐது அமை பாணி இரீஇ, கைபெயரா,
செல்வன் பெரும் பெயர் ஏத்தி, வேலன்
வெறி அயர் வியன் களம் பொற்ப, வல்லோன்
பொறி அமை பாவையின் தூங்கல் வேண்டின்,
என் ஆம்கொல்லோ? தோழி! மயங்கிய
மையற் பெண்டிர்க்கு நொவ்வல் ஆக
ஆடிய பின்னும், வாடிய மேனி
பண்டையின் சிறவாதுஆயின், இம் மறை
அலர் ஆகாமையோ அரிதே, அஃதான்று,
அறிவர் உறுவிய அல்லல் கண்டருளி,
வெறி கமழ் நெடு வேள் நல்குவனெனினே,
”செறிதொடி உற்ற செல்லலும் பிறிது” எனக்
கான் கெழு நாடன் கேட்பின்,
யான் உயிர்வாழ்தல் அதனினும் அரிதே.
Our trip to the mountains takes us on a spiritual tour, and here, we see the lady expressing these words to the confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:
“In the cool and fertile hill spaces, with an irreproachable principle, he had rendered his heart sweetly to me. When his graces were absent for a while, hateful suffering takes form in me. This shall recede only when I embrace the chest of the lord of the mountains, where divine spirits reside. Knowing not this truth, mother looks at the neat rows of radiant bangles, slipping away from my arms, and with helplessness, asks around for advice. In response, those old women, skilled at lying, spread various kinds of rice, and divine saying, ‘It’s the handiwork of Murugan and he has taken possession of her’. Believing that as the truth, mother prays that, ‘In this well-decorated, fine mansion, akin to a painting, my daughter, who is akin to a doll, whose beauty has been analysed and praised by many, should regain her old, thriving state!’
As various musical instruments resound in synchrony, setting up a stage, under a wide tent, decorated for a dance, wearing white palm flowers along with burflowers, singing in a melodious, rhythmic tune, raising his hands, praising the lord’s name greatly, beautifying the arena, per mother’s request, if Velan were to sway and dance, akin to a doll in the hands of an expert puppeteer, and perform the ‘Veri’ ritual, what is to become of me, my friend?
Causing anguish to those confused women, even after the dance, if my faded form does not regain its old splendour, it’s unlikely that my secret relationship won’t turn into an object of slander. On the other hand, if the great one with a tall spear, God Murugan, wafting with the fragrance of ‘Veri’ rituals, were to be moved, seeing the suffering induced by my wise man, and were to render my old beauty with grace, my lord of the forest-filled mountains would say, ‘The reason for the pain in the lady wearing neat rows of bangles seems to be something else, not me’. Hearing such words, it’s even more unlikely for me to go on living!”
Let’s take in the rituals of these mountain folk and try to read the lady’s heart! She starts by talking about how the man has been trysting with her and rendering his graces. At times, when he is unable to come to her as planned, a deep suffering spreads in her, the lady explains. She adds that the only way that suffering can vanish was if she embraced her man’s chest. Without knowing this side of the story, the lady’s mother becomes worried, as she glances at her girl’s thinning arms, from which bangles are dropping down. Like most mothers, she asks around for advice, and the wise old fortune-tellers in her village spread rice and do their divining. At the end of their process, they conclude that God Murugan has taken possession of the girl and that he must be appeased. Now, mother thinks somehow she has to help her daughter regain her excellent beauty.
After stating the scenario as it is, the lady launches into the hypothetical next steps, which would be the performance of the Veri ritual by the Priest Velan, who would wear palm sprouts and burflowers and dance away on a stage spread with sand, under a tent, singing loudly the praises of God Murugan, accompanied by musical instruments. The lady wonders what would be her fate if this were to happen? Why should she worry?, we may ask. She explains by stating two possible outcomes for such an event. One, even after the Veri dance ritual, the lady’s beauty does not return, much to the distress of those divining women. In that case, the lady’s relationship with the man would come out in the open and slander would spread like wildfire across the village. In Outcome Two, maybe the great God Murugan would take pity on the lady’s suffering and indeed give back her beauty. Now, if that were to happen, the lord who loves the lady would say, ‘Here I was thinking her pain and anguish was on account of being apart from me. But looks like someone else is the cause!’ The lady concludes that if at all she were to hear such a word from her man, she can no longer continue to live!
In a nutshell, it’s a double bind! One outcome would cause slander to spread and the in the worse alternative, the lady’s chastity and devotion to her man would be in doubt. The lady implies to the listening man that the only way to unravel this knot was not to keep trysting but give that up and take steps towards a permanent union. Indeed, it’s a simple ‘Marry me, marry me’ theme but the highlight is the way logic and rationality is seamlessly woven into these lines of musical verse!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 97, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse is a medley of many fascinating elements.
”கள்ளி அம் காட்ட புள்ளி அம் பொறிக் கலை
வறன் உறல் அம் கோடு உதிர, வலம் கடந்து,
புலவுப் புலி துறந்த கலவுக் கழி கடு முடை,
இரவுக் குறும்பு அலற நூறி, நிரை பகுத்து,
இருங் கல் முடுக்கர்த் திற்றி கெண்டும்
கொலை வில் ஆடவர் போல, பலவுடன்
பெருந் தலை எருவையொடு பருந்து வந்து இறுக்கும்
அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்த கொடியோர்க்கு அல்கலும்,
இருங் கழை இறும்பின் ஆய்ந்து கொண்டு அறுத்த
நுணங்கு கண் சிறு கோல் வணங்குஇறை மகளிரொடு
அகவுநர்ப் புரந்த அன்பின், கழல் தொடி,
நறவு மகிழ் இருக்கை, நன்னன் வேண்மான்
வயலை வேலி வியலூர் அன்ன, நின்
அலர்முலை ஆகம் புலம்ப, பல நினைந்து,
ஆழல்” என்றி தோழி! யாழ என்
கண் பனி நிறுத்தல் எளிதோ குரவு மலர்ந்து
அற்சிரம் நீங்கிய அரும் பத வேனில்
அறல் அவிர் வார் மணல் அகல்யாற்று அடைகரை,
துறை அணி மருதமொடு இகல் கொள ஓங்கி,
கலிழ் தளிர் அணிந்த இருஞ் சினை மாஅத்து
இணர் ததை புதுப் பூ நிரைத்த பொங்கர்,
புகை புரை அம் மஞ்சு ஊர,
நுகர் குயில் அகவும் குரல் கேட்போர்க்கே?
In this trip to the drylands, we glimpse contrasting images and listen to the lady, say these words to her confidante, when the man, who left in search of wealth, remains parted away from her:
“In the cactus scrub jungle, a beautiful spotted stag, which had lost its dried-up antlers, is attacked by a flesh-reeking tiger. After feeding, the tiger discards the stinking flesh of the carcass. Akin to robbers with a killer bow, who attack a fort at night, making those within scream, steal away the cattle, share among themselves, and sit around in the small path amidst the huge boulders, tearing and eating meat, huge-headed vultures and eagles circle around that deer carcass in the harsh drylands domain, which is where my harsh-hearted one, has left to.
“Accompanying maiden with curving wrists, holding small sticks with fine notches, made by choosing and etching from the huge bamboo stalks in the forest, arrive the bards. The great lord Nannan, wearing warrior anklets, showers much affection on them in his joyous court, flowing with toddy. Akin to his town of ‘Viyaloor’ fenced by Vayalai vines, are your spreading bosoms”, you say to me, and ask me to not let these lament, by crying incessantly, thinking of too many things, my friend!
Now, the bottle-flower tree has bloomed, announcing that winter has ended, and the perfect season of spring has arrived. On the banks of the wide river, filled with fine silt, adorning the shore, Marutham trees soar high, and nearby, huge-branched mango trees, wearing beautiful, tender leaves, bloom with many clusters of fresh new flowers in the dense groves, enveloped by wisps of clouds, akin to smoke. Savouring all this beauty there, a cuckoo coos. Hearing its voice, do you think it’s an easy task to stop the flowing tears from my eyes?”
Time to take a whirlwind tour! The lady starts by describing the drylands region, where the man has gone to. To do that, she paints a picture of a deer carcass, which has been abandoned by a tiger, after it had killed the animal and had its fill. Around this carcass, scavenger birds are bound to circle around, and the lady says these vultures and eagles appear exactly like highway robbers sitting around in a circle, splitting their loot, and having a meal, after their successful attack of a fort the previous night.
After sketching the dreary drylands, the lady then goes in another direction and talks about the beautiful town of Viyaloor, ruled by Nannan, a great patron of bards and dancing maiden. The lady reveals that it was the confidante who placed the lady’s bosoms in parallel to Nannan’s beautiful town and asked her not to bring ruin to her bosoms, by crying endlessly. Then once again, the lady turns in a different direction and starts talking about how spring was here, the bottle-flower trees had bloomed, and so had the Marutham trees on the shores of the huge river, as well as the mango trees in the grove. When there’s so much beauty in the air, the birds, nature’s bards, burst into song naturally. Now, the lady connects and concludes saying how it could be possible for anyone, who is separated from their beloved, to hear that cuckoo’s song and not shed tears.
In short, the man was still away in that dreadful place and all the tender beauty of spring around is tormenting the lady. The verse stitches together a description of a place, a historic character and elements of a season vibrantly to weave the tapestry of the poignant pain of parting!
In this episode, we perceive the refusal of a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 96, penned by Marutham Paadiya Ilankadunko. Set amidst the lush fields and paddy mounds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse refers to a historic incident to sketch a domestic tussle.
நறவு உண் மண்டை நுடக்கலின், இறவுக் கலித்து,
பூட்டு அறு வில்லின் கூட்டுமுதல் தெறிக்கும்
பழனப் பொய்கை அடைகரைப் பிரம்பின்
அர வாய் அன்ன அம் முள் நெடுங் கொடி
அருவி ஆம்பல் அகல் அடை துடக்கி,
அசைவரல் வாடை தூக்கலின், ஊதுஉலை
விசை வாங்கு தோலின், வீங்குபு ஞெகிழும்
கழனிஅம் படப்பைக் காஞ்சி ஊர!
”ஒண் தொடி ஆயத்துள்ளும் நீ நயந்து
கொண்டனை” என்ப ”ஓர் குறுமகள்” அதுவே
செம்பொற் சிலம்பின், செறிந்த குறங்கின்,
அம் கலுழ் மாமை, அஃதை தந்தை,
அண்ணல் யானை அடு போர்ச் சோழர்,
வெண்ணெல் வைப்பின் பருவூர்ப் பறந்தலை,
இரு பெரு வேந்தரும் பொருது களத்து ஒழிய,
ஒளிறு வாள் நல் அமர்க் கடந்த ஞான்றை,
களிறு கவர் கம்பலை போல,
அலர் ஆகின்றது, பலர் வாய்ப் பட்டே.
In this trip to the farmlands, trouble’s brewing and we find the theme of a love-quarrel related to a courtesan reverberating in these words of the confidante to the man, when he seeks entry to the lady’s house:
“As toddy bowls were washed in the waters, shrimps therein leap about in an intoxicated frenzy, akin to the snapping of a taut bow’s string, and fall inside a grain silo, on the shores of the ponds by the fields, which are filled with serrated, saw-like thorny vines of the rattan bushes, and these vines tie around the wide leaves of the moist water-lilies. When the northern winds blow about, akin to the leather of a blacksmith’s bellows, it swells and shrinks in the fertile fields of your town, filled with portia trees, O lord!
They say that you have desired a young maiden, one among many courtesans, clad in radiant bangles, and united with her. When the father of Akuthai, a maiden with beautiful, radiant dark skin, shapely thighs, clad in red gold anklets, the Chozha king, having a mighty elephant army, battled with the two great emperors in the Paruvoor warfront, surrounded by fields of white paddy, and defeated them, at that time, as he triumphed with shining swords and captured the enemy elephants, akin to the uproar that rose in that battlefield, because of your actions, slander is soaring in town, spread by many tongues.”
Let’s take a walk amidst the ponds and fields of the farmlands town and hear the latest! The confidante starts with a vivid description of the man’s town by mentioning how people drink up toddy in bowls and then take to washing the same in the ponds by the fields. As a result, the shrimps therein get sloshed as well and seem to snap like a bow, and leap into grain silos around. She further describes how rattan vines tie around waterlily leaves and make them rise and fall, much like an ironworker’s bellows. Note how two occupational references are subtly woven into this narrative. One, toddy flows in that farmlands, a sign of fertility and prosperity, as we have seen in many poems, and farmers and others relish the drink as they work, and wash it in the ponds nearby; Two, the matter-of-fact reference to the blacksmith’s bellows etches the fact that ironmaking was second nature to these Sangam people.
Returning, leaving aside such subtle elements, the confidante comes directly to the matter at hand and mentions how some interesting news about the man has reached her ears. This was talk of the man taking a young maiden, one of the courtesans, as his preferred partner. To portray how this news is spreading around town, the confidante takes us to the battlefield of Paruvoor. Here we meet the Chozha king, surprisingly a king known as ‘Akuthai’s father’- Akuthai, being a maiden of extraordinary beauty. This dad of Akuthai is quelling the forces of the Chera and Pandya kings, and the moment he captures the enemy elephants, a huge uproar rises from the throats of his warriors. As loud as that uproar, slander had spread in town because of the man’s doings, the confidante concludes. In essence, the confidante refuses to allow the man entry to the lady’s house. Though it’s the same old theme, it’s heartening to know that even in this patriarchal society, the lady had some means at her disposal, to express her displeasure at the man’s actions!
In this episode, we listen to an anguished voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 95, penned by Orodakathu Kantharathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands’ landscape, the verse relays the reasons for taking a difficult decision.
பைபயப் பசந்தன்று நுதலும்; சாஅய்,
ஐது ஆகின்று, என் தளிர் புரை மேனியும்;
பலரும் அறியத் திகழ்தரும், அவலமும்;
உயிர் கொடு கழியின் அல்லதை, நினையின்
எவனோ? வாழி, தோழி! பொரிகால்
பொகுட்டு அரை இருப்பைக் குவிகுலைக் கழன்ற
ஆலி ஒப்பின் தூம்புடைத் திரள் வீ,
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் நீள் இடை அழுங்க,
ஈனல் எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்
சுரம் பல கடந்தோர்க்கு இரங்குப என்னார்,
கௌவை மேவலர்ஆகி, ”இவ் ஊர்
நிரையப் பெண்டிர் இன்னா கூறுவ
புரையஅல்ல, என் மகட்கு” எனப் பரைஇ,
நம் உணர்ந்து ஆறிய கொள்கை
அன்னை முன்னர், யாம் என், இதற் படலே?
In this trip to the drylands, we see more of the inner world and less of the outer, as we meet up with the lady, and hear her say these words to her confidante, at a time when her man has parted away to gather wealth for their wedding:
“Slowly, pallor has spread on my forehead; My sprout-like form too has lost its health and is thinning away; This sorrow of mine rises for everyone to see. What could be the reason for all this other than to take my life away? Long may you live, my friend! From the rough and cracked trunks of the Mahua tree, hollow flower clusters fall down, appearing like hail stones, and these are gathered by a huge bear, which has just given birth, much to the fear of the wayfarers traversing those long paths in the drylands. Without thinking it’s natural to feel worried about those who have parted away thither, the townsfolk spread slander. Hearing this, mother says, ‘The terrible things the women folk of this town say suit not my daughter’. Though she has discovered my relationship with him, she has the principle of saying nothing about it. How can I continue to remain so, given the situation?”
Time to listen to the lady’s logic! The lady starts by describing how her health was utterly lost as she was pining away and the sorrow that should be kept hidden had soared to the surface for all to see. She laments that these events make her think that her end is near. Then she talks about the drylands path where a bear, which have just given birth, seem to seek out the Mahua flowers, appearing like hail stones, and in the process threaten the life of wayfarers. Here, the man walks and without thinking it’s natural for anyone, whose beloved walks in such a fearsome place to feel sorrow, the town was spreading slander about her. Hearing that, mother had decided that this state does not suit the lady, and even after realising the situation, mother remained silent. The lady concludes by asking the confidante how she could go on, given these circumstances. In essence, the lady is describing her decision to elope away with her man, as she sees no other hope to sustain her love relationship. A moment of lucid decision-making by being mindful of the difficulty in the present and zooming on to the only path forward!
In this episode, we perceive the eagerness of a person to return home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 94, penned by Nanbaloor Sirumethaaviyaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowering bushes of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and renders the musical notes of a night.
தேம் படு சிமயப் பாங்கர்ப் பம்பிய
குவை இலை முசுண்டை வெண் பூக் குழைய,
வான் எனப் பூத்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
மறித் துரூஉத் தொகுத்த பறிப் புற இடையன்
தண் கமழ் முல்லை தோன்றியொடு விரைஇ,
வண்டு படத் தொடுத்த நீர் வார் கண்ணியன்,
ஐது படு கொள்ளி அங்கை காய,
குறு நரி உளம்பும் கூர் இருள் நெடு விளி
சிறு கட் பன்றிப் பெரு நிரை கடிய,
முதைப் புனம் காவலர் நினைத்திருந்து ஊதும்
கருங் கோட்டு ஓசையொடு ஒருங்கு வந்து இசைக்கும்
வன் புலக் காட்டு நாட்டதுவே அன்பு கலந்து
ஆர்வம் சிறந்த சாயல்
இரும் பல் கூந்தல், திருந்திழை ஊரே!
An eventful trip to the forest country, where we hear the man saying these words to his charioteer, when returning home after completing his mission:
“Near the hills with honeycombs, blooms the thick-leaved midnapore creepers with white flowers close together, appearing like white stars in the midnight sky. Here, after gathering goat kids, the goatherd with a mat on his back, ties up moist and fragrant wild jasmine flowers along with flame-lilies into a water-soaked head garland, around which bees swarm, and then warming his palms in a firebrand nearby, he would remain whistling loudly in that sharp darkness, to scare away foxes. These notes merge with the sound of horns blown by the millet field guards to chase away herds of small-eyed boars, and resounds musically in that intractable, wild forest country. And herein lies the town of the lady, wearing well-etched ornaments, having thick, dark tresses, that beautiful maiden, who has become one with me in love, and who desires my company with eagerness!”
Let’s ride along with the man taking in the sights of the night! The man starts by mentioning a place close to the hills, where ‘musundai’ flowers bloom, and at night time, these blooms appear as if they were the stars in the sky. In this place, a goatherd gathers all his little lambs in a pen, and then adorns himself with a flower garland made with both wild jasmines and flame lilies together, and sits there, warming his hands using a firebrand nearby, and letting out long whistles to scare away foxes intent on nabbing his lambs. These whistles rise high and blend with the sound of horns being blown by millet field guards to chase away boars and echoes musically in that forest country, the man describes, and concludes by saying this is the place where his beloved resides.
The man is simply mentioning the address where his lady lives but within that, we are able to infer that this is a region where the ‘Kurinji’ and ‘Mullai’ fuse as one, meaning it’s a forest region close to the hills, where both wild jasmines and flame lilies can be found, and where both millet field guards and goatherds are within a stone’s throw of each other. The verse etches the sights of the region and also relays the musical man-made sounds that reverberate here. In some ways, it’s also making a statement about human-wildlife conflict. Interesting how rather than using the harsh methods of today such as electric fences and traps to keep away these animals from human spaces, the ancients chose to use the gentle weapon of music!
In this episode, we perceive the joy and anticipation in returning home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 93, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar Makanaar Nakkeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents insightful facts about the three great empires in ancient Tamil land.
கேள் கேடு ஊன்றவும், கிளைஞர் ஆரவும்,
கேள் அல் கேளிர் கெழீஇயினர் ஒழுகவும்,
ஆள்வினைக்கு எதிரிய ஊக்கமொடு புகல் சிறந்து;
ஆரங் கண்ணி அடுபோர்ச் சோழர்
அறம் கெழு நல் அவை உறந்தை அன்ன
பெறல் அரு நன் கலம் எய்தி, நாடும்
செயல் அருஞ் செய்வினை முற்றினம் ஆயின்;
அரண் பல கடந்த, முரண் கொள் தானை,
வாடா வேம்பின், வழுதி கூடல்
நாள் அங்காடி நாறும் நறு நுதல்
நீள் இருங் கூந்தல் மாஅயோளொடு,
வரை குயின்றன்ன வான் தோய் நெடு நகர்,
நுரை முகந்தன்ன மென் பூஞ் சேக்கை
நிவந்த பள்ளி, நெடுஞ் சுடர் விளக்கத்து,
நலம் கேழ் ஆகம் பூண் வடுப் பொறிப்ப,
முயங்குகம் சென்மோ நெஞ்சே! வரி நுதல்
வயம் திகழ்பு இழிதரும் வாய் புகு கடாஅத்து,
மீளி மொய்ம்பொடு நிலன் எறியாக் குறுகி,
ஆள் கோள் பிழையா, அஞ்சுவரு தடக் கை,
கடும் பகட்டு யானை நெடுந் தேர்க் கோதை
திரு மா வியல் நகர்க் கருவூர் முன்துறை
தெண் நீர் உயர் கரைக் குவைஇய
தண் ஆன்பொருநை மணலினும் பலவே.
In this instance, we see less of the searing drylands and more of plenty and prosperity, as we meet the man when he is returning from his mission to gather wealth and saying these words to his heart:
“To protect kith and kin from adversity, to provide food in plenty to them and to transform those who are not kin as one’s kin, with the determination needed for earning wealth brimming over, we set out! Battle-worthy are the Chozhas, clad in ‘aathi’ flower garlands. Akin to their town of Uranthai, where justice shines in the fine court, we have gathered the hard-to-attain, fine riches, and completed that formidable task that we desired to do.
Conquering forts many with his fierce army, is the Pandya King, clad in unfading neem garlands. Akin to his town of Koodal, whose day markets waft with fragrance, is the fine forehead of the dark-skinned maiden, with long, black tresses. In the sky-soaring, tall mansion, appearing as if carved out of a mountain, upon the soft, flower-like mattress, appearing akin to heaps of sea foam, on the high bed, in the light of the tall lamp, making fine jewels on her bosom carve scars on the chest, let’s embrace her. Come, O heart!
Having lined foreheads, fearsome trunks, with musth liquid pouring down and seeping into the mouth, thundering with strength, akin to Death, pouncing on the land, and unswerving in killing the enemy, are the proud and fierce elephants, belonging to the Chera King, renowned for his tall chariots. Let us embrace her for more times than there are sands, brought by the cool ‘Aan Porunai’ river and heaped on the tall banks, brimming with clear water, in the shore of the Chera town of Karuvoor, filled with rich, huge and wide mansions.”
Time to walk along with the returning man and hear his delight! The man starts by laying down the reasons he went in search of wealth and that is to ensure that no harm comes to those who are his kith and kin, to provide plenty for them, and more importantly, to make even those who are strangers as kin by rendering a heartwarming hospitality to them. A moment to pause and appreciate the noble thought in Sangam culture of extending love and compassion to those beyond one’s circle. A trait that is exemplified in the Puranaanooru lines, ‘Yaathum Oore, Yaavarum Kelir’ meaning ‘Every town is our own, and every person therein is our kin’.
Returning to the verse, we find the man declaring to his heart that they had succeeded in this mission and were now returning with bountiful and precious riches, which can be placed in parallel to the capital of the Chozhas, known as ‘Uranthai’. The Chozhas are identified by their bravery in the battlefield and the ‘aathi’ flower garlands they wear, whereas the town is praised for its courts of justice. Next, the man talks about the Pandya King Vazhuthi’s town of Koodal, which is the ancient name for the contemporary Tamil city of ‘Madurai’, mentioning its fragrant markets. He then connects this fragrance to that of his beloved’s forehead. Here too we learn about the formidable army of the Pandya king and their chosen flower garlands of neem flowers. In the final segment, the man turns to talk about the Chera king Kothai’s town of Karuvoor. Before that, he describes in great detail the battle elephants of this Chera king and their fearsome presence in the battlefield. The man has mentioned the Chera town of Karuvoor only to talk about the ‘Aan Porunai’ river that flows through this town and the sands it heaps on the banks of the river shore here. He concludes by telling his heart that he would embrace his beloved for more times than there are sands on the river shores of Karuvoor.
In a nutshell, the wealth the man earned is like the precious Uranthai, the beauty of his beloved is like the fragrant Koodal, and the joy of his togetherness would be like the fertile Karuvoor! In sketching the trajectory of the ecstasy that awaits him, the man takes us on a tour of those ancient and renowned cities, ruled by the three great kings of Tamil land in the Sangam era!
In this episode, we perceive a technique of hidden persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 92, penned by Madurai Paalaasiriyaar Natraamanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades and blooming flame-lilies of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and relays an alternate plan of action.
நெடு மலை அடுக்கம் கண் கெட மின்னி,
படு மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,
குஞ்சரம் நடுங்கத் தாக்கி, கொடு வரிச்
செங் கண் இரும் புலி குழுமும் சாரல்
வாரல் வாழியர், ஐய! நேர் இறை
நெடு மென் பணைத் தோன் இவளும் யானும்
காவல் கண்ணினம் தினையே நாளை
மந்தியும் அறியா மரம் பயில் இறும்பின்
ஒண் செங் காந்தள் அவிழ்ந்த ஆங்கண்,
தண் பல் அருவித் தாழ்நீர் ஒரு சிறை,
உருமுச் சிவந்து எறிந்த உரன் அழி பாம்பின்
திருமணி விளக்கின் பெறுகுவை
இருள் மென் கூந்தல் ஏமுறு துயிலே.
An eventful trip to the mountains awaits us in this one, where we get to hear these words from the confidante to the man, when he leaves after a nightly tryst with the lady:
“In the middle of the night, when blinding the eyes, lightning flashes in the tall mountain ranges, and heavy rain pours down, attacking an elephant and making it shiver, the red-eyed, huge tiger with curving stripes roars aloud. Do not come by at this time, O lord, may you live long! The lady, having perfect wrists and slender, bamboo-like arms, and I, are planning to go guard the millet fields tomorrow. If you come then, to that thick forest with trees that even monkeys know not, where bright red flame-lilies are in full blossom, where the cool, heavy cascade flows down on side, in the light of the fine gem spit out by a snake, whose strength was ruined by the fury of thunder, you will attain a pleasant sleep on her darkness-like, soft tresses!”
Let’s talk a walk in those lush hills and learn more! The confidante starts by asking the man to not come when the lightning is flashing, rains are pouring, in the middle of the night, when a tiger roars after attacking an elephant. She then tells the man that she and the lady were planning to go guard the millet fields the next day and asks him to come by at that time. The confidante concludes by promising that if the man were to come then to those dense forests, with trees that even monkeys know not about, where the flame-lilies are at their peak blossom, and where the cascades are flowing so invitingly, then in the light of a gem that has been spit out by a snake, ruined by thunder, the man would find sweet sleep amidst the thick, black tresses of his beloved.
First, let’s turn our attention to the two seemingly bizarre facts mentioned about snakes: One is that snakes are destroyed by the fury of thunder, and two, these snakes spit out gems. These statements portray beliefs held by Sangam people. We know not what this implies but it’s just one of those things people of a certain era are so sure about, but looks incomprehensible in hindsight. Turning to the essence of the verse, it is a refusal of nightly trysts, but the highlight is in the way the confidante delivers this rejection. It’s not ‘No and be gone’. Rather, it’s ‘No. But why don’t you?’ She offers an alternate plan. However, even within that, she conceals the danger of discovery, for people will abound in that space to pluck those flame-lilies and play in the cascades. So, ultimately the confidante is asking the man to ‘marry the lady’ but saying it in such a way that the man arrives at this conclusion himself, rather than the confidante demanding the same of him. Another effective lesson in communication for behaviour transformation!
In this episode, we listen to a message of reassurance, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 91, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches contrasting images of an arid domain and a fertile one.
விளங்குபகல் உதவிய பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு
வளம் கெழு மா மலை பயம் கெடத் தெறுதலின்,
அருவி ஆன்ற பெரு வரை மருங்கில்
சூர்ச் சுனை துழைஇ நீர்ப்பயம் காணாது,
பாசி தின்ற பைங் கண் யானை
ஓய் பசிப் பிடியொடு ஒருதிறன் ஒடுங்க,
வேய் கண் உடைந்த வெயில் அவிர் நனந்தலை
அரும் பொருள் வேட்கையின் அகன்றனர் ஆயினும்,
பெரும் பேர் அன்பினர் தோழி!-இருங் கேழ்
இரலை சேக்கும், பரல் உயர் பதுக்கைக்
கடுங்கண் மழவர் களவு உழவு எழுந்த
நெடுங் கால் ஆசினி ஒடுங்காட்டு உம்பர்,
விசிபிணி முழவின் குட்டுவன் காப்ப,
பசி என அறியாப் பணை பயில் இருக்கை,
தட மருப்பு எருமை தாமரை முனையின்,
முடம் முதிர் பலவின் கொழு நிழல் வதியும்,
குடநாடு பெறினும் தவிரலர்
மடமான் நோக்கி! நின் மாண் நலம் மறந்தே.
In this trip to the drylands, we meet the confidante consoling the lady, at a time when the man had left in search of wealth and remains parted away from the lady:
“The many-rayed sun that aids the day to flourish, had scorched away and made the huge and fertile mountain lose its useful cover, and the cascades too had ceased to flow in those spaces amidst the hills. Searching these erstwhile springs, inhabited by fearsome spirits, and finding no water whatsoever, the fresh-eyed elephant ends up eating moss, and then lies down with its hungry mate on one side. Although he parted away to these drylands spaces, where bamboos burst open in the blazing heat, with a desire to gain precious wealth, he is someone who has a deep love within, my friend! Beyond the region of Odungaadu, filled with tall-trunked breadfruit trees, where dark-hued stags rest amidst the high stone-filled burial mounds, where harsh-eyed warriors go about their act of ploughing by stealing, there is a town, protected by King Kuttuvan, renowned for his resounding tight drums, a place brimming with bamboos and fertile fields, where people know not the meaning of hunger, where a buffalo with curving horns, satiated with lotus flowers and wanting no more, leaves to rest in the thick shade of the curving jackfruit tree. Even if he were to attain this prosperous town known as ‘Kudanaadu’, he will not stay away, forgetting your fine beauty, O maiden with a gaze of a naive deer!”
Let’s step into those scorching spaces and learn more! The confidante starts with a vivid description of a drylands space. She mentions how it’s the sun that makes the day shine, but sometimes the sun overdoes its work and as a result the lush mountains lose their fertility. From this, we infer that this ‘Paalai’ region is not a drylands region always, but a ‘Kurinji’ space modified so, in the sweltering summer. This should explain that the ‘Paalai’ landscape often seen in Sangam verses does not pertain to a permanent desert region in ancient Tamil land but possibly talk about the transformation of ‘Kurinji’ and ‘Mullai’ tracts in a particular season. Returning, the confidante continues saying how thanks to the scorching sun, the cascades have dried up, and elephants that come expectantly to those ancient springs find no water and have to be content with eating moss. The confidante connects saying though the man had seemingly abandoned the lady and left to such a place to gather wealth, he was one filled with a great love for the lady.
Then, she moves on to talk about another space entirely, first mentioning a region called Odungaadu, seemingly another drylands space, where there are many breadfruit trees, where deers can be seen resting amidst the stone graves, and where the highway robbers are said to do their daily ploughing of stealing from wayfarers. That ancient Tamil land was predominantly a farming society is captured by the way the professions of every other region is seen through the lens of tending to the soil. Returning, the confidante has mentioned these facts only to talk about Kudanaadu, a town that lies beyond this region, the capital of the Chera King Kuttuvan, where people do not know the meaning of hunger, whatever be the season, and here, even a buffalo has so much to eat that it munches in plenty its favourite food of lotus flowers that it wants no more and waddles along to rest in the shade of the jackfruit tree. The confidante concludes by saying even if the man were to attain this fertile town of Kudanaadu, he will not be tempted to stay away from the beautiful, deer-like eyes of the lady.
In essence, the confidante proclaims that nothing would make the man forsake his love for his lady ever. Isn’t it interesting to note that it’s wealth that the man leaves the lady for, however even though he is given that epitome of wealth, the rich town of Kudanaadu, he would not be tempted to stay away from his beloved? A picture perfect illustration of the code of ethics in the man’s wealth-seeking!
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 90, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape' and projects how invaluable the lady is to her family.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 89, penned by Madurai Kaanchipulavar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse sketches the dangers of a drylands journey.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle message of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 88, penned by Eezhathu Poothanthevanaar. The verse is situated amidst the swaying millet stalks of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape' and portrays the dangers in a person's path.
In this episode, we hear healing words rendered to a heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 87, penned by Madurai Peraalavaayar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse sketches a journey as it nears its end.
In this episode, we listen to recollections of a joyous event, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 86, penned by Nallaavoor Kizhaar. Set in the prosperous towns of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse depicts intricate customs in a Sangam era wedding.
In this episode, we listen to a recollection of promises, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 85, penned by Kaattoor Kizhaar Maganaar Kannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and offers consolation to an anxious heart.
In this episode, we listen to an anguished heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 84, penned by Madurai Ezhuththaalan. The verse is situated in the fragrant forests of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest landscape' and compares the abodes of two parted lovers.
In this episode, we perceive an instance of love across the miles, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 83, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse echoes the tender feelings in the heart of a man parted away from his beloved.
In this episode, we delight in musical sounds many, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 82, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the bee-buzzing cascades of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape' and reveals the hidden emotions of a lady.
In this episode, we listen to a pointed question put forth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 81, penned by Alamperi Saaththaanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and vividly illustrates the elements of nature in this domain.
In this episode, we perceive an indirect technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 80, penned by Marunkoor Kizhaar Perunkannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the trees and vines of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape' and sketches a well-etched portrait of an ancient shore.
In this episode, we perceive a man's annoyance with his heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 79, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse presents a vivid account of the people and their activities in this domain.
In this episode, we perceive a thoughtful intervention on behalf of another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 78, penned by Madurai Nakeeranaar. Set amidst the honeycombs and flame-lilies of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse highlights events in the life of a famous Sangam King.
In this episode, we hear the reasoning for a resolute decision, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 77, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse reveals insightful historical facts through its intriguing similes.
In this episode, we listen to a maiden's oath, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 76, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the resounding drums of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse brings out the rivalry between women in the rich domain of ancient towns.
In this episode, we perceive the resolution of a person's anxiety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 75, penned by Madurai Poththanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and argues against parting away in the pursuit of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive the inability to accept assurance from another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 74, penned by Madurai Kavuniyan Boothathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant flowers of 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and illustrates an overpowering element in the life of the lady, one evening.
In this episode, we perceive the portrayal of shared pain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 73, penned by Erumai Veliyanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and renders a message of hope to the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 72, penned by Erumai Veliyanaar Makanaar Kadalanaar. Set amidst the resounding hills of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse sketches the life in this land on one rainy night.
In this episode, we listen to an outpouring of suffering, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 71, penned by Anthi Ilankeeranaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse presents nuanced similes to etch the sorrow in a heart.
In this episode, we hear the confidante's jubilant voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 70, penned by Madurai Tamil Koothanaar Kaduvan Mallanaar. Set amidst the flower orchards and fish markets of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape', the verse features a joyous news and its consequences.
In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 69, penned by Umattoor Kizhaar Makanaar Parankotranaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and renders hope to a despairing heart.
In this episode, we listen to a friend's encouraging words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 68, penned by Oottiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape' and portrays a daring aspect of the man's personality.
In this episode, we listen to a frustrated response, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 67, penned by Noy Paadiyaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse depicts the dreary state of the place the man traverses.
In this episode, we listen to the narration of a unique intervention, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 66, penned by Selloor Kosikan Kannanaar. Set amidst the wealthy streets of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse celebrates the presence of a child at a home.
In this episode, we hear news of a much-awaited decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work Aganaanooru 65, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set amidst the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse portrays the change in a person's mind and its joyous consequences.
In this episode, we perceive a man's fervent wish, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 64, penned by Aarkkaadu Kizhaar Makanaar Vellai Kannathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the moist red lands of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and sketches the yearning to return home after a mission.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 63, penned by Karuvoor Kannam Pullanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse sketches the journey of a maiden in the mind's eye of her mother.
In this episode, we listen to the angst of unfulfilled expectations, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 62, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the soaring peaks and descending cascades of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse reiterates the presence of a renowned man-made structure in those times.
In this episode, we listen to a friend's encouraging words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 61, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape'', the verse highlights some historic personalities and their renowned towns.
In this episode, we listen to an account of mother's nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 60, penned by Kudavaayil Keerathanaar. Set amidst the roaring waves of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape', the verse etches a unique instance of persuasive communication.
In this episode, we listen to a subtle message of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 59, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse refers to mythological elements to depict aspects of parting.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's angst-filled voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 58, penned by Madurai Panda Vaanikan Ilanthevanaar. The verse is situated in the soaring peaks of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape' and relays a subtle message seeking to change a person's heart.
In this episode, we listen to the man's reflection about his beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 57, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse echoes the yearning and suffering in parting.
In this episode, we listen to a mirthful tale, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 56, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. Set amidst the blooming lilies and bubbling ponds of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse presents a unique technique of refusing a request.
In this episode, we perceive the intricate emotions of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 55, penned by Maamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and presents a momentous historic event from the Sangam era.
In this episode, we listen to a man's fervent plea, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 54, penned by Matroor Kizhaar Makanaar Kotrankotranaar. Set amidst the showers and flowers of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest landscape', the verse etches exquisitely the urge to return home to a loved one.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's response to her friend's consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 53, penned by Seethalai Saaththanaar. Set amidst the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse offers intricate insights about elements of both nature and culture.
In this episode, we perceive how a message is discreetly conveyed, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 52, penned by Nochi Niyamankizhaar. Set amidst the towering boulders and flowering trees of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse talks about the technique of presenting a dilemma to echo the seriousness of a situation.
In this episode, we perceive a clear response to a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 51, penned by Perunthevanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands Landscape', the verse portrays the conflict between being with a beloved and parting away to earn wealth.
In this episode, we perceive a friend's concerned thoughts, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 50, penned by Karuvoor Poothanchaathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping waves of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape' and describes the lady's state of lament.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 49, penned by Vannappura Kantharanthanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse depicts an act of elopement from the mother's perspective.
In this episode, we listen to how an intricate message is conveyed, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 48, penned by Thankaal Mudakotranaar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape' and sketches the first interaction between the man and the lady.
In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 47, penned by Aalamberi Saaththanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'drylands landscape', the verse presents a glimpse of the beauty of an ancient hill town.
In this episode, we listen to words of fury, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 46, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set amidst the lotus-blooming fields of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse echoes a refusal to the man's attempt at appeasement.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, parted from her beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 45, penned by Velliveethiyaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse presents a variety of similes from nature and history.
In this episode, we observe the eagerness of a man to return home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 44, penned by Kudavayil Keeraththanaar. The verse is situated amidst the speeding roads of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and offers an account of people and places involved in an ancient battle.
In this episode, we perceive a clear decision in a man's mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 43, penned by Madurai Aasiriyaar Nallanthuvanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse portrays the intensity of the rainy season.
In this episode, we experience a downpour of joy, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 42, penned by Kabilar. Set in the rain-soaked ranges of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse talks about the transformative effect of an event.
In this episode, we perceive worry about another's pain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 41, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse illustrates the sights and sounds of a season.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 40, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set amidst the roaring waves of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape', the verse depicts the deep yearning in the lady to be with her beloved.
In this episode, we hear heartfelt words of appeasement, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 39, penned by Madurai Chenkannanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse paints the inner and outer world at a particular space and time in exquisite detail.
In this episode, we listen to how a hidden message is subtly conveyed, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 38, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. Set in the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse paints picturesque images to etch the past and present.
In this episode, we perceive the distress in the lady's heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 37, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse presents a unique portrait of the season of spring.
In this episode, we listen to the angry words of a wife, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 36, penned by Madurai Nakeerar. Set amidst the fish-filled ponds and blooming trees of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands Landscape', the verse conveys facets of nature and nuggets of history.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's fervent prayer, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 35, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse depicts the life and worship of an ancient tribe and also, the lament and love of a mother.
In this episode, we perceive the yearning in a man to return home speedily, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 34, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the rain-soaked 'Mullai' or 'Forest landscape', the verse portrays scenes in the wild and its consequences on a man's mind.
In this episode, we listen to thoughtful words spoken to the heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 33, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Mallanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse highlights the conflict between work and love in those times.
In this episode, we perceive a romance brewing, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 32, penned by Nalvelliyaar. Set amidst the millet fields in the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse paints a vivid portrait of inner emotions and outer reactions.
In this episode, we perceive the fearsome nature of the region, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 31, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse offers insights about the extent of the domain, ruled by ancient Tamil kings.
In this episode, we relish intriguing similes on ancient professions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 30, penned by Mudangi Kidantha Neduncheralaathan. The verse is situated amidst the roaring seas of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal landscape' and relays a hidden rebuke.
In this episode, we understand perspectives about the pursuit of wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 29, penned by Vellaadiyanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse echoes the emotions of the one who parted away and the one waiting for their return.
In this episode, we perceive the communication of a hidden message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 28, penned by the Pandya King Arivudai Nambi. The verse is situated amidst the millets fields and parrot sounds of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape' and persuades a person to choose the path of permanent happiness.
In this episode, we listen to an interesting argument for allaying fear, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 27, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse reveals the perceived power of the lady's beauty.
In this episode, we perceive a moment when the heart wins over the head, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 26, penned by Paandiyan Kaanapereyil Thantha Ukkira Peruvazhuthi. The verse is situated amidst the lush fields of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape' and sketches the nuanced changes in a woman's life after childbirth.
In this episode, we hear words of consolation rendered to a grieving heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 25, penned by Ollaiyoor Thantha Boothappaandiyan. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse highlights the picturesque changes in the season of spring.
In this episode, we perceive a man's angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 24, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar. Set amidst the flowering bushes of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest landscape', the verse sketches the pain in parting with vivid images.
In this episode, we relish the beauty of changing seasons, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 23, penned by Orodakathu Kantharathanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse echoes the anxiety of a maiden waiting for the return of her beloved.
In this episode, we hear a strong statement defending a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 22, penned by Veri Paadiya Kaamakanniyaar. Set amidst the cascades and slopes of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse paints a portrait of the beliefs and rituals of those times.
In this episode, we perceive a path to face the fall in motivation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 21, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse portrays an attempt to boost a flagging heart.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle plea for a change in action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 20, penned by Ulochchanaar. Set amidst the sands and groves of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape', the verse vividly sketches a day in the life of Sangam maiden.
In this episode, we observe a person's dilemma at the crossroads, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 19, penned by Porunthil Ilankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands Landscape' and relays a conversation between a man and his heart.
In this episode, we perceive the dangers in trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 18, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the wild streams of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse presents a persuasive plea for a change in action.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 17, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape', the verse echoes the thoughts of a mother at the juncture of her daughter's elopement.
In this episode, we listen to a response to a denial, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 16, penned by Saakalaasanaar. Set amidst the lush lotuses of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse brings out the relationship dynamics in a household.
In this episode, we get to know some historical characters, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 15, penned by Maamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and portrays a mother's wish for her daughter's well-being.
In this episode, we perceive a before-and-after story, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 14, penned by Okkoor Maasaathanaar. Set amidst the moist red earth of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest landscape', the verse portrays an evening hour and a much-awaited arrival.
In this episode, we listen to a thoughtful response, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 13, penned by Perunthalai Saaththanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and paints a portrait of the pain in parting.
In this episode, we perceive a strategy for course correction, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 12, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the squeaks and squawks of squirrels and parrots in the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse attempts to offer a new perspective to a perplexed person.
In this episode, we listen to a parted lady's anguish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 11, penned by the prolific Sangam poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands Landscape' and expresses the regretful words of a person in the midst of a separation.
In this episode, we listen to persuasive words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 10, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set amidst the waves and sands of the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape', the verse transports us to an ancient shore.
In this episode, we perceive an exquisite moment of anticipation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 9, penned by Kallaadanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and depicts the emotions in coming home to a beloved after a long separation.
In this episode, we perceive the dangers in trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 8, penned by Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set amidst the hills and slopes of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain Landscape', the verse presents the challenges in the situation and its resolution in a hidden manner.
In this episode, we look into the distraught emotions of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 7, penned by Kayamanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and vividly portrays a scene of separation and seeking.
In this episode, we perceive the ire of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 6, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the lush fields and ponds of the 'Marutham' or 'Farmlands landscape', the verse portrays a strong reaction to an affront.
In this episode, we relish the micro-elements of expressed emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 5, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and etches a striking portrait of an anxious heart.
In this episode, we perceive the blooming beauty of a forest in the rains, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 4, penned by Kurungudi Maruthanaar. Set amidst the blooms of the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape', the verse conveys a message of hope.
In this episode, we perceive the striking shades of inner conflict , as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 3, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands landscape' and sketches a man's dilemma in his quest for wealth.
In this episode, we delve into the art of conveying a nuanced message, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 2, penned by Kabilar. Set among the rocks and boulders of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape', the verse reveals the sensory delights of this land.
I'm delighted to begin our exploration of Aganaanooru, a collection of four hundred verses of poetry, arranged with precision to echo the inner life of ancient Tamils. In this episode, we perceive the emotions of a lady, parted away from her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 1, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the 'Paalai' or 'Drylands' landscape, the verse depicts intricate elements of land and love with equal finesse.
In this episode, we listen to the consoling words of the confidante, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 150, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and portrays trust in the goodness and compassion of a person.
In this episode, we perceive abstractions on ethics in human behaviour, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 149, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and puts forth a well-thought-out plea!
In this episode, we listen to a lady's conversation with an evening, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 148, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and echoes the emotions of a parted maiden.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's pleas to the world around, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 147, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and narrates the torment of a lady and the resolution of her travails.
In this episode, we perceive the soaring suffering in a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 146, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and echoes the state of a pining woman.
In this episode, we perceive the fire in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 145, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and depicts the conversations of a pining woman in love.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's outpouring to the elements of the world around, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 144, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and paints a portrait of a parted woman's pain.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's heartfelt wish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 143, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and paints the sorrow and smile of a woman.
In this episode, we hear the long lament of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 142, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and intricately etches the state of mind of a pining woman.
In this episode, we perceive the transformation in a man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 141, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and sketches the success story of a man's mission.
In this episode, we listen to the man's angst-ridden words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 140, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and portrays an instance of passionate persuasion.
In this episode, we perceive a man's plea to the wise, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 139, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and depicts the suffering of a man, smitten by love.
In this episode, we listen to a man's story of winning over his love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 138, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and portrays a public ritual, undertaken as the last resort by young men in love.
In this episode, we perceive the burning angst of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 137, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and paints a picture of pain born out of pleasure.
In this episode, we observe the changing stance of the lady's joy, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 136, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and showcases the sport of gambling in the Sangam era.
In this episode, we listen to an appeal to a person's sense of honour, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 135, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and portrays a lady's state in the midst of parting.
In this episode, we perceive the pain of a parted lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 134, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and depicts the empathy shown by the elements of the land.
In this episode, we hear words of advice rendered, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 133, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and lists the meaning of virtuous qualities.
In this episode, we listen to an argument put forth to persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 132, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and presents insightful images from an ancient seashore.
In this episode, we perceive stunning images from an ancient seashore, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 131, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and sketches the dynamics in the relationship between the man and the lady.
In this episode, we observe the transformation in a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 130, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and sketches the effect of an evening on a maiden.
In this episode, we perceive the arrival of evening with striking similes, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 129, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and sketches heartrending conversations with elements in the environment.
In this episode, we listen to the events that unfolded in a dream, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 128, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and reveals the subtle reasons for a transformation.
In this episode, we hear piercing words rendered to persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 127, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and attempts to change the man's heart.
In this episode, we perceive picturesque images from the sea, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 126, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and presents the assumptions and revelations in the mind of a parted maiden.
In this episode, we listen to a philosophical thought about the heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 125, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and puts forth a heartfelt plea.
In this episode, we listen to the confidante's thoughtful request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 124, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and relates the consequences of a man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the actions of a troubled heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 123, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and presents a portrait of a maiden, parted from her beloved.
In this episode, we perceive the confused heart of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 122, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and reveals an impossible situation in a person's life.
In this episode, we hear a passionate plea on behalf of a friend, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 121, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and depicts the state of a maiden with elements of nature.
In this episode, we infer emotions from intricate similes about human nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 120, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the 'Neythal' or 'Coastal Landscape' and brings forth the transformation at the cusp of an event.
In this episode, we perceive a lady’s pain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 119, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and highlights the happenings of an evening.
அகன் ஞாலம் விளக்கும் தன் பல் கதிர் வாயாகப்
பகல் நுங்கியது போலப் படு சுடர் கல் சேர,
இகல் மிகு நேமியான் நிறம் போல இருள் இவர,
நிலவுக் காண்பது போல அணி மதி ஏர்தர,
கண் பாயல் பெற்ற போல் கணைக் கால மலர் கூம்ப,
தம் புகழ் கேட்டார் போல் தலை சாய்த்து மரம் துஞ்ச,
முறுவல் கொள்பவை போல முகை அவிழ்பு புதல் நந்த,
சிறு வெதிர்ங் குழல் போலச் சுரும்பு இமிர்ந்து இம்மென,
பறவை தம் பார்ப்பு உள்ள, கறவை தம் பதிவயின்
கன்று அமர் விருப்பொடு மன்று நிறை புகுதர,
மா வதி சேர, மாலை வாள் கொள,
அந்தி அந்தணர் எதிர்கொள, அயர்ந்து
செந் தீச் செவ்அழல் தொடங்க வந்ததை
வால் இழை மகளிர் உயிர் பொதி அவிழ்க்கும்
காலை ஆவது அறியார்,
மாலை என்மனார் மயங்கியோரே.
A crisp little song after a long time! The words can be translated as follows:
“The sun, which illuminates the wide world with the many rays spelt out from its mouth, then swallows that very day it made and retires to the mountains; Akin to the hue of the war-worthy one with a discus, darkness shrouds; To shed some light and make the world see, the beautiful moon soars in the skies. Akin to eyes that have attained sleep, the thick-stemmed flowers close their buds; Akin to those, who have heard their praise fall on their ears, bending their heads, trees sleep; Akin to spreading smiles, buds bloom lusciously on the bushes; Akin to music from small bamboo flutes, bees resound around; Birds count their young ones; Cows rush towards their hamlets, to attend to their calves with love; Animals return to their lairs; Dusk spreads with light, bearing a sword; Priests welcome the twilight; Red lamps are lit up with red flames; Not realising this is a time that has come to end the lives of maiden wearing radiant jewels, those confused people seem to say it’s just an evening!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from a lady, prior to marriage. These words are rendered by a lady revealing the state of her mind. The lady starts by listing the changes in the outer world unfolding before her eyes. First, she talks about the sun, which was showering rays and lighting up the world all day, now taking up the task of swallowing those very rays and hitting the bed in the mountain. As a consequence, darkness starts spreading and the colour of this darkness is etched with a simile of a dark-skinned god holding a discus in hand, possibly referring to God Thirumaal. Seeing darkness raise its head, the moon decides to do its bit and shows its face in the high skies.
From the skies, the lady then flies to the earth beneath and talks about how flowers are closing their buds like eyes that have found sweet sleep. She also mentions trees bending their heads and resting, in the manner of people who have heard themselves praised. A moment to pause and note this subtle comment about a reaction to appreciation. This highlights how the ancients would exhibit humility when they receive a praise. In the West, in societies where individualism is prized, an appreciation is expected to be met and received with confidence. However, in many eastern cultures, there’s a refusal to accept praise, wherein often the recipient would deflect the same outwardly, saying, ‘Oh, it’s nothing. I cannot accept your praise’ and so on. It’s this subtle difference we can observe in this simile between trees at night and people receiving praise.
Returning, the lady then turns to the flowers blooming like smiles on the bushes and bees buzzing like bamboo flutes around them. She points to birds that have returned to their nests and are checking on their chicks, and cows, rushing homeward to be with their dear calves. That time of twilight seems to her as holding a sword. She then goes to also talk about priests welcoming this time of the day, with verses, and red lamps being lit up. Both are traditions followed till this day in temples and homes in Tamilnadu, a practice to welcome the twilight hour. Now, after listing all the events around here, the lady declares that this is not just a time of the day, this is something that has come to claim the life of maiden, who are parted away from their beloved. She concludes with scorn about people who call this sword-bearing, killing entity as just a harmless ‘evening’. Through these words, we realise the pain of separation that pierces the heart of the lady. At the same time, we have been transported to another time and place to perceive something so well-known to us, the setting of the sun, through the eyes of another!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 118, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and sketches the words rendered to an evening.
வெல் புகழ் மன்னவன், விளங்கிய ஒழுக்கத்தால்
நல் ஆற்றின் உயிர் காத்து, நடுக்கு அற, தான் செய்த
தொல் வினைப் பயன் துய்ப்ப, துறக்கம் வேட்டு எழுந்தாற்போல்
பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு பகல் ஆற்றி மலை சேர,
ஆனாது கலுழ் கொண்ட உலகத்து, மற்று அவன்
ஏனையான் அளிப்பான் போல், இகல் இருள் மதி சீப்ப,
குடை நிழல் ஆண்டாற்கும் ஆளிய வருவாற்கும்
இடை நின்ற காலம் போல், இறுத்தந்த மருள் மாலை!
மாலை நீ தூ அறத் துறந்தாரை நினைத்தலின், கயம் பூத்த
போது போல் குவிந்த என் எழில் நலம் எள்ளுவாய்;
ஆய் சிறை வண்டு ஆர்ப்ப, சினைப் பூப் போல் தளை விட்ட
காதலர்ப் புணர்ந்தவர் காரிகை கடிகல்லாய்
மாலை நீ தையெனக் கோவலர் தனிக் குழல் இசை கேட்டு
பையென்ற நெஞ்சத்தேம் பக்கம் பாராட்டுவாய்;
செவ்வழி யாழ் நரம்பு அன்ன கிளவியார் பாராட்டும்
பொய் தீர்ந்த புணர்ச்சியுள் புது நலம் கடிகல்லாய்
மாலை நீ தகை மிக்க தாழ் சினைப் பதி சேர்ந்து புள் ஆர்ப்ப,
பகை மிக்க நெஞ்சத்தேம் புன்மை பாராட்டுவாய்;
தகை மிக்க புணர்ச்சியார், தாழ் கொடி நறு முல்லை
முகை முகம் திறந்தன்ன, முறுவலும் கடிகல்லாய்
என ஆங்கு
மாலையும் அலரும் நோனாது, எம்வயின்
நெஞ்சமும் எஞ்சும்மன் தில்ல எஞ்சி,
உள்ளாது அமைந்தோர் உள்ளும்,
உள் இல் உள்ளம், உள்உள் உவந்தே.
The familiar three-step format of Kalithogai greets us in this verse that echoes a lady’s pain. The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to how a king, renowned for his victory and his protecting of lives, with righteousness and virtue, without any regrets, nudged by the good deeds he has done in his life, rises with intention to the heavens, the many-rayed sun, after fulfilling its duties of the day reaches the mountain. Akin to how another one guides the world that is now deeply distressed by the king’s parting, the spreading darkness is dispersed by the rising moon. Akin to that period of time that stands between the one, who ruled in the shade of his glorious royal umbrella, and the one who follows him, is this confusing hour of evening, which brings much agony!
O evening! You mock at my exquisite beauty that has now vanished, akin to a flower in a pond that has closed its buds, owing to the ceaseless memory of the one, who parted away, ruining me entirely! But you never seem to disturb the beauty of others, akin to a wide-open flower on a leafy branch, around which bees with beautiful wings buzz around, when they are united with their lovers!
O evening! You relish the sorrow that soars in the hearts of those who listen to the resounding music of the solitary flute in the hands of a cowherd! But you never seem to disturb the fresh beauty of maiden with words, akin to the strings of a lute’s ‘chevvazhi’ melody, when they are relishing a faultless, perfect union with their beloved!
O evening! You relish the emptiness that envelopes the hearts of those who are filled with agony, when birds call out aloud, uniting with their pairs on the fine, low hanging branches. But you never seem to disturb the smiles of those, akin to the blooming of wild jasmines on low hanging vines, when they are in a blessed union with those they love!
And so, my heart seems to find its joy by thinking about the one who thinks not about me. Will my thoughtless heart continue to remain so within, bearing the assault of the evening hour and the spreading slander?”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from a lady prior to marriage and the lady expresses her emotions at this juncture. The lady begins by talking about a famous and much respected king, who has won many battles and has guarded the people of his land in all the right ways. There will come a moment when his life would end and he would naturally rise to the heavens because of all the good deeds he has done in his life. The lady connects this moment to the sun setting in the mountains after accomplishing all its duties of the day, filling the world with life and energy. An insightful parallel that talks about the importance of the sun to life as we know it!
Returning, next the lady connects the moon, which disperses the soaring darkness a little, to the king who will succeed that famous ruler, and do what he can, to end the tears of the mourning subjects. There is a sliver of time filled with bewilderment between the first ruler and the next, between the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, and that is the evening hour, the lady connects. She directs her words to this evening hour, and talks about how it seems to mock and ruin her beauty, as she keeps thinking about the man who parted away, which seems to delight in her sorrow that heightens listening to the music of a cowherd’s flute, and also, seems to feel happy about the emptiness in her heart, when she hears birds around uniting merrily with their mates. She compares how the evening seems to have no power whatsoever on those who are happily united with their beloved. The lady concludes by wondering if her heart, which has remained within her, thinking about the man, will continue to remain so, now that the evening hour and the slander in town is attacking her, with such fury!
The verse made me wonder in what way is this connected to the coastal landscape, for we hear not the roar of the oceans or see the gliding fish. On reflection, I understood it’s the theme of ‘lamenting’ that has made this song be categorised as belonging to this domain. Here, we see how an evening hour, a flute’s music, flowers blooming, birds chirping, elements which we consider joyous and serene, brings so much pain to this ancient lady in love, parted from her beloved. This echoes to us the truth of how the world within us can dominate the world outside, projecting inner shades and moods and changing the outer world’s very reality. A nudge to pay attention and to guard that inner world with the care of that righteous king, for everything has its beginning right here!
In this episode, we listen to the words of a lovelorn man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 117, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays an expression of interest in a conversation between a couple.
தலைவன்
மாண உருக்கிய நன் பொன் மணி உறீஇ,
பேணித் துடைத்தன்ன மேனியாய்! கோங்கின்
முதிரா இள முகை ஒப்ப, எதிரிய
தொய்யில் பொறித்த வன முலையாய்! மற்று, நின்
கையது எவன்? மற்று உரை
தலைவி
கையதை சேரிக் கிழவன் மகளேன் யான்; மற்று இஃது ஓர்
மாதர்ப் புலைத்தி விலையாகச் செய்தது ஓர்
போழின் புனைந்த வரிப் புட்டில்…..
தலைவன்
……..புட்டிலுள் என் உள?
காண் தக்காய்! எற் காட்டிக் காண்
தலைவி
காண், இனி: தோட்டார் கதுப்பின் என் தோழி அவரொடு
காட்டுச் சார்க் கொய்த சிறு முல்லை மற்று இவை
தலைவன்
முல்லை இவை ஆயின் முற்றிய கூழையாய்!
எல்லிற்று போழ்து ஆயின், ஈதோளிக் கண்டேனால்;
‘செல்’ என்று நின்னை விடுவேன், யான்; மற்று எனக்கு
மெல்லியது ஓராது அறிவு.
A short and simple song in the conversational format. The words can be translated as follows:
“Man
As if highly valuable fine gold and sapphires have been melted and fused together with much care, glows your skin, O maiden! Akin to the immature, young buds of the buttercup, are your bosoms, etched with ‘thoyyil’ paintings! What is that you are holding in your hand? Tell me.
Lady
I’m the daughter of this village’s headman. What I hold in my hand is a lined basket, made from palm fronds, by a weaver woman, to be sold, but one she gave me as a gift!
Man
O maiden, pleasing to the eyes! What is there within the basket? Show it to me!
Lady
See now! These are little wild jasmines that were spreading in the forest that I plucked along with my friend having flower-filled tresses.
Man
O maiden with thick tresses! I can see these are wild jasmines and that the night is here. When I look around at this place, I should say, ‘go’, and let you leave. But what can I do when my mind is weak and frail and refuses to let me to?”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the category of excessive love expressed by a person. These words are exchanged by the man and the lady. The man opens the scene by approaching the lady and praising her for her exquisite complexion which seems to him, as if pure gold and dazzling sapphires have been blended and polished to perfection. Then, he equates her bosom on which ‘thoyyil’ paintings have been drawn to the buds of a buttercup flower. After these high praises, he asks the lady what she is holding in her hand. The lady replies that she is holding a little basket, woven from palmyra leaves. This was actually made for sale by a weaver woman, but because the lady happened to the village chief’s daughter, that worker had given it to the lady, with much affection, she adds. The man questions her further asking what is inside that basket. The lady responds by opening the basket and showing him that those were the wild jasmine flowers that she had plucked along with her friends. Seeing those jasmine flowers, the man decides to show the lady, the blooms of love in his heart, and he concludes by saying, ‘Yes, what’s there are jasmines, the time now is night and this place is so dark and dense. I should let you go. That would be the right thing. However, my mind doesn’t want to let you go. Please tell me what should I do!’. The words are intended to express the man’s brimming love for the lady and win her heart. Whether the lady accepted the man or not is left to the imagination of the reader, like an open-ended movie with varying interpretations!
With this verse that speaks the truth of a heart, we come to the end of verses situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape. In most of these few songs in this domain, the focus was on bull taming by young men of this domain and the celebration of that courage by young maiden through their ‘Kuravai’ dances. The facets about love among workers, rather than a man and a woman, who had nothing else to do, but be a lord and lady of a domain, was a refreshing break in perspective. Now, it’s time to bid bye to these men, battling the bulls, and maiden, looking starry-eyed at them, and journey on to our next and last landscape in Kalithogai!
In this episode, we perceive a conflict between a lady and a man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 116, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays the relentlessness of a man’s pursuit.
தலைவி
பாங்கரும் பாட்டங்கால் கன்றொடு செல்வேம்; எம்
தாம்பின் ஒரு தலை பற்றினை, ஈங்கு எம்மை
முன்னை நின்றாங்கே விலக்கிய எல்லா! நீ
என்னை ஏமுற்றாய்! விடு!
தலைவன்
விடேஎன்! தொடீஇய செல்வார்த் துமித்து, எதிர் மண்டும்
கடு வய நாகு போல் நோக்கித் தொழு வாயில்
நீங்கிச் சினவுவாய் மற்று.
தலைவி
நீ நீங்கு! கன்று சேர்ந்தார்கண் கத ஈற்று ஆ சென்றாங்கு
வன்கண்ணள் ஆய்வரல் ஓம்பு.
தலைவன்
யாய் வருக, ஒன்றோ பிறர் வருக, மற்று நின்
கோ வரினும், இங்கே வருக, தளரேன் யான்
நீ அருளி நல்க பெறின்.
தலைவி
நின்னை யான் சொல்லினவும் பேணாய்; நினைஇக
கனைபெயல் ஏற்றின் தலை சாய்த்து, எனையதூஉம்
மாறு எதிர்கூறி மயக்குப் படுகுவாய்!
கலத்தொடு யாம் செல்வுழி நாடிப் புலத்தும்
வருவையால் நாணிலி நீ!
A song depicting a conversation between a couple! The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady
When I’m going to the dense grove nearby, with the calf, you catch hold of one end of the cattle tether, and standing in front, you block me! Are you crazy? Let me go!
Man
I won’t let you go! You are free to be furious with me, akin to a strong and fast young bull that shakes away those who come near to touch it, as it leaps out of the barn’s entrance!
Lady
You should leave! Akin to how a cow that has just birthed a calf would go menacingly towards those who come near its young one, my harsh-eyed mother is on her way! Save yourself!
Man
Let mother come! Let any other come! Even if your king wants, let him come! I shall remain steadfast, until you render your grace!
Lady
Whatever I say, you don’t listen to me! Standing there, akin to a buffalo that stands in the midst of a downpour, slanting its head, you have something to say in response to what I say. You confuse me no end! O Shameless one, when I go with the milking vessel to the field, seeking me, will you come there too?”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of love among workers and these words are spoken between a herder man and a herder lady. The lady starts by stating that the man was standing there, blocking her path, and pulling the rope of the calf, she was taking to graze in the grove nearby, she asks him if he had gone mad, and demands that he let her go. The man refuses and says he gives her permission to be as mad as a young bull in a barn, one which won’t let anyone come near it, and runs out of the barn with much fury. Catching on to his ‘young bull’ simile, the lady decides to repay him in kind by talking about how her mother was coming there, in the stance of a young cow, which has just delivered a calf, when it pounces towards someone, who decided to go near her young one. A furious mother is a force of nature, the lady seems to tell the man! But the man is unperturbed, for he says, ‘Let your mother come, let anyone else who wants to come come here, why even if your king wants to come here with his army, let him, I won’t budge from here!’.
The lady responds by bringing forth yet another simile, where she paints a picture of a buffalo standing in a downpour, without moving, simply slanting its head. This is one of those similes that had me cracking up, for it reminded me of an oft-used, familiar phrase in contemporary Tamil, which goes, ‘எருமை மாட்டு மேல மழை பெஞ்சமாதிரி’, meaning ‘akin to rain that pours on a buffalo’ to talk about how there’s no effect of one’s words on the person listening in front. A favourite line of Tamil parents, when talking to their teenagers! It’s fascinating to see such a phrase used in light conversations in Tamil land be a part of a classical verse two thousand years ago!
Returning, our lady is mad that the man is acting like that buffalo not responding to the downpour of her refusals. Finally, she ends with a question, asking the man whether he will shamelessly come following her when she goes to the fields with a milking vessel later! The last line is also meant to be a cryptic way of inviting the man to another, more favourable trysting spot. Yet again, the similes from this land talking about the animals and the life therein, delight us, and make us perceive the love that blooms in these wild spaces of the past!
In this episode, we perceive the fearful stance of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 115, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches a domestic scene and its consequences in the life of the lady.
தலைவி
தோழி! நாம் காணாமை உண்ட கடுஙகள்ளை, மெய்கூர
நாணாது சென்று நடுங்க உரைத்தாங்குக்,
கரந்ததூஉம் கையொடு கோட்பட்டாம் கண்டாய், நம்
புல்லினத்து ஆயர் மகன்சூடி வந்ததோர்
முல்லை ஒரு காழும் கண்ணியும், மெல்லியால்!
கூந்தலுள் பெய்து முடித்தேன் மன் தோழி! யாய்
வெண்ணெய் உரைஇ விரித்த கதுப்போடே,
அன்னையும் அத்தனும் இல்லரா யாய் நாண,
அன்னை முன் வீழ்ந்தன்று அப் பூ;
அதனை வினவலும் செய்யாள், சினவலும் செய்யாள்,
நெருப்புக் கை தொட்டவர் போல விதிர்த்திட்டு,
நீங்கிப் புறங்கடை போயினாள்; யானும் என்
சாந்து உளர் கூழை முடியா நிலம் தாழ்ந்த
பூங்கரை நீலம் தழீஇத் தளர்பு ஒல்கிப்
பாங்கரும் கானத்து ஒளித்தேன்;
தோழி
…………………… அதற்கு எல்லா!
ஈங்கு எவன் அஞ்சுவது?
அஞ்சல் – அவன் கண்ணி நீ புனைந்தாய் ஆயின் நமரும்
அவன்கண் அடைசூழ்ந்தார் நின்னை; அகல்கண்
வரைப்பில் மணல் தாழப் பெய்து, திரைப்பில்
வதுவையும் ஈங்கே அயர்ப; அதுவேயாம்
அல்கலும் சூழ்ந்த வினை.
A simple verse relaying a problem and its solution as well! The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady
My dear friend, akin to how someone, after drinking strong toddy without others knowing, starts shivering, and then, without shame, owns up their act before others, I have been caught redhanded with that which I was hiding! This is how it happened: Taking a jasmine strand from the head garland worn by the son of the goatherds, I tied that within my tresses. When I came home, foster mother untied my hair to rub it with ghee. At this time, both mother and father were at home too. Making foster mother confused, before her, fell a flower from that strand. Neither did she query me about it nor did she get angry about it. Akin to someone who has touched fire, she stood up, shaking her hands, and left from there to step into the backyard. As for me, without tying up my tresses, covered with dried-up sandalwood paste, pulling up my blue attire, with a floral border hanging low, taking unsteady steps, I ran to hide in the dense grove nearby!
Confidante
Hey dear! Why do you fear? Fear not! Knowing that you tied his garland in your tresses, our kin have decided to offer you to him; In the wide open spaces of the front yard, spreading sands and covering with a canopy, they are making arrangements for your wedding; That’s the thing we wished they would do, every single day!”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of revealing a lady’s relationship with the man to her kin. Though the theme comes from the young love phase of the mountain landscape, elements of life from the herder’s community places the same in this forest domain. These words are spoken by the lady and her confidante. The lady starts the conversation with an interesting simile. She paints the portrait of a person who has gone and secretly drunk up some strong liquor. Later, when they start shivering because of its side effects, they will be pushed to a state of shamelessly owning up their act of getting sloshed. That’s what happened to her, she says, and then elaborates by relating to her friend, an incident at home. Apparently, the lady had tied a jasmine flower strand from the head garland of her beloved, the son of goatherds. Later, when she was at home, her foster mother, wanting to do some hair grooming, had opened out the tresses of the lady, and that jasmine strand fell down just then. Without getting angry, without incessant questioning, the foster mother seemed to have simply got up, shaking her hand as if she had touched fire and moved out into the backyard. On top of this, the lady’s mother and father were also at home, just then, the lady says. Shocked by the incident, the lady seems to have run out, tresses loose, holding her favourite attire of a blue skirt with a floral pattern, and hidden in the grove nearby.
Hearing all this, the confidante tells her not to fear at all, for the lady’s parents, understanding their girl’s heart, had decided to wed her to that young man, and at the moment, they were making preparations to spread the sand and tie the tent to conduct the wedding- the very thing the lady and confidante had dreamt about, for long. The joy we feel, when those around us understand and fulfil our heart’s desires, even before we ask for the same, is evident in the verse. Incidentally, it’s also a feeling, which can be felt in equal measure, when we do something like that for someone we love!
In this episode, we perceive a lady’s anxious state, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 114, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches the agony of a lady, as momentous events unfold before her.
தலைவி
வாரி, நெறிப்பட்டு, இரும்புறம் தாஅழ்ந்த
ஓரிப் புதல்வன் அழுதனன் என்பவோ,
புதுவமலர் தைஇ, எமர் என் பெயரால்,
வதுவை அயர்வாரை கண்டு? “மதி அறியா
ஏழையை” என்று அகல நக்கு வந்தீயாய்! நீ
தோழி அவன் உழைச் சென்று.
தோழி
சென்று யான் அறிவேன்; கூறுக மற்று இனி.
தலைவி
‘சொல் அறியாப் பேதை! மடவை! மற்று எல்லா!
நினக்கு ஒரூஉம்; மற்று, என்று அகல் அகலும்; நீடு இன்று
நினக்கு வருவதாக் காண்பாய்’, அனைத்து ஆகச்
சொல்லிய சொல்லும் வியங்கொளக் கூறு.
தருமணல் தாழப் பெய்து இல் பூவல் ஊட்டி,
எருமைப் பெடையோடு, எமர் ஈங்கு அயரும்
பெரு மணம் எல்லாம் தனித்தே ஒழிய,
வரி மணல் முன்துறைச் சிற்றில் புனைந்த
திரு நுதல் ஆயத்தார் தம்முள் புணர்ந்த
ஒரு மணம் தான் அறியும் ஆயின் எனைத்தும்
தெருமரல் கைவிட்டு இருக்கோ, அலர்ந்த
விரிநீர் உடுக்கை உலகம் பெறினும்,
அருநெறி ஆயர் மகளிர்க்கு
இரு மணம் கூடுதல் இல் இயல்பு அன்றே?
Time to explore the nuances. The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady
Even after seeing that my kin are preparing for my wedding by stringing fresh and new flowers, after combing and straightening tresses, hanging low on both sides, will they simply say, ‘Our little boy is crying!’? Please go to his home, my friend, and scorn him saying, ‘You are a pitiable one, who knows nothing!’
Confidante
I will go thither and find out! What else should I tell him, tell me now.
Lady
Tell him, “You are an ignorant one, who does not know to speak up! A fool and everything else! It will slip away from you. It will slip far from you. You will see this happen to you’ – Say all this and much more to make him understand!
It appears as if this great wedding that my kin are about to hold, spreading fresh sand in front of the house, adding red soil, and praying to the female buffalo, might happen without him. Those who have united with their beloved in the lined sands of the shore, filled with small sand houses, built by maiden with fine foreheads, know that their wedding is over. Won’t they be startled and bewildered? Isn’t it well known that even if they were to gain the entire world with the spreading seas, it’s not in the nature of herder women with virtue to accept to be part of two weddings!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a lady’s attempt to persuade a man to marry her. Though this theme is most commonly found in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, it has been grouped under the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, owing to the presence of elements from the herder community. These words are said by the lady to her confidante. The lady starts in an agitated tone talking about how her family is preparing for her wedding and asks whether the man’s relatives will say, ‘Our little boy is crying!’, indirectly asking if the man she loves is but a child! She asks her confidante to go there and tell him what a fool he is. The confidante asks what more should she tell him and the lady replies saying the confidante must make him understand that he should speak up, otherwise he is going to lose the lady for sure. Then, she talks about the wedding preparations her family is carrying on with, by spreading fresh sand in front of her house, adding red soil there and then praying to the female buffalo, perhaps a fertility ritual. She talks about another place filled with sands, the river shore, where she united with her man, and declares her wedding with the man was already over, at that moment, She insists to the confidante to ask him, how will a virtuous herder woman let herself be married twice, even if the entire world is offered on a platter! The verse in addition to throwing bright light on the sky-soaring virtue of Sangam women of being true to their beloved, also subtly conveys the culture of a herder community by sketching its wedding customs!
In this episode, we listen to a intriguing conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 113, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents hidden layers in the relationship between a man and his lady.
தலைவன்
நலமிக நந்திய நயவரு தட மென்தோள்,
அலமரல் அமர் உண்கண், அம் நல்லாய்! நீ உறீஇ
உலமரல் உயவு நோய்க்கு உய்யும் ஆறு உரைத்துச் செல்.
தலைவி
பேர் ஏமுற்றார் போல முன் நின்று விலக்குவாய்
யார்? எல்லா! நின்னை அறிந்ததூஉம் இல்வழி?
தலைவன்
தளிர் இயால்! என் அறிதல் வேண்டின், பகை அஞ்சாப்
புல்லினத்து ஆயர் மகனேன், மற்று யான்.
தலைவி
ஒக்கும் மன்.
புல்லினத்து ஆயனை நீ ஆயின், குடம் சுட்டு
நல் இனத்து ஆயர் எமர்.
தலைவன்
எல்லா!
நின்னொடு சொல்லின் ஏதமோ இல்லை மன்.
தலைவி
ஏதம் அன்று எல்லை வருவான் விடு.
தலைவன்
விடேன்.
உடம்பட்டு நீப்பார் கிளவி மடம் பட்டு,
மெல்லிய ஆதல் அறியினும், மெல்லியால்!
நின் மொழி கொண்டு யானோ விடுவேன், மற்று என் மொழி கொண்டு
என் நெஞ்சம் ஏவல் செயின்?
தலைவி
நெஞ்சு ஏவல் செய்யாது என நின்றாய்க்கு, எஞ்சிய
காதல் கொள் காமம் கலக்குற ஏதிலார்
பொய்ம் மொழி தேறுவது என்?
தலைவன்
தெளிந்தேன், தெரி இழாய் யான்!
பல்கால் யாம் கான் யாற்று அவிர் மணல் தண் பொழில்
அல்கல் அகல் அறை ஆயமொடு ஆடி,
முல்லை குருந்தொடு முச்சி வேய்ந்து எல்லை
இரவுற்றது; இன்னும் கழிப்பி; அரவுற்று
உருமின் அதிரும் குரல் போல் பொருமுரண்
நல் ஏறு நாகுடன் நின்றன,
பல் ஆன் இனநிரை நாம் உடன் செலற்கே.
Like the previous verse, this too is another tryst between a determined man and a reluctant lady! The words can be translated as follows:
“Man
O beautiful maiden, glowing with allure, are your soft and curved arms, and those huge and fighting kohl-streaked eyes! Tell me the way to abate this suffering-filled disease you have caused in me.
Lady
Like a crazed person, you stand before me and block me! Who are you? I have never seen you before!
Man
O maiden, akin to a tender sprout! If you have to know who I am, I’m the son of goat herders, who are fearless of foes!
Lady
That sounds right. If you are the son of goat herders, my kin are cattle herders, who gather pots of milk!
Man
I hope there’s nothing wrong in conversing with you.
Lady
Nothing wrong. I will come tomorrow. Let go of me.
Man
I won’t! O gentle maiden, although I know the words of those who seem to agree but wish to part away are shallow, with naivety, I want to accept your words and let you go, but what can I do, when my heart commands me not to listen to my own words?
Lady
Saying my heart does not let me, you stand there, then why do you accept those falsehoods of those, who confuse you with remnants of their love and desire?
Man
I’m clear now, O maiden wearing well-etched jewels! Many a time, on the spreading sands by the wild river, in the cool shade of the grove, on the wide boulders, we have played together with your playmates, wearing woven garlands of wild jasmine and wild lime on our heads, until it became dark. When we delayed further, akin to the roar of thunder that startles snakes, the fighting bulls that stood with the cows bellowed, waiting for us to leave together!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of forbidden love between a man and a lady. The words are exchanged between a herder girl and a herder man. The man opens the scene by asking a maiden to show the way to cure his love affliction. The lady responds by asking who he is, for she has never seen him before and why is he blocking her path. The man replies by saying to her, ‘If you really want to know, I’m the son of goat herds’. As if introducing her, in response, she says, ‘I’m the daughter of cowherds’. The man queries innocently asking if there was anything wrong in talking to her, to which the lady says, ‘Nothing wrong. Let me go. I will come tomorrow’. But the man persists saying although he believes her words, which are most probably lies, and let her go, his heart is not letting him to. The lady asks why he believes in those so-called lies. The man responds by recollecting a time they both spent together in the groves, until it became dark, and all the fighting bulls that they had brought to graze, had started roaring like thunder, as if telling them, ‘Come on. Let’s get going home’. Through this last account by the man, we understand that the lady already knows the man and is simply pretending not to know him, perhaps because her kin have forbidden their union. The man tries to regain her love by reminiscing about the good times they had spent together. Nostalgia is indeed the stream of water that makes the seed of love sprout with gusto!
In this episode, we perceive a lady’s change of stance, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 112, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and etches the determined pursuit of a man.
தலைவி
யார் இவன், என்னை விலக்குவான்? ‘நீர்உளர்
பூந்தாமரைப் போது தந்த விரவுத் தார்க்
கல்லாப் பொதுவனை நீ மாறு நின்னொடு
சொல்லல் ஓம்பு’ என்றார் எமர்.
தலைவன்
எல்லா! ‘கடாஅய கண்ணால் கலைஇய நோய் செய்யும்
நடாஅக் கரும்பு அமன்ற தோளாரைக் காணின்
விடாஅல் ஓம்பு’ என்றார் எமர்.
தலைவி
கடாஅயார் நல்லாரைக் காணின் விலக்கி நயந்து அவர்
பல்லிதழ் உண்கண்ணும் தோளும் புகழ் பாட
நல்லது கற்பித்தார் மன்ற நுமர், பெரிதும்
வல்லர் எமர் கண் செயல்.
தலைவன்
ஓஒ வழங்காப் பொழுது நீ கன்று மேய்ப்பாய் போல்
வழங்கல் அறிவார் உரையாரேல் எம்மை
இகழ்ந்தாரே அன்றோ எமர்?
தலைவி
ஒக்கும் அறிவல் யான் எல்லா, விடு;
தலைவன்
விடேன் யான்; என் நீ குறித்தது இருங்கூந்தால்
நின்னை என் முன் நின்று
சொல்லல் ஓம்பு என்றமை அன்றி அவனை நீ
புல்லல் ஓம்பு என்றது உடையரோ, மெல்ல
முயங்கு நின் முள் எயிறு உண்கும்
தலைவி (தன் நெஞ்சிடம்)
எவன் கொலோ?
மாயப் பொதுவன் உரைத்த உரை எல்லாம்
வாயாவது ஆயின், தலைப்பட்டாம்; பொய்யாயின்,
சாயல் இன் மார்பில் கமழ்தார் குழைத்த நின்
ஆயிதழ் உண்கண் பசப்பத் தட மென்தோள்
சாயினும் ஏஎர் உடைத்து.
Another one in the light conversational format! The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady
Who is he, the one stopping me? ‘Do not talk to that unwise herder man wearing a garland of mixed flowers, the one, who gave those lotus flowers blooming in the water!’ – So said, my kin!
Man
Hey dear! ‘Do not let go if you see the one with bewitching eyes, she who disturbs and renders an affliction, the one with sugarcane painted, beautiful arms!’ – So said, my kin!
Lady
The kin of yours have taught you well indeed, saying if you see those with bewitching eyes, stop them, and flatter their many-petalled, kohl-streaked eyes with songs many! If they are so capable, why don’t they approach my kin?
Man
Oh! If my kin know that you will take the calves grazing in this place at a time when no-one is about and then don’t tell me about that, wouldn’t that mean they don’t care about me?
Lady
That sounds about right. I know all about it! Let me go now!
Man
I won’t! O maiden with thick tresses, what did you just tell me now? Your kin said ‘Do not stand before him and talk to him’. Did they say, ‘Do not embrace him!’? So, hug me gently so that I can savour the nectar of your sharp teeth!
Lady (To her heart)
What shall I do? If the words rendered by this deceptive herder becomes true, I will be saved; But if it were to become false, the beautiful petaled, kohl-streaked eyes that has now decided to crush the garland worn on the sweet chest, would become coated with pallor, and these curving soft arms would thin away. Even so, they would remain beautiful!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of forbidden love between a man and a lady. The words are exchanged between a herder girl and a herder man. The lady opens the scene by wondering who was this chap, who was blocking her path, and then she says, ‘Isn’t he the one my folks have asked me not to talk to?’. Hearing this, the man says, ‘Is that what your folks have said to you? Do you know what mine have said to me? Never let go if I see someone as beautiful as you are, cross my path’. To this, she responds with scorn, ‘Oh! They have taught you well to sing and praise the beautiful maiden who cross your path. They seem very wise. Why don’t they come and talk to my kin?’. The man answers this tangentially saying, ‘Only if they don’t advise me so, I’d think they care not about me at all!’ The lady dismisses his words and prepares to leave but the man refuses to let her go saying, ‘Hey listen! All your folks said was don’t talk to me. Did they say don’t embrace me? Come on then, what’s stopping you from coming close to me?’. The lady is now resigned to her fate and concludes saying to her heart, ‘If the love and promise the chap gives me is to come true, then I’ll be saved. If he’s going to deceive me and vanish away, then my eyes will be filled with pallor and my arms will thin away. But even then, they will still be beautiful!’. This last line reveals to us that the lady is ready to take the risk of furthering her relationship with this man, who has relentlessly pursued her. A verse which reveals to us how the perceptions and opinions of a family in Sangam times, affect two people in love!
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s plea to a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 111, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches the petition and dismissal of a man’s requests.
தீம்பால் கறந்த கலம் மாற்றிக், கன்றெல்லாம்
தாம்பின் பிணித்து, மனைநிறீஇ, யாய் தந்த
பூங்கரை நீலம் புடைதாழ மெய்அசைஇ, பாங்கரும்
முல்லையும் தாய பாட்டங்கால் – தோழி! நம்
புல்லினத்து ஆயர் மகளிரோடு எல்லாம்
ஒருங்கு விளையாட, அவ்வழி வந்த
குருந்தம்பூங் கண்ணிப் பொதுவன் மற்று என்னை
“முற்றிழை ஏஎர் மட நல்லாய்! நீ ஆடும்
சிற்றில் புனைகோ சிறிது?” என்றான்; “எல்லா! நீ
‘பெற்றேம் யாம்’ என்று பிறர் செய்த இல் இருப்பாய்,
கற்றது இலை மன்ற காண்” என்றேன்; “முற்றிழாய்!
தாதுசூழ் கூந்தல் தகைபெறத் தைஇய
கோதை புனைகோ நினக்கு?” என்றான்; “எல்லா! நீ
ஏதிலார் தந்த பூக்கொள்வாய் நனி மிகப்
பேதையை மன்ற பெரிது” என்றேன்; “மாதராய்!
ஐய பிதிர்ந்த சுணங்குஅணி மென்முலை மேல்
தொய்யில் எழுதுகோ மற்று?” என்றான்; “யாம் பிறர்
செய்யுறம் நோக்கி இருத்துமோ? நீ பெரிது
மையலை மாதோ விடுக” என்றேன்; தையலாய்!
சொல்லிய ஆறு எல்லாம் மாறுமாறு யான் பெயர்ப்ப,
அல்லாந்தான் போலப் பெயர்ந்தான், அவனை நீ
ஆயர் மகளிர் இயல்பு உரைத்து, எந்தையும்
யாயும் அறிய உரைத்தீயின் யான் உற்ற
நோயும் களைகுவை மன்.
An account of a past conversation! The words can be translated as follows:
“After placing vessels with sweet milk within, I tied the calves with ropes. Leaving them in the house, wearing a blue attire with a floral border, hanging low, swaying my form, I went to the grove filled with toothbrush trees and wild jasmine vines. My friend, I was playing together with the daughters of goatherds there. Just then, a herder man came that way, wearing a garland of wild lime flowers.
He said, “O beautiful maiden, wearing radiant jewels, shall I carve a little sand home for you to play with?”. I replied, “Hey you! Only you will live in the homes of others, thinking ‘I’ve got it. What more do I want? You know not what’s right!”.
He said, “O beautiful maiden wearing flawless jewels, shall I weave a garland to adorn with much beauty, your pollen-filled, fine tresses?”. I replied, “Hey you! Only you will accept the flowers given by a stranger. Your foolishness is great indeed!”
He said, “O pretty maiden, on your soft bosom, on which beauty spots spread so alluringly, shall I etch ‘thoyyil’ paintings?. I replied, “Do you think I’m waiting for someone to come do this for me? You are in some delusion. Leave me alone!”
O young maiden! Whatever he said, I rejected repeatedly, and he parted away with much disappointment. If you will go to him and talk about the true nature of herder maiden, and let my father and mother know about this, you will vanquish my affliction too!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of revealing a lady’s relationship with a man to the lady’s kin. Although this theme is mostly found in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the setting of a herder community situates it in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’. The words are said by a lady to her confidante. The lady begins by talking about her activities on the day before. She presents the scene of how she milked the cows, brought those brimming vessels, and placed them within her home. Next, she ties up the calves, making sure they don’t scoot off, and then she mentions that she wore a blue attire with a floral design in the border, hanging low. This mention of an attire with varying patterns tells us the weaving industry was thriving well in that time and place. Returning to the lady, she says after that, with a little hop and dance, she went out to the grove filled with toothbrush trees and jasmine vines, to play with other young girls, daughters of goatherds.
As she was playing there, a young man seems to have approached her and put forth three requests: First, he asks whether he could build a little sand home for her to play with; Next, whether he could weave a garland to adorn her tresses; And last, whether he could draw ‘thoyyil’ paintings on the lady’s beautiful bosom. To each of these requests, the lady replies with, ‘Only you will be content with a home that someone else builds for them, not me; only you will accept flowers from a stranger, not me; and finally, about the ‘thoyyil’ question, she asks him whether he thought she was waiting for someone to come and paint her bosom’. She scolds the man for his delusion and asks him to leave. This series of exchanges the lady shares with her confidante and tells her, ‘That day, I cheekily retorted to him and made him leave so disappointed. But now, my heart has changed. So, please go to him and tell him this is how herder girls will talk, rejecting at first, and also wishing to accept their men only after they tame the bulls. You also please reveal my love for him to my father and mother. Only this will resolve the love affliction in my heart’! Quite a mission for the lady’s friend! The verse highlights how the mind can look at something one way in the beginning and totally change course after a while, especially when it comes to the matters of the heart!
In this episode, we perceive a conversation between a lovelorn man and his beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 110, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents elements that echo the soul of this land.
தலைவி
கடி கொள் இருங் காப்பில் புல்லினத்து ஆயர்
குடிதொறும் நல்லாரை வேண்டுதி எல்லா!
இடு தேள் மருந்தோ, நின் வேட்கை? தொடுதரத்
துன்னி, தந்தாங்கே, நகை குறித்து, எம்மைத்
திளைத்தற்கு எளியமாக் கண்டை; “அளைக்கு எளியாள்
வெண்ணெய்க்கும் அன்னள்” எனக் கொண்டாய்
தலைவன்
ஒண்ணுதால்!
ஆங்கு நீ கூறின், அனைத்தாக; நீங்குக
அச்சத்தான் மாறி, அசைவினான் போத்தந்து,
நிச்சம் தடுமாறும், மெல் இயல் ஆய்மகள்!
மத்தம் பிணித்த கயிறு போல், நின் நலம்
சுற்றிச் சுழலும் என் நெஞ்சு
விடிந்த பொழுதினும் இல்வயின் போகாது,
கொடுந் தொழுவினுள் பட்ட கன்றிற்குச் சூழும்
கடுஞ்சூல் ஆ நாகு போல், நிற் கண்டு, நாளும்,
நடுங்கு அஞர் உற்றது என் நெஞ்சு
எவ்வம் மிகுதர, எம் திறத்து, எஞ்ஞான்றும்,
நெய் கடை பாலின் பயன் யாதும் இன்றாகி,
கை தோயல் மாத்திரை அல்லது செய்தி
அறியாது அளித்து என் உயிர்
தலைவி
அன்னையோ? மன்றத்துக் கண்டாங்கே, ‘சான்றார் மகளிரை
இன்றி அமையேன்’ என்று இன்னவும் சொல்லுவாய்;
நின்றாய்; நீ சென்றீ; எமர் காண்பர்; நாளையும்
கன்றொடு சேறும் புலத்து.
Another short conversational verse! The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady
Hey you! In all the houses upon the fresh and fragrant vast spaces, where goatherds live, you seek beautiful women! Is your desire like a scorpion’s sting that must be cured immediately? Just because I came close and let you touch me, seeing my smile, you have decided I’m easy to get together with, thinking ‘She readily offers the buttermilk, why won’t she do the same with butter?’!
Man
O maiden with a radiant forehead! If that’s what you think about me, let it be so! I will leave. O soft-natured herder girl, with fear, it moves away, but then overcome with desire, it comes near, and akin to rope around a churning rod, around your beauty, twists and turns, this heart of mine!
Even when it’s daybreak, instead of stepping out, a cow that has delivered its first calf, will remain within, close to its young one in the barn. Akin to that, seeing you, day after day, trembles in torment, this heart of mine!
As suffering brims over beyond my ability to bear every day, akin to milk that is of no use when it has been used to make butter, without anything else, but the memory of touching you with my hands, pitifully laments this life of mine!
Lady
Is that so? Right at the moment you see someone, you declare you cannot be without that woman from a good family, saying all this and stand here waiting. Please go away! My kin will see us. Tomorrow, I will come with the calf to the fields!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of love among workers and these words are exchanged by a herder man and a herder lady. The lady starts the scene by remarking on the man’s desire to be with women, asking if it is a scorpion’s sting that requires immediate attention. She describes how she just came close to him and let him touch her but he seems to have taken it as a license to get together with her. To explain his thought process, she talks about how the man thinks just because he’s got buttermilk easily from her, he’ll get butter too. In their own way, the ancients are talking about the critical concept of consent in intimate relationships.
Returning, we find the man replying that if that’s how the lady feels, he would leave. But then goes on to pen his state of suffering with three parallels: One, a rope around a churning rod that moves this way and that way, around this herder girl; Two, how a cow that has delivered its first calf won’t leave the side of its young one, even when it’s daybreak and time to go grazing; Three, the useless state of milk after butter has been taken from it, the man connects to his life that pines to be with the lady.
Hearing all this, the lady asks incredulously how he can want to be with someone the moment he sees them, and that too in the town centre. She tells him one of her kin might see her and leaves with the cryptic message that she would be in the fields the following day with her calf, hinting to the man he may find success in his prospects to be with her if he comes the next day. Beyond the brimming romance in these lines, what’s striking is the stack of similes that etch the various elements of this land. It’s fascinating how the poets root their poems so strongly in a particular domain and create art that is the perfect fusion of love and life in a land!
In this episode, we listen to a heart's outpouring, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 109, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and etches the mesmerising beauty of a maiden.
In this episode, we see sparks fly in a couple's conversation, as conveyed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 108, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and reveals interesting perspectives about work in ancient times.
In this episode, we listen to an amusing conversation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 107, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and paints both the confusion and the relief in the mind of a lady.
In this episode, we perceive the practical aspects of bull taming, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 106, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and reveals the value of courage in a man as seen from the eyes of their beloved maiden.
In this episode, we perceive conflict and triumph in a bull taming arena, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 105, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and reveals happy tidings in the lady's life.
In this episode, we listen to a detailed account of bull taming events, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 104, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and echoes a lady's pride in her beloved's conquest in the arena.
In this episode, we perceive dynamic scenes from a bull taming arena, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 103, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and relays the importance accorded to courage and determination in an ancient culture.
In this episode, we listen to an account of a jubilant bull taming, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 102, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and sketches the determination of a young man to win the one he loves.
In this episode, we perceive the ancient Tamil custom of taming a bull, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 101, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the 'Mullai' or 'Forest Landscape' and conveys the connection of this ancient custom to the lady's life.
In this episode, we perceive the intersection of different aspects of life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 100, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and pleads for a king's kindness.
In this episode, we hear a passionate speech in support of another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 99, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and puts forth a plea to a king.
In this episode, we perceive the practice of bathing in the fresh waters of a river, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 98, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and portrays an element of the land in a new light.
In this episode, we perceive a scoffing retort, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 97, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and connects the characteristics of a woman and an elephant.
In this episode, we listen to an imaginative response to a dishonest explanation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 96, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and renders a comparative study of women and horses.
In this episode, we perceive fighting over the truth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 95, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and renders details about quail fights in ancient times.
In this episode, we perceive a unique love story, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 94, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the coming together journey of two striking personalities.
In this episode, we perceive a sarcastic response to a dubious explanation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 93, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches an animated conversation.
In this episode, we listen to the narration of a dream, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 92, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and presents a fused portrait of dream and reality.
In this episode, we listen to a conflict-ridden conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 91, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and traces how the lady's words turn from scoffing to submission.
In this episode, we observe the trajectory of a conflict, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 90, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches a tale of denial and acceptance.
In this episode, we perceive sparks fly in a domestic quarrel, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 89, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relates a heated exchange between a couple.
In this episode, we observe the inferences of a lady's perceptive eyes, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 88, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches the quarrelling and conflict in a household.
In this episode, we encounter an animated exchange between the lady and the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 87, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches a situation of domestic conflict.
In this episode, we listen to advice offered by a mother to her young son, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 86, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and contrasts the positive and negative qualities of a man.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's words to her child, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 85, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and paints a portrait of the adornments on a child in an affluent household.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's ire, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 84, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the inferences in the lady's mind about the intentions of courtesans.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 83, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and reveals the consequences of the man's actions on the lady.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's admonition to her son, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 82, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the man's infidelity.
In this episode, we listen to a striking interaction between the man and the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 81, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and reveals the man's attempts at allaying the lady's ire.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's affection for her son, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 80, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and conveys a hidden message.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's words of rebuke to her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 79, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and spotlights moments of affection.
In this episode, we listen to the lady's perspective on the man's thoughts, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 78, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and reflects the lady's clarity and perception.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's loss owing to the man's actions, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 77, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the lady's state of despair.
In this episode, we perceive elements of a different landscape appearing in the farmlands domain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 76, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches a lady's way of revealing her relationship with the man to her friend.
In this episode, we perceive the reasons for the lady's restraint, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 75, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and highlights the man's crafty nature.
In this episode, we listen to the sharp censure of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 74, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and vividly sketches the man's infidelity.
In this episode, we observe the perceptive eyes of the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 73, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and talks about the deceptive actions of the man.
In this episode, we listen to an anguished question, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 72, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and provides insight about the prominent workers in a town setting.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's fury at her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 71, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the lady's disappointment in the words of the man's supporters.
In this episode, we listen to many sounds that arise in a town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 70, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and portrays the formidable foes of sleep.
In this episode, we listen to the sharp words of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 69, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the man's activities with courtesans.
In this episode, we perceive the anguished questions in the mind of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 68, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the illusory nature of the man's relationship.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 67, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and echoes a feeling of betrayal in the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the ire of a lady towards her man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 66, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the escapades of the man with courtesans.
In this episode, we listen to a curious incident that unfolded one night, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 65, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and attempts to convey the gravity of the situation in an indirect manner.
In this episode, we listen to a playful conversation between a man and lady in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 64, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and etches an attempt to reconcile a disgruntled person.
In this episode, we perceive an exchange of words to unearth the truth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 63, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and sketches the confidante's attempts at bringing together the man and the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the transformation in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 62, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and sketches the manner in which the man wins over the lady's reservations against him.
In this episode, we listen to an interesting conversation between three people, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 61, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the man's situation and the confidante's support.
In this episode, we listen to an animated conversation between two women, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 60, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and presents a situation where the confidante pleads the man's case in the court of the lady's mind!
In this episode, we listen to a man's attempt to convince a maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 59, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and informs us about certain customs of penances undertaken by Sangam women.
In this episode, we listen to a man's angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 58, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and depicts an ancient strategy employed to win love.
In this episode, we listen to a long list of praises, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 57, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals both the glory of a king and the power of a maiden.
In this episode, we listen to the words of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 56, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and expresses admiration for a lady.
In this episode, we listen to an account of a lady's first meeting with a man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 55, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals an incident to the confidante.
In this episode, we hear the lady speaking her truth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 54, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and seeks the help of a friend.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's state in the man's absence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 53, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and appeals to the man's kindness to remedy a distressing situation.
In this episode, we listen to an argument for seeking an alternative path, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 52, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and sketches the danger of discovery to a man intent on trysting by night.
In this episode, we listen to a fascinating incident in the life of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 51, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and sketches a delightful moment of love's blooming.
In this episode, we listen to the confidante's counsel, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 50, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and argues for a protective attitude towards the lady.
In this episode, we perceive clear arguments mentioned to persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 49, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the dangers in a tryst by night.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's state of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 48, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and seeks a resolution for the lady's suffering.
In this episode, we perceive the confusions in the mind of the confidante, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 47, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and presents the confidante’s attempts to resolve the man’s quandary.
ஒன்று, இரப்பான் போல் எளிவந்தும் சொல்லும்; உலகம்
புரப்பான் போல்வது ஓர் மதுகையும் உடையன்;
வல்லாரை வழிபட்டு ஒன்று அறிந்தான் போல்,
நல்லார்கண் தோன்றும் அடக்கமும் உடையன்;
இல்லோர் புன்கண் ஈகையின் தணிக்க
வல்லான் போல்வது ஓர் வன்மையும் உடையன்;
அன்னான் ஒருவன் தன் ஆண்தகை விட்டு, என்னைச்
சொல்லும் சொல், கேட்டீ சுடரிழாய்! பல் மாணும்;
‘நின் இன்றி அமையலேன் யான்’ என்னும் அவன் ஆயின்,
அன்னான் சொல் நம்புண்டல் யார்க்கும் இங்கு அரிதுஆயின்,
என் உற்ற பிறர்க்கும் ஆங்கு உளகொல்லோ? நறுநுதால்!
‘அறியாய் நீ; வருந்துவல் யான்’ என்னும் அவன் ஆயின்,
தமியரே துணிகிற்றல் பெண்டிர்க்கும் அரிதுஆயின்,
அளியரோ, எம் போல ஈங்கு இவன் வலைப்பட்டார்;
‘வாழலேன், யான்’ என்னும் ‘நீ நீப்பின்’ அவன் ஆயின்,
‘ஏழையர்’ எனப் பலர் கூறும் சொல் பழி ஆயின்,
சூழுங் கால், நினைப்பது ஒன்று அறிகலேன், வருந்துவல்;
சூழுங்கால், நறுநுதால்! நம்முளே சூழ்குவம்
அவனை,
நாண் அட, பெயர்த்தல் நமக்கும் ஆங்கு ஒல்லாது;
“பேணினர்” எனப்படுதல் பெண்மையும் அன்று; அவன்
வௌவினன் முயங்கும் மாத்திரம் வா எனக்
கூறுவென் போலக் காட்டி,
மற்று அவன் மேஎவழி மேவாய், நெஞ்சே!
Being a song on confusions, it’s rather confusing! The words can be translated as follows:
“As if he’s begging something, he appears with much humility, when he speaks; At the same time, he seems to have the kind of strength that can protect the entire world; As if he’s followed the guidance of the wise and learnt things in life, he appears with modesty that is seen only in the noble; At the same time, he seems to have the kind of ability that can abate the suffering of the impoverished with his immense generosity; Listen to the words, such a man speaks to me, repeatedly, letting go of his manly power, O maiden wearing radiant jewels!
‘Without her, I cannot live’, says he! It’s hard for anyone to believe these words of such a person. Would any one else have felt the suffering I feel now, O maiden with a fragrant forehead!
‘She doesn’t know. But I suffer so’, says he! It’s hard for women to dare to decide on their own. To be pitied are those like me, who have been caught in his web!
‘I shan’t live, if she parts away’, says he! There may be blame from many of being naive. When I ponder over it, I don’t know what to think! I’m filled with worry!
Let’s think about this together, O maiden with a fragrant forehead! It’s true that shame stops us from going to him; Letting it go just like that isn’t right either. It’s not feminine to give in to his words on the other hand; But he does seem to have taken a vow to embrace you. Let me point to him a false place, and ask him to come there. That way, I would appear to fulfil his wish, O heart!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage, and specifically, on the theme of the man winning the confidence of the confidante. The words are uttered by the confidante, and for the most part, she speaks to the lady, and in the concluding words to herself.
The first section of the confidante’s words are easy to grasp in that they depict how the man approached her with much humility while she could see that he was someone with the strength to protect the whole world. He also had that calm and restrained quality that comes from following the guidance of the wise. To top it all, he seemed to have the wealth and generosity to end the suffering of the poor. In short, a perfect Sangam gentleman! After describing him so, the confidante talks about how he never thought of his power and superiority but kept repeating some words to the confidante, as if he was begging her.
Now she talks about how he lamented that he cannot live without the lady, and that he suffers so without her and that he won’t live if the lady refuses to accept him. Now, the confidante talks about her pitiable state of being caught in this web, and certain beliefs of the time such as ‘women are naive and they cannot come to any decision of their own’. Then, she invites the lady to think it over with her and she goes back and forth with her thoughts supporting the man, and at the same time, declaring the shame in accepting him just like that. Finally, getting no response from the lady, decides to tell him a wrong trysting spot, so that she would appear to fulfil his dear wish of embracing the lady, but not actually do anything, owing to the lady’s lack of response!
This whole monologue would definitely seem confusing to us, because we do not know the intentions and motivations of these characters from another era. However, we can understand that the defining characteristics here are the shyness in the lady regarding revealing the truth of her relationship with the man and the confidante’s persistent attempts to overcome the same. In the end, the confidante hopes that lady will accept the truth, overcoming her innate modesty, and thereby, help the confidante further her relationship with the man through trysting. It makes me smile to think that some of our confusions too would seem bizarre to people of another time! While that may be so, like change, confusions too seem a constant in human life!
In this episode, we perceive the lady’s angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 46, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and narrates the thoughts revolving around a missed rendezvous.
வீயகம் புலம்ப, வேட்டம் போகிய
மாஅல் அம் சிறை மணி நிறத் தும்பி,
வாய் இழி கடாத்த வால் மருப்பு ஒருத்தலோடு
ஆய் பொறி உழுவை தாக்கிய பொழுதின்,
‘வேங்கை அம் சினை’ என விறற் புலி முற்றியும்,
பூம் பொறி யானைப் புகர் முகம் குறுகியும்,
வலி மிகு வெகுளியான் வாள் உற்ற மன்னரை
நயன் நாடி நட்பு ஆக்கும் வினைவர் போல், மறிதரும்
அயம் இழி அருவிய அணி மலை நல் நாட!
ஏறு இரங்கு இருள் இடை இரவினில் பதம் பெறாஅன்,
மாறினென் எனக் கூறி மனம் கொள்ளும் தான் என்ப
கூடுதல் வேட்கையான், குறி பார்த்து, குரல் நொச்சிப்
பாடு ஓர்க்கும் செவியோடு பைதலேன் யான் ஆக
அருஞ் செலவு ஆர் இடை அருளி, வந்து அளி பெறாஅன்,
வருந்தினென் எனப் பல வாய்விடூஉம் தான் என்ப
நிலை உயர் கடவுட்குக் கடம் பூண்டு, தன்மாட்டுப்
பல சூழும் மனத்தோடு பைதலேன் யான் ஆக
கனை பெயல் நடு நாள் யான் கண் மாற, குறி பெறாஅன்,
புனையிழாய்! என் பழி நினக்கு உரைக்கும், தான் என்ப
துளி நசை வேட்கையான் மிசை பாடும் புள்ளின், தன்
அளி நசைஇ ஆர்வுற்ற அன்பினேன் யான் ஆக
என ஆங்கு,
கலந்த நோய் கைம்மிக, கண் படா என்வயின்
புலந்தாயும் நீ ஆயின், பொய்யானே வெல்குவை
இலங்கு தாழ் அருவியோடு அணி கொண்ட நின் மலைச்
சிலம்பு போல், கூறுவ கூறும்,
இலங்கு ஏர் எல் வளை, இவளுடை நோயே.
Here’s an interesting attempt at persuading the man! The words can be translated as follows:
“Making flowers lament, letting go of its desire, sapphire-hued bees with large, beautiful wings, surround a male elephant, with a shining white tusk and musth pouring from its mouth, and a tiger having alluring spots as they fight against each other. Buzzing around the strong tiger, thinking that it’s an alluring branch of the ‘Indian Kino tree’, and nearing the spotted face of the elephant, mistaking it for the pollen of flowers, akin to wise and good people, who seek out the virtue in the minds of warring kings, who clash with force and fury, wishing to turn them into friends, the bees buzz back and forth between the fighting beasts in your picturesque mountain country, filled with descending cascades, O lord!
“As I suffered with great pain, listening for the sound of a falling chaste tree flower, awaiting the signal, with much desire, he would come walking in the thick darkness of the night, as thunder descends, and not attaining the joy of union, he would say, ‘The lady has changed’ and feel disappointed!
As I suffered with great pain, with my heart pondering on many things, awaiting him, making vows to great gods above, he would come graciously upon the formidable and challenging path, and not attaining my graces, he would say, ‘The lady has made me distressed’, and speak of much sorrow!
As I seek with deep love the graces he would endow, akin to a bird that sings above, desiring a drop of the rain, he would come amidst the heavy downpour at midnight, and as I stood at another place, not succeeding at his tryst, he would say to you, ‘The lady is to be blamed’, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments!”
And so,
As the affliction that has fused as one in her becomes unbearable, I could not sleep at all. At least with a lie of blaming and disparaging me, win her heart, O lord. For akin to the echoing slopes in your adorned mountain, flowing with radiant cascades, that maiden wearing shining and beautiful bangles will reflect only what you say, and so her affliction too, will recede away!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with his lady prior to marriage, and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man containing the thoughts expressed by the lady to the confidante earlier. As custom, the confidante starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, and here, she presents a dynamic image and a profound simile. The scene she shows to us is that of an elephant in musth, fighting with a tiger. While these two powerful animals may seem like the protagonists of this scene, the confidante shifts the focus to the beautiful, sapphire-hued bees. Instead of going about their usual task of feeding on the nectar of real flowers, these bees seem to have got distracted by the sight of the tiger and had mistaken the animal of a branch of the flower-filled Kino tree, and on the other side, seeing the spotted face of the elephant, they think that it’s the pollen of flowers! Confused, they seem to move back and forth between the two clashing beasts, and for this scene, the confidante presents a simile of wise people, possibly poets and philosophers of that age, who would turn messengers between two warring kings, trying to calm their ire, bridge their gaps, and find friendship even. The confidante uses the image of bees buzzing between the beasts to describe the man’s mountain country.
Then, the confidante starts rendering the words said by the lady to her about the man. Apparently, the lady had been waiting to tryst with the man at night. But, for various reasons such as the wrong signal or the wrong place, that trysting did not happen. Because of this, the lady worries that the man would blame her, and talk of how much sorrow the lady has brought to him, even as she herself is tormented by the pain of not meeting him. Taking this message to the man, the confidante asks him to utter a falsehood saying the reason for that missed tryst was the confidante herself. If he were to say that, the lady would echo that as the truth, like the man’s mountain slopes, and soon the lady’s illness would recede, the confidante concludes.
While the statements expressed here do not appear so at all, this is a rather interesting technique by the confidante to persuade the man to marry the lady. Why because the man’s honour will prevent him from saying such a lie to the lady and understanding the lady’s love and her suffering, when she does not see him, the man would choose to seek the permanent path of happiness and take steps to claim the lady’s hand. That’s the bullseye our confidante is aiming for! And like the bees that buzz back and forth between the elephant and the tiger, it’s the confidante fluttering between the two lovers to make their life one of joy.
Returning to that exquisite simile of wise messengers who go back and forth between warring kings so as to cultivate understanding in-between each other and give up the hateful act of war, it’s heartening to know that even two thousand years ago, in a world all about honour and victory, there were people who stood for peace! And today, like many, I wish for people and nations to embody the qualities of this beautiful bee mentioned in this verse, so as to be a bridge between the warring countries in the Middle East and Europe, so that soon, peace shall come to be!
In this episode, we listen to words that bring about transformation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 45, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and etches the virtue of the lady.
விடியல் வெங் கதிர் காயும் வேய் அமல் அகல் அறை,
கடி சுனை கவினிய காந்தள் அம் குலையினை,
அரும் மணி அவிர் உத்தி அரவு நீர் உணல் செத்து,
பெரும் மலை மிளிர்ப்பன்ன காற்றுடைக் கனை பெயல்
உருமுக் கண்ணுறுதலின், உயர் குரல் ஒலி ஓடி,
நறு வீய நனஞ் சாரல் சிலம்பலின், கதுமென,
சிறுகுடி துயில் எழூஉம் சேண் உயர் விறல் வெற்ப!
கால் பொர நுடங்கல கறங்கு இசை அருவி நின்
மால் வரை மலி சுனை மலர் ஏய்க்கும் என்பதோ
புல் ஆராப் புணர்ச்சியால் புலம்பிய என் தோழி
பல் இதழ் மலர் உண்கண் பசப்ப, நீ சிதைத்ததை?
புகர் முகக் களிறொடு புலி பொருது உழக்கும் நின்
அகல் மலை அடுக்கத்த அமை ஏய்க்கும் என்பதோ
கடை எனக் கலுழும் நோய் கைம்மிக, என் தோழி
தடையின திரண்ட தோள் தகை வாட, சிதைத்ததை?
சுடர் உற உற நீண்ட சுரும்பு இமிர் அடுக்கத்த
விடர் வரை எரி வேங்கை இணர் ஏய்க்கும் என்பதோ?
யாமத்தும் துயிலலள் அலமரும் என் தோழி
காமரு நல் எழில் கவின் வாட, சிதைத்ததை?
என ஆங்கு,
தன் தீமை பல கூறிக் கழறலின், என் தோழி
மறையில் தான் மருவுற மணந்த நட்பு அருகலான்,
பிறை புரை நுதல்! அவர்ப் பேணி நம்
உறை வரைந்தனர், அவர் உவக்கும் நாளே.
Another case of the confidante sketching the situation to the man. The words can be translated as follows:
“Blocking the pleasant rays of the early morning sun, bamboos spread densely in the wide spaces, where adding beauty to the fragrant spring therein, blooms the flame-lily. Mistaking the flower clusters as a gem-spotted, lined hood of a snake drinking water, as if toppling the huge mountain, along with winds and a heavy downpour, thunder roars as clouds dash against each other, making that loud sound echo all around the fragrant, wide mountain slopes. Startled by this sudden sound, those sleeping in the little hamlets sit up awake in the lofty, soaring victorious mountain of yours!
My friend laments for togetherness with you that never diminishes in warmth. Is it because her many-petaled, flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes are like the flowers that bloom in the brimming pond of your towering hill, where even when winds blow forcefully, without swaying from their path, resounding cascades descend, that you made pallor spread on it and ruined it so?
My friend cries thinking it’s the end as her love affliction becomes unmanageable. Is it because her thick and curving arms are like the bamboos in your wide mountain ranges, where a tiger attacks and agitates an elephant with a spotted face, that you made it fade and ruined it so?
My friend sleeps not even at midnight filled with suffering. Is it because her desirable, fine beauty is like the flame-like flower clusters of the ‘Kino’ tree in your wide mountain, where hills soar as if they are about to touch the sun and where bees buzz around, that you made it fade and ruined it so?
And so, as I spoke of many such terrible wrongs he has done and chided him so, he decided to make his secret trysting with you scarce, O maiden with a crescent-like forehead, and instead came seeking your hand to our kin. They too welcomed him and decided on a day that would bring great joy to him!”
Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with his lady prior to marriage. These words are uttered by the confidante to the lady, comprising within the words the confidante spoke to the man earlier. The confidante starts by describing the man’s mountain country as one filled with dense bamboo stalks that prevent the passing through of the gentle rays of the sun, and there, flame-lilies bloom near the picturesque springs. Seeing this flame-lily near the water and mistaking it to be a hooded snake about to take a sip, thunder roars so loudly that it makes the people living in the villages sit up startled, says the confidante. This is just to describe the man’s mountain country but within this description, we see how thunder is personified as having anger against a snake and this echoes the belief in Sangam people about the ingrained enmity between snakes and thunder that we have seen in many other songs. Also, we can note this interesting quirk in Sangam poets of focusing more on the sound aspect, which is thunder, rather than the flashier aspect of a lightning in this weather phenomenon.
Returning, the confidante continues with further depictions of the man’s country in her three layered format talking about the steady cascades descending town, mountains where tigers and elephants clash uproariously and were the hills were so tall they seem to touch the sun. Then, she asks the man whether his lack of grace to the lady was because the lady’s eyes were like the flowers in the ponds of his domain, the lady’s arms were like the bamboos growing there, and her beauty was like that of the fire-like Kino flowers. She means to ask whether the man thought how dare the lady be so beautiful as his country and that’s why he made the lady’s beauty fade and ruined it so! Another way of conveying to the man the distress in the lady’s heart and nudging him in the right direction. The confidante continues by saying that after hearing all this, the man decided that he should cease his secret trysting and instead seek the lady’s hand. When he did that, the lady’s kin accepted his request and have even decided on a wedding day that would bring great joy to the man, the confidante concludes. And thus, the confidante relays the success of her mission in changing the man’s mind, thereby bringing lasting joy to the lady. A friend, who is indeed a fortune to have in one’s life!
In this episode, we listen to a passionate plea, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 44, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and etches the virtue of the lady.
கதிர் விரி கனை சுடர்க் கவின் கொண்ட நனஞ் சாரல்
எதிரெதிர் ஓங்கிய மால் வரை அடுக்கத்து,
அதிர் இசை அருவி தன் அம் சினை மிசை வீழ,
முதிர்இணர் ஊழ் கொண்ட முழவுத்தாள் எரிவேங்கை,
வரி நுதல் எழில் வேழம் பூ நீர் மேல் சொரிதர,
புரி நெகிழ் தாமரை மலர் அம் கண் வீறு எய்தி
திரு நயந்து இருந்தன்ன தேம் கமழ் விறல் வெற்ப!
தன் எவ்வம் கூரினும், நீ செய்த அருள் இன்மை
என்னையும் மறைத்தாள், என் தோழி அது கேட்டு,
நின்னை யான் பிறர் முன்னர்ப் பழி கூறல் தான் நாணி,
கூரும் நோய் சிறப்பவும் நீ செய்த அருள் இன்மை
சேரியும் மறைத்தாள், என் தோழி அது கேட்டாங்கு,
‘ஓரும் நீ நிலையலை’ எனக் கூறல் தான் நாணி
நோய் அட வருந்தியும், நீ செய்த அருள் இன்மை
ஆயமும் மறைத்தாள், என் தோழி அது கேட்டு,
மாய நின் பண்பு இன்மை பிறர் கூறல் தான் நாணி,
என ஆங்கு
இனையன தீமை நினைவனள் காத்தாங்கு
அனை அரும் பண்பினான் நின் தீமை காத்தவள்
அரும் துயர் ஆர் அஞர் தீர்க்கும்
மருந்து ஆகிச் செல்கம், பெரும! நாம் விரைந்தே
We’re back to the three-step format of Kalithogai seen in many previous verses. The words can be translated as follows:
“Basking with beauty in the dense, spreading rays of the sun, are the wide slopes, surrounded by soaring peaks on all sides. From these peaks, descend the resounding cascades and these fall atop beautiful branches with mature, flower clusters of the flame-like ‘Kino’ tree with a drum-like trunk. As handsome elephants with lined foreheads shower water on the flowers, lotuses blooming from the buds, appear with the exquisite greatness in the image of wealth and prosperity in the honey-fragrant, victorious mountain of yours, O lord!
Even though her suffering soared, my friend hid your lack of grace from me, feeling shame worrying that if I heard of that, I would say words blaming you in front of others.
Even though her affliction peaked, my friend hid your lack of grace from the neighbours, feeling shame worrying that if they heard of that, they would say that you don’t have a clear and stable mind.
Even though she was pained by this affliction, my friend hid your lack of grace from her playmates, feeling shame worrying that if they heard of that, they would say that you lack virtue and truth.
And so, she is such a person, who thought of all these ills that would befall you, and owing to her precious virtue, protected you from censure and blame. O lord, becoming the cure for her deep sorrow and immense suffering, we must go to her with haste!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with his lady, prior to marriage, and these words are uttered by the confidante to the man. The confidante starts with a glowing description of the man’s country, where the sun’s rays blanket the slopes with a pleasant warmth amidst the soaring peaks on all sides, and here, stands a ‘Kino’ tree by a cascade, whose water splashes on the flowers blooming on the tree. Nearby, elephants spray water on these golden, fire-like flowers, and a lotus flower too blooms, endowing the entire place with an image of exuberant wealth. Such is the man’s mountain, the confidante says. From the man’s country, she shifts her focus to the lady’s situation and talks about how even though the lady suffers immensely with her love affliction, she hides it from her close friend, the confidante, the neighbours around and her dear playmates, worrying that if the man’s lack of grace is known, the confidante would blame him for his lack of responsibility, the neighbours would censure him for his lack of stability and the friends would mock his lack of truth. Saying this, the confidante insists that the man should understand such a noble virtue of the lady, who disguises her pain so that no insult shall come the man’s way, and concludes by asking him to become the cure for the lady’s suffering.
As the man had been interested only in trysting with the lady and had not taken any steps towards their marriage, the confidante conveys the lady’s pain and nudges him to choose the permanent path of happiness by seeking the lady’s hand. It’s yet another song of ‘marry her, marry her’ but one in which we take in a picturesque scene in the mountains and perceive a persuasive argument that appeals to a person’s emotions and points them in the right direction!
In this episode, we hear the praises of the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 43, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the effect of singing about the man on the lady.
தோழி வள்ளைப் பாட்டுப் பாடத் தலைவியை அழைத்தல்
வேங்கை தொலைத்த வெறி பொறி வாரணத்து
ஏந்து மருப்பின், இன வண்டு இமிர்பு ஊதும்
சாந்த மரத்தின் இயன்ற உலக்கையால்,
ஐவன வெண் நெல் அறை உரலுள் பெய்து, இருவாம்,
ஐயனை ஏத்துவாம் போல, அணிபெற்ற
மை படு சென்னிப் பய மலை நாடனை,
தையலாய்! பாடுவாம், நாம்
தோழியின் பாடல்
தகையவர் கைச் செறித்த தாள்போல, காந்தள்
முகையின்மேல் தும்பி இருக்கும் பகை எனின்,
கூற்றம் வரினும் தொலையான், தன் நட்டார்க்குத்
தோற்றலை நாணாதோன் குன்று
தலைவியைப் பாடுமாறு தோழி வேண்டுதல்
வெருள்பு உடன் நோக்கி, வியல் அறை யூகம்,
இருள் தூங்கு இறு வரை ஊர்பு இழிபு ஆடும்
வருடைமான் குழவிய வள மலை நாடனைத்
தெருள தெரியிழாய்! நீ ஒன்று பாடித்தை
தலைவி
நுண் பொறி மான் செவி போல, வெதிர் முளைக்
கண் பொதி பாளை கழன்று உகும் பண்பிற்றே
மாறு கொண்டு ஆற்றார்எனினும், பிறர் குற்றம்
கூறுதல் தேற்றாதோன் குன்று
தோழி
புணர் நிலை வளகின் குளகு அமர்ந்து உண்ட
புணர் மருப்பு எழில் கொண்ட வரை புரை செலவின்
வயங்கு எழில் யானைப் பய மலை நாடனை
மணம் நாறு கதுப்பினாய்! மறுத்து ஒன்று பாடித்தை
தலைவி
கடுங் கண் உழுவை அடி போல வாழைக்
கொடுங் காய் குலைதொறூஉம் தூங்கும் இடும்பையால்
இன்மை உரைத்தார்க்கு அது நிறைக்கல் ஆற்றாக்கால்,
தன் மெய் துறப்பான் மலை
தோழி
என ஆங்கு
கூடி அவர் திறம் பாட, என் தோழிக்கு
வாடிய மென் தோளும் வீங்கின
ஆடு அமை வெற்பன் அளித்தக்கால் போன்றே.
Yet another verse featuring these two maiden and their songs. The words can be translated as follows:
“Confidante’s request to the lady:
Taking the tusk of a wild, spotted elephant that has killed a tiger and the wood of the bee-buzzing sandalwood tree as pestles, let’s pour the wild white rice into the bowl of the mortar and pound it, and singing as if we are praising our god, let’s praise the man from the fearsome mountains, whose peaks are surround by beautiful black clouds, O young maiden!
Confidante’s song:
Like the rings on the fingers of esteemed women, upon the buds of flame-lilies, bees lie in wait in the peak of the one, who will never be defeated even if Death attacks as his enemy, but one, who never feels shame for losing out to those he loves.
Confidante’s request asking the lady to sing:
Gazing with startled eyes at the black monkeys on wide boulders, kids of mountain goats leap down into the dark clefts of the mountain ranges in the fertile country of the lord, O maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments! Please sing something to sketch him vividly!
Lady:
Akin to the spotted ears of a deer, are the sheaths that cover the nodes of the bamboo, which shed away in the peak of the one, who never speaks ill even of those, who are his enemies, who cannot withstand his attack!
Confidante:
After feeding upon the leaves of the plum with desire, as if a beautiful hill was marching on with tusks, the handsome elephant roves in the formidable mountains of the lord, O maiden having fragrant tresses! Please sing again about him.
Lady:
Akin to the foot of a harsh-eyed tiger, the curving fruits of the plantain hang in huge clusters in the mountain of the one, who would give up his life, if he is unable to fulfil the needs of those, who express the lack in their lives, owing to suffering.
Confidante’s recollection:
And so, as we sang together of his strengths, the faded soft arms of my friend regained their health, as if the man from the mountain with swaying bamboos, had truly rendered his grace!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady prior to marriage. These words contain exchanges between the lady and the man and concludes as thoughts expressed by the confidante to herself, as the man listens nearby.
The confidante starts as custom describing the pestles they are going to use. She mentions both the tusk of a killer elephant and the wood from a sandalwood tree as the pestle. These could be separate items or a fusion of these two into a single pestle. Next, we see them pouring the wild rice into the mortar so as to start pounding on it. As they do, the confidante says they should sing about the man from the mountain country, hidden in a song about their God, whom interpreters mention as ‘God Muruku’.
The confidante starts by talking about how bees resting on flame lilies seem like rings on the fingers of maiden and also, about a startled tahr, running away in the mountain clefts frightened by the sight of black monkeys on rocks. Then, to describe the qualities of the god and the man, she says the man would never see defeat even if it’s Death confronting him as the enemy while at the same time, the man would never feel shame for owning his defeat to those he loves. Then the confidante invites the lady to sing something, and the lady responds by equating the ears of spotted deer and the sheaths on bamboos that fall away in the man’s country, and to talk about his nature, she details how the man does not know to speak ill of anyone, even if they are his enemies, who are vanquished by him. The confidante then mentions a detail about an elephant walking majestically as if a hill had sprouted tusks and is marching on, in the mountains of the man, and she begs the lady to sing one more thing. The lady accepts her friend’s request and connects the foot of a tiger and the curving fruits of a plantain and etches the generosity of the man, who would want to end his life, if at all he’s unable to fulfil the needs of those who express their poverty to him. And now, the confidante concludes, recollecting this song of theirs, knowing that the man is listening nearby, by declaring how singing about the man’s country and his qualities helped the lady regain her health, as if the man had returned and endowed his graces.
The idea behind the confidante’s words is to tell the man about the lady’s state of worry regarding the delay in her marriage with the man and at the same time, convey the love she has for the man that made her bear through the time of his absence. A subtle takeaway from this verse is the health and happiness that are endowed on one by the mere act of thinking positive thoughts!
In this episode, we perceive the lady’s trust in the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 42, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and relates a joyous incident in the lady’s life.
வள்ளைப் பாட்டுப் பாடத் தோழி அழைக்க, தலைவி இசைதல்
‘மறம் கொள் இரும் புலித் தொல் முரண் தொலைத்த
முறம்செவி வாரணம் முன் குளகு அருந்தி,
கறங்கு வெள் அருவி ஓலின் துஞ்சும்
பிறங்கு இருஞ் சோலை நல் மலை நாடன்
மறந்தான்; மறக்க, இனி; எல்லா! நமக்குச்
சிறந்தமை நாம் நன்கு அறிந்தனம், ஆயின்; அவன் திறம்,
கொல் யானைக் கோட்டால் வெதிர் நெல் குறுவாம் நாம்,
வள்ளை அகவுவம், வா’ ‘இகுளை! நாம்
வள்ளை அகவுவம், வா’
தோழி இயற்பழித்தல்
காணிய வா வாழி, தோழி! வரைத் தாழ்பு
வாள் நிறம் கொண்ட அருவித்தே, நம் அருளா
நாணிலி நாட்டு மலை
தலைவி இயற்பட மொழிதல்
ஆர்வுற்றார் நெஞ்சம் அழிய விடுவானோ
ஓர்வு உற்று ஒரு திறம் ஒல்காத நேர்கோல்
அறம் புரி நெஞ்சத்தவன்?
தோழி
தண் நறுங் கோங்கம் மலர்ந்த வரையெல்லாம்
பொன் அணி யானை போல் தோன்றுமே நம் அருளாக்
கொன்னாளன் நாட்டு மலை
தலைவி
கூரு நோய் ஏய்ப்ப விடுவானோ? தன் மலை
நீரினும் சாயல் உடையன், நயந்தோர்க்குத்
தேர் ஈயும் வண் கையவன்
தோழி
வரைமிசை மேல் தொடுத்த நெய்க் கண் இறாஅல்
மழை நுழை திங்கள் போல் தோன்றும் இழை நெகிழ
எவ்வம் உறீஇயினான் குன்று
தலைவி
எஞ்சாது, எல்லா! கொடுமை நுவலாதி
அஞ்சுவது அஞ்சா அறனிலி அல்லன், என்
நெஞ்சம் பிணிக்கொண்டவன்
என்று யாம் பாட, மறை நின்று கேட்டனன்,
தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல் என் தோழியைக் கை கவியா,
சாயல் இன் மார்பன் சிறு புறம் சார்தர,
ஞாயிற்று முன்னர் இருள் போல மாய்ந்தது, என்
ஆயிழை மேனிப் பசப்பு!
Although the verse is another musical exchange between the confidante and lady, the roles are reversed here. The words can be translated as follows:
Confidante’s request to the lady:
Ending the old enmity of the huge and brave tiger, the elephant having ears like a winnow, feeds on herbs and grass in front, and sleeps in the sound of the descending, white cascade, in the huge and lush forests of the mountains, ruled by the lord. He has forgotten me; Let it be so! But we know well what he has rendered; And so, let us sing of his traits, as we pound the bamboo rice with the fierce elephant’s tusk, in a ‘vallai’ song. Come my friend, let’s sing a ‘vallai’ song together:
Confidante’s words:
Come and see, my friend, may you live long! How do the white-hued cascades descend down the mountains of the shameless one, who does not render his grace?
Lady’s response:
Will he let the heart of the one whom he loves be ruined? For he is one with a heart filled with unswerving justice, like the needle of a scale that does not bend to one side unfairly.
Confidante’s words:
How do the moist and fragrant buttercup flowers bloom all around the ranges, making it appear like an elephant, clad in golden ornaments in the mountain of the cruel one, who does not render his grace?
Lady’s response:
Will he let me be as this piercing disease tortures? He is one sweeter than the water in his mountain, one who has the generous hands to render chariots to those, who come seeking to him with desire.
Confidante’s words:
How do the honeycombs, filled with nectar, cover the hill tops, appearing like a cloud-covered moon in the mountain of the tormenting one, who made your jewels slip away?
Lady’s response:
Don’t, my friend! Don’t speak ill of him unceasingly! He is not an unjust person, who fears not what needs to be feared, the one who has captured my heart.
And so, as we sang all this, he was listening to it, hidden by the hedge. Then, gesturing my friend with dark and low-lying tresses to move away, the sweet-chested man stepped up and embraced me from behind. When he did that, akin to how darkness dissipates in front of the sun, so vanished the pallor on my beautiful, jewel-clad skin!”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and specifically at a time, when the man had parted away from the lady for a while. The words are said by the lady and the confidante, with the lady’s conclusion, for a change. The confidante starts as custom by singing about the man’s mountain country, where an elephant has fought and won over a tiger, and after feeding on the grass, was now sleeping in the sound of the waterfalls. Describing the man’s country so, the confidante requests that she and the lady should sing about the traits of the man, as they pound the bamboo rice with an elephant tusk.
Differing from the previous verses, the confidante takes the role of the ‘bad cop’ and starts wondering how the cascades can flow, the buttercups can bloom, honeycombs can cover the mountains of the man, who has shamelessly and cruelly abandoned the lady! The lady refutes each piercing insult by the confidante and declares that the man will not let her heart be ruined, he will not stay away with apathy as the love affliction torments her, and talks of him as one who is always just, sweeter than the waters of his mountains, and generous to render chariots to those who come seeking. If he’s so kind to strangers, would he forsake me, the one who loves him so?, the lady asks. Then, she relates how, as they were singing so, the man was listening to all this and then asked the confidante to move away, and came there to embrace her from behind. Just then, like how darkness instantly vanishes the moment the sun enters the scene, the pallor on her skin too vanished, when the man embraced her, the lady concludes. Here’s a sweet song, wherein we see the trust in a man’s love glow in the words of his lady!
In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 41, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the power of words in changing a heart.
வள்ளைப் பாட்டுப் பாட, தலைவியைத் தோழி அழைத்தல்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி, தோழி! வயக் களிற்றுக்
கோடு உலக்கையாக, நல் சேம்பின் இலை சுளகா,
ஆடு கழை நெல்லை அறை உரலுள் பெய்து, இருவாம்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி தோழி! நல் தோழி! பாடுற்று
இடி உமிழ்பு இரங்கிய விரவு பெயல் நடு நாள்,
கொடி விடுபு இருளிய மின்னுச் செய் விளக்கத்து,
பிடியொடு மேயும் புன்செய் யானை
அடி ஒதுங்கு இயக்கம் கேட்ட கானவன்
நெடு வரை ஆசினிப் பணவை ஏறி,
கடு விசைக் கவணையில் கல் கை விடுதலின்,
இறு வரை வேங்கை ஒள் வீ சிதறி,
ஆசினி மென் பழம் அளிந்தவை உதிரா,
தேன் செய் இறாஅல் துளைபடப் போகி,
நறு வடி மாவின் பைந் துணர் உழக்கி,
குலையுடை வாழைக் கொழு மடல் கிழியா,
பலவின் பழத்துள் தங்கும் மலை கெழு வெற்பனைப்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி, தோழி! நல் தோழி! பாடுற்று
தலைவி
இலங்கும் அருவித்து; இலங்கும் அருவித்தே;
வானின் இலங்கும் அருவித்தே தான் உற்ற
சூள் பேணான் பொய்த்தான் மலை
தோழி
பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ? பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ?
‘அஞ்சல் ஓம்பு’ என்றாரைப் பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ?
குன்று அகல் நல் நாடன் வாய்மையில் பொய் தோன்றின்,
திங்களுள் தீத் தோன்றியற்று
தலைவி
இள மழை ஆடும்; இள மழை ஆடும்;
இள மழை வைகலும் ஆடும் என் முன்கை
வளை நெகிழ வாராதோன் குன்று
தோழி
வாராது அமைவானோ? வாராது அமைவானோ?
வாராது அமைகுவான் அல்லன் மலைநாடன்
ஈரத்துள் இன்னவை தோன்றின், நிழற் கயத்து
நீருள் குவளை வெந்தற்று
தலைவி
மணி போலத் தோன்றும்; மணி போலத் தோன்றும்;
மண்ணா மணி போலத் தோன்றும் என் மேனியைத்
துன்னான் துறந்தான் மலை
தோழி
துறக்குவன் அல்லன்; துறக்குவன் அல்லன்;
தொடர் வரை வெற்பன் துறக்குவன் அல்லன்
தொடர்புள் இனையவை தோன்றின், விசும்பில்
சுடருள் இருள் தோன்றியற்று
தந்தை வரைவு உடம்பட்டமையைத் தலைவிக்குத் தோழி அறிவித்தல்
என ஆங்கு
நன்று ஆகின்றால் தோழி! நம் வள்ளையுள்
ஒன்றி நாம் பாட, மறை நின்று கேட்டு அருளி,
மென் தோட் கிழவனும் வந்தனன்; நுந்தையும்
மன்றல் வேங்கைக் கீழ் இருந்து,
மணம் நயந்தனன், அம் மலைகிழவோற்கே!
Yet another song, in the format of a musical exchange between the lady and the confidante. The words can be translated as follows:
“Confidante’s request to the lady:
Let’s sing, come, my friend, may you live long! Using the tusk of a strong male elephant as the pestle, and the leaf of the fine taro as our winnow, as we pour the swaying bamboo rice into the mortar and pound, let us both sing together, come, my friend, may you live long! My good friend! When the skies shed lightning and thunder, and showered rain at midnight, in the light of the vine-like lightning streaks, an elephant grazing along with its mate, arrived at the farm fields. Hearing their footsteps pause, a mountain guard, climbing upon the loft placed atop a breadfruit tree, launched a stone from his powerful catapult. That stone scattered the radiant flowers of the ‘Kino tree’ rising atop a rock in the mountain cleft, knocked down ripe and soft breadfruits, pierced through a honeycomb, rattled the fresh green leaves of the fragrant mango, tore the fleshy leaves of plantain with fruit clusters, and then came to rest within a hanging jackfruit in the mountain-filled land of the lord. Let’s sing about him, come, my friend, may you live long! Sing, my good friend!
Lady’s words:
The cascades are flowing! The cascades are flowing! The cascades are flowing, fed by the downpour of the skies. How can this happen in the mountain of the one, who utters lies and stands not by his vow?
Confidante’s response:
Would he lie? Would he lie? Would the one who said ‘Fear not! I shall protect’ lie? If a lie can be found in the truth of the lord, who rules over the mountain-filled, fine country, it’s akin to a fire appearing within the cool moon!
Lady’s words:
Young clouds sway! Young clouds sway! Young clouds sway, day after day! How can this happen in the peak of the one, who makes the bangles on my forearms slip away by staying away?
Confidante’s response:
Would he stay away? Would he stay away? The lord, who rules over the mountains, is not one to stay away from you. If such terrible thoughts were to appear in his kind heart, it’s akin to a blue lotus, blooming in the pond waters, under a thick shade, bursting into flames!
Lady’s words:
Akin to a sapphire, it appears! Akin to a sapphire, it appears! Akin to a flawless sapphire, it appears! How can this be in the mountain of the one, who has forsaken me, for he unites not with me!
Confidante’s response:
Would he forsake you? Would he forsake you? The lord, who reigns over the mountain ranges, is not one to forsake you. If such harsh things were to unfold in your relationship with him, it’s akin to a darkness appearing in the sky’s bright flame!
Confidante’s announcement:
And so, good things have unfolded, my friend! As we sang about all this in our ‘Vallai’ song, he was listening, hidden by the hedge, and deciding to render his grace, the lord with gentle shoulders arrived here; Your father too, presiding under the Kino tree in the front yard, has decided to offer your hand in marriage to the lord of those picturesque mountains!
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady and specifically in the situation of persuading the man to claim the lady’s hand. Like the previous verse, the confidante and lady exchange thoughts about the man’s nature, ending with the confidante’s conclusion. The confidante starts by requesting the lady to join her in a song together, as they pound bamboo rice in a mortar with an elephant tusk pestle, while winnowing the husk with a taro leaf. As custom, the confidante starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and she does this by sketching the trajectory of a missile from a catapult. To explain clearly, in the mountain fields, one night, as thunder and lightning danced about amidst a downpour, a male elephant and its mate seemed to have decided to feast on the millet crops. Hearing their footsteps cease nearby, a mountain guard sitting atop a loft on top of a breadfruit tree, releases a stone from his catapult. The confidante says this stone first scatters the Kino tree flowers, then makes breadfruits plonk down, then pierces a honeycomb, no doubt making the nectar drop and bees buzz, then shakes up the tender mango leaves, tears apart the plantain leaves and finally comes to rest inside a huge and prickly jackfruit. While the hunter has thankfully not hit what he was aiming at, namely those hungry elephants, however, he has demonstrated the lush spread of the mountains, filled with so many trees and their rich produce. The confidante concludes saying such is the beautiful mountain country of the lord.
Now, the lady has three things to wonder about the man’s country, namely how can the cascades flow, how can the clouds surround and how can the mountains shine so blue! She asks so because the man has not been true to his word, has stayed away, and has forsaken her. In each instance, the confidante negates the lady’s assessment of the man, and says, ‘Never! What you say cannot be true, and it would be like a fire burns inside the moon, a blue lotus in the waters bursting into flames and a darkness appearing in the sun, if what you say is to be considered true’. Such is her confidence in the man and his love for the lady. The confidante now reveals such exchanges between them made the man, who was listening nearby, decide to end the lady’s suffering and fulfil the confidante’s trust. So, he had come to seek the lady’s hand in marriage and the lady’s father too, standing under the auspicious shade of their ‘Kino tree’ had said ‘yes’ to the man’s proposal to marry the lady! Yet again, we see how a combination of doubt and trust brings out the best in another. Most of all, what’s unforgettable in this verse is the dynamic depiction of the catapult’s stone taking us on a tour of the mountain country, revealing the radiant flora and sketching the aura of its plenty!
In this episode, we listen to varying narratives about a mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 40, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and conveys the good tidings of a transformation.
‘அகவினம் பாடுவாம், தோழி!’ ‘அமர் கண்
நகை மொழி, நல்லவர் நாணும் நிலை போல்,
தகை கொண்ட ஏனலுள் தாழ் குரல் உரீஇ,
முகை வளர் சாந்து உரல், முத்து ஆர் மருப்பின்
வகை சால் உலக்கை வயின் வயின் ஓச்சி,
பகை இல் நோய் செய்தான் பய மலை ஏத்தி,
அகவினம் பாடுவாம், நாம்’
தோழியின் மறுமொழி
ஆய் நுதல், அணி கூந்தல், அம் பணைத் தட மென் தோள்,
தேன் நாறு கதுப்பினாய்! யானும் ஒன்று ஏத்துகு
வேய் நரல் விடரகம் நீ ஒன்று பாடித்தை
தலைவி இயற்படப் பாடாமையின் தோழி பாடுதல்
கொடிச்சியர் கூப்பி வரை தொழு கை போல்,
எடுத்த நறவின் குலை அலங்காந்தள்
தொடுத்த தேன் சோர, தயங்கும் தன் உற்றார்
இடுக்கண் தவிர்ப்பான் மலை
கல்லாக் கடுவன் கணம் மலி சுற்றத்து,
மெல் விரல் மந்தி குறை கூறும் செம்மற்றே
தொல் எழில் தோய்ந்தார் தொலையின், அவரினும்
அல்லற்படுவான் மலை
தலைவி இயற்பழித்துப் பாடுதல்
புரி விரி, புதை துதை, பூத் ததைந்த தாழ் சினைத்
தளிர் அன்ன எழில் மேனி தகை வாட, நோய் செய்தான்
அரு வரை அடுக்கம் நாம் அழித்து ஒன்று பாடுவாம்
விண் தோய் வரை, பந்து எறிந்த அயா வீட,
தண் தாழ் அருவி, அரமகளிர், ஆடுபவே
பெண்டிர் நலம் வௌவி, தண் சாரல் தாது உண்ணும்
வண்டின் துறப்பான் மலை
தோழி இயற்பட மொழிதல்
ஒடுங்கா எழில் வேழம் வீழ் பிடிக்கு உற்ற
கடுஞ்சூல் வயாவிற்கு அமர்ந்து, நெடுஞ் சினைத்
தீம் கண் கரும்பின் கழை வாங்கும் ‘உற்றாரின்
நீங்கலம்’ என்பான் மலை
தலைவன் வரைவொடு புகுந்தமையைத் தோழி தலைவிக்கு அறிவித்தல்
என நாம்,
தன் மலை பாட, நயவந்து கேட்டு, அருளி,
மெய்ம் மலி உவகையன் புகுதந்தான் புணர்ந்து ஆரா
மென் முலை ஆகம் கவின் பெற,
செம்மலை ஆகிய மலைகிழவோனே!
Another long song in the play format with an exchange of dialogues. The words can be translated as follows:
“Lady’s request
‘Let’s sing aloud, my friend. Akin to the shy stance of maiden who have beautiful eyes and speak smiling words, stand millet stalks with bent heads in our prosperous fields. Gathering these millets, placing them in the wooden mortar, made of sandalwood that grows in the mountain clefts, let’s pound the grains with well-carved pestle, made with pearl-filled elephant tusk, and sing together, about the mountain of the one, who left with a love affliction!
Confidante’s Response
O maiden having a fine forehead, beautiful and honey-fragrant tresses, exquisite, bamboo-like, soft and curving arms! You first sing in praise about his mountain clefts, filled with rustling bamboo, and then I will sing after you.
Confidante’s Song seeing Lady’s Silence
Akin to the worshipping hands of mountain maiden, are flame-lilies, filled with clusters of nectar, shedding drops of honey, as they sway in the mountains of the one, who always ends the suffering of his kin. A mountain which has the unique custom, wherein a young male monkey seeks the hand of a soft-fingered female monkey from the female’s huge troop of kin. It’s the mountain of the one who seeing the old beauty fade away in his beloved, would feel more anguish that even they do.
Lady’s Negative Response
Making the beauty of my skin, akin to the tender leaf shoots of the low hanging branches, filled with blossomed flowers, fade, he left me with an affliction. Denouncing his mountain country, let me sing something: In the sky-high hills, fatigued by throwing ball, the mountain goddesses then play in the cool and moist cascades in the country of the one, who after feeding on the beauty of women, akin to a bee in his cool mountain slopes, abandons them.
Confidante’s Positive Words
The handsome and wild male elephant, considering the sickness of its pregnant mate, tries to bend the tall branch of the sweet sugarcane in the mountains of the one, who never abandons his kin.
Confidante’s Announcement about the Man
And so,
as we sang about his mountains, listening with desire, he was filled with so much joy and with grace, he has come to unite and adorn your soft bosom with beauty, the esteemed lord of the mountains!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage and specifically on persuading the man to seek the lady’s hand. The words are spoken by the lady and the confidante, as the man listens nearby. The lady begins by requesting the confidante that as they pound the millets in a sandalwood mortar with an elephant tusk pestle, they should sing about the man, who seems to have caused a love affliction in the lady. The confidante heartily agrees and asks the lady to sing first, saying she will go next. However, the lady remains silent and so the confidante starts by talking about the flame-lilies that look like maiden’s hands in the man’s country, and personifies a male monkey by depicting it as seeking the hand of a female monkey to the female’s family. This is the confidante’s projection of the man’s course of action on these elements of the wild. She keeps reiterating that the man is someone, who always ends the suffering of those close to him and if he sees the beauty of those whom he loves fade, he would feel even more anguish than them.
The lady responds in a negative note, singing about how the man made the beauty of her skin fade and she wonders how mountain goddesses could play happily in the cascades of this man’s mountain country, for he seems to be someone, who simply abandons those he loves. To this, the confidante responds with another personification of a male elephant bringing sweet sugarcane stalks to allay the sickness and suffering of its pregnant mate. A positive assurance that the man will render what the lady seeks. And soon enough, the confidante concludes by relating how hearing all these things, the man was filled with so much joy about his love of the lady and has decided to come claim her hand. To put it in a nutshell, the confidante and the lady have been playing the role of ‘Good cop, bad cop’ and have nabbed the man to do what they wish to be done!
In this episode, we listen to an animated conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 39, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and sketches the events around revealing a lady’s love to her kin.
‘காமர் கடும் புனல் கலந்து எம்மோடு ஆடுவாள்,
தாமரைக்கண் புதைத்து, அஞ்சித் தளர்ந்து, அதனோடு ஒழுகலான்,
நீள் நாக நறுந் தண் தார் தயங்கப் பாய்ந்து, அருளினால்,
பூண் ஆகம் உறத் தழீஇப் போத்தந்தான் அகன் அகலம்
வரு முலை புணர்ந்தன என்பதனால், என் தோழி
அரு மழை தரல் வேண்டின் தருகிற்கும் பெருமையளே
அவனும்தான், ஏனல் இதணத்து அகிற் புகை உண்டு இயங்கும்
வான் ஊர் மதியம் வரை சேரின், அவ் வரை,
“தேனின் இறால்” என, ஏணி இழைத்திருக்கும்
கான் அகல் நாடன் மகன்
சிறுகுடியீரே! சிறுகுடியீரே!
வள்ளி கீழ் வீழா; வரைமிசைத் தேன் தொடா;
கொல்லை குரல் வாங்கி ஈனா மலை வாழ்நர்
அல்ல புரிந்து ஒழுகலான்
காந்தள் கடி கமழும், கண் வாங்கு, இருஞ் சிலம்பின்
வாங்கு அமை மென் தோட் குறவர் மட மகளிர்
தாம் பிழையார், கேள்வர்த் தொழுது எழலால், தம் ஐயரும்
தாம் பிழையார் தாம் தொடுத்த கோல்’
என ஆங்கு,
அறத்தொடு நின்றேனைக் கண்டு, திறப்பட
என்னையர்க்கு உய்த்து உரைத்தாள், யாய்
அவரும் தெரி கணை நோக்கி, சிலை நோக்கி, கண் சேந்து,
ஒரு பகல் எல்லாம் உருத்து எழுந்து, ஆறி,
‘இருவர்கண் குற்றமும் இல்லையால்’ என்று,
தெருமந்து சாய்த்தார் தலை
தெரியிழாய்! நீயும் நின் கேளும் புணர,
வரை உறை தெய்வம் உவப்ப, உவந்து
குரவை தழீஇ யாம் ஆட, குரவையுள்
கொண்டுநிலை பாடிக்காண்
தலைவியின் மறுமொழி
நல்லாய்!
நல் நாள் தலைவரும் எல்லை, நமர் மலைத்
தம் நாண் தாம் தாங்குவார், என் நோற்றனர்கொல்?
புன வேங்கைத் தாது உறைக்கும் பொன் அறை முன்றில்,
நனவில் புணர்ச்சி நடக்குமாம் அன்றோ?
நனவில் புணர்ச்சி நடக்கலும், ஆங்கே
கனவில் புணர்ச்சி கடிதுமாம் அன்றோ?
தோழி கூற்று
விண் தோய் கல் நாடனும் நீயும் வதுவையுள்
பண்டு அறியாதீர் போல் படர்கிற்பீர்மன் கொலோ?
பண்டு அறியாதீர் போல் படர்ந்தீர் பழங் கேண்மை
கண்டு அறியாதேன் போல் கரக்கிற்பென்மன் கொலோ?
மை தவழ் வெற்பன் மண அணி காணாமல்
கையால் புதை பெறூஉம் கண்களும் கண்களோ?
தலைவியின் மறுமொழி
என்னை மன் நின் கண்ணால் காண்பென்மன், யான்
மீண்டும் தோழி உரைத்தல்
நெய்தல் இதழ் உண்கண் நின் கண் ஆக, என் கண் மன!
என ஆங்கு,
நெறி அறி செறி குறி புரி திரிபு அறியா அறிவனை முந்துறீஇ,
தகை மிகு தொகை வகை அறியும் சான்றவர் இனமாக,
வேய் புரை மென் தோட் பசலையும், அம்பலும்,
மாயப் புணர்ச்சியும், எல்லாம் உடன் நீங்க,
சேய் உயர் வெற்பனும் வந்தனன்;
பூ எழில் உண் கணும் பொலிகமா, இனியே!
A unique format containing multiple exchanges between two women! The words can be translated as follows:
“In the picturesque, gushing stream, she was playing with all of us. Suddenly, she was pulled by the current, and closing her lotus-like eyes, with fear, she lost control and was floating away. Just then, making his moist and fragrant garland woven with ironwood flowers sway, he leapt and rendering his grace, he enveloped her bejewelled bosom and brought her to safety. Since his wide chest embraced her bosom, now my friend has attained the pride of bringing down precious rain, if she so wishes.
To tell more about him: From upraised lofts in the millet fields, agarwood smoke rises. If the sky-high moon reaches the mountains there, thinking that the moon enveloped by the smoke is a honeycomb, they would mount a ladder to fetch the nectar in the forest-filled wide mountain country of theirs and he is the son of this country’s lord!
O people of the little hamlet! O people of the little hamlet! Tubers will not sprout underneath anymore; Honeycombs will not cover the mountain tops anymore; Stalks of millets will not flourish anymore; All because those who are living in this mountain have done a wrong deed. In this wide mountain valley, capturing the eyes of all, bloom the fragrant flame-lilies, and only because the naive mountain maiden with gentle, curving arms never miss their virtue in honouring their husbands, their kin never miss the mark, when they aim their arrows!
I said all this clearly, standing with virtue, to my mother, and she too expressed it to your mother. When your mother in turn took it to your father and brothers, they spent an entire day, with reddened eyes, gazing at their bows and their speeding arrows, and then finally calmed down, and rose to say, ‘No fault to be found in them both’, and nodded their heads in assent, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments! For you and your love to be united, delighting the god that resides in the hills, let us embrace and perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance and sing about our state within!
Lady’s Response:
O good maiden! Until the good day arrives, those who can bear their shame in our hill, what penance did they do? Upon the golden-hued front yard, where the Indian Kino tree sheds its pollen, won’t I unite with him for real? When it happens for real, won’t my dreams of togetherness with him fade?
Confidante’s Words:
At the time of the wedding, will you and the man from the sky-high mountains pretend to not know each other in the past? If you pretend not to know each other in the past, should I too be as if I do not know your old relationship? Are those eyes, which cover themselves, without relishing the wedding joy shining on the face of the mountain lord, to be called eyes?
Lady’s Response:
I will take in the sight of my lord through your eyes!
Confidante’s Conclusion:
Let your blue-lotus-like, petalled, kohl-streaked eyes turn into my eyes!
And so,
When, understanding the right path, finding the right day, the man who knows not to make mistakes, arrives along with knowledgeable people, the pallor on your bamboo-like arms, the gossip and all the illusory togetherness will vanish. For the lord of the high mountains is about to arrive. May your flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes shine with joy now!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love relationship between the man and the lady, prior to marriage, and specifically on revealing the lady’s love relationship to her family. Both the confidante and the lady render their voices in this verse. The confidante starts the conversation by narrating the scene when the lady and man had met. The lady was playing in the river with her friends when suddenly she lost control and was pulled by the current. Just then, a young man leapt into the water, rescued her, hugging her jewel-clad bosom close to his chest. The confidante declares that because they both were united so, her friend, the lady had acquired the pride and power of bringing down rain whenever she so wished. This statement may be difficult to understand for many but what it implies is, the moment the lady was embraced by the man, she had accepted him as her partner for life and thereby assumed an aura of chastity, which had the power of making it rain as per one’s wish. People from the western world would be puzzled thinking ‘Should making it rain be considered a noble quality?’ Well, in a land, which looks up to the sky and its rains for the prospering of its wealth, it sure was considered a noble trait!
Returning, the confidante continues her tale and now turns to talk about who the man was. She says he comes from a mountain country, where seeing the moon amidst the agarwood smoke that rises from the lofts on the millet fields, they would think it was a honeycomb and would place a ladder to go fetch that honey. The metaphorical implication of this description is that the man comes from a land where they would dare to even bring the moon to their home.
Next, the confidante goes on to tell all the bad things that are going to happen in their mountain village, saying tubers will not grow anymore, honeycombs will not spread anymore and stalks of millet will not flourish either. All because the people had done one wrong deed. She reminds the listeners that men of the mountain never miss their marks only because their maiden were such chaste women, who never failed to worship their partners! At this time, she reveals she has been saying these words to none other than her mother, who happens to be the friend of the lady’s mother. We then see a communication relay between the confidante’s mother and the lady’s mother, and thereafter, between the lady’s mother and the lady’s father and brothers. When the men receive the news, they feel angered at first, reddened their eyes become, and they sit pondering over it for a day, and then realise there’s no mistake on the part of the lady and the man. This tells us that the lady’s family had refused the man, when he came seeking the lady’s hand, and the confidante is solving that issue by revealing the lady’s relationship with the man. Narrating all this to the lady, the confidante invites her to perform a ‘Kuravai’ dance of prayer wishing for the happy union of the man and the lady.
As they are dancing, the lady asks, how can those who said no to the man bear their shame till the day comes? She imagines how she would unite with the man for real, in their front yard, where the Kino tree sheds its pollen. She asks would that really happen, and when that happens, will all her dreams of being with him vanish, replaced by the real? The confidante teases the lady asking whether the man and the lady would pretend not to know each other, and whether she too should pretend not to know about their past? Then she further pulls the lady’s legs saying, can the eyes which do not enjoy the sight of the man in his wedding glory be called eyes, implying if the lady is going to sit with her eyes bent, not daring to look up, how will she see the man and his joy? To that question, the lady replies that she would see the joy in the man with her friend’s eyes, and the confidante too agrees to let her eyes be the lady’s on that joyous occasion.
The confidante concludes these exchanges by summing up how the right things are happening and soon the man will find the auspicious day to come marry the lady, along with all the wise elders, and that will make the lady’s pallor and the town’s rumours disappear. The confidante ends with a blessing for the lady’s eyes to shine with joy for the man would be there soon, to be united with the lady!
In this verse, we witness a play-style narrative, with flashback, dialogues and dance. We also infer how doing right by love was considered critical for the well-being of many aspects of their entire world, such as their plants, produce and their prosperity. But most of all, we understand the role of the confidante in guiding the lady and her family in the right path that leads to both the lady’s happiness and justice to them all, according to their principles of life. In a subtle way, the role of women as peace-makers and joy-bringers is highlighted and this makes me think, our warring world could surely use more of this ‘she’ power!
In this episode, we perceive intriguing similes that capture the lady’s changing state, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 38, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and relates the success of the confidante’s initiative.
இமைய வில் வாங்கிய ஈர்ஞ் சடை அந்தணன்
உமை அமர்ந்து உயர்மலை இருந்தனனாக,
ஐ இரு தலையின் அரக்கர் கோமான்
தொடிப் பொலி தடக் கையின் கீழ் புகுத்து, அம் மலை
எடுக்கல்செல்லாது உழப்பவன் போல
உறு புலி உரு ஏய்ப்பப் பூத்த வேங்கையைக்
கறுவு கொண்டு, அதன் முதல் குத்திய மத யானை
நீடு இரு விடர் அகம் சிலம்பக் கூய், தன்
கோடு புய்க்கல்லாது, உழக்கும் நாட! கேள்:
ஆர் இடை என்னாய் நீ அரவு அஞ்சாய் வந்தக்கால்,
நீர் அற்ற புலமே போல் புல்லென்றாள், வைகறை,
கார் பெற்ற புலமே போல், கவின் பெறும்; அக் கவின்
தீராமல் காப்பது ஓர் திறன் உண்டேல், உரைத்தைக்காண்
இருள் இடை என்னாய் நீ இரவு அஞ்சாய் வந்தக்கால்,
பொருளில்லான் இளமை போல் புல்லென்றாள், வைகறை,
அருள் வல்லான் ஆக்கம் போல் அணி பெறும்; அவ் அணி
தெருளாமல் காப்பது ஓர் திறன் உண்டேல், உரைத்தைக்காண்
மறம் திருந்தார் என்னாய் நீ மலையிடை வந்தக்கால்,
அறம் சாரான் மூப்பே போல் அழிதக்காள், வைகறை,
திறம் சேர்ந்தான் ஆக்கம் போல் திருத்தகும்; அத் திருப்
புறங்கூற்றுத் தீர்ப்பது ஓர் பொருள் உண்டேல், உரைத்தைக்காண்
என ஆங்கு,
நின் உறு விழுமம் கூறக் கேட்டு,
வருமே, தோழி! நல் மலை நாடன்
வேங்கை விரிவு இடம் நோக்கி,
வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள் வரைந்தனன் கொளற்கே.
A mix of mythology and nature in this one! The words can be translated as follows:
“As the one, who bent the Himalayas like a bow, the noble one with moist braids, along with his companion Umai, rested upon the mountain, the lord of the demons, known for his ten heads, thrust his strong arms, adorned with warrior bracelets, under the mountain, and unable to pull them out, suffered in agony there. Akin to that, seeing the ‘Kino tree’ that has bloomed with flowers, appearing like a fierce tiger, maddened, a wild elephant in musth pierces the tree’s trunk, and unable to pull out its tusk, suffers, trumpeting aloud, making the wide valleys of the long and dark mountains resound. Such is your country, O lord! Please listen to what I have to say:
Thinking not about the dangers of the path, fearing not the snakes that rove, you come here. She, who was lifeless like a land bereft of water, in the morning, becomes beautiful, like a land on which rain has fallen. If there is a way to protect that beauty without fading away, please tell me now!
Thinking not about the darkness of the path, fearing not the night without light, you come here. She, who was lifeless like the youth of an impoverished man, in the morning, becomes plentiful, like the wealth of a generous man. If there is a way to protect that plenty without fading away, please tell me now!
Thinking not about the dangerous men of the path, traversing mountains many, you come here. She, who was lifeless like the old age of a man without virtue, in the morning, becomes prosperous, like the wealth of a skilled man. If there is a way to protect that prosperity without letting it diminish away, please tell me now!
And so, listening to the suffering that goes through you, the man of the fine mountains has decided to come, my friend, in the time when Kino flowers open out their buds, to claim the hand of the one with thick wrists and bamboo-like arms!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the love relationship between the man and lady, prior to marriage, and speaks in the voice of the confidante, initially to the man and then concludes to the lady. The confidante decides to render a lesson in mythology, and she talks about a noble person, who was so powerful that he could bend the Himalayas like a bow. Another thing about this person is that he had moist braids of hair, and that he resided with his companion named ‘Umai’ in the mountains. These details have made many interpreters conclude that this is a reference to God Siva, whose abode is said to be in the Himalayas, with the ‘moist braid’ reference talking about how he holds the River Ganges in his tuft of hair. Umai or ‘Umaiyal’ as she’s called now is the name endowed to the consort of this God, also known as ‘Parvathi’. The confidante continues the class in mythology by talking about how a ten-headed lord of the demons, identified as Raavanan from Ramayana, decides to uproot the Himalayas and even manages to place his hands under the mountain, but just because the great God stayed upon the mountain, he was not able to dislodge it and neither could he pull his hands out. The confidante ends this narrative, depicting the roaring cries by the demon lord. From there, the confidante leaves to a mountain country, where a mad elephant in musth sees a flowering ‘Vengai’ tree, and mistakes it for a tiger, and in anger, thrusts its tusk into the trunk of the tree. Then, unable to pull it out, it trumpets aloud, making the hills and valleys around resound with its pain. The roaring of this elephant in the mountains and that demon lord is placed in parallel. Why is she talking about the roaring of the elephant? Only to describe the man’s mountain country so. After the salutation, the confidante asks the man to listen to her words.
Then, the confidante goes on to describe how the man minds not the dangers, the darkness and the highway robbers in his path through the mountains, at night, filled with snakes, for he intends to visit the lady. Because of this, the lady who was dull and barren, like a land without water, the youth of a poor person, and the last days of a virtueless person, changes utterly and becomes like a rain-washed land, like the riches of the generous and the wealth of the skilful respectively. In short, the man’s coming endows the lady with beauty, ecstasy and immense joy. Now, the confidante tells the man, ‘All that’s fine. But tell me a way so that her beauty doesn’t have to fade away!’ After narrating these words the confidante had previously said to the man, she concludes with the joyous news to the lady that the man has seen the truth of the confidante’s words and the suffering in the lady’s heart and so he has decided to come claim the hand and marry the lady, in the time of the Vengai tree’s flowering!
A verse which is a clear case of ‘Marry her, marry her’ and in that, we get to tread on a bridge between mythology and nature that we have been seeing now and then in Kalithogai verses. We also learn the preferred season of marriage in this prosperous land, and that’s exactly the time, when the bright yellow flowers that so angered the elephant, opens out its buds and announces the arrival of auspicious times!
In this episode, we perceive a unique strategy in communication, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 37, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and narrates an incident that unfolded in the millet fields.
கய மலர் உண்கண்ணாய்! காணாய்: ஒருவன்
வய மான் அடித் தேர்வான் போல, தொடை மாண்ட
கண்ணியன் வில்லன், வரும்; என்னை நோக்குபு,
முன்னத்தின் காட்டுதல் அல்லது, தான் உற்ற
நோய் உரைக்கல்லான் பெயரும்மன், பல் நாளும்;
பாயல் பெறேஎன், படர் கூர்ந்து, அவன்வயின்
சேயேன்மன் யானும் துயர் உழப்பேன்; ஆயிடைக்
கண் நின்று கூறுதல் ஆற்றான், அவனாயின்;
பெண் அன்று, உரைத்தல், நமக்காயின்; ‘இன்னதூஉம்
காணான் கழிதலும் உண்டு’ என்று, ஒரு நாள், என்
தோள் நெகிழ்பு உற்ற துயரால் துணிதந்து, ஓர்
நாண் இன்மை செய்தேன்: நறுநுதால்! ஏனல்
இனக் கிளி யாம் கடிந்து ஓம்பும் புனத்து அயல்,
ஊசல் ஊர்ந்து ஆட, ஒரு ஞான்று வந்தானை,
‘ஐய! சிறிது என்னை ஊக்கி’ எனக் கூற,
‘தையால்! நன்று! என்று அவன் ஊக்க, கை நெகிழ்பு
பொய்யாக வீழ்ந்தேன், அவன் மார்பின்; வாயாச் செத்து,
ஒய்யென ஆங்கே எடுத்தனன் கொண்டான்; மேல்
மெய் அறியாதேன் போல் கிடந்தேன்மன்; ஆயிடை
மெய் அறிந்து ஏற்று எழுவேனாயின், மற்று ஒய்யென,
‘ஒண்குழாய்! செல்க’ எனக் கூறி விடும் பண்பின்
அங்கண் உடையன் அவன்.
We enter the new domain of the hills, where love is in the first stages of blooming. The words can be translated as follows:
“O maiden with kohl-streaked eyes, akin to pond flowers! Consider this: A man, wearing a fine, well-woven, flower garland, holding a bow, who appeared to be tracking footprints of a tiger, arrived here; He looked at me, and other than subtle signs that I could perceive, he refrained from speaking about the love affliction in him and parted away in this manner, for many days; Without getting any sleep, filled with worry, I felt sadness for the state of this stranger; However, he still wouldn’t express what was in him; And being a woman, it was not right for me to speak it out aloud either; Thinking, ‘If this goes on, he might even end his life’, one day, deciding to relieve the suffering that had made my arms thin away, with boldness, I did a shameless thing, O maiden with a fragrant forehead! When I went to chase away the flock of parrots from the millet field, and took a moment to sway on the swings there, I asked him who arrived there, ‘O lord, can you push this swing for me?’. He said, ‘O young maiden, I will do this good thing’, and pushed me on the swing. At that moment, pretending that I lost my grip, I fell on his chest; Thinking that it was true, he held me safely on his chest. As if I was unconscious, I lay there upon him for a while. Had I risen up from that state, he would have immediately said, ‘O maiden wearing radiant earrings! Please leave now’. Such was the thoughtful nature he seemed to have!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage, and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady. The confidante talks about an incident involving a man, whom she had noticed passing by where they lived. She describes him as someone wearing a flower garland and holding a bow. She also notes that he seemed to be tracking some wild animal, possibly a tiger. The confidante talks about how this man kept looking in her direction and appeared to want to say something, but he wouldn’t express it, and went away, looking as if he had some angst in him. This went on for many days. She talks about how this affected her, and how his worry seemed to become contagious, and she too, lost her sleep. The confidante talks about how it was wrong as a woman to openly ask him about anything. To break this vicious cycle and worrying that the man may even take his life, the confidante decides to do something she calls as a ‘shameless thing’. It’s common knowledge that these maiden from the mountains have the work of chasing away parrots from millet fields. So, as the confidante was doing this, that man came by, and she asked him to push the swing that was put up nearby, and he too readily agreed. When he was pushing the confidante on the swing, she pretended to slip off from the swing and fell on his chest. Thinking it was true, the man held her safe. She says that she lay there pretending to be unconscious for if at all, she had opened her eyes, he would have immediately asked her to leave, for someone might see. Such was the good and thoughtful nature he had, the confidante concludes.
This was a rendition that gave me quite some trouble understanding the context! Is the confidante talking about her love interactions with some person? Although she too is a young maiden like the lady, we have never explored her story of love in any of the verses. Is she talking in the voice of the lady like she often does, seeing them both as one? For this situation, it seemed to me as highly inappropriate. Then, reading different interpretations and thinking more about it, I understood that this was a technique to get the lady to open up about her love relationship with the man. The confidante knows that such events happened between the lady and the man, because the man has been approaching her, trying to win her confidence. So, the confidante becomes a master storyteller to craft this imaginary story about her and another man, so that her friend will open up, and reveal the contents of her heart and her feelings about the man, which she was rather shy to disclose on her own volition. Apparently, this was an important stage in the love relationship between the man and the lady, for only with the confidante’s blessing, they could progress to the next stage of trysting!
Curious customs of the past indeed, filled with a lot of implied rules such as ‘women must not be the first to express their feelings to men’, ‘women’s sense of shame would prevent them from talking about their love relationship to even their close friends’, and so on. In an equal world, all this seems amusing, and it’s liberating to see that in our time, both men and women have the freedom to express their love to each other and also talk to others around them about their feelings of love for someone! While we cannot exactly appreciate all this roundabout ways to get a friend speaking, the verse does present a valid truth about communication in that, we cannot expect another to open up if we appear to be closed ourselves. Establishing trust and reciprocity seem to be the subtle inferences that we can take away from this ancient communication between two women!
In this episode, we perceive the anxiety of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 36, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals troubling questions in the lady’s mind.
‘கொடு மிடல் நாஞ்சிலான் தார் போல், மராத்து
நெடுமிசைச் சூழும் மயில் ஆலும் சீர,
வடி நரம்பு இசைப்ப போல் வண்டொடு சுரும்பு ஆர்ப்ப,
தொடி மகள் முரற்சி போல் தும்பி வந்து இமிர்தர,
இயன் எழீஇயவை போல, எவ் வாயும் இம்மென,
கயன் அணி பொதும்பருள் கடி மலர்த் தேன் ஊத,
மலர் ஆய்ந்து வயின் வயின் விளிப்ப போல் மரன் ஊழ்ப்ப,
இருங் குயில் ஆல, பெருந் துறை கவின் பெற,
குழவி வேனில் விழவு எதிர்கொள்ளும்
சீரார் செவ்வியும், வந்தன்று;
வாரார், தோழி! நம் காதலோரே
பாஅய்ப் பாஅய்ப் பசந்தன்று, நுதல்;
சாஅய்ச் சாஅய் நெகிழ்ந்தன, தோள்
நனி அறல் வாரும் பொழுது என, வெய்ய
பனி அறல் வாரும், என் கண்
மலையிடைப் போயினர் வரல் நசைஇ, நோயொடு
முலையிடைக் கனலும், என் நெஞ்சு
காதலின் பிரிந்தார்கொல்லோ? வறிது, ஓர்
தூதொடு மறந்தார்கொல்லோ? நோதக,
காதலர் காதலும் காண்பாம்கொல்லோ?
துறந்தவர் ஆண்டு ஆண்டு உறைகுவர்கொல்லோ? யாவது?’
“நீள் இடைப் படுதலும் ஒல்லும்; யாழ நின்,
வாள் இடைப்படுத்த வயங்கு ஈர் ஓதி!
நாள் அணி சிதைத்தலும் உண்டு” என நய வந்து,
கேள்வி அந்தணர் கடவும்
வேள்வி ஆவியின் உயிர்க்கும், என் நெஞ்சே’
The same two players discussing the man’s absence! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to the garland on the one with fierce strength, holding a plough, atop the burflower tree, peacocks surround and sing together harmoniously; Akin to the music that arises from the strings of a lute, bees and beetles resound aloud; Akin to the sound of bangles on dancing maiden, black bees hum around; Akin to the sound of many musical instruments, loudly echoing everywhere, in the groves adorned with ponds, honeybees buzz around the blossomed flowers; As if analysing and deciding which flower is for whom and then inviting them close, trees bloom to the brim with flowers, many, many; The black cuckoo calls out aloud; The huge river shore becomes adorned with beauty; Young spring is here and the time of festivals, when everyone rejoices, has arrived; However, that lover of mine, hasn’t retuned, my friend!
Pallor spread little by little and has covered my forehead entire; Ill health spread little by little and has thinned my arms fully; Thinking this is the time when streams trickle past huge mounds of sand, my eyes shed tears plenty;
Wishing for the one, who went to the mountains to return, my heart burns, filled with affliction, within my bosom; Has my lover left me? Did he forget to even send a message? Will I ever get to see the love of my lover, who has made me suffer so? Will the one who abandoned me decide to live wherever he left to? What is to happen?
‘It is common for people to traverse long paths and stay apart, O maiden, wearing moist and shining tresses, trimmed with steel, and it’s common for them to stay beyond the promised day. However, this does cause ruin to your good beauty!’ – Saying these words, akin to smoke that rises from ritual pits, tended to by wise priests, my heart lets out a huge sigh!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting after marriage and speaks in the worried voice of the lady initially followed by the confidante’s response. The lady starts by talking about spring, mentioning peacocks singing atop burflower trees, many kinds of bees and the sounds they make, which she equates to music from lute strings, dancing maidens’ bangles and assorted musical instruments. A tree is personified to be calling everyone around to come and adorn themselves with its flowers, the lady sketches. The prominent bird of the season, the black cuckoo is sending out its notes in the air and the river shore seems to bedecked with much beauty. All this signifies the arrival of spring, the lady says. A moment to pause and savour the word used for ‘spring’ here – ‘குழவி வேனில்’ is the phrase employed and to translate it verbatim that would be ‘baby summer’. I smiled to see how time is sketched as a person, especially in the nuance of how spring holds all the adorable qualities of an infant that everyone wants to cuddle. Extending this simile, only later does this cute ‘baby summer’ mature and torment with sweltering heat, like teens and adults, I guess!
Returning from our musings, we find the lady complaining about her pallor-coated forehead, thinning arms and tearful eyes. Then, she starts putting forth questions one after the other, wondering if the man has left her forever, why didn’t he send her even a single message, would she ever see and sense his love again or would he decide to live wherever he left to! Questions arising out of a feeling of utter dependancy on another, in a moment of despair and helplessness. Usually, we find the confidante consoling and cheering the lady, but here she remarks although it’s common for men to part away and stay beyond their promised day of return, that doesn’t change the fact that her friend’s beauty was getting utterly ruined. Seeing this, the confidante expresses how her heart is letting out a sigh that appears like the smoke atop a ritual fire-pit. And here, through the confidante’s words, we see a case of empathy that feels as one with the emotions of another.
Also, with this verse, we come to the end of poems situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands’ landscape. Interesting how every verse, with a single exception, spoke about a man’s parting away after marriage, and that one exception alone dealt with emotions around an elopement. In the last few, we have been seeing multiple repetitions of the same theme of ‘spring’s here, but he’s not’. Which makes me wonder how a poet decides they are done writing the segment? Why didn’t this poet stop with the previous song or the one before? Interesting to think about who made these choices and why! In any case, it’s time to bid bye to this land and this poet and venture ahead to explore the emotions and expressions of yet another landscape!
In this episode, we observe how the passage of time was perceived, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 35, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and narrates the changes in spring.
‘மடியிலான் செல்வம் போல் மரன் நந்த, அச் செல்வம்
படி உண்பார் நுகர்ச்சி போல் பல் சினை மிஞிறு ஆர்ப்ப;
மாயவள் மேனி போல் தளிர் ஈன, அம் மேனித்
தாய சுணங்கு போல் தளிர்மிசைத் தாது உக;
மலர் தாய பொழில் நண்ணி மணி நீர கயம் நிற்ப,
அலர் தாய துறை நண்ணி அயிர் வரித்து அறல் வார;
நனி எள்ளும் குயில் நோக்கி இனைபு உகு நெஞ்சத்தால்,
துறந்து உள்ளார் அவர்’ எனத் துனி கொள்ளல் எல்லா! நீ
‘வண்ண வண்டு இமிர்ந்து, ஆனா வையை வார் உயர் எக்கர்,
தண் அருவி நறு முல்லைத் தாது உண்ணும் பொழுதன்றோ
கண் நிலா நீர் மல்கக் கவவி, நாம் விடுத்தக்கால்,
ஒண்ணுதால்! நமக்கு அவர் “வருதும்” என்று உரைத்ததை?
மல்கிய துருத்தியுள் மகிழ் துணைப் புணர்ந்து, அவர்,
வில்லவன் விழவினுள் விளையாடும் பொழுதன்றோ
“வலன் ஆக, வினை!” என்று வணங்கி, நாம் விடுத்தக்கால்,
ஒளியிழாய்! நமக்கு அவர் “வருதும்” என்று உரைத்ததை?
நிலன் நாவில் திரிதரூஉம் நீள் மாடக் கூடலார்
புலன் நாவில் பிறந்த சொல் புதிது உண்ணும் பொழுது அன்றோ
பல நாடு நெஞ்சினேம் பரிந்து, நாம் விடுத்தக்கால்,
சுடரிழாய்! நமக்கு அவர் “வருதும்” என்று உரைத்ததை?
என ஆங்கு,
உள்ளுதொறு உடையும் நின் உயவு நோய்க்கு உயிர்ப்பாகி,
எள் அறு காதலர் இயைதந்தார் புள் இயல்
காமர் கடுந் திண் தேர்ப் பொருப்பன்
வாய்மை அன்ன வைகலொடு புணர்ந்தே.
The lady worries and the confidante consoles! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to the wealth of one who is never idle, trees flower; Akin to those who feed on that wealth, without any effort on their part, bees resound around many branches; Akin to the skin of a dark-skinned maiden, tender shoots shine; Akin to pallor spots on this skin, upon the leaves, pollen falls; Near the groves, blooming with flowers, stand sapphire-hued ponds, and near the banks, on which fallen flowers are scattered, weaving patterns on the sand, streams flow; Looking at the cuckoo that seems to be mocking a lot, with a heart full of angst, thinking about he, who has parted without a thought, don’t you be sorrowful, my friend!
‘Colourful bees resound and the unceasing Vaigai flows through tall sand dunes; It’s the time when fragrant jasmines by cool cascades are feasted upon for their pollen. Back then, as tears flowed beyond the control of my eyes, when I bid farewell to him, O maiden with a shining forehead, wasn’t this the time he said he would return?
Embracing one’s pleasant companion on a little river island, it’s the time to play and rejoice in the ‘Villavan festival’. Back then, when wishing that his mission be successful, when I bid farewell to him, O maiden wearing shining jewels, wasn’t this the time he said he would return?
In Koodal, filled with tall mansions, it’s the time when people savour the new and good words born from the tongues of poets. Back then, as my heart thought about many things, when I bid farewell to him, O maiden wearing radiant ornaments, wasn’t this the time he said he would return?
And so, saying all this, you lament whenever you think about the past. As the cure of this love affliction in you, with the truth of that king, who has an alluring sturdy chariot with the speed of a bird, your faultless lover is about to return on the promised day!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage and starts in the voice of the confidante, expresses thoughts of the lady, and once again, concludes with the words of the confidante. In the first section, the changes in spring are highlighted, such as the flowering of trees, which are placed in parallel to the wealth of those who know not the meaning of laziness. Next, the image of bees buzzing around these flowers is placed in parallel to people who enjoy that wealth of others, with no hard work on their part; The bees are getting bad publicity because of this simile! Moving on, the richness of the leaves is equated to the dark skin of maiden and the pollen falling on the same to the pallor spots on the dark skin. You also get to see ponds and banks scattered with flowers, in spring!
Describing all this, the confidante requests the lady not to feel sad every time she hears the cuckoo sing, thinking about the man who parted away. Just then, the lady conveys her point of view by mentioning how it was the time when the Vaigai flows with gusto, the time of the Villavan festival, when lovers are meant to be together, and also, the time in Koodal, when poets come together to pen new verses to delight the people there. Then, she thinks back to the past and asks her friend, when I bid bye to the man, with my eyes shedding tears beyond my control, as I wished him success, and as my heart thought of so many things, didn’t he promise to be back by now? The confidante replies to this angst-ridden question by telling her just like a king, who was renowned for his bird-like chariot and the truth of his words, the man was sure to keep his word and would return before the promised day.
The most interesting element that can be extracted from this verse is the mention of poets penning verses, a sort of self tagging, in the city of Koodal, which is also known by the name of ‘Madurai’. Apparently, this happens in the season of spring. This reminds of many a character from the novels of P.G.Wodehouse, who wax poetic about this very season in the cold corners of England. Perhaps these poets, across space and time, universally felt that spring was the perfect time to pen and share their verses, when new things bloom and love was surely in the air!
In this episode, we observe abstract traits projected on a person’s state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 34, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and hints about virtues considered right and wrong in the Sangam era.
‘மன் உயிர் ஏமுற, மலர் ஞாலம் புரவு ஈன்று,
பல் நீரால் பாய் புனல் பரந்து ஊட்டி, இறந்த பின்,
சில் நீரால் அறல் வார, அகல் யாறு கவின் பெற,
முன் ஒன்று தமக்கு ஆற்றி முயன்றவர் இறுதிக்கண்
பின் ஒன்று பெயர்த்து ஆற்றும் பீடுடையாளர் போல்,
பல் மலர் சினை உக, சுரும்பு இமிர்ந்து வண்டு ஆர்ப்ப,
இன் அமர் இளவேனில் இறுத்தந்த பொழுதினான்
விரி காஞ்சித் தாது ஆடி இருங் குயில் விளிப்பவும்,
பிரிவு அஞ்சாதவர் தீமை மறைப்பென்மன்; மறைப்பவும்,
கரி பொய்த்தான் கீழ் இருந்த மரம் போலக் கவின் வாடி,
எரி பொத்தி, என் நெஞ்சம் சுடும்ஆயின், எவன் செய்கோ?
பொறை தளர் கொம்பின்மேல் சிதரினம் இறை கொள,
நிறை தளராதவர் தீமை மறைப்பென்மன்; மறைப்பவும்,
முறை தளர்ந்த மன்னவன் கீழ்க் குடி போலக் கலங்குபு,
பொறை தளர்பு பனி வாரும் கண்ஆயின், எவன் செய்கோ?
தளை அவிழ் பூஞ் சினைச் சுரும்பு யாழ் போல இசைப்பவும்,
கொளை தளராதவர் தீமை மறைப்பென்மன்; மறைப்பவும்,
கிளை அழிய வாழ்பவன் ஆக்கம் போல் புல்லென்று,
வளை ஆனா நெகிழ்பு ஓடும் தோள்ஆயின், எவன் செய்கோ?’
என ஆங்கு,
நின்னுள் நோய் நீ உரைத்து அலமரல்; எல்லா! நாம்
எண்ணிய நாள்வரை இறவாது, காதலர்
பண்ணிய மாவினர் புகுதந்தார்
கண் உறு பூசல் கை களைந்தாங்கே.
Same actors and same premise herein! The words can be translated as follows:
“Delighting all life and protecting this widespread land, gushing streams spread and fed plentiful water. After that time had passed, the reduced water flows in small streams by the river sands. Beautifying this river, akin to those with honour who recollect the person, who did something good to them in the past, and later when they are in distress, repays them by doing good to them, the branches shed many flowers on the river, and bees buzz around. During such a time, when the pleasant and picturesque spring has arrived…
When the black cuckoo immerses in the pollen of wide open flowers of the portia tree and calls out aloud, I can try to hide the cruelty of the one who fears not this separation. Even when I do, akin to a tree, under whom a man, who rendered a false witness stayed, losing beauty, burnt by the flame within, when my heart burns, what am I to do?
When the bees swarm around the sagging branches laden with heavy flowers, I can try to hide the cruelty of the one, who is unswerving in his determination. Even when I do, akin to people, who are under the reign of an unjust king, crying, unable to hold the weight of the moisture within, when my eyes overflow with tears, what am I to do?
When the honeybees resound like a lute around the flower-laden branches with fully bloomed petals, I can try to hide the cruelty of the one, who sways not from his principles. Even when I do, akin to the wealth of one, who prospers at the ruin of his kin, becoming lifeless, when my arms let my bangles to slip away ceaselessly, what am I to do?
And so, saying all this about the affliction within you, worry not, my friend! Without delaying it beyond the days we had counted, your lover has mounted on his adorned horse and has arrived to wipe away the angst of your eyes with his hands!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage and starts in the voice of the lady and concludes in the voice of the confidante. The lady starts as usual by talking about spring. She remembers how the rivers were gushing in full force, possibly talking about the winter rains of Tamilnadu and their effect on the waterbodies. In time, as spring approaches, this reduces and now water flows in smaller streams. Over these streams, branches of trees shed their beautiful flowers and for this natural event, the lady brings in an exquisite simile, where she talks of the generosity of a person who had received something good from another in a time of need, and later, when seeing the other person in distress, they offer them good things to resolve their state. She implies that the trees had received the bounty of the rivers gushing flow, and now, when those rivers were diminished, the trees were paying back by adorning the rivers with flowers that bloom on them. Extraordinary connection to a noble human trait with this element of nature!
Returning, we find the lady saying, ‘Indeed, spring has come and the bees are buzzing around the branches’. At this time, when cuckoos dance around the pollen of the portia tree, bees swarm around heavy branches and buzz like lutes, even though she tries to hide the pain inflicted on her by the man who parted away from her, firm in his resolve, she is unable to do that. Once again, she narrates her helplessness in controlling her emotions with three relevant similes. The first features a man staying under a tree and she informs us that this is a man, who had given false witness, and because of this, the tree would lose its beauty and fade, and just like that her heart too is burnt from within. In the second, the miserable people under an unjust ruler are highlighted, and she says, like them, she would cry, for her eyes would be unable to bear the burden of that pain. Finally, she talks about a man who seems to have great wealth but he has attained that at the ruin of his relatives, and she adds, just like that wealth, her arms lose their health and bangles slip away. In short, no matter how much she tries to hide her pain, these events reveal her suffering to the world. Hearing all this, the confidante as usual, asks her not to worry, for the man was arriving even before the day they had calculated, and at the very moment, he was rushing on his horse to wipe away his lady’s sorrow.
Through this verse, we get a sense of ethics and virtues of importance in the Sangam era. The first is repaying goodness to one and echoes an ingrained sense of gratitude; The other three, by talking about the absence of these qualities, reveal to us, their importance in the minds of these people. These are, never ever giving false witness for this human act seemed to have the power to even burn a tree, according to Sangam perception; The next is ruling with compassion and empathy over one’s subjects and considering that this was written by a poet-king, we can be sure he practiced what he penned. The final one talks about the importance of including one’s kin in the success of one’s life, and seems to talk about how no person is an island and our victory should be shared with those, who are there in our life, and never at the cost of their well-being. And thus, although it’s the exact same situation of the lady complaining, and confidante consoling, we are given to understand timeless truths of what makes someone a person of honour and virtue!
In this episode, we perceive how the changes in the season affects the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 33, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals an intricate truth about perception.
‘வீறு சால் ஞாலத்து வியல் அணி காணிய
யாறு கண் விழித்த போல், கயம் நந்திக் கவின் பெற,
மணி புரை வயங்கலுள் துப்பு எறிந்தவை போல,
பிணி விடு முருக்கு இதழ் அணி கயத்து உதிர்ந்து உக,
துணி கய நிழல் நோக்கித் துதைபு உடன் வண்டு ஆர்ப்ப,
மணி போல அரும்பு ஊழ்த்து மரம் எல்லாம் மலர் வேய,
காதலர்ப் புணர்ந்தவர் கவவுக் கை நெகிழாது,
தாது அவிழ் வேனிலோ வந்தன்று; வாரார், நம்
போது எழில் உண்கண் புலம்ப நீத்தவர்!
எரி உரு உறழ இலவம் மலர,
பொரி உரு உறழப் புன்கு பூ உதிர,
புது மலர்க் கோங்கம் பொன் எனத் தாது ஊழ்ப்ப,
தமியார்ப் புறத்து எறிந்து எள்ளி, முனிய வந்து,
ஆர்ப்பது போலும் பொழுது; என் அணி நலம்
போர்ப்பது போலும் பசப்பு
நொந்து நகுவன போல் நந்தின, கொம்பு; நைந்து உள்ளி
உகுவது போலும், என் நெஞ்சு; எள்ளி,
தொகுபு உடன் ஆடுவ போலும், மயில்; கையில்
உகுவன போலும், வளை; என் கண் போல்
இகுபு அறல் வாரும் பருவத்தும் வாரார்;
மிகுவது போலும், இந் நோய்
நரம்பின் தீம் குரல் நிறுக்கும் குழல் போல்
இரங்கு இசை மிஞிறொடு தும்பி தாது ஊத
தூது அவர் விடுதரார் துறப்பார்கொல்? நோதக,
இருங் குயில் ஆலும் அரோ.’
என ஆங்கு,
புரிந்து நீ எள்ளும் குயிலையும், அவரையும், புலவாதி
நீல் இதழ் உண்கணாய்! நெறி கூந்தல் பிணி விட,
நாள் வரை நிறுத்துத் தாம் சொல்லிய பொய் அன்றி,
மாலை தாழ் வியன் மார்பர் துனைதந்தார்
கால் உறழ் கடுந் திண் தேர் கடவினர் விரைந்தே.
The lady and the confidante are at it again, discussing the man’s absence! The words can be translated as follows:
“Like a river that opens its eyes to see the spreading beauty of this majestic world, adding absolute beauty to the pond, looking as if a coral has been thrown into a sapphire-hued vessel, the ‘Indian coral tree’ flower petals that have abandoned ties to their twigs lie scattered on the pond. Looking at their shadows at the crystal clear waters of the pond, bees buzz around; Bursting with buds akin to gems, all trees blossom; Those who are united with their beloved loosen not their embraces; And so, the season of spring that showers pollen has arrived, but the one who parted away, making my flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes shed tears, has not returned!
Akin to fire, the silk-cotton tree blooms; Akin to puffed rice, the beechwood flowers bloom; The new flowers of the buttercup tree shed pollen akin to gold; As if it is mocking at the backs of those who are alone, bringing hatred, resounding comes the evening; And so my excellent beauty is enveloped by pallor!
As if they are teasing and laughing at me, the branches are filled with flowers; Seeing this, my heart worries and suffers; The peacocks seem to mock at me and dance together; My bangles seem to slip away from my hands; Akin to the streaks of tears from my eyes, streams flow in this season and yet he hasn’t come;
This affliction soars beyond measure; Akin to how the flute keeps in tune with the sweet notes of the lute, with resounding music, bees and beetles feed on pollen, and yet, he sends not even a message. Will he abandon me? Lo! Making me ache, the black cuckoos call out aloud!
And so, saying all this, don’t lament about those mocking cuckoos and your man, O maiden with blue-petaled, flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes! To loosen your wavy hair, to not falsify the promise he gave about the day he would return, your companion, who wears a low hanging garland upon his chest, comes riding his wind-like, sturdy and speedy chariots with much haste.”
Time to explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage and starts in the voice of the lady and ends in the voice of the confidante. The lady, is still in the same mood she has been in the past few verses, wherein she notes how spring has come but her man hasn’t. In this verse, we are given to understand that in this season of spring, coral tree flowers lie scattered on ponds, bees buzz around and anyone who’s blessed to be with their beloved makes sure not to loosen the grip of their embrace. Next, the lady talks about the flowering of the silk-cotton tree, like fire, that of the beechwood tree, like puffed rice and that of the buttercup tree, like gold. She remarks how the evening time seems to be mocking at her. And this feeling of teasing and laughing at her, she also sees in the branches brimming with flowers and the dance of peacocks. Owing to all this, her bangles slip away and tears flow like streams. Yet, of no avail! Even as bees and beetles match their resounding like the playing of a flute and a lute, the man does not send any message, the lady laments, and just as she hears a cuckoo sing, that seems to drive a deeper wedge into her heart!
Hearing all this, our good confidante asks the lady not to hate the cuckoo or her lover, and informs the lady that the man wanting to fulfil his promise to the lady, was at the moment rushing back on his chariot, riding like the wind! With that cheerful and positive message, the confidante concludes her words. The point I would like to zoom on to in this verse is the way the lady seems to think that all those natural events in the world around her seemed to be happening only to mock at her and this tells us something profound about perception. Sangam Lit makes us witness the truth of the statement: ‘We see the world not as it is, but as who we are’!
In this episode, we observe the changes that accompanies the season of spring, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 32, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and concludes with a message of joy.
எஃகு இடை தொட்ட, கார்க் கவின் பெற்ற ஐம்பால் போல்
மை அற விளங்கிய, துவர் மணல் அது; அது
ஐதாக நெறித்தன்ன அறல் அவிர் நீள் ஐம்பால்
அணி நகை இடையிட்ட ஈகை அம் கண்ணி போல்,
பிணி நெகிழ் அலர் வேங்கை விரிந்த பூ வெறி கொள
துணி நீரால், தூ மதி நாளால் அணி பெற
ஈன்றவள் திதலை போல் ஈர் பெய்யும் தளிரொடும்,
ஆன்றவர் அடக்கம் போல் அலர்ச் செல்லாச் சினையொடும்,
வல்லவர் யாழ் போல வண்டு ஆர்க்கும் புதலொடும்,
நல்லவர் நுடக்கம் போல் நயம் வந்த கொம்பொடும்,
உணர்ந்தவர் ஈகை போல் இணர் ஊழ்த்த மரத்தொடும்,
புணர்ந்தவர் முயக்கம் போல் புரிவுற்ற கொடியொடும்
நயந்தார்க்கோ நல்லைமன், இளவேனில்! எம் போல?
பசந்தவர் பைதல் நோய் பகை எனத் தணித்து, நம்
இன் உயிர் செய்யும் மருந்தாகி, பின்னிய
காதலர் எயிறு ஏய்க்கும் தண் அருவி நறு முல்லைப்
போது ஆரக் கொள்ளும் கமழ் குரற்கு என்னும்
தூது வந்தன்றே தோழி!
துயர் அறு கிளவியோடு: அயர்ந்தீகம் விருந்தே.
The season of spring seems to be an integral part of these verses from the drylands domain of late. The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to five-layered tresses with the beauty of rainclouds and enhanced with the touch of steel, spreads the black and shining sand; Akin to tightly braided tresses adorned with beauty by a golden strand, upon the river sand, lies scattered flowers of bright, fully-bloomed Kino flowers that have loosened their ties, spreading their fragrance.
At this time, when the clear waters are adorned by the pure white moon above, akin to the pallor spots of a woman who has give birth, with moist tenderness appears the shoots, akin to the humility of the wise, are branches that do not flower, akin to the lute of the skilled, are bee-buzzing bushes; Akin to the dance of fine women, are the branches filled with allure; Akin to the charity of the empathetic, are the trees that shed their pollen; Akin to the union of lovers, are the entangled vines; You are good to all, who welcome you with love, O spring! But what about people like me?
In people like you, in whom the pallor of suffering spreads, abating the enemy of disease, the season becomes the cure that creates a good life. For, saying, ‘Akin to the teeth of lovers, are the fragrant wild jasmines that bloom by the cool cascades. Pluck those flowers for her fragrant tresses’, a message has come, my friend, with words that slay sorrow! Let’s go prepare a feast!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage and starts in the voice of the lady and concludes in the voice of the confidante. The lady starts by talking about the changes in spring, when the black sands shine with the beauty of five-layered tresses, which have been cut with steel. Interpreters have used the word ‘scissors’ for the word ‘எஃகு’ used here. Possibly, it was a steel instrument used for enhancing hair in the Sangam era. Moving on, the lady extends that tresses-sand simile by talking about a golden jewel garland atop those tresses and equating it to the fallen flowers of the Indian Kino tree, which spread fragrance everywhere.
Following this, the lady starts mentioning further changes in spring and uses the unique Sangam technique of comparing people’s traits to elements of nature. First, it is the pallor spots on a the skin of a woman, who has just given birth, and this is equated to tender mango shoots. Next, the humility of the wise, who keep things to themselves and never say or do things when inappropriate, is described and placed in parallel with branches that still do not flower, for the time is not right yet; We get to hear the lute sounds of skilled artisans in the buzzing of bees; We get to see the dance of good maiden, in the swaying branches; We get to sense the generosity of those who are truly compassionate in the trees that shed their pollen upon the ground; Tangled bushes talk about lovers’ embrace. With such beauty, the spring brings joy to those who love it, but what about me?, asks the lady.
To her question, the confidante replies even for people like you, who are parted from their love, and in whom, pallor spreads, this season has become the cure. Why I say this is because a message has come, asking you to adorn your fragrant tresses with the jasmine buds blooming near the cascades, implying the man is to return soon, the confidante explains, and concludes with a cheerful nudge to the lady that they should go prepare a feast for the man who’s returning. Interesting details about practical elements such as hairstyling and abstract elements such as human traits are woven together in this verse on a man’s return home to his beloved in the promised season of spring!
In this episode, we perceive a poignant question and its resounding response, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 31, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents a dual portrait of anxiety and consolation.
‘கடும் புனல் கால் பட்டுக் கலுழ் தேறிக் கவின் பெற,
நெடுங் கயத்து அயல் அயல் அயிர் தோன்ற, அம் மணல்
வடுத்து ஊர வரிப்ப போல் ஈங்கை வாடு உதிர்பு உக,
பிரிந்தவர் நுதல் போலப் பீர் வீய, காதலர்ப்
புணர்ந்தவர் முகம் போலப் பொய்கை பூப் புதிது ஈன,
மெய் கூர்ந்த பனியொடு மேல் நின்ற வாடையால்,
கையாறு கடைக்கூட்டக் கலக்குறூஉம் பொழுதுமன்
“பொய்யேம்” என்று, ஆயிழாய்! புணர்ந்தவர் உரைத்ததை
மயங்கு அமர் மாறு அட்டு, மண் வௌவி வருபவர்,
தயங்கிய களிற்றின்மேல், தகை காண விடுவதோ
பயங் கெழு பல் கதிர் பால் போலும் பொழுதொடு,
வயங்கு இழை தண்ணென, வந்த இவ் அசை வாடை?
தாள் வலம்பட வென்று, தகை நன் மா மேல்கொண்டு,
வாள் வென்று வருபவர் வனப்பு ஆர விடுவதோ
நீள் கழை நிவந்த பூ நிறம் வாடத் தூற்றுபு,
தோள் அதிர்பு அகம் சேர, துவற்றும் இச் சில் மழை?
பகை வென்று திறை கொண்ட பாய் திண் தேர் மிசையவர்
வகை கொண்ட செம்மல் நாம் வனப்பு ஆர விடுவதோ
புகை எனப் புதல் சூழ்ந்து, பூ அம் கள் பொதி செய்யா
முகை வெண் பல் நுதி பொர, முற்றிய கடும் பனி?’
என ஆங்கு,
வாளாதி, வயங்கிழாய்! ‘வருந்துவள் இவள்’ என,
நாள் வரை நிறுத்துத் தாம் சொல்லிய பொய் அன்றி,
மீளி வேல் தானையர் புகுதந்தார்
நீள் உயர் கூடல் நெடுங் கொடி எழவே.
Another sequence that portrays the lady’s worry and the confidante’s resolution. The words can be translated as follows:
“The speeding river splits into smaller streams, clearing the stagnant muddiness and adding beauty, and near these huge waterbodies, sand gets deposited and ripples spread on that sand, upon which lies scattered the withered touch-me-not flowers. Akin to the foreheads of those, who are parted from their beloved, fade the flowers of the ridge-gourd and akin to the faces of those, who have united with their beloved, the lotuses in the pond bloom. This was the season promised, when coldness twists our forms and the northern winds soar above. O, maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, my lover had declared that ‘I will not fail in my promise’. However…
Will this swaying northern wind that makes shining ornaments cool to touch, which blows at this time when the flourishing, milk-like rays of the moon scatters around, allow me to see the glorious sight of he, who will return, atop a swaying elephant, conquering land, after killing the enemy in the bewildering battlefield?
Will this drizzle of a rain that makes my shoulders quiver and retreat within my home, which falls above the tall sugarcane stalks making the flowers fade, allow me to relish the beauty of he, who will come, atop his glorious fine horse, winning swords, after triumphing over, with his effort and strength?
Will this severe cold that makes the buds of my white teeth that conceal not the flower’s nectar within, chatter, which envelops like a fog around the bushes, allow me to savour the beauty of the esteemed lord, who will return, on his pouncing and sturdy chariot, claiming victory, after winning over the enemies and collecting their tributes?
Saying all these words, worry not, O maiden wearing glowing ornaments! Thinking, ‘worried will she be’, as he counted the days that passed, to ensure that his promise does not become false, akin to the God of Death, along with an army of spears, he has returned, making tall flags soar above the vast and noble city of Koodal!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady and speaks initially in the voice of the lady and concludes with the confidante’s comments. The lady starts by describing the season that man promised he would return, and do that, she talks about how the wild river would now slow down and split into many streams, depositing rich sand along the way and upon this sand, touch-me-not flowers would lie scattered. The season when the ridge-gourd flowers, akin to the pallor-spotted forehead of a maiden separated from her beloved, wither and fall off, but lotuses, akin to the faces of maiden when they are united with their beloved, has bloomed upon ponds many. In short, this season was that of spring and the man seems to have vouched that he would not fail in his promise. While that was so, the lady wonders about the season in-between, asking if the northern wind that makes her ornaments cool, the drizzle that makes her shoulders quiver, the cold that makes her teeth chatter would have the kindness to allow her to remain, so as to witness the triumphant return of the man atop an elephant or his fine horse or his chariot, after conquering the enemies with his strength and bringing home their tributes. In essence, she totally trusts in the triumphant return of her man in the promised season and worries only about whether she has the strength to bear with these elements around that torment her in the man’s absence.
As always, our wise confidante rises to the occasion, asking the lady not to worry so, for the man too had the lady in his mind and knew she can’t bear his parting for too long. So, there he was returning to the lady, surrounded by men with spears, a victorious march back home, which makes the flags flutter high in the fine city of Koodal! A verse in which the weather and seasons are integral characters. It also narrates the absolute trust of the lady in her man’s victory, even as she doubts her own ability to bear with the parting. A word to this sister from the ancient past: ‘Have no doubt about your strength to bear with anything the world may throw. It’s so in you!’
In this episode, we perceive the support rendered by a bard, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 30, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches the prior acts of the man.
In this episode, we perceive a message of good tidings, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 29, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and talks about the many elements that bring anxiety to the lady in the man's absence.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's lament and a confidante's consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 28, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and narrates the seasonal changes in spring.
In this episode, we perceive pertinent similes to describe a person's state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 27, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals the thoughtfulness of the man.
In this episode, we listen to the questions in the mind of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 26, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and concludes with a reassuring message.
In this episode, we perceive striking similes on human nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 25, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and talks about the state of the lady in the event of the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the lady's inferences about the man's course of action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 24, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches a dream study.
In this episode, we listen to the lady's feelings of despair, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 23, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and vividly sketches the shades of abandonment.
In this episode, we observe a unique technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 22, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the changing stance of the man.
உண் கடன் வழிமொழிந்து இரக்குங்கால் முகனும், தாம்
கொண்டது கொடுக்குங்கால் முகனும், வேறாகுதல்
பண்டும் இவ் உலகத்து இயற்கை; அஃது இன்றும்
புதுவது அன்றே புலனுடை மாந்திர்!
தாய் உயிர் பெய்த பாவை போல,
நலன் உடையார் மொழிக்கண் தாவார்; தாம் தம் நலம்
தாது தேர் பறவையின் அருந்து, இறல் கொடுக்குங்கால்,
ஏதிலார் கூறுவது எவனோ, நின் பொருள் வேட்கை?
நறு முல்லை நேர் முகை ஒப்ப நிரைத்த
செறி முறை பாராட்டினாய்; மற்று, எம் பல்லின்
பறி முறை பாராட்டினையோ? ஐய!
நெய் இடை நீவி மணி ஒளி விட்டன்ன
ஐவகை பாராட்டினாய்; மற்று, எம் கூந்தல்
செய்வினை பாராட்டினையோ? ஐய!
குளன் அணி தாமரைப் பாசரும்பு ஏய்க்கும்
இள முலை பாராட்டினாய்; மற்று, எம் மார்பில்
தளர் முலை பாராட்டினையோ? ஐய!
என ஆங்கு,
அடர் பொன் அவிர் ஏய்க்கும் அவ் வரி வாட,
சுடர் காய் சுரம் போகும் நும்மை யாம் எங்கண்
படர் கூற நின்றதும் உண்டோ? தொடர் கூர,
துவ்வாமை வந்தக்கடை?
An instance of a reminder about the past to resolve a crisis in the present! The words can be translated as follows:
“The face one has when seeking a loan with many words of praise and the face one has when returning that loan is different indeed. From times ancient, this is the nature of the world; This is not a new phenomenon today, O knowledgeable man! Akin to how a mother protects the daughter she brought to life, those who are righteous do not change their words; After relishing her beauty, akin to a bee that feeds on pollen, you wish to part away today. What can I, as a stranger, say about your desire for wealth?
O lord! You praised her close-set teeth, akin to a row of fragrant wild jasmine buds then; But when those teeth have fallen out and are replaced by new teeth now, do you praise them?
O lord! You praised her five-part braid, groomed with oil and glowing with the radiance of sapphires back then; But now, do you decorate and praise them?
O lord! You praised her young breasts, akin to fresh lotus buds that adorn a pond; But when they sag a little now, do you praise them?
And so, ruining the beautiful lines on her body, akin to thick sheets of gold spread out, you intend to leave to the drylands, scorched by the sun. What can I say about this suffering? This fate that has arrived to interrupt your togetherness?”
Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is set in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage and the confidante renders these words to the man. In a different style, the confidante begins not by sketching the drylands but by conveying a philosophical thought about debt. She says the face of person, who gets a loan by saying humble words, praising the other, and the face of a person when they return that loan is totally different. She means to say that when people want something, they seem to act with much regard for the other and when the deed is done, that same care and respect is gone. She declares that this is an old truth of the world, telling us that the custom of loans has been there, for a long, long time. Returning, she reverts to another simile involving the manner in which a mother protects her daughter consistently all through life. Like that, righteous people always remain true to their words, she says. Then, she reminds the man about how he used to buzz around the lady like a bee, savouring her beauty, and now, he seems intent on parting with her to go in search of wealth.
In the customary three-step approach, the confidante continues by talking about the man’s behaviour during courtship; The way he used to celebrate the lady’s bud-like neat row of teeth, her well-oiled thick tresses and her lotus bud-like young breasts. She turns to him and says, while that was so, now he does not seem to be praising her permanent teeth or decorating her hair or celebrating her breasts that have sagged a little. A moment to process this accusation! I was startled when I understood that the man was praising the lady’s milk teeth, and now, the confidante is accusing him of not caring for the lady, when those teeth have fallen and permanent teeth have grown in place! We have already encountered a similar situation in Kurunthogai 337, when we understood that marriage happens early in the life of these girls. Setting aside our notions of the right age for marriage, let’s accept this as an uncomfortable historic truth. Moving on, the confidante concludes her statement by declaring her helplessness at the man’s thought to abandon the lady and make her beauty fade, so as to traverse the sweltering drylands in the pursuit of wealth.
The point the confidante seems to be making is simply this: When the man was in courtship, he was all praise for the lady, but now, after he has won her over, in a short while, he seemed to change shades and become someone else. This is the exact circumstance that the confidante opened this verse with, the changing face of a person, who is seeking a loan, and who is returning the loan. Through these references, the confidante intends to evoke the man’s sense of honour and make him protect his lady and remain true to his words always, like a mother’s unwavering love for her children, all through life!
In this episode, we perceive the changing stance of the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 21, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the nature of wealth.
‘பால் மருள் மருப்பின், உரல் புரை பாவு அடி,
ஈர் நறுங் கமழ் கடாஅத்து, இனம் பிரி ஒருத்தல்
ஆறு கடி கொள்ளும் வேறு புலம் படர்ந்து,
பொருள்வயிற் பிரிதல் வேண்டும்’ என்னும்
அருள் இல் சொல்லும், நீ சொல்லினையே;
நன்னர் நறு நுதல் நயந்தனை நீவி,
நின்னின் பிரியலன், அஞ்சல் ஓம்பு’ என்னும்
நன்னர் மொழியும் நீ மொழிந்தனையே:
அவற்றுள் யாவோ வாயின? மாஅல் மகனே!
‘கிழவர் இன்னோர்’ என்னாது, பொருள்தான்,
பழ வினை மருங்கின் பெயர்பு பெயர்பு உறையும்;
அன்ன பொருள்வயிற் பிரிவோய் நின் இன்று
இமைப்புவரை வாழாள் மடவோள்
அமைக் கவின் கொண்ட தோள் இணை மறந்தே.
Again, the confidante renders her refusal to the man’s plans. The words can be translated as follows:
“With tusks as white as milk, huge feet akin to pestles, and flowing with moist and fragrant musth, a male elephant separated from its herd guards the path in that faraway land. Now, you say these words without grace, ‘I wish to part away thither, for the sake of wealth’; Caressing her fragrant forehead with love, back then, you said those fine words to her, ‘I shall never ever part away from you. Fear not!’. Of these two, which is true, O confused man? Without ever declaring, ‘So-and-so is my forever leader’, wealth keeps switching loyalties, owing to the nature of a person’s old deeds. For the sake of this wealth, you wish to part away from this naive maiden, forgetting the companionship of her arms with etched beauty, she who cannot live without you, even for the blink of an eye!”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting after marriage and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man. She starts by describing the land where the man intends to travel. To do that, she sketches the image of a lone male elephant, with milk-white tusks, and pestle-like feet, separated from its herd, in the state of musth or heat. In short, a dangerous elephant, not in control of itself. The confidante connects this animal to the drylands saying this animal can be seen seizing the path where the man intends to part away to. She turns to him and says that he has declared his intention to leave to this very path now. Recollecting his time of courtship with the lady, the confidante mentions how he had promised he would never part from the lady. Seems like these Sangam chaps will say anything to win their girl! Returning, the confidante now holds it against him, and asks him, which of these statements is the truth.
After that piercing question, the confidante goes on to talk about the nature of wealth. Wealth is not a loyal servant, who will remain with one person till the end, she declares. It’s something that will keep changing depending on one’s deeds. She turns to the man and asks why he should go in search of something so transient as this wealth, leaving behind the delicate lady, who cannot bear to be apart from the man, even for a single moment!
Yet again, the lady is portrayed as if the man were her breath, and if he were to part, it would be the end! The striking facet of this verse though is the confidante’s depiction of the nature of wealth and how it varies depending on one’s deeds. In this statement, lies the seed of the quintessential Indian concept of Karma. While in a religious context, this invokes past births, to put it in a relatable way, this philosophy declares that ‘whatever we do, be it good or bad, it will have an influential effect on our lives ultimately’. And thus, through this simple verse, we come to understand the subtleties of the Sangam people’s philosophical orientations!
In this episode, we perceive the lady’s persuasive words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 20, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and etches the value of togetherness.
பல் வளம் பகர்பு ஊட்டும் பயன் நிலம் பைது அற,
செல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு செயிர் சினம் சொரிதலின்,
தணிவு இல் வெங் கோடைக்குத் தண் நயந்து அணி கொள்ளும்
பிணி தெறல் உயக்கத்த பெருங் களிற்றினம் தாங்கும்
மணி திகழ் விறல் மலை வெம்ப, மண் பக,
துணி கயம் துகள் பட்ட தூங்கு அழல் வெஞ் சுரம்
‘கிளி புரை கிளவியாய்! நின் அடிக்கு எளியவோ,
தளி உறுபு அறியாவே, காடு?’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
வளியினும் வரை நில்லா வாழு நாள், நும் ஆகத்து
அளி என, உடையேன் யான்; அவலம் கொண்டு அழிவலோ?
‘ஊறு நீர் அமிழ்து ஏய்க்கும் எயிற்றாய்! நீ உணல் வேட்பின்,
ஆறு நீர் இல’ என, அறன் நோக்கிக் கூறுவீர்!
யாறு நீர் கழிந்தன்ன இளமை, நும் நெஞ்சு என்னும்
தேறு நீர், உடையேன் யான்; தெருமந்து ஈங்கு ஒழிவலோ?
‘மாண் எழில் வேய் வென்ற தோளாய்! நீ வரின், தாங்கும்
மாண் நிழல் இல, ஆண்டை மரம்’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
நீள் நிழல் தளிர் போல நிறன் ஊழ்த்தல் அறிவேன்; நும்
தாள் நிழல் கைவிட்டு யான் தவிர்தலைச் சூழ்வலோ?
என ஆங்கு,
‘அணை அரும் வெம்மைய காடு’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
கணை கழிகல்லாத கல் பிறங்கு ஆர் இடை,
பணை எருத்து எழில் ஏற்றின் பின்னர்ப்
பிணையும் காணிரோ? பிரியுமோ, அவையே?
The lady takes the spotlight in this verse. The words can be translated as follows:
“Drying up the productive land with much prosperity that fed many, the hastening rays of the sun scatter seething rage. In this hot summer lacking compassion, desiring coolness, wanting to overcome the deep affliction that surrounds, herds of elephants ascend the sapphire-hued, strong mountains but even those mountains swelter in the heat. The earth is parched, dust covers the once-clear pond and flames hang around in the hot drylands.
You say to me, ‘O maiden, who speaks akin to a parrot! Would it be easy for your feet to tread upon that drylands jungle that knows not what rain is?’. However, the days of one’s life is more uncertain than the fleeting wind. I see your heart as the source of my grace; Should I be destroyed by despair here?
You say to me, ‘O maiden, who sheds nectar in your mouth! To quench your thirst, the rivers there have no water’. However, youth fades away, akin to the flow of river water. I see your heart as the source of my water. Should I be ruined by suffering here?
You say to me, ‘O maiden, who has exquisite arms that win over even bamboos! If you are to come with me, the trees there offer no shade’. However, I will lose my colour, akin to a shrub growing in a thick shade; I see your feet as the source of my shade. Should I be scorched by separation here?
Even when I say all this, you say, ’The drylands jungle would be unbearably hot for you!’. In that formidable path, filled with rocks, so dense that arrows cannot pierce through, haven’t you seen the fine male deer with a thick neck being followed by its female? Do they ever separate?”
Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is set in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he conveys his intent to the lady, she replies to him with these words. The lady starts with a searing description of the drylands, talking about how the once-fertile land has turned barren because of the sun’s harsh rays. This tells us that there was no separate desert or drylands tract in Sangam times, but only climate-induced variation in these hills, forests or farmlands. Returning, next she talks about how elephants seeking coolness attempt to climb to higher altitudes but even these hills have not been spared by the summer’s heat. In a crisp portrait, she talks about how the earth is broken and parched, only dust spreads over the once-lush ponds and wild fires tease the air in that drylands.
After sketching the drylands so, the lady talks about how the man insists that her feet will not be able to bear the heat of the drylands, how there would be no water to quench her thirst and how the trees would have no shade to offer, in his attempt to dissuade the lady from accompanying him to the drylands. To these declarations, the lady responds that the days of life fleet away like the wind, youth like flowing water and that she was sure to lose her health and beauty, as pallor spreads on her, like that on a plant growing in the shade of a huge tree. She emphatically says to the man that he is her source of grace, her elixir and her shade, and that she was not ready to suffer alone without him. As the final punch, she takes him to those drylands paths, so dense and formidable and points to the scene of a female deer following its male, and ends with the piercing question, as to whether these deers ever separate! Although it’s again a song of ‘Take me with you’, the sensory images of a breeze brushing past, river water gushing by, a shrub in the shade and the together deer are etched in our minds vividly, echoing the truth of how the world around us can show the way for the inner journey of our hearts!
In this episode, we perceive the confidante’s disappointment in the man’s decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 19, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the consequences of the man’s parting.
செவ்விய தீவிய சொல்லி, அவற்றொடு
பைய முயங்கிய அஞ்ஞான்று, அவை எல்லாம்
பொய்யாதல் யான் யாங்கு அறிகோ மற்று? ஐய!
அகல் நகர் கொள்ளா அலர் தலைத் தந்து,
பகல் முனி வெஞ் சுரம் உள்ளல் அறிந்தேன்;
மகன் அல்லை மன்ற, இனி
செல்; இனிச் சென்று நீ செய்யும் வினை முற்றி,
‘அன்பு அற மாறி யாம் உள்ளத் துறந்தவள்
பண்பும் அறிதிரோ?’ என்று, வருவாரை
என் திறம் யாதும் வினவல்; வினவின்,
பகலின் விளங்கு நின் செம்மல் சிதைய,
தவல் அருஞ் செய் வினை முற்றாமல், ஆண்டு ஓர்
அவலம் படுதலும் உண்டு.
The confidante employs the voice of the lady to prevent the man from going ahead with his plan. The words can be translated as follows:
“Saying the right and sweet things, you passed your days in a gentle embrace then. How could I know that all that would turn to be falsehoods, O lord? Spreading slander that even this vast town cannot bear, you intend to leave to the hot drylands, swamped by the rage of the seething sun; You are not a honourable man, for sure! So, go now. But, when you are in the midst of the task you set out to do, to those who travel thither, do not enquire about my state asking, ‘Do you know how the one, whom I abandoned without love, is doing now?’ If you ask so, ruining your esteem, akin to the shining sun, this great and important task that cannot wait, may incur the disrepute of being left incomplete!”
Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady, after marriage. Even after the confidante’s repeated attempts at dissuading him, the man was intent on leaving the lady to pursue his mission. Understanding this, the confidante speaks to him, assuming the voice of the lady, to drive home her perspective. We hear the lady’s voice recollecting how the man used to say the perfect words to win her heart and had spent his days in her embrace during the past. She laments that she didn’t realise all that was false now. This makes me wonder what these men said to their ladies when in courtship! Is it ‘never ever will I part away from you’, ‘every day of my life I will be only right next to you’? Even the idea of making such promises seems bizarre. Returning, the confidante in the lady’s voice says how slander is spreading in town because the man’s parting away to the drylands. As to why the town must gossip if the man is leaving the lady to pursue a mission or seek wealth, will forever remain a puzzle to me. The confidante goes to the extent of calling the man ‘a person without honour’, just because of his intention to leave!
Then, as if accepting his decision, in the lady’s voice, the confidante says to the man, ‘Sure, go now, but don’t you ask others from our town about how I’m faring when you are in the midst of your mission’. Without explicitly saying why the man shouldn’t ask that question, the confidante says, if the man happens to ask that question, then he may have to abandon that great task midway, bringing disrepute to his glowing honour as a leader. Thereby, she implies that the man will hear the news of the lady’s end as the answer to his question.
Yet again, this lady is presented as a vulnerable being, like a dry and dead twig that will break in a moment, in the man’s absence. The thing is, it’s not even the understandable grief that arises, because of an irreversible parting that we are talking about here, like death, or a journey to some faraway land, where the return is not assured. Just a parting to another place, where there’s even chance of meeting people from the lady’s town, is projected with so much drama. Seeing with our modern eyes, in a time when women live, work, travel, even to space and beyond, on their own, such depictions are hard to accept. Even in that ancient era in the Sangam tradition, this could be a fixed theme that poets had to write about, with little connection to reality. In any case, glad to have progressed to live in a time and land, where such descriptions of a fragile woman have no place! At the same time, my heart goes out to the women in Afghanistan today, whose freedoms are being unimaginably curtailed in the hands of the misguided proponents of patriarchy! Hope these mothers, sisters and daughters, along with others like them in some other parts of the world, will break free from the shackles of this male-dominated oppression that goes on even in this twenty-first century!
In this episode, we listen to the confidante’s plea to the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 18, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays the irreplaceable importance of togetherness.
அரும் பொருள் வேட்கையின் உள்ளம் துரப்ப,
பிரிந்து உறை சூழாதி ஐய! விரும்பி நீ,
என் தோள் எழுதிய தொய்யிலும், யாழ நின்
மைந்துடை மார்பில் சுணங்கும், நினைத்துக் காண்:
சென்றோர் முகப்பப் பொருளும் கிடவாது;
ஒழிந்தவர் எல்லாரும் உண்ணாதும் செல்லார்;
இளமையும் காமமும் ஓராங்குப் பெற்றார்
வளமை விழைதக்கது உண்டோ? உள நாள்,
ஒரோஒ கை தம்முள் தழீஇ, ஒரோஒ கை
ஒன்றன் கூறு ஆடை உடுப்பவரேஆயினும்,
ஒன்றினார் வாழ்க்கையே வாழ்க்கை; அரிதுஅரோ,
சென்ற இளமை தரற்கு!
The confidante refuses the man’s request in a different style. The words can be translated as follows:
“As your heart pushes you with desire for wealth, you want to part away. Don’t think of doing that, O lord! Seeing the ‘thoyyil patterns’ you painted with love on my arms, and the beauty spots that appeared on me when I embraced your strong chest, reconsider your decision; Wealth does not lie in waiting for those who part away to collect; Those who do not pursue it are not doomed to the fate of starving either; When youth and love lies together in one’s hands, does wealth even compare? In the days of one’s life, even if they have to be, with one hand, embracing each other, and with the other hand, wearing a small piece of cloth each, split from a single piece, this life of togetherness is what’s true life. It’s impossible, isn’t it, to regain lost youth?”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage, with the intent of seeking wealth. When he conveys this to the confidante, she says these words to the man, and in a few lines, she speaks using the lady’s voice as well. The confidante talks about how the man’s heart is nudging him to go seek wealth. She asks him to not indulge in that sort of thinking. Speaking in the lady’s voice now, she says he should focus on the beautiful art patterns he drew with love on her arms and also observe the beauty spots that appeared when he embraced the lady. In short, he should focus not on some faraway, abstract thing, but be present in the present with the lady.
Following this, the confidante continues saying that’s no easy task to gather wealth, and also, those who don’t part away in such pursuits don’t end up starving either. This tells us that the man has enough in life already. Returning, we see the confidante continuing by asking would anyone who has both youth and love ever think of leaving that and going in search of wealth. She then portrays an impoverished couple, who embrace each other with one hand, and with the other hand, hold on to a sparse cloth to cover themselves. She says even such a life without wealth or possessions but in togetherness is what can be called a true and meaningful life. The confidante concludes with the declaration that lost youth can never be brought back! And yet again, with these emphatic words, the confidante intends to make the man give up his journey. The core thought this ancient verse presents to us is that togetherness in youth beats the pursuit of wealth in the race of life!
In this episode, we perceive picturesque similes employed to persuade a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 17, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents the power of the right words at the right time.
படை பண்ணிப் புனையவும், பா மாண்ட பல அணை
புடை பெயர்ந்து ஒடுங்கவும், புறம் சேர உயிர்ப்பவும்,
‘உடையதை எவன் கொல்?’ என்று ஊறு அளந்தவர்வயின்
நடை செல்லாய், நனி ஏங்கி நடுங்கற்காண் நறுநுதால்!
‘தொல் எழில் தொலைபு இவள் துயர் உழப்ப, துறந்து நீ,
வல் வினை வயக்குதல் வலித்திமன்; வலிப்பளவை,
நீள் கதிர் அவிர் மதி நிறைவு போல் நிலையாது,
நாளினும் நெகிழ்பு ஓடும் நலன் உடன் நிலையுமோ?
ஆற்றல் நோய் அட, இவள் அணி வாட, அகன்று நீ,
தோற்றம் சால் தொகு பொருள் முயறிமன்; முயல்வளவை,
நாற்றம் சால் நளி பொய்கை அடை முதிர் முகையிற்குக்
கூற்று ஊழ் போல் குறைபடூஉம் வாழ்நாளும் நிலையுமோ?
வகை எழில் வனப்பு எஞ்ச, வரை போக வலித்து நீ,
பகை அறு பய வினை முயறிமன்; முயல்வளவை,
தகை வண்டு புதிது உண்ணத் தாது அவிழ் தண் போதின்
முகை வாய்த்த தடம் போலும் இளமையும் நிலையுமோ?’
என ஆங்கு,
பொருந்தி யான் தான் வேட்ட பொருள்வயின் நினைந்த சொல்,
திருந்திய யாக்கையுள் மருத்துவன் ஊட்டிய
மருந்து போல், மருந்து ஆகி, மனன் உவப்ப
பெரும் பெயர் மீளி பெயர்ந்தனன் செலவே.
The confidante’s ‘no’ said with much imagery! The words can be translated as follows:
“Saying, ‘Refining and readying weapons, moving away and lying afar on the fine bed with many pillows, sighing when embraced from behind, he acts differently’, and wondering, ‘What could be in his mind?’, like those who mull over problems to come, unable to be normal, don’t you tremble and quiver, O maiden with a fragrant forehead!
‘Making her lose her old beauty, leaving her to wallow in sorrow, you intend to leave her and go fulfil your duties of strength; Strong indeed, you are! If you be so, akin to how the long-rayed, blooming, full moon, does not remain so, day by day, the beauty of hers will desert her. Will it remain till you return?’
‘Making the disease of affliction invade her, as her beauty fades, you intend to move away from her and try to gather that outwardly esteemed wealth; If you do so, akin to how a mature bud amidst the leaves in a fragrant, wide pond meets death, time will diminish her days. Will these remain till you return?’
‘Making her many different qualities of beauty vanish, you intend to part away to the mountains and try to fulfil your duties of quelling your enemies; If you do so, akin to the waters of a pond filled with buds, to eat whose cool pollen, many bees arrive, over time, her beauty too will recede. Will it remain till you return?’
Saying all these, the thoughtful and meaningful words that I rendered with relevance, akin to the perfect medicine given to the suffering body by the healer, it became a cure for him. And so, making your heart delight, the great and famous lord set aside his journey!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage. Within this verse, the thoughts of the lady, words of the confidante to the man are presented in the cover voice of the confidante. At first, the confidante relays the words the lady just told her, about how the man seemed to be preparing his weapons, and then, lying away from her on the bed, and also, sighing whenever the lady embraced him. Noticing these subtle gestures, the lady has become worried and asks the confidante what he could be thinking. The confidante asks her not to worry at all, and then goes on to convey her conversation with the man.
The confidante, in the three-step approach, talks to the man mentioning about how he intends to leave the lady and part away to fight a battle, win over the wealth and subdue his enemies. She puts forth three pertinent questions then. One, won’t the lady’s beauty fade like how the full moon wanes? Two, won’t time diminish the days of the lady like how a bloomed bud finds its end in the hands of death? Three, won’t the lady’s beauty recede like the waters of a pond, now so lush, as the time parted increases? In each case, she asks the man whether the lady’s life and beauty will remain till he comes back. She concludes to the lady that because she said these well-thought-out words of substance, like how the perfect medicine given by a doctor cures the patiently instantly, the man too was cured of his intention to leave on his mission, and making the lady happy, he had decided to give up his journey.
We can’t help noticing how the confidante pats herself on her back for her perfect words to persuade the man! The highlight of this verse is the sequence of striking similes that denote the lack of permanence, used to indicate the importance of being present and content. Also, through the last simile, fascinating to know about the medicine people of Sangam times and their perfect cures for conditions then! Unfortunate that owing to the passing of time, we will never know what these perfect cures are. In the race against time, science has lost and poetry has won, presenting another argument for the power and permanence of words and emotions!
In this episode, we perceive the deep love in the lady for the man who has parted away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 16, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals nuanced perspectives about seeking the help of gods.
பாடு இன்றிப் பசந்த கண் பைதல பனி மல்க,
வாடுபு வனப்பு ஓடி வணங்கு இறை வளை ஊர,
ஆடு எழில் அழிவு அஞ்சாது, அகன்றவர்திறத்து, இனி
நாடுங்கால், நினைப்பது ஒன்று உடையேன்மன்? அதுவும்தான்
தொல் நலம் தொலைபு, ஈங்கு, யாம் துயர் உழப்பத் துறந்து, உள்ளார்,
துன்னி, நம் காதலர், துறந்து ஏகும் ஆர் இடை,
‘கல்மிசை உருப்பு அறக் கனை துளி சிதறு!’ என,
இன் இசை எழிலியை இரப்பவும் இயைவதோ?
புனையிழாய்! ஈங்கு நாம் புலம்புற, பொருள் வெஃகி,
முனை என்னார் காதலர் முன்னிய ஆர் இடை,
‘சினை வாடச் சிறக்கும் நின் சினம் தணிந்தீக!’ என,
கனை கதிர்க் கனலியைக் காமுறல் இயைவதோ?
ஒளியிழாய்! ஈங்கு நாம் துயர் கூர, பொருள்வயின்,
அளி ஒரீஇக் காதலர் அகன்று ஏகும் ஆர் இடை,
‘முளி முதல் மூழ்கிய வெம்மை தீர்ந்து உறுக!’ என,
வளி தரும் செல்வனை வாழ்த்தவும் இயைவதோ?
என ஆங்கு,
செய் பொருட் சிறப்பு எண்ணிச் செல்வார்மாட்டு, இனையன
தெய்வத்துத் திறன் நோக்கி, தெருமரல் தேமொழி!
‘வறன் ஓடின் வையகத்து வான் தரும் கற்பினாள்
நிறன் ஓடிப் பசப்பு ஊர்தல் உண்டு’ என,
அறன் ஓடி விலங்கின்று, அவர் ஆள்வினைத் திறத்தே.
The man’s gone and it’s the confidante’s mission to heal the sorrowful lady! The words can be translated as follows:
“Making my sleepless, pallor-filled eyes well with the tears of suffering, my beauty to fade and vanish as my bangles slip away from my forearms, he left without fearing the ruin to my beauty. When I consider his situation now, I think I could do one thing. And that is:
Making my old beauty to be lost, without considering that I would wallow in sorrow, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, forsaking me. Would it be right if I pleaded to the sweet-voiced clouds upon the path he walks, saying, ‘May you scatter your rain drops abundantly to subdue the heat atop the rocky terrain!’?
O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, leaving me to lament here, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, without considering the many obstacles on the way. Would it be right if I ask with sweetness to the thick-rayed sun atop the path he walks, saying, ‘May your fury that withers branches subside!’?
O maiden wearing radiant ornaments, leaving me in deep misery here, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, without a shred of grace. Would it be right if I praise the lord of the winds that blow upon the path, he walks, saying, ‘May you spread without the heat that burns bushes!’?
Thinking so about the man who left considering only the greatness of gaining wealth, you don’t have to be confused about seeking the grace of these gods, O honey-voiced maiden. Saying, ’On the woman of such chastity, who can make rains pour upon the earth when parched, pallor would spread, ruining the beauty of her skin’, the god of justice ran with haste and removed all the impediments in his mission to seek wealth.”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with the intent of seeking wealth. In this verse, there’s a nested structure of words said by the lady, which are repeated and concluded in the confidante’s voice. At first, we hear the lady repeating in different ways how the man’s parting way has affected her, with the core thought that it has made her beauty vanish and her bangles to slip away. She projects the man as someone who did not consider how she would suffer and thought only about his mission to seek wealth. Even with so much thoughtlessness on his part, the lady cannot stop thinking of him and wonders what she could do to make his journey bearable.
In the three-tiered approach that we have become accustomed to, in Kalithogai, she wonders if she should ask the clouds to pour down their drops so that the rocks he walks on, will be cooler and pleasant; if she should ask the sun to not spread its rays so furiously so that the branches can survive with their leaves and save her beloved from the heat; and finally, if she should ask the wind to blow without the heat that burns bushes so that the man’s walk might be a little cooler and pleasant. The confidante repeats these words and tells the lady that there’s no need to be worried and confused about seeking the help of all these gods. A moment to pause here and note that the lady’s confusion was because of the implied fact that it was not considered right for a woman to plead even to the gods for anything, such was their chastity to their husbands! Returning, the confidante remarks on this very quality of the lady, saying her chastity was such that she had the power to make the rains pour on parched earth if she so wanted. And the confidante says that it’s not only her, who thinks so, but the god of justice, who understanding this truth and fearing that pallor would spread on such a chaste lady, had gone and helped the man in every way, removing all hindrances in his path, so that he can finish his mission promptly and return to his noble wife!
A unique verse that reveals the dynamics of a relationship between a married woman and the gods in Sangam times. That’s why even though there’s so much sorrow and suffering on account of the missing man, we don’t see prayers and requests put forth to heavenly entities in Sangam literature, unlike the later eras, when religion dominated these matters in the hearts of separated lovers. Husband above all, even god, seems to be the motto of these Sangam women, according to the words of these ancient poets!
In this episode, we listen to strong arguments against parting away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 15, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches a vivid portrait of the drylands’ denizens.
அரி மான் இடித்தன்ன, அம் சிலை வல் வில்
புரி நாண், புடையின், புறம் காண்டல் அல்லால்
இணைப் படைத் தானை அரசோடு உறினும்
கணைத் தொடை நாணும் கடுந் துடி ஆர்ப்பின்,
எருத்து வலிய எறுழ் நோக்கு இரலை
மருப்பின் திரிந்து மறிந்து வீழ் தாடி,
உருத்த கடுஞ் சினத்து, ஓடா மறவர்,
பொருள் கொண்டு புண் செயின் அல்லதை, அன்போடு
அருள் புறம் மாறிய ஆர் இடை அத்தம்
புரிபு நீ புறம் மாறி, போக்கு எண்ணி, புதிது ஈண்டிப்
பெருகிய செல்வத்தான் பெயர்த்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
செயலை அம் தளிர் ஏய்க்கும் எழில் நலம்; அந் நலம்
பயலையால் உணப்பட்டுப் பண்டை நீர் ஒழிந்தக்கால்?
பொய் அற்ற கேள்வியால், புரையோரைப் படர்ந்து, நீ
மை அற்ற படிவத்தான் மறுத்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
தீம் கதிர் மதி ஏய்க்கும் திருமுகம்; அம் முகம்,
பாம்பு சேர் மதி போல, பசப்பு ஊர்ந்து தொலைந்தக்கால்?
பின்னிய தொடர் நீவி, பிறர் நாட்டுப் படர்ந்து, நீ
மன்னிய புணர்ச்சியான் மறுத்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
புரி அவிழ் நறு நீலம் புரை உண் கண் கலுழ்பு ஆனா,
திரி உமிழ் நெய்யே போல், தெண் பனி உறைக்குங்கால்?
என ஆங்கு,
அனையவை போற்றி, நினைஇயன நாடிக் காண்;
வளமையோ வைகலும் செயலாகும்; மற்று இவள்
முளை நிரை முறுவலார் ஆயத்துள் எடுத்து ஆய்ந்த
இளமையும் தருவதோ, இறந்த பின்னே?
Another one by the confidante saying no! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to a lion’s roar, is the sound that arises when the strings of their sturdy bows, made from the beautiful ‘Silai’ wood, are pulled in aim. Even if it’s a king and his accompanying army, who hear this roar, they would show their backs and retreat. Those men would consider it a shame to actually shoot their arrows. Their loud thudi drums resound aloud; Known for their strong necks, sharp looks and beards that twist and turn akin to a stag’s antlers; Filled with boundless fury, they never desert their station; Those highway robbers take wealth and give wounds in return. Such is the formidable drylands, where there’s no space for love and grace!
With a deep desire, you have changed tracks, and are thinking about leaving away to attain new wealth. Her exquisite beauty is akin to a ‘Ashoka’ tree’s leaf shoot. Will this beauty, which will be devoured by pallor when you part away, be brought back to their old state, by the wealth you earn?
Seeking those who are wise, you intend to part away to attain through true listening, flawless knowledge. Her lovely face is akin to the moon that sheds sweet rays; Will that face, which will spread with pallor, akin to how a celestial snake devours the moon, be brought back to its old state, by the knowledge you gain?
Letting go of your deep togetherness, you intend to go to other countries and attain great friendships. Her kohl-streaked eyes are akin to the fully-bloomed, fragrant blue lotuses. Will those eyes, that will shed tears, akin to drops of oil from a wick, be brought back to their old state, by these friendships you win?
And so, realising all this, decide what you should do; Attaining prosperity can be done any day; But can her beauty that stands out amidst her bosom friends be attained again, after it has vanished away?”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he conveys his intent to the confidante, she replies to him with these thoughts. As customary in most renditions, the confidante starts with a picture of the drylands. To talks about its nature, she turns to the tribe who reside there. They happen to be the highway robbers denoted by the term ‘Maravar’, which has later come to mean ‘warriors’. The confidante talks about how these men with the mere pull of their bow strings, send out a roar like that of a lion, and even if it’s a king’s army that was approaching, on hearing this, they would turn their backs and scuttle in fear. Such is the power they wield that these robbers consider it a shame to actually launch their arrows against their foes. They have the quality of giving in exchange, searing wounds for the stolen wealth of wayfarers, the confidante details. Moving on to their physical features, she talks about their strong necks, their piercing looks and the way their beards lie all matted and twisted like a deer’s antlers. After painting that vivid picture, the confidante says this is a place where there’s no room for any of the softer emotions in life, adding that it’s through such a drylands path, the man wants to leave.
Then follows the three-step questioning by the confidante. In the first, the confidante describes how the man intends to go in search of wealth, in the second, for knowledge, and in the third, for friendships. So, we can infer that the man must have told generically about his mission, without giving further details and she fits in all possibilities for such a journey then. Next, we see the confidante declaring that no matter for what purpose he leaves, would that purpose be able to return the beauty and health of the lady that’s sure to vanish away in the man’s absence. The confidante summarises the situation saying prosperity can be gained any day, any where, but youth and beauty, once lost, cannot be brought back!
The confidante extinguishes the spark in the man to pursue other things in life yet again. So curious to know if such conversations actually happened in the life of people then or are these the figments of poets’ imagination! In any case, through this verse, we learn that these journeys mentioned in Sangam literature, were not only for earning wealth, but also for the sake of attaining knowledge, similar to our educational pursuits abroad, as well as expanding trade ties, similar to our attending conferences to widen our network today!
In this episode, we listen to the confidante’s admonition about parting away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 14, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals the man’s stance then and now.
‘அணை மருள் இன் துயில் அம் பணைத் தட மென் தோள்,
துணை மலர் எழில் நீலத்து ஏந்து எழில் மலர் உண் கண்,
மண மௌவல் முகை அன்ன மா வீழ் வார் நிரை வெண் பல்,
மணம் நாறு நறு நுதல், மாரி வீழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,
அலர் முலை ஆகத்து, அகன்ற அல்குல்,
சில நிரை வால் வளை, செய்யாயோ!’ என,
பல பல கட்டுரை பண்டையின் பாராட்டி,
இனிய சொல்லி, இன்னாங்குப் பெயர்ப்பது,
இனி அறிந்தேன், அது துனி ஆகுதலே
‘பொருள் அல்லால் பொருளும் உண்டோ?’ என, யாழ நின்
மருளி கொள் மட நோக்கம், மயக்கப்பட்டு அயர்த்தாயோ?
‘காதலார் எவன் செய்ப, பொருள் இல்லாதார்க்கு?’ என,
ஏதிலார் கூறும் சொல் பொருளாக மதித்தாயோ?
செம்மையின் இகந்து ஒரீஇப் பொருள் செய்வார்க்கு, அப் பொருள்
இம்மையும் மறுமையும் பகையாவது அறியாயோ?
அதனால்,
எம்மையும் பொருளாக மதித்தீத்தை; நம்முள் நாம்
கவவுக் கை விடப் பெறும் பொருட் திறத்து
அவவுக் கைவிடுதம்; அது மனும் பொருளே.
The confidante’s back in spotlight, giving a piece of her mind to the man. The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to a pillow, are those bamboo-like, curving, soft arms rendering sweet sleep to me; Akin to twin flowers of the beautiful blue lotus are your splendid, flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes. Akin to the buds of the fragrant wild jasmine that make bees swoon are your perfect, white teeth; Wafting with fragrance is your fine forehead; Akin to a cover of rainclouds are your black tresses; You have a beautiful bosom and wide hips and wear a few rows of white bangles; Such is your impeccable beauty! – Saying many, many such words in the past, you praised her and expressed sweet things. But now you chase her towards sorrow. I understand that it must be because of the lack of love in you.
Did you forget the truth, confused by your foolish notion that ’There is nothing more important than wealth?’
Did you pay heed to the word of strangers who said, ‘How will those who have love remain true to those who posses not wealth?’
Did you not understand that those who earn wealth leaving the path of righteousness will find that their wealth turns a foe in this life and the next?
And so, may you respect her as wealth too; Give up the desire for this wealth that makes you abandon your togetherness; That is lasting wealth!”
Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with an intent to seek wealth. When he expresses his intent to the lady’s confidante, she replies to him with these heated words. She starts by listing all the praises the man decked on the lady when they were in courtship. About her arms, eyes, teeth, tresses and so on. He seemed to find all his joy just by dwelling on the beauty of the lady then. Saying this, the confidante arrives at the present and says that now he wants to leave, and this is sure to leave the lady in sorrow. Such a change in the man must be because of the absence of true love in him, the confidante declares. She then starts poring over the reasons why the man wants to go in search of wealth. Is he thinking that there is nothing more than wealth in this world? Is he listening to the foolish words of strangers that ‘Even loved ones will not respect those who have no wealth’? Did he not know that no matter how much wealth you earn, by moving away from the right path, that will only torment you as a foe in this life and the next? Hinting that’s the exact thing the man’s doing now, moving from the path of righteousness by leaving his beloved in sorrow.
So, the confidante concludes that the man should understand that the lady is his real wealth and that he should give up searching for this other wealth that separates them both, adding only that is lasting wealth in one’s life. Yet again, a man is thwarted from his mission to seek wealth, this time by reminding him of his past devotion to his lady, in contrast to current apathy. Moving beyond this repeating theme, we can appreciate the core truth of this verse that ultimately, the people in our lives are our true wealth!
In this episode, we perceive a detailed account on the drylands, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 13, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents a glimpse of the lady’s protected life.
செரு மிகு சின வேந்தன் சிவந்து இறுத்த புலம் போல,
எரி மேய்ந்த கரி வறல்வாய், புகவு காணாவாய்,
பொரி மலர்ந்தன்ன பொறிய மட மான்,
திரி மருப்பு ஏறொடு தேர் அறற்கு ஓட,
மரல் சாய மலை வெம்ப, மந்தி உயங்க,
உரல் போல் அடிய உடம்பு உயங்கு யானை,
ஊறு நீர் அடங்கலின், உண் கயம் காணாது,
சேறு சுவைத்து, தம் செல் உயிர் தாங்கும்
புயல் துளி மாறிய, போக்கு அரு, வெஞ் சுரம்
எல்வளை! எம்மொடு நீ வரின், யாழ நின்
மெல் இயல் மே வந்த சீறடி, தாமரை
அல்லி சேர் ஆய் இதழ் அரக்குத் தோய்ந்தவை போல,
கல் உறின், அவ் அடி கறுக்குந அல்லவோ?
நலம் பெறும் சுடர்நுதால்! எம்மொடு நீ வரின்,
இலங்கு மாண் அவிர் தூவி அன்ன மென் சேக்கையுள்
துலங்கு மான் மேல் ஊர்தித் துயில் ஏற்பாய், மற்று ஆண்டை
விலங்கு மான் குரல் கேட்பின், வெருவுவை அல்லையோ?
கிளி புரை கிளவியாய்! எம்மொடு நீ வரின்,
தளி பொழி தளிர் அன்ன எழில் மேனி தகை வாட,
முளி அரில் பொத்திய முழங்கு அழல் இடை போழ்ந்த
வளி உறின், அவ் எழில் வாடுவை அல்லையோ?
என ஆங்கு,
அனையவை காதலர் கூறலின், ‘வினைவயிற்
பிரிகுவர்’ எனப் பெரிது அழியாதி, திரிபு உறீஇ;
கடுங் குரை அருமைய காடு எனின், அல்லது,
கொடுங்குழாய்! துறக்குநர்அல்லர்
நடுங்குதல் காண்மார், நகை குறித்தனரே.
An intriguing verse containing nested conversations! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to a field burnt in anger by a furious, battle-worthy king, scorched by heat, burnt and dried-up, bereft of any food, is the drylands. Here, with spots, akin to puffed rice, a naive deer, along with its male having branching antlers, runs towards a mirage. The hemp fades and withers in the heat; Monkeys tire out. The exhausted elephant, having a pestle-like feet, not finding a pond to drink from, as all the water that springs forth has dried-up, tastes the slush and tries to hold on to its life in the hot drylands, where clouds have forgotten to shower raindrops anymore!
O maiden wearing shining bangles! If you come with me, your little feet that has only tread on soft ground, akin to the intricate, inner petals of a lotus being dipped in lacquer, will turn dark if they tread on hot stones, won’t they?
O maiden with a glowing forehead! If you come with me, you, who attains sweet sleep upon a soft mattress, akin to the shining and splendid feathers of a swan, placed on a bed with a lion’s feet, will be startled when you hear the lion’s roar there, won’t you?
O maiden with a talk like a parrot! If you come with me, your beautiful skin, akin to a leaf sprout soaked in fresh rain, will fade, in the clutch of the hot winds that rise between the flames of the wild fire, bursting upon the thorny bushes, and lose its fine beauty, won’t it?
And so, because your lover said all these things, do not worry greatly and feel ruined thinking that ‘He’s going to part away on a mission’. He said such terrible things about the harsh drylands forest, O maiden wearing curving ornaments, not because he wants to part from you but just to have a laugh, seeing you shudder!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. It has an intricate structure, containing words by the man to the lady, said as a summary and conclusion by the confidante to the lady. First, we hear the voice of the man speaking to the lady, as he describes the drylands to her. He compares the state of the drylands to a field burnt by an enraged king. Owing to all that heat and having nothing to eat, a deer and its mate rush towards a mirage. Even the sturdy hemp is dying, sprightly monkeys are now languishing and an elephant quenches its severe thirst, not in any pond, but the meagre slush on the ground. Such is the drylands that the rains have forsaken, tells the man. Next, in reply to the lady’s request that he should take her long, he offers three points for the lady to ponder upon.
Talking about how the lady’s feet has only ever touched soft sands, he declares they would turn red, burnt by the heat of the stones in the drylands, if she were to come with him. The simile he uses to describe the change in her feet is fascinating, for he equates the change to lotus petals when dipped in lacquer. While lacquer in contemporary times refers to the chemical varnish used in painting, the lacquer here refers to a red resin from trees, which has been used since antiquity in endowing a red colour to artefacts, and goes by the name ‘arakku’ in Tamil and ‘lac’ in English.
Returning from these meanderings, we hear the man next talking about how the lady sleeps on a soft mattress upon a bed with legs designed in the shape of a lion’s feet. He tells her how she would jump in fear, when she actually hears the roar of the lion if she were to come with him to the drylands. Finally, he talks about how her beautiful skin, now like a leaf sprout that has danced in the rain, will fade and burn, as hot winds from wild fires blow all around her, if she were to accompany the man to the drylands.
Now, the confidante lets us know she has been repeating the words said by the man to the lady. She turns to the lady and asks her not to worry at all on account of all these words, and reveals that the man has said them not because he was going to leave the lady and go towards the drylands, but only to have a good laugh, seeing the shuddering of his beloved. Quite the prankster, this man! A verse which offers a change of pace from the seriousness of these verses situated in the theme of separation, and tells us that humans will always make space for lightness and laughter in their lives, no matter when and where!
In this episode, we perceive the battle between seeking wealth and being with a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 12, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and stresses on the importance of love during youth.
இடு முள் நெடு வேலி போல, கொலைவர்
கொடுமரம் தேய்த்தார் பதுக்கை நிரைத்த
கடு நவை ஆர் ஆற்று, அறுசுனை முற்றி,
உடங்கு நீர் வேட்ட உடம்பு உயங்கு யானை
கடுந் தாம் பதிபு, ஆங்குக் கை தெறப்பட்டு,
வெறி நிரை வேறாகச் சார்ச்சாரல் ஓடி,
நெறி மயக்குற்ற நிரம்பா நீடு அத்தம்
சிறு நனி நீ துஞ்சி ஏற்பினும், அஞ்சும்
நறுநுதல் நீத்துப் பொருள்வயிற் செல்வோய்!
உரனுடை உள்ளத்தை; செய் பொருள் முற்றிய
வளமையான் ஆகும் பொருள் இது என்பாய்!
இளமையும் காமமும் நின் பாணி நில்லா
இடை முலைக் கோதை குழைய முயங்கும்
முறை நாள் கழிதல் உறாஅமைக் காண்டை
கடை நாள் இது என்று அறிந்தாரும் இல்லை
போற்றாய் பெரும! நீ, காமம் புகர்பட
வேற்றுமைக் கொண்டு, பொருள்வயிற் போகுவாய்!
கூற்றமும் மூப்பும் மறந்தாரோடு ஓராஅங்கு
மாற்றுமைக் கொண்ட வழி.
Back to the confidante and her convincing! The words can be translated as follows:
“Like long thorn fences, appear leaf-covered stone graves for those, who were slain by the curving bows of murderous men, laid in many rows, in that harsh and formidable path. Reaching a dried-up spring nearby, yearning for water, the thirsty and fatigued herd of elephants, press their trunks with haste, and scorched by the heat, maddened, they run in different directions, muddling the paths in that limitless, long drylands domain. You want to go thither, for the sake of wealth, leaving behind the maiden with fragrant forehead, who starts worrying even if you sleep for a little longer than usual. A daring heart you do possess! You tell me that the way to attain prosperity is to earn wealth! However, will youth and desire obey your command? See that you do not waste away those good days when you embrace her, rumpling the garland lying between her bosom! There’s no one who knows their last day in life! You do not seem to understand that, O lord! Shirking your duty to love, with a differing heart, you intend to go in search of wealth! That’s the wrong path of those who have forgotten the role of ageing and death!”
Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he expresses his intention of parting to seek wealth to the confidante, she voices her thoughts so. Starting in the customary position, the confidante paints a stark picture of the drylands. She talks of how victims of highway robbers are laid under stone graves, covered with leaves, and how these seem to appear like long thorn fences. So many rows of these graves are to be seen there, implying that death is a permanent resident of these parts. Next, from death, she moves on to danger, talking about how a herd of elephants seeking water desperately, reach an almost dried-up spring, and in haste or maybe because of muscle memory, put out their trunks, which get seared in the heat of the ground. This makes these elephants trumpet aloud in pain and rush in different directions, disturbing the paths laid through these drylands. The confidante probably talks about this to say the man is surely going to get lost in his travels!
Now, she turns to him and says, ‘This is the place you want to go too. So daring you are indeed! Have you forgotten how delicate your lady is, for even if you sleep a little longer, she starts panicking about it?’. Sounds like this young maiden suffers from insecurity and paranoia! Returning, the confidante takes on a lawyer’s role and presents her case, starting with the man’s argument to earn wealth saying only that can bring prosperity for his happy, married life with the lady. While that may be so, will youth and desire wait patiently obeying your order?, asks the confidante. She means to say that if he’s gone for long, these time-bound elements will fade. She seems to think a day spent by the man without embracing the lady is a day wasted! Next, the confidante says a powerful and timeless truth, in the words that no-one knows when they are going to die. With that powerful reminder, she declares to the man that he’s choosing the wrong path if he is going to disregard the influence of age and death in one’s life!
We can understand that the confidante is intent on stopping the man from leaving but is it not true that love can conquer time? Maybe the confidante is taking quite the practical approach saying that if the man’s gone, then youth will go and so will passion! Which makes me wonder if the man was taking years-long journey, maybe sailing to other countries? Or maybe the confidante makes such a big deal of even a few days or months of parting? Different time. Different priorities. However, we can reflect on that powerful statement in this verse, ‘No one knows their last day’ and make the most of our every day in every way!
In this episode, we perceive scenes of kindness in the wild, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 11, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents insights about the purpose of seeking wealth.
‘அரிதாய அறன் எய்தி அருளியோர்க்கு அளித்தலும்,
பெரிதாய பகை வென்று பேணாரைத் தெறுதலும்,
புரிவு அமர் காதலின் புணர்ச்சியும் தரும்’ என,
பிரிவு எண்ணிப் பொருள்வயிற் சென்ற நம் காதலர்
வருவர்கொல்; வயங்கிழாஅய்! வலிப்பல், யான்; கேஎள், இனி:
‘அடி தாங்கும் அளவு இன்றி, அழல் அன்ன வெம்மையால்,
கடியவே, கனங் குழாஅய், காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
துடி அடிக் கயந்தலை கலக்கிய சின்னீரைப்
பிடி ஊட்டி, பின் உண்ணும், களிறு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே
‘இன்பத்தின் இகந்து ஒரீஇ, இலை தீந்த உலவையால்,
துன்புறூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
அன்பு கொள் மடப் பெடை அசைஇய வருத்தத்தை
மென் சிறகரால் ஆற்றும், புறவு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே
‘கல் மிசை வேய் வாடக் கனை கதிர் தெறுதலான்,
துன்னரூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
இன் நிழல் இன்மையான் வருந்திய மடப் பிணைக்குத்
தன் நிழலைக் கொடுத்து அளிக்கும், கலை’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே
என ஆங்கு
இனை நலம் உடைய கானம் சென்றோர்
புனை நலம் வாட்டுநர்அல்லர்; மனைவயின்
பல்லியும் பாங்கு ஒத்து இசைத்தன;
நல் எழில் உண்கணும் ஆடுமால், இடனே.
A verse brimming with expressions of love! The words can be translated as follows:
“‘To attain the rare virtue of giving to those who are gracious; To conquer immense enmity by defeating foes; To obtain a lasting union with true love;’ he explained were the reasons for parting away in search of wealth. He will return soon, O maiden wearing radiant jewels; I say this with conviction; Listen to me now:
He said, ‘Beyond the limits that the feet can bear, the heat scorches with intensity. So harsh is the drylands forest, O lady clad in thick ornaments’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing a little puddle of water, muddled by the tender-headed elephant calf with a drum-like feet, the male elephant first feeds its female and then drinks from it’.
He said, ‘Making one forget all joy, with branches bereft of leaves, with a sorrowful quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the suffering of its loving, naive female, the male pigeon caresses it with its soft wings’.
He said, ‘Atop the hill, as the sweltering rays wither the bamboos, with a formidable quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the distress of its naive female, owing to the lack of a sweet shade, the male deer offers its own shade to it, with grace’.
And so, the one who went to the drylands forest with such a kind beauty, would not be one to distress my etched beauty. Listen, the lizard at home seems to call in agreement. My fine and beautiful kohl-streaked left eye twitches too!”
Time to explore the nuances. The verse continues to be situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with an intent of seeking wealth. In most verses, we have seen thus far, the man was seeking permission to leave. In this one, he has already left, and we hear the lady’s voice render thoughts about his parting to her confidante. The lady begins by indicating the reasons the man offered for this difficult parting between them. He seems to have told her, to have the rare honour of giving unto good people, for ending enmity in one’s life, and finally, even for having a long and happy union with the lady, wealth was crucial. And that’s why he had to take the decision of parting away from her for a while. Logical words, told with kindness, rendering purpose to his journey. Recollecting his words, the lady says that he is going to return to her soon.
To explain why, the lady once again reminisces about the words the man used to describe the place he was travelling to. Indeed, it was so harsh with heat that no feet could bear, it was so sorrowful with its image of branches standing still without leaves, and also, it was so unapproachable because the heat was so intense that even the sturdy bamboos atop the hill were burnt. While he painted such a stark picture of the drylands forest, he also said other things about it. Such as that scene, where there’s a small puddle of muddled water. A male elephant that chances upon it, doesn’t gulp it down in an instant but waits for its female to have its fill and then drinks from it. Another scene where a female pigeon is much distressed by the heat and its male waves its gentle wings as a fan to cool its mate. And finally, in a stunning, unforgettable image, a male deer seeing the suffering of its female in the heat of that harsh drylands without a drop of shade, offers its own shade to lovingly care for its beloved! Painting these scenes that the man spoke about, the lady is convinced that seeing such love in the places he traverses, the man will not have the heart to harm her own health by staying away long. Just the moment she says, she hears the lizard’s sound from her home and her left eye starts twitching as well, all good omens that can only mean the man is about to come home to her!
A verse that overflows with the joy of kindness! In this verse, it’s always the male offering its protection to the female and this is somewhat coded in human behaviour too, with the ‘Ladies and children first’ policy in moments of calamity, and occasionally, chivalry too! However, in these times, moving beyond these gender segregation of roles, what shines through as the core of this verse is the portrait of kindness in the harshest of environments. Even today, be it in war zones around the world and when events of natural disaster strikes, there are always stories of astonishing kindness to be found. In its own way, this ancient verse tells us that no matter the darkness, all it takes is a little spark of kindness to brighten that world with hope!
In this episode, we listen to arguments against parting away, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 10, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays a place using human qualities.
“வறியவன் இளமை போல் வாடிய சினையவாய்ச்
சிறியவன் செல்வம் போல் சேர்ந்தார்க்கு நிழல் இன்றி
யார் கண்ணும் இகந்து செய்து இசை கெட்டான் இறுதி போல்,
வேரொடு மரம் வெம்ப விரி கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
அலவுற்றுக் குடி கூவ ஆறு இன்றிப் பொருள் வெஃகிக்
கொலை அஞ்சா வினைவரால் கோல் கோடியவன் நிழல்
உலகு போல் உலறிய உயர் மர வெஞ்சுரம்
இடை கொண்டு பொருள் வயின் இறத்தி நீ எனக் கேட்பின்,
உடைபு நெஞ்சு உக ஆங்கே ஒளிஓடற்பாள் மன்னோ,
படை அமை சேக்கையுள் பாயலின் அறியாய் நீ
புடை பெயர்வாய் ஆயினும், புலம்பு கொண்டு இனைபவள்?
முனிவு இன்றி முயல் பொருட்கு இறத்தி நீ எனக் கேட்பின்,
பனிய கண்படல் ஒல்லா படர்கூர்கிற்பாள் மன்னோ,
நனி கொண்ட சாயலாள் நயந்து நீ நகை ஆகத்
துனி செய்து நீடினும், துறப்பு அஞ்சிக் கலுழ்பவள்?
பொருள் நோக்கிப் பிரிந்து நீ போகுதி எனக் கேட்பின்,
மருள் நோக்கம் மடிந்து ஆங்கே மயல்கூர்கிற்பாள் மன்னோ,
இருள் நோக்கம் இடையின்றி ஈரத்தின் இயன்ற நின்
அருள் நோக்கம் அழியினும், அவலம் கொண்டு அழிபவள்?”
என ஆங்கு,
“வினை வெஃகி நீ செலின், விடும் இவள் உயிர்” எனப்
புனை இழாய்! நின் நிலை யான் கூறப், பையென,
நிலவு வேல் நெடுந்தகை நீள் இடைச்
செலவு ஒழிந்தனனால், செறிக நின் வளையே.
The confidante is back doing what she does best! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to the youth of an impoverished man, is the faded branch; Akin to the wealth of a miserly man, it offers no shade to those who come seeking; Akin to the final days of one, who has lost his fame doing wrong deeds to everyone, even the roots of the tree are parched in the scorching rays of the sun; Akin to a land in the shade of a cruel king’s sceptre, who has murderous men to do his bidding, greedy for wealth, where’s there no justice and people scream in misery, is the hot drylands with shrivelled, tall trees!
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, breaking your togetherness, with a broken heart, won’t her beauty and glow vanish away? Isn’t she one who worries and laments, even when you move away a little unintentionally, when lying with her on your well-built bed?
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, lacking any regret, with tear-filled eyes, won’t her sleep abandon her? Isn’t she one who fears the separation and tears up, even when to tease that delicate maiden a little, you delay coming to her side?
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, wanting to gather wealth, with utter confusion and won’t her spirit diminish? Isn’t she one who feels ruined, even when your gracious looks to her, bereft of any darkness, full of love, changes for a moment?
And so, as I said, ‘If you leave desiring your mission, it’s her life that will part away’, speaking of your state, O maiden, wearing etched ornaments, slowly, the great lord with a moon-like spear gave up his journey through the long drylands path. So, let them remain firm, those bangles of yours!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. When he expresses his intent of seeking wealth to the confidante, she counsels him against it and then relays the success of her efforts to the lady. The confidante begins by sketching the harshness of the drylands through its representative member, a tree therein. To talk about the faded branch of this tree, she calls in parallel the youth of someone who lacks wealth, implying the ancients thought that this was a period of joy and pleasure, and for that, wealth was essential. Next, to depict the nature of this tree that gives no shade to anyone, no doubt because of its withered leaves, the confidante calls in parallel wealth of a miser, of no use to those who come seeking. Following this, the confidante dives deep and reaches the roots of the said tree, which one would expect to have some moisture, but she says even those roots are parched, like the last days of someone who has done only evil to others. Finally, the entire lifeless drylands is depicted as a land, ruled by a cruel and greedy king, who steals away his people’s wealth, leaving them in agony. And so, the dreariness of this landscape is etched in our minds by these mini-portraits of various human lives.
Then, the confidante employs the customary three-step presentation talking about how the lady would be shattered if she hears that the man wants to part away to seek wealth. To present her case, the confidante reminds the man about how the lady would suffer even if the man moves away a little, without realising, when sleeping together in their bed, about how the lady would tear up when the man, just for joke, delays coming to her side, and about how the lady would feel devastated, when the man’s gracious look to her changes for even a moment. With all these words and the final punch that the lady would die if he left, the confidante succeeds in dissuading the man from taking up his journey, and this, she conveys to the lady, saying that now there was no need for the lady’s bangles to slip away!
What a frail depiction of the lady these ancient poets seem to present! Is that the way the male poets thought of the women then? For it seems rather bizarre to imagine that women of any age should be so utterly and fatally dependent on the men of their lives! And this was indeed an age when some women were penning poetry and advising kings. So, could it be a tradition that dictated these themes to be expressed in verse for some reason of theirs? While there are more questions to ponder, the verse also presents clear insights about how the Sangam people thought a life should be. Through those similes for the drylands, we understand they thought youth should be blessed with wealth, wealth should be shared with all, a person should do good to everyone in their life, and finally, a king should be one, full of kindness for his people, ruling them with a nurturing and protective spirit. What a place is not describes how a person should be, in these unique words!
In this episode, we perceive a profound philosophy, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 9, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents the consoling words said to an anxious heart.
‘எறித்தரு கதிர் தாங்கி ஏந்திய குடை நீழல்,
உறித் தாழ்ந்த கரகமும், உரை சான்ற முக்கோலும்,
நெறிப்படச் சுவல் அசைஇ, வேறு ஓரா நெஞ்சத்துக்
குறிப்பு ஏவல் செயல் மாலைக் கொளை நடை அந்தணீர்!
வெவ் இடைச் செலல் மாலை ஒழுக்கத்தீர்; இவ் இடை,
என் மகள் ஒருத்தியும், பிறள் மகன் ஒருவனும்,
தம்முளே புணர்ந்த தாம் அறி புணர்ச்சியர்;
அன்னார் இருவரைக் காணிரோ? பெரும!’
‘காணேம் அல்லேம்; கண்டனம், கடத்திடை;
ஆண் எழில் அண்ணலோடு அருஞ் சுரம் முன்னிய
மாண் இழை மடவரல் தாயிர் நீர் போறிர்…
பல உறு நறுஞ் சாந்தம் படுப்பவர்க்கு அல்லதை,
மலையுளே பிறப்பினும், மலைக்கு அவைதாம் என் செய்யும்?
நினையுங்கால், நும் மகள் நுமக்கும் ஆங்கு அனையளே
சீர் கெழு வெண் முத்தம் அணிபவர்க்கு அல்லதை,
நீருளே பிறப்பினும், நீர்க்கு அவைதாம் என் செய்யும்?
தேருங்கால், நும் மகள் நுமக்கும் ஆங்கு அனையளே
ஏழ் புணர் இன் இசை முரல்பவர்க்கு அல்லதை,
யாழுளே பிறப்பினும், யாழ்க்கு அவைதாம் என் செய்யும்?
சூழுங்கால், நும் மகள் நுமக்கும் ஆங்கு அனையளே
என ஆங்கு
இறந்த கற்பினாட்கு எவ்வம் படரன்மின்;
சிறந்தானை வழிபடீஇச் சென்றனள்;
அறம் தலைபிரியா ஆறும் மற்று அதுவே.
After that long sequence of parting away pains, now there’s a change of pace! The words can be translated as follows:
“‘In the shade of an upraised umbrella, that blocks the burning rays, with a pitcher hanging on a low rope, and an esteemed trident placed in the proper manner on the shoulder, you walk with a heart that sees no distractions, having unswerving principles and morals of controlling the senses, O priest! You have the custom of walking through these scorching spaces. In such a place, tread a daughter of mine and a son of another woman. They had a secret relationship, now revealed to all. Did you see them anywhere, O noble priest?’
‘It’s not that they were not seen. They were indeed seen in the midst of the drylands. Along with an esteemed young man, having handsome allure, a maiden wearing well-carved ornaments was treading the harsh drylands. You seem to be the mother of this maiden!’
Even though the much fragrant sandalwood is born in the mountain, other than being of use to those who adorn themselves with it, what could it possibly do for the mountain? When you think about it, your daughter too is like that to you!
Even though the splendid white pearls are born in the seas, other than being of use to those who wear it, what could it possibly do for the seas? When you reflect on it, your daughter too is like that to you!
Even though the fine music of the seven strings is born in the lute, other than being of use to those who play upon it, what could it possibly do for the lute? When you analyse it, your daughter too is like that to you!
And so, don’t you worry on account of this chaste maiden, who parted away. For she has chosen to follow the path of her good man. And that is indeed the only path of righteousness!'”
Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a lady’s eloping with the man she loves from her parental home. On learning about the lady’s elopement, her mother tries to follow the lady into the drylands and this verse is a dialogue between the mother and a person mother encounters. She begins by describing to us who that person is, and to do that, she talks about the umbrella he holds in his hands, protecting himself from the scorching sun of the drylands, whose handiwork we have seen in song after song. Next she describes the object he is carrying, a pitcher for water, again sensible option for the drylands, and lastly, a trident. Though this sounds to be a ritualistic artefact, much respected as the words that follow indicate, it’s possible the object had some functional use to that wayfarer. From the outer aspects, the mother turns to describe his inner virtue of not heeding to any distractions and who had unwavering morals in place. Sounds like mother has chanced upon an ascetic, for she addresses him as a noble priest. After this salutation, mother arrives at the matter at hand and asks the person if he had come across a woman and a man walking in those parts. She says that woman was her daughter and she says that this young maiden had a love relationship with the man she was walking with.
To mother’s question, the priest renders the answer that indeed he has seen them. Describing the man as being very handsome and the maiden as one wearing well-etched ornaments, he talks of how these two were crossing the drylands. It’s now this priest turns to mother and offers her three similes to explain mother’s state. He describes the sandalwood, pearls and music, and declare though these are born in the mountains, seas and lute respectively, these cannot do anything for the place of their birth, and are meant only for those who use them by applying that sandalwood paste, or adorn themselves with the pearls or play that music. Likewise, he declares the daughter of this mother too is meant to add goodness in the life of another. With the words that the mother shouldn’t worry about her daughter, who has left with the young man, the priest concludes with the convincing words that this girl has chosen the right path by following the man she loves.
And so, we see the clarity of thought in this noble monk, who stands by the young girl, who has eloped away with her love. Most of all, he counsels the mother to let go of her attachment to her daughter, and delight in the fact, that like the sandalwood, pearls and lute, the young maiden is about to add fragrance, beauty and music in the life of another. A verse which reminds me of the 19th century poet Kahlil Gibran’s words that echo the very core of this two thousand year old song to a mother:
‘You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.’
In this episode, we listen to reflections on the nature of wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 8, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and ponders on the question of what is lasting wealth.
நடுவு இகந்து ஒரீஇ நயன் இல்லான் வினை வாங்க,
கொடிது ஓர்த்த மன்னவன் கோல் போல, ஞாயிறு
கடுகுபு கதிர் மூட்டிக் காய் சினம் தெறுதலின்,
உறல் ஊறு கமழ் கடாத்து ஒல்கிய எழில் வேழம்,
வறன் உழு நாஞ்சில் போல், மருப்பு ஊன்றி நிலம் சேர,
விறல் மலை வெம்பிய போக்கு அரு வெஞ் சுரம்
சொல்லாது இறப்பத் துணிந்தனிர்க்கு ஒரு பொருள்
சொல்லுவது உடையேன்; கேண்மின், மற்று ஐஇய!
வீழுநர்க்கு இறைச்சியாய் விரல் கவர்பு இசைக்கும் கோல்
ஏழும் தம் பயன் கெட, இடை நின்ற நரம்பு அறூஉம்
யாழினும் நிலை இல்லாப் பொருளையும் நச்சுபவோ?
மரீஇத் தாம் கொண்டாரைக் கொண்டக்கால் போலாது,
பிரியுங்கால் பிறர் எள்ள, பீடு இன்றிப் புறம் மாறும்
திருவினும் நிலை இல்லாப் பொருளையும் நச்சுபவோ?
புரை தவப் பயன் நோக்கார் தம் ஆக்கம் முயல்வாரை
வரைவு இன்றிச் செறும் பொழுதில், கண் ஓடாது உயிர் வௌவும்
அரைசினும் நிலை இல்லாப் பொருளையும் நச்சுபவோ?
என ஆங்கு
நச்சல் கூடாது பெரும! இச் செலவு
ஒழிதல் வேண்டுவல், சூழின், பழி இன்று
மன்னவன் புறந்தர வரு விருந்து ஓம்பி,
தன் நகர் விழையக் கூடின்,
இன் உறல் வியன் மார்ப! அது மனும் பொருளே.
Here’s an intellectual discourse on the nature of wealth to persuade a person to change their path! The verse can be translated as follows:
“Akin to a king’s sceptre, which doles out cruelty, straying far away from the fair path of justice, as dictated by a compassionless subordinate, the sun spreads its rays with much haste and scorches the land with fury. Here, a once-handsome elephant, fragrant with musth and swarming with bees, now starved and thirsty, bends down to the land leaning on its tusk, looking like a plough, in that victorious mountain that has now burnt down to become an inaccessible hot drylands domain. To such a place, you dare to leave without even telling us. I wish to tell you one thing. Listen, O lord!
A lute’s music spreads ecstasy in those who listen. Even more unstable than a lute, whose middle string is broken, making all seven strings lose their purpose, is fading wealth. Why do you desire it so?
When it arrives in the hands of someone, it makes them celebrated, and when it parts away, it leaves them to the scorn of others. Such is the dishonourable nature of fame that keeps changing its face. Even more unstable than this fame is fading wealth. Why do you desire it so?
Without understanding the noble intentions of those who worked for his benefit, in a moment of boundless anger, without even blinking his eye, a king takes away a person’s life. Even more unstable than such a king is fading wealth. Why do you desire it so?
And so, you shouldn’t desire it, O lord! You need to abandon this journey. If you think about it, the pleasant state of being as one with her, who desires to stand with you, her lord, beside her, and offer feasts of hospitality in her home, O lord with a wide chest, only that can be stable wealth!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. When the lady’s confidante realises the man’s intention of parting away without telling them, she says these words to him. The confidante begins by placing in parallel the scorching, punishing heat of the drylands and the rule of a cruel king, who simply listens to the words of his unkind subordinates and strays away from the fair path of justice. Coming from the pen of this poet- king, this holds special value. The confidante describes the drylands so, where a once-handsome and wild elephant now bows low, searching for a few drops of water in that parched land, and as it presses its tusk into the ground, it looks like a plough. She continues saying this is where the man wants to go, that too without even telling the lady. Deciding to give him a few choice words, she starts to talk about the nature of wealth.
Again, in the three-step style of Kalithogai, she goes on to compare wealth with a lute, whose middle string is broken, fame which brings glory to a person when it arrives and scorn when it parts, and finally, another king reference, one, who is so blinded by rage that he does not stop to consider the merit or the good deeds of the person in front but orders them to be instantly executed. In all three cases, the confidante concludes even more unstable than these three elements, is the state of wealth, which is fleeting. She advises the man not to hanker after wealth and tells him that the state of being with the lady and making her fulfil her only wish of being hospitable to the world in her home, is what can be considered true and forever wealth. ‘There can be nothing more precious than togetherness’ is the perspective put forth with precision in this verse from the past!
In this episode, we listen to a piercing question put forth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 7, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and narrates the consequences of the man’s preparations to part away.
வேனில் உழந்த வறிது உயங்கு ஓய் களிறு
வான் நீங்கு வைப்பின் வழங்காத் தேர் நீர்க்கு அவாஅம்
கானம் கடத்திர், எனக் கேட்பின், யான் ஒன்று
உசாவுகோ ஐய! சிறிது?
நீயே, செய் வினை மருங்கில் செலவு, அயர்ந்து, யாழ நின்
கை புனை வல் வில் ஞாண் உளர்தீயே;
இவட்கே, செய்வு உறு மண்டிலம் மையாப்பது போல்,
மை இல் வாள் முகம் பசப்பு ஊரும்மே
நீயே, வினை மாண் காழகம் வீங்கக் கட்டி,
புனை மாண் மரீஇய அம்பு தெரிதியே;
இவட்கே, சுனை மாண் நீலம் கார் எதிர்பவை போல்,
இனை நோக்கு உண்கண் நீர் நில்லாவே
நீயே, புலம்பு இல் உள்ளமொடு பொருள்வயிற் செலீஇய,
வலம் படு திகிரி வாய் நீவுதியே;
இவட்கே, அலங்கு இதழ்க் கோடல் வீ உகுபவை போல்,
இலங்கு ஏர் எல் வளை இறை ஊரும்மே
என நின்,
செல் நவை அரவத்தும் இனையவள் நீ நீப்பின்,
தன் நலம் கடைகொளப்படுதலின், மற்று இவள்
இன் உயிர் தருதலும் ஆற்றுமோ
முன்னிய தேஎத்து முயன்று செய் பொருளே?
We continue to be in the domain of a confidante’s persuasion, asking the man not to part away. The verse can be translated as follows:
“In that place, which the clouds have abandoned, a fatigued elephant, which has lost its strength in the heat of summer, seeks with desire the illusory water in the mirage. You want me to tell her that such is the forest you wish to cross. Before that, can I ask you about a little something, O lord?
When you, with thoughts about your journey to gather wealth, stroke the strings of your strong hand-carved bow, akin to the well-made moon shrouded by clouds, her flawless, shining face becomes covered with pallor!
When you, tying the well-stitched glove with a bulge on your hand, check the strength of the well-carved arrow, akin to blue-lilies in the springs facing the rains, in her kohl-streaked eyes, the tears stop not!
When you, wanting to part away to gather wealth with no worry in your heart, rub the mouth of your victorious chariot wheel, akin to the falling flowers of a white glory lily plant with swaying petals, her beautiful and shining bangles cross past her wrists and slip away!
And so, she feels so much distress just seeing your preparations to part away. If you actually do part away and her health and life ends utterly, will her sweet life be brought back by the wealth you gain, with much effort in that country you are parting away to?”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting away from his lady, after marriage, with an intention to seek wealth. When the man conveys this intention to the lady’s confidante, she says these words to him. The confidante, following the custom of describing the drylands, now paints a picture of how a thin and tired elephant, confused by its thirst and starvation, in that place which has not seen rains in ages, mistakes a mirage for water, and tries to drink up the nothingness. Such is the arid spread of the drylands, where the man says he wants to leave, the confidante relates. Now she turns to him and says, ‘You want me to go tell this to the lady. Before I do that, I have something to ask you.’
Following the three-step playbook of narrating incidents we have seen thus far in Kalithogai, the confidante presents three scenes in the man’s household in quick succession. First, we see the man testing his well-made bow, checking how taut the strings are. The lady happens to catch a glimpse, and just like how clouds cover the face of the radiant moon, pallor shrouds her glowing face, seeing this, the confidante says. Scene 2, the man is now wearing a glove which bulges over his hand and he holds the arrow in it, testing his comfort with his weapon. As in the previous case, when the lady happens to see this, like how water droplets shed unceasingly from blue-lilies in the rain, the lady’s eyes unceasingly shed tears. Final scene, the man is now cleaning his chariot wheels and perhaps rubbing it with some oil. And now, just the way the flowers of a white glory lily fall away in time, the lady’s bangles slip away and fall! Instantaneous slimming treatment for Sangam ladies seems to be to get an inkling of their husbands’ parting away!
Returning, the confidante remarks to the man, ‘You are just making preparations and already she’s under so much stress. Tell me something: If you do part away and she dies, will the wealth you gain, by your going away, bring her back?’ Again, this appears to be a severe threat of life loss to prevent the man from doing what he wants to do! A moment to connect back to the first image of that elephant rushing to quench its thirst in a mirage. Now, we understand the confidante has sketched that scene to imply the futility of the man’s quest for wealth. He will not find the satisfaction he’s looking for, for all will be lost when the lady’s lost!
Which brings us to the question of why did the Sangam folks give so much importance to this common occurrence of parting. When you compare this with most of the classics from this period, those seem to dwell on heroism, war and fantastical journeys of men. But Sangam literature dwells on the domestic domain of togetherness and love. Could this be because this was a settled society in which migration and war was alien, something that happened because of recent changes to their world? Could this be why they focused so much on this taken-for-granted event of parting away? Questions to ponder upon when understanding the history and society of these ancient people!
In this episode, we perceive the immense love in a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 6, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals the determination in the mind of a young woman.
மரையா மரல் கவர, மாரி வறப்ப
வரை ஓங்கு அருஞ் சுரத்து ஆர் இடைச் செல்வோர்,
சுரை அம்பு, மூழ்கச் சுருங்கி, புரையோர் தம்,
உள் நீர் வறப்பப் புலர் வாடு நாவிற்கு
தண்ணீர் பெறாஅத் தடுமாற்று அருந் துயரம்
கண்ணீர் நனைக்கும் கடுமைய, காடு என்றால்,
என், நீர் அறியாதீர் போல இவை கூறல்?
நின் நீர அல்ல, நெடுந் தகாய்! எம்மையும்,
அன்பு அறச் சூழாதே, ஆற்றிடை நும்மொடு
துன்பம் துணையாக நாடின், அது அல்லது
இன்பமும் உண்டோ, எமக்கு?
A crisp verse depicting the harshness of the drylands region. The verse can be translated as follows:
“As the clouds have dried up, wild oxen devour the hemp leaves that alone remain. Those who traverse such formidable paths of the drylands in the soaring mountain, soon sense hollow-stemmed arrows plunging into them. Even those bowmen, with such a harsh and flawed nature, find their mouths going dry, without any moisture. The terrible sorrow of not finding any water makes them shed tears, which is the only moisture that falls on that hard and arid jungle. You say all this about that land, without understanding my nature. This is not befitting your nature, O noble lord. Without thinking about abandoning me, bereft of love, if you take me along with you in those paths, as the companion for your suffering, what more joy can there be, for me?”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. Here, the words are said by the lady to the man when he expresses his intent to part away to seek wealth. The lady starts by talking about how a wild ox, finding nothing else to eat, devours the hemp leaves, which are the only green things still surviving. On doing a little research, learnt that once established these hemp plants can withstand severe drought conditions, which explains why our wild cow has chosen to feed on this plant. The lady continues by talking about how the rains have failed and those who traverse those drylands soon find themselves dead, thanks to the sharp arrows of the highway robbers. What brutal souls they seem to be, but even they find themselves with their throats dried up and not finding even a bit of water, shedding tears because of their extreme thirst. These tears are the only moisture that falls on that arid land, the lady narrates. She continues by revealing that all these words were actually said by the man about the place where he’s heading to. At this time, she scolds him saying he does not understand her nature if he thinks this can dissuade her and that this was not right on his part. She concludes by putting her request that he take her along with him in this difficult journey and declares no matter what suffering comes their way, there can be no greater joy than being with him!
And so, we see how the lady employs a unique strategy of persuading the man to give up or delay his journey by asking him to take her along. Through these words, the love of the lady falls as the rejuvenating rain on the dry and arid land of the man’s intention to seek wealth!
In this episode, we perceive an effort of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 5, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and narrates the state of the lady if the man were to part away.
பாஅல் அம் செவிப் பணைத் தாள் மா நிரை
மாஅல் யானையொடு மறவர் மயங்கித்
தூறு அதர்பட்ட ஆறு மயங்கு அருஞ் சுரம்
இறந்து, நீர் செய்யும் பொருளினும், யாம் நுமக்குச்
சிறந்தனம் ஆதல் அறிந்தனிர்ஆயின்,
நீள் இரு முந்நீர் வளி கலன் வௌவலின்
ஆள்வினைக்கு அழிந்தோர் போறல் அல்லதை,
கேள் பெருந் தகையோடு எவன் பல மொழிகுவம்?
நாளும் கோள் மீன் தகைத்தலும் தகைமே
கல்லெனக் கவின் பெற்ற விழவு ஆற்றுப்படுத்த பின்,
புல்லென்ற களம் போலப் புலம்பு கொண்டு அமைவாளோ?
ஆள்பவர் கலக்குற அலைபெற்ற நாடு போல்,
பாழ்பட்ட முகத்தோடு, பைதல் கொண்டு அமைவாளோ?
ஓர் இரா வைகலுள், தாமரைப் பொய்கையுள்
நீர் நீத்த மலர் போல, நீ நீப்பின், வாழ்வாளோ?
என ஆங்கு
பொய்ந் நல்கல் புரிந்தனை புறந்தரல் கைவிட்டு,
எந் நாளோ, நெடுந் தகாய்! நீ செல்வது,
அந் நாள் கொண்டு இறக்கும், இவள் அரும் பெறல் உயிரே.
The confidante is at it again, saying ‘Don’t go’ to the man. The verse can be translated as follows:
“Along with huge herds of rutting elephants, having thick legs and prominent ears, highway robbers too rove amidst the bushes, ruining the paths in the muddled drylands. More than the wealth you gain going thither, to make you understand that she is more special, other than being in the state of those whose great efforts are ruined, because their ship in the huge and dark ocean is seized by a storm, what else can I say to convince you, O noble man! Only the omens of the day and the stars should stop you!
Akin to a listless festival ground, where the uproarious and prosperous festivities have ended, lamenting, will she be?
Akin to a country that is disturbed by the very person who rules it, with a ruined face, suffering, will she be?
Akin to a lotus flower in a pond, wherein the water has been drained within a night, if you part, will she live?
And so, after rendering your false graces, if you show your back, let go of her hand and leave one day, O respected lord, on that very day you leave, it too shall part, that precious life of hers!”
Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from the lady after marriage, wanting to seek wealth. When he informs the confidante of his intention, she replies to him with these words. First, the image of the drylands as a dangerous place is brought forth, where rutting elephants and ruthless robbers roam. They hide in the bushes and seem to make new paths, confusing the travellers who pass that away. The confidante connects this description saying this is where the man wants to go and if he does not realise that much more than the wealth he can attain, the lady is more important to him, she doesn’t know what to say to him other than wallow in that exact state of those seafarers, who have lost all their ware because their ship is caught in a storm. A moment to pause and note this matter-of-fact simile. That the Tamils were an ancient seafaring nation, with trade in the stormy waters of the Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian ocean, is evident from this observation. We have to understand that this is no ordinary poet but a Chera King, and no doubt he knows about the trade and commerce of his land. It’s unique how this facet of outer life is used to reflect the inner emotions in a domestic sphere.
Returning, we find the confidante putting her trust in omens of the day and the position of the stars to stop the man from going on his journey. She also wonders what will happen to the lady if the man continued to be intent on leaving, and brings forth three distinctive similes to portray the lady’s state. One, is a festival ground where the fun and celebration is done; Two, a country disturbed by its own ruler; Three, a lotus flower in a pond whose water has been drained overnight. Each of these three ruined states echo the lamenting, suffering state of the lady, the confidante tells the man, if he were to leave. She ends with the final punch that if the man were to leave one day, in spite of all these words she has rendered, then that will be the day the lady’s life parts away too.
What a threat the confidante makes to the man! We cannot help but observe how the lady has been projected as a frail creature who has no way of bearing the man’s separation. Perhaps this was only to showcase the deep love of the lady for her man in the Sangam era. Still, seeing with our modern eyes, it’s a fact of life that a woman should bear the separation of her man for the sake of work and vice versa. What’s interesting and timeless though in this verse is the depiction of scenes in the world to show what is seen by the heart!
In this episode, we observe the intricate interactions between the man and the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 4, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the dangers in a journey to seek wealth.
வலி முன்பின், வல்லென்ற யாக்கை, புலி நோக்கின்
சுற்றமை வில்லர், சுரி வளர் பித்தையர்,
அற்றம் பார்த்து அல்கும் கடுங்கண் மறவர் தாம்
கொள்ளும் பொருள் இலர்ஆயினும், வம்பலர்
துள்ளுநர்க் காண்மார் தொடர்ந்து, உயிர் வௌவலின்,
புள்ளும் வழங்காப் புலம்பு கொள் ஆர் இடை,
வெள் வேல் வலத்திர் பொருள் தரல் வேட்கையின்,
உள்ளினிர் என்பது அறிந்தனள், என் தோழி
‘காழ் விரி கவை ஆரம் மீ வரும் இள முலை
போழ்து இடைப்படாஅமல் முயங்கியும் அமையார், என்
தாழ் கதுப்பு அணிகுவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
சூழ்வதை எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்
‘முள் உறழ் முளை எயிற்று அமிழ்து ஊறும் தீ நீரைக்
கள்ளினும் மகிழ்செயும் என உரைத்தும் அமையார், என்
ஒள் இழை திருத்துவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
உள்ளுவது எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்
‘நுண் எழில் மாமைச் சுணங்கு அணி ஆகம் தம்
கண்ணொடு தொடுத்தென நோக்கியும் அமையார், என்
ஒள் நுதல் நீவுவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
எண்ணுவது எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்
என ஆங்கு,
‘கழி பெரு நல்கல் ஒன்று உடைத்து’ என, என் தோழி
அழிவொடு கலங்கிய எவ்வத்தள்; ஒரு நாள், நீர்,
பொழுது இடைப்பட நீப்பின், வாழ்வாளோ?
ஒழிக இனி, பெரும! நின் பொருட் பிணிச் செலவே.
Another verse wherein a man is requested to put off his journey. The words can be translated as follows:
“With immense strength, sturdy bodies, eyes of a tiger, tightly-tied bows, curly, thick locks of hair, are those harsh-eyed robbers, who bide their time. Even if the wayfarers possess not the things that they can steal, just to see them suffer, the robbers would give chase and take those lives. And so, not even birds fly near that lonely, long drylands path. But the fact that you, holding a white spear on your right, intend to go thither to gather wealth, has been discovered by my friend!
For she said, ‘Even after he had unceasingly embraced my young breasts, above which a wide necklace studded with gems moves about, he was not satisfied. For he took to adorning my untied tresses, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’
For she said, ‘Even after he had declared that the sweet nectar that springs forth from my thorn-like teeth is something that delights him even more than toddy, he was not satisfied. For he took to correcting the position of my shining jewels, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’
For she said, ‘Even after he had looked at the tiny, beautiful dark-skinned spots upon my beautiful bosom, for a long time, without even moving his gaze, he was not satisfied. For he took to caressing my shining forehead, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’
And so, my friend later concluded that ‘All these exuberant expressions of love must be for a reason’ and was greatly distressed by the sorrow it evoked. Even if you part away for a single day, will she live? Let go, O lord, this journey to gather wealth!”
Time to delve into the details. Yet another verse set in the context of a man’s parting from a lady, after marriage, with the intention of seeking wealth. Here, the confidante speaks these words to the man. She starts by depicting the danger in the drylands path to which the man intends to leave, and to do that, she presents a detailed portrait of the people who dominate this region namely the highway robbers. She etches their outer appearance, talking about their strong bodies, eyes that seem to pierce like a tiger’s, and their thick, curly hair. They can be seen carrying well-tied bows on their body. Next, to give a slice of their inner nature, she talks about how even though the wayfarers these robbers meet may not happen to have anything of value to them, the robbers would still chase them and kill them, just to see the fear of these travellers. This is a rather sadistic depiction of this tribe by the confidante, for we have seen these very people building stone graves for the lives they have taken, in other verses. Could these people have so much evil in them to kill for no reason and yet the good nature to respect the dead? A question to ponder upon. Returning, the confidante continues saying such is the terrible nature of those robbers, that even birds fear to go their way, but the man seems to want to go and cross such a dangerous path with the intention of gathering wealth. She adds that not only that, the lady seems to have discovered this fact, without the man telling her so.
Then, the confidante goes on to reveal the three different ways in which the lady has arrived at this conclusion. In each, the man performs an action of endearment, such as embracing the lady, relishing the nectar of her mouth, and looking at the lady’s beautiful skin. Even after each of these actions, he seemed not to be content, for he went on to do something more, such as tying the lady’s tresses, adjusting her jewels and caressing her forehead. So she adds one and one together and decides that all his extra attention is because the man intends to part away from her. Even thinking about this possibility has distressed the lady so much, the confidante tells the man, and declares that the lady cannot even bear a single day’s separation from her man, and bids him to give up his journey in search of wealth.
The highlight of this verse is in the subtle expressions of love in a relationship and the hidden meanings that are perceived. Beyond the usual message of ‘Don’t leave the lady’, what’s striking here is the time and attention the couple seem to have given each other. Every movement, every gesture, why even every breath seems to have been noted and this sheds light on the quality of relationships in a more relaxed world!
In this episode, we listen to a conversation about the man’s parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 3, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals the impact of nature on human emotions.
அறன் இன்றி அயல் தூற்றும் அம்பலை நாணியும்,
வறன் நீந்தி நீ செல்லும் நீள் இடை நினைப்பவும்
இறை நில்லா வளை ஓட, இதழ் சோர்பு பனி மல்க,
பொறை நில்லா நோயோடு புல்லென்ற நுதல் இவள்
விறல் நலன் இழப்பவும், வினை வேட்டாய்! கேஎள், இனி:
‘உடை இவள் உயிர் வாழாள், நீ நீப்பின்’ என, பல
இடைகொண்டு யாம் இரப்பவும், எம கொள்ளாய்ஆயினை;
கடைஇய ஆற்றிடை, நீர் நீத்த வறுஞ் சுனை,
அடையொடு வாடிய அணி மலர் தகைப்பன
‘வல்லை நீ துறப்பாயேல், வகை வாடும் இவள்’ என,
ஒல் ஆங்கு யாம் இரப்பவும், உணர்ந்தீயாய் ஆயினை;
செல்லு நீள் ஆற்றிடை, சேர்ந்து எழுந்த மரம் வாட,
புல்லு விட்டு இறைஞ்சிய பூங்கொடி தகைப்பன
‘பிணிபு நீ விடல் சூழின், பிறழ்தரும் இவள்’ என,
பணிபு வந்து இரப்பவும், பல சூழ்வாய்ஆயினை;
துணிபு நீ செலக் கண்ட ஆற்றிடை, அம் மரத்து
அணி செல, வாடிய அம் தளிர் தகைப்பன
என ஆங்கு
யாம் நிற் கூறவும் எம கொள்ளாய்ஆயினை;
ஆனாது இவள்போல் அருள் வந்தவை காட்டி,
மேல் நின்று மெய் கூறும் கேளிர் போல், நீ செல்லும்
கானம் தகைப்ப, செலவு.
Yet again, we perceive the confidante’s efforts to stop the man from parting away. The verse can be translated as follows:
“Feeling ashamed thinking about the unjust town’s gossip that would follow, and worrying about the long and winding path you would walk on to cross the drylands, her bangles, refusing to stay on her forearms, would slip away, and her petal-like eyes would fill with fatigue and pool with tears. This unbearable affliction would make her forehead lack lustre and she would lose her great beauty. Even after knowing all this, you are still focused on your task. Listen to me now:
Saying ‘If you part, she who thinks of you as her life, will live no more’, even though I plead in many different ways, you accept it not; In that path you will cross, upon a dried-up pond, bereft of water, a string of beautiful flowers, which have faded along with the leaves, will stop you.
Saying, ‘If you part away so soon, her many beautiful qualities will fade’, even though I plead in the proper manner, you understand it not; In the long path you will travel to, as a soaring tree fades, the flower-filled vines, which have let go of their hold and fallen down listlessly, will stop you.
Saying, ‘If you part letting go of your hold, she will part with her life’, even though I plead with humility, you still are considering your journey; In that path that you dare to leave to, the leaves, which have faded, making the tree’s beauty perish, will stop you.
You heed not these many words I have rendered to you. However, unceasingly showing you scenes that will appear like her, in the manner of elders, who speak the truth with authority, the forest you traverse to, will stop your journey!”
Let’s explore the nuances. Like the previous verse, this too is set in the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage. Here, the words are rendered by the confidante to the man. She starts by listing the different kinds of distress that would fall upon the lady if the man happens to part away. The very first thing she says is that the town would gossip. What’s there to gossip if the man leaves on a mission after his marriage? Perhaps they would think the man has abandoned the woman he married! In any case, the worry about these rumours and the worry about the man’s travel would make the lady’s bangles slip away, eyes well with tears, fade the lustre of her forehead and in short, lose her exquisite beauty. The confidante turns to the man and says even though he knows very well about all this, he still wants to leave. Now, she starts putting forth her arguments to him.
In both the verses of Kalithogai we have seen thus far, there’s the same structure, with an introduction of context, and then three different ways of putting forth a point, followed by a conclusion. In the middle portion containing three different segments, the confidante talks about how she has pleaded to the man saying the lady will lose her beauty and will even lose her life, if the man parts away. And yet in all three cases, he refuses to understand it, accept it and continues to make plans for his travel. At this juncture, the confidante visualises three different scenes in the drylands path he will travel to: One, a dried-up pond where a string of once-beautiful flowers lie faded; Two, where flowering vines which were twirling around a tree, wither away and fall to the ground, and lie there listlessly; And three, the leaves which used to adorn the tree, lie scorched and dried up. Now, the confidante concludes with the words that even though the man listens not to the many words she has said to him, such scenes will appear and remind him of his lady’s state, and will block him from even taking a single step towards his mission, just the way wise elders would advise one from a position of authority and clarity.
A verse which demonstrates the truth that we see the world not as it is, but as who we are! Undoubtedly, the man’s worry about the lady will come back with force, when he’s journeying through the harsh drylands seeing those withering sights around him. And with wisdom, the confidante predicts that the man will feel it’s not just the outer world in such a state of ruin but rather it’s his beloved. In a tangent, the verse shows the deep influence that nature has on the people of the Sangam era, and their awareness and understanding of this timeless truth!
In this episode, we hear the jubilant voice of the lady’s confidante, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 2, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and ponders on the question of what is true wealth.
தொடங்கற்கண் தோன்றிய முதியவன் முதலாக,
அடங்காதார் மிடல் சாய, அமரர் வந்து இரத்தலின்,
மடங்கல் போல், சினைஇ, மாயம் செய் அவுணரைக்
கடந்து அடு முன்பொடு, முக்கண்ணான் மூஎயிலும்
உடன்றக்கால், முகம் போல ஒண் கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
சீறு அருங் கணிச்சியோன் சினவலின் அவ் எயில்
ஏறு பெற்று உதிர்வன போல், வரை பிளந்து, இயங்குநர்
ஆறு கெட விலங்கிய அழல் அவிர் ஆர் இடை
மறப்பு அருங் காதல் இவள் ஈண்டு ஒழிய,
இறப்பத் துணிந்தனிர், கேண்மின் மற்று ஐஇய!
‘தொலைவு ஆகி, இரந்தோர்க்கு ஒன்று ஈயாமை இழிவு’ என,
மலை இறந்து செயல் சூழ்ந்த பொருள் பொருள் ஆகுமோ
நிலைஇய கற்பினாள், நீ நீப்பின் வாழாதாள்,
முலை ஆகம் பிரியாமை பொருளாயின் அல்லதை?
‘இல் என, இரந்தோர்க்கு ஒன்று ஈயாமை இழிவு’ என,
கல் இறந்து செயல் சூழ்ந்த பொருள் பொருள் ஆகுமோ
தொல் இயல் வழாஅமைத் துணை எனப் புணர்ந்தவள்
புல் ஆகம் பிரியாமை பொருளாயின் அல்லதை?
‘இடன் இன்றி, இரந்தோர்க்கு ஒன்று ஈயாமை இழிவு’ என,
கடன் இறந்து செயல் சூழ்ந்த பொருள் பொருள் ஆகுமோ
வடமீன் போல் தொழுது ஏத்த வயங்கிய கற்பினாள்
தட மென் தோள் பிரியாமை பொருளாயின் அல்லதை?
என, இவள்
புன் கண் கொண்டு இனையவும், பொருள்வயின் அகறல்
அன்பு அன்று, என்று யான் கூற, அன்புற்று,
காழ் வரை நில்லாக் கடுங் களிற்று ஒருத்தல்
யாழ் வரைத் தங்கியாங்கு, தாழ்பு, நின்
தொல் கவின் தொலைதல் அஞ்சி, என்
சொல் வரைத் தங்கினர், காதலோரே.
Just like Ainkurunooru, the previous Sangam Literary collection we encountered, Kalithogai too is grouped by the landscape, with all the poems therein being sung by the same poet. For this ‘Paalai’ or ‘drylands landscape’, a Chera King, who has contributed immensely to the Sangam corpus, dons the role of the wordsmith. It’s heartening to know that in the Sangam era, there lived a king, who cared not about outer conquests and expansion that would inscribe his name in history, but gave his time to studying inner life and the exposition of emotions through poetry. The poet-king’s words can be translated as follows:
“With the Elder, who appeared before the beginning, at the fore, the immortals pleaded to slay the strength of the unruly. And so, like a lion, with fury, he conquered those deceptive demons with his immense skill, and with his three eyes, he burnt their three forts. Akin to the way his face glowed at that moment, burns the sun with its shining hot rays, and akin to how those forts shatter in the rising rage of the one, who wields the powerful battle-axe, mountains break apart and ruin the paths of travellers in the ire of the sun. Such is the drylands path, where you dare to part, leaving her to suffer here with her love that knows not how to forget. Listen to what I have to say!
Thinking, ‘It’s a dishonour not to render something to those who come and plead owing to their poverty’, you wish to gather wealth crossing mountains many. But can that be considered wealth? She is one with unswerving chastity, the one who will perish if you part away. What else can be wealth other than the state of not parting away from her tender bosom?
Thinking, ‘It’s a dishonour not to render something to those who come pleading saying they have nothing’, you wish to gather wealth crossing rocky hills many. But can that be considered wealth? She is one who united with you, seeing you as her companion, as per the ancient custom. What else can be wealth other than the state of not parting away from her soft bosom?
Thinking, ‘It’s a dishonour not to render something to those who come pleading saying they have nowhere to go’, you wish to gather wealth crossing jungles many. But can that be considered wealth? She is one with a chastity, worthy of being worshipped, akin to the northern star. What else can be wealth other than the state of not parting away from her soft and curving arms?
As I said to him, ‘Leaving her to suffer with dull eyes, if you leave for the sake of wealth, that is not love’, filled with love, akin to a mad, male elephant that is stopped, not even by a goad, but that which is calmed by a lute, bending from his stance, fearing that your old beauty would be lost, he paid heed to my word and stayed back, that lover of yours!”
Time to delve into the details. The verse revolves around the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage, and is expressed in the words of the confidante to the lady and within this outer margin, contains conversations of the confidante with the man. The confidante starts by sketching God Siva we encountered in the previous verse of invocation. Looking back at the first verse, perhaps this verse was the inspiration for that invocation, which is said to be added at a later stage. Without naming the god mentioned as Siva, the verse talks about the circumstances that lead to this god’s burning of the fort of the demons. Apparently, taking the Elder, the Creator God, as their leader, a bunch of immortals seemed to have sought the help of this God to quell the arrogance of the demons. So, this god, described as one having three eyes, an attribute assigned to God Siva, burns the three forts of the demons and wins over them.
The confidante has rendered this lengthy, mythical description only to say just the way the God’s face glowed as he burnt those forts, the sun scorches the drylands, and just the way the God’s battle axe broke the forts, the sun breaks apart mountains and impedes the travel of the wayfarers. Describing this drylands path, the confidante connects saying this is exactly where the man planned to go.
Following this clarification of context, the confidante describes how she speaks about the reasons for the man’s decision to leave. Though she says it in three different ways, ultimately the man wants to part away, only because he cannot bear to say ‘no’ to those who come seeking to him, out of their poverty, with nowhere to go. She establishes that his journey is not for selfish reasons, but for the act of rendering to others. Then, she puts the question to him asking if what he gains can be considered wealth at all. So, what is wealth, he may ask her, and readily she gives the answer that true wealth lies in the man not parting away from the noble, chaste, trusting lady, and living in her embrace.
After narrating all these words about wealth she said to the man, the confidante delivers the final punch to him saying if he leaves, then his love is not love. Hearing these words, like a mad elephant that could not be tamed even by a powerful goad, which then stands still hearing the notes of a lute, the man too retreated, bent from his resolve, and decided to stay back, concludes the confidante, conveying the joyous news that the man will not part from the lady.
Through this verse, the poet presents the dilemma between earning wealth and being with a beloved, and argues in a way such that love triumphs. Within these lines, hides the intricate art of negotiation, wherein we see how the confidante presents her case, first by acknowledging the man’s noble intentions in seeking wealth, and then raising a doubt by asking a question. She presents the criticality of choosing that path she recommends by describing the lady’s virtues and the lady’s inability to bear with the man’s parting. Finally, with that exquisite simile of the elephant and the lute, she ends with the lesson that it’s not harsh and punitive whipping rod, such as insults, anger and shouting, that would make someone change their mind, but the gentle notes of a calm appeal to reason. A lesson that shows the way to subdue all those wild elephants in our minds and lives!
In this episode, we perceive the roles of a god and his consort, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 1, penned by an anonymous poet. Kalithogai is a collection of musical verses in the ‘Aham’ or ‘Inner life’ classification of Sangam Literature. This first verse is a prayer song, believed to be added to this collection at a later period.
ஆறு அறி அந்தணர்க்கு அரு மறை பல பகர்ந்து,
தேறு நீர் சடைக் கரந்து, திரிபுரம் தீ மடுத்து,
கூறாமல் குறித்ததன் மேல் செல்லும் கடுங் கூளி
மாறாப் போர், மணி மிடற்று, எண் கையாய்! கேள், இனி:
படு பறை பல இயம்ப, பல் உருவம் பெயர்த்து நீ,
கொடுகொட்டி ஆடுங்கால், கோடு உயர் அகல் அல்குல்,
கொடி புரை நுசுப்பினாள் கொண்ட சீர் தருவாளோ?
மண்டு அமர் பல கடந்து மதுகையால் நீறு அணிந்து,
பண்டரங்கம் ஆடுங்கால், பணை எழில் அணை மென் தோள்,
வண்டு அரற்றும் கூந்தலாள் வளர் தூக்குத் தருவாளோ?
கொலை உழுவைத் தோல் அசைஇ, கொன்றைத் தார் சுவல் புரள,
தலை அங்கை கொண்டு, நீ காபாலம் ஆடுங்கால்,
முலை அணிந்த முறுவலாள் முன் பாணி தருவாளோ?
என ஆங்கு
பாணியும், தூக்கும், சீரும், என்று இவை
மாண் இழை அரிவை காப்ப,
ஆணம் இல் பொருள் எமக்கு அமர்ந்தனை ஆடி.
Here’s an invocation song that contains many mythical details about God Siva and his companion Goddess. The verse can be translated as follows:
“You offered precious scriptures to priestly scholars, who had attained the path of righteousness; You hid clear waters in your matted braids; You set the land of ‘Tripuram’ on fire; You are one who transcends the limits of words; You waged a fearsome battle with your army that knows not retreat; O lord with a sapphire neck and eight arms, listen to what I have to say!
When drums many resound, taking many different forms, as you perform the ‘Kodukatti’ dance, will she, the one with uplifted, wide loins, and a waist, akin to a vine, render the final ‘seer’ beat?
Crossing many fierce battlefields with strength, as you perform the ‘Paandarangam’ dance, adorned with ash, will she, the one with beautiful, bamboo-like soft arms and bee-buzzing tresses, render the growing, intermittent ’thookku’ beat?
When the skin of the killer tiger you wear sways and the golden shower garland twirls around your shoulders, as you perform the ‘Kapaalam’ dance, holding a head in your palm, will she, the one with smiles, akin to wild jasmines, render the initial ‘paani’ beat?
And so, with the initial, intermittent and final beats, as the maiden with well-etched ornaments protects, on us, who have no one to love, you render your grace, dancing. “
Let’s explore the details presented in this verse. The fact is that there was no tradition of starting a collection of verses with a prayer song in Sangam times, for they preferred to delve into the facets of inner life without much ado. And so, although we have not yet entered the actual doors of Kalithogai, this verse can be imagined as the opening of the outer gate that people from a later era have constructed to protect their ideology of a supreme power.
Delving into the verse, the words are addressed to God Siva, and offers insights about this god. The first note is about how he gave the scriptures to priests, who were on the path of righteousness. The parallel from another religion that strikes me now is how according to the Old Testament, God was supposed to have given the Ten commandments to Moses. Returning to the God in this verse, then there’s an account of how he holds the waters of the Ganges in his matted locks of hair. The third mythical story is about how this God burnt down the land of the demons called as ‘Tripuram’. This description ends with the familiar sketch of this God having a sapphire-hued neck and eight arms, which we notice especially in the dancing version called ‘Nataraja’.
After the description, the poet beckons the god to listen to him and then describes three kinds of dance performed by the celestial warrior. These are ‘Kodukatti’, in which God Siva takes many forms and dances as drums resound, then the ‘Paandarangam’, in which he dances smeared with the ash of the demons, whom he conquered, and finally, the ‘Kapaalam’, in which he dances holding the head of the vanquished in his palm, as a golden shower flower garland, swirls around his shoulders, and the tiger skin he wears sways around.
What the poet adds to these dances is the unique aspect here! The poet describes the Goddess consort of this God as having a vine-like waist, bamboo-like arms, bee-buzzing tresses and a smile like that of blooming wild jasmines. The thing to note here is how the description of this mythical, celestial entity matches that of the lady, or the female protagonist of Sangam literature, whom we have met with in many, many Aham verses. After this earthy description, the poet asks if this Goddess is the one who keeps the initial, intermittent and final beats as this great God dances away, and ends in wonder about the love rendered by this God on the worshippers, amidst his fury and rampage in the battlefield.
And so, we see how God and his consort are modelled on the lines of the man and his lady, wherein one, brimming with fury and a sense of duty, while the other is the epitome of peace and calm, the protector and healer. It is in the perfect duet of this masculine and feminine that the world revolves in the rhythm of balance, implies this invocation song at the beginning of our journey into Kalithogai, an uproarious and spirited celebration of love!
In this episode, we perceive the celebration in the man’s return home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 491-500, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Fiftieth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ripples of the Return
491 Beauty back to you
கார் எதிர் காலை யாம், ஓவின்று நலிய,
நொந்து நொந்து உயவும் உள்ளமொடு,
வந்தனெம் மடந்தை, நின் ஏர் தர விரைந்தே.
In this time, when the rains were approaching, worrying unceasingly, with a heart that ached and ached, I have come here, O naive maiden, with much haste, to render your beauty back to you.
492 Racing against the rains
நின்னே போலும் மஞ்ஞை ஆல, நின்
நன்னுதல் நாறும் முல்லை மலர,
நின்னே போல மா மருண்டு நோக்க,
நின்னே உள்ளி வந்தனென்
நன்னுதல் அரிவை, காரினும் விரைந்தே.
Just like you, the peacock dances; Just like your fine forehead, the wild jasmine blooms; Just like you, the deer looks with startled eyes; And so, thinking just of you, I came here, O maiden with a shining forehead, racing against the rains!
493 Arrived with the rains
ஏறு முரண் சிறப்ப, ஏறு எதிர் இரங்க,
மாதர் மான் பிணை மறியொடு மறுகக்,
கார் தொடங்கின்றே காலை,
நேர் இறை முன்கை, நின் உள்ளி யாம் வரவே.
As bulls bellow with force, as thunder resounds in response, as the beautiful female deer along with its calf leaps about, it’s now the time, when the rains begin, after I have arrived thinking of you, O maiden wearing etched bangles on your forearms!
494 As you wished
வண்டு தாது ஊதத், தேரை தெவிட்டத்,
தண் கமழ் புறவின் முல்லை மலர,
இன்புறுத்தன்று பொழுதே,
நின் குறி வாய்த்தனம், தீர்க இனி படரே.
As bees buzz around pollen, as toads croak, as the cool and fragrant wild jasmine blooms in the forest, beautiful is this time. Knowing your heart, I have arrived as you wished, and so let your suffering cease!
495 Sweet turns the forest
செந்நில மருங்கில் பல் மலர் தாஅய்ப்,
புலம்பு தீர்ந்து இனியவாயின புறவே,
பின்னிருங் கூந்தல் நன்னலம் புனைய,
உள்ளுதொறும் கலிழும் நெஞ்சமொடு,
முள் எயிற்று அரிவை, யாம் வந்தமாறே.
Upon the red earth, many flowers bloom and letting go of its lament, sweet turns the forest. This is because, with a heart that shed tears every time I thought of you, O young maiden with thorn-like teeth, to adorn your braided dark tresses with beauty, I have arrived here!
496 Flowers for her tresses
மா புதல் சேர, வரகு இணர் சிறப்ப,
மா மலை புலம்பக் கார் கலித்து அலைப்பப்,
பேரமர்க்கண்ணி, நின் பிரிந்து உறைநர்
தோள் துணையாக வந்தனர்,
போது அவிழ் கூந்தலும் பூ விரும்புகவே.
As deer find refuge in the bushes, as millet clusters prosper, leaving the huge mountains in loneliness, rains resound and roar with waves. O maiden with huge and beautiful eyes, the one, who was parted away from you, has returned to become the companion for your arms. May your tresses hanging low, without adornments, wear flowers with desire now!
497 Rains and the Return
குறும் பல் கோதை கொன்றை மலர,
நெடுஞ்செம் புற்றம் ஈயல் பகர,
மாபசி மறுப்பக் கார் தொடங்கின்றே,
பேரியல் அரிவை, நின் உள்ளிப்
போர் வெங்குருசில் வந்தமாறே.
Making many small garlands of the golden shower bloom, termites to part away from their tall, red mounds, and animals to forget their hunger, the rains have begun, O maiden with an admirable nature, because the lord, who loves battles, has thought of you and returned!
498 He has arrived
தோள் கவின் எய்தின, தொடி நிலை நின்றன,
நீள் வரி நெடுங்கண் வாள் வனப்பு உற்றன,
ஏந்து கோட்டு யானை வேந்து தொழில் விட்டென,
விரைசெலல் நெடுந்தேர் கடைஇ,
வரையக நாடன் வந்தமாறே.
Arms have regained their beauty; Bangles have retained their position; Huge eyes with long lines have attained the brightness of swords; All because the king, who wields elephants with uplifted tusks, has ended his war mission, and riding his tall chariot, with great speed, the lord of the mountains has arrived!
499 Thinking of her worries
பிடவம் மலரத், தளவம் நனையக்,
கார் கவின் கொண்ட கானம் காணின்,
வருந்துவள் பெரிதென, அருந்தொழிற்கு அகலாது
வந்தனரால் நம் காதலர்,
அம் தீம் கிளவி, நின் ஆய் நலம் கொண்டே.
Thinking that she will worry immensely, if she sees the forest attain the beauty of the rains that make wild jasmines bloom and pink jasmines soak, without parting for other challenging missions, he has returned, that lover of yours, O woman with sweet words, bringing back your excellent beauty!
500 Transformation of her eyes
கொன்றைப் பூவின் பசந்த உண்கண்,
குன்றக நெடுஞ் சுனைக் குவளை போலத்
தொல் கவின் பெற்றன இவட்கே, வெல்போர்
வியன் நெடும் பாசறை நீடிய
வயமான் தோன்றல், நீ வந்தமாறே.
O lord, who appears like a strong tiger, the one who had been delayed at the wide and spreading battle camp of the winning king, the kohl-streaked eyes that had spread with the pallor of the golden shower flowers, have attained their old beauty, akin to the blue lily in the wide mountain spring, just because you have returned!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 491-500. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with the lady. The unifying theme of the songs is the joyous moment when the man has returned and reunited with the lady.
In the first, the man expresses his feelings of worry as he saw that the rains were approaching and how that made him travel with great speed, so as to give back the beauty of the lady that was lost with his parting away. In the second, the man describes how all the elements of nature on his path, be it a peacock or the blooming jasmines or a startled deer, everything reminded him of his lady and that’s why he rushed to her, wanting to beat the rains in that race against time. In the third, the man says the rains have begun, making bulls bellow, thunder roar and deer romp, after he had arrived, telling us he has won the race with the rains. In the fourth, the man says to the lady that knowing that she wished for his arrival before the rains more than anything else, he made it there to slay her suffering and now the world feels so beautiful to savour, as sounds of bees buzzing, toads croaking, and the scent of wild jasmines echo that the rains are here. The fifth sees the man celebrating the beauty of the forest again, wherein flowers bloom upon the red earth and the domain gives up its lament about the dry season and welcomes the rains, and it feels so sweet only because he is back and one with the lady.
The confidante takes the speaker’s spotlight in the next five. In the sixth, she points to the changes in the world around, such as deer hiding in the bushes, millets raising their heads with delight, and making all life leave the mountains, leaving it in loneliness, because the rains were there. There is no cause for worry in the lady though, as the man was back and now the tresses, which the lady had abandoned without care, can delight in wearing flowers again. The confidante once again highlights how Sangam women avoided adorning themselves in the time their man was away. Returning, in the seventh, the confidante offers other instances of the effect of rains, such as the blooming of the golden shower, the parting away of termites from their mounds, and also, the forgetting of hunger by animals, as they shiver in the cold of the season, seeking protection from the elements. The confidante seems to say in this one that the rains have begun only because the man has returned, thinking of the lady.
The eighth sees the confidante turning her attention from the changes in the outer world to the appearance of her friend and remarks how the lady’s arms have become beautiful, the bangles are not slipping away, and her eyes are bright once again, and this is only because the man had finished the king’s mission victoriously and was back with her. In the ninth, the confidante celebrates the man’s thoughtfulness in considering how the lady would worry if she saw the rains arrive and moisten the jasmines, for he returned to the lady, bringing back her beauty in time. In the final verse, the confidante addresses the man directly, calling him a tiger and remarking how he had been delayed at the king’s battle camp, and concludes with the words that the lady’s eyes, which had spread with pallor in the colour of golden shower flowers, have now transformed to seem like a cool and fragrant blue lily in a mountain spring, just because the man was back.
And so we see how the man seems to be the custodian of the lady’s beauty, taking it away with him, when he goes, and bringing it back, when he returns. The essence of this section is the inner and outer transformation in a person’s return to their beloved. On that sweet note of a reunion amidst the lush and blooming spread of this domain, verses on the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ ends, a section where the focus was not on intricate metaphors but rather a direct depiction of the emotions in parting and togetherness, in the bond and the joy of love. These verses echo to us that it’s not only earth-shattering moments of history that need to be sung about and celebrated, but the simple truth that even the simple joys of a family life have lasting value in linking generations, across space and time.
In this episode, we perceive the urgency in the man’s command to his charioteer, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 481-490, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Ninth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Hasten the Horses
481 End the affliction
சாய்இறைப் பணைத்தோள் அவ்வரி அல்குல்
சேயிழை மாதரை உள்ளி நோய்விட
முள் இட்டு ஊர்மதி வலவ! நின்
புள்இயல் கலிமாப் பூண்ட தேரே.
Thinking of the maiden, adorned with etched ornaments, having fine lines on her waist and beautiful curves on her bamboo-like arms, love affliction spreads in me. To end this, O charioteer, apply your thorny goad and speedily ride this chariot, tied with your bird-like, proud horses!
482 Lose not a day
தெரியிழை அரிவைக்குப் பெரு விருந்தாக,
வல் விரைந்து கடவுமதி பாக, வெள்வேல்
வென்று அடு தானை வேந்தனொடு
நாளிடைச் சேப்பின், ஊழியின் நெடிதே.
As a great feast for the maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments, with much speed, ride on, O charioteer, for even if a day is spent with the king, who commands a white-speared, conquering army, it would seem longer than an eon!
483 Rush on homeward
ஆறு வனப்பு எய்த அலர் தாயினவே,
வேந்து விட்டனனே, மா விரைந்தனவே,
முன்னுறக் கடவுமதி பாக,
நன்னுதல் அரிவை தன்னலம் பெறவே.
Making the path picturesque, flowers spread everywhere. The king too has given leave, the horses are hastening. Make them go even faster, O charioteer, so that the maiden with a fine forehead will regain her beauty!
484 Make up for lost time
வேனில் நீங்கக் கார்மழை தலைஇக்
காடுகவின் கொண்டன்று பொழுது பாடுசிறந்து
கடியக் கடவுமதி பாக
நெடிய நீடினம் நேரிழை மறந்தே.
As summer withdrew, and the rains arrived, the forest has attained its beauty. At this time, adding glory to your work, with speed, ride on, O charioteer, for I have spent a long time, forgetting that maiden wearing fine ornaments!
485 Cease the sorrow
அரும்படர் அவலம் அவளும் தீரப்
பெருந்தோள் நலம்வர யாமும் முயங்க
ஏமதி வலவ தேரே
மாருண்டு உகளும் மலரணிப் புறவே.
To make the deep suffering and sorrow in her cease, so that her long arms attain their beauty for me to embrace, ride the chariot, O charioteer, in this flower-adorned forest, where startled deer leap away!
486 Say no more to suffering
பெரும்புன் மாலை ஆனாது நினைஇ
அரும்படர் உழைத்தல் யாவது என்றும்
புல்லி ஆற்றாப் புரையோள் காண
வள்பு தெரிந்து ஊர்மதி வலவ! நின்
புள் இயல் கலி மாப் பூண்ட தேரே.
The deep suffering of thinking endlessly in the long and angst-filled evening will be no more! So that I can see that flawless maiden, who endows unceasing pleasure in her embrace, put your whip to use, O charioteer, and ride the chariot, tied with your bird-like, proud horses!
487 Delight her heart
இதுமன் பிரிந்தோர் உள்ளும் பொழுதே
செறிதொடி உள்ளம் உவப்ப
மதியுடை வலவ ஏமதி தேரே.
For parted lovers, this is the time that makes one think of the faraway beloved! Delighting the heart of the maiden, wearing well-etched bangles, hasten this chariot, O intelligent charioteer!
488 Slay the worry
கருவி வானம் பெயல் தொடங்கின்றே
பெருவிறல் காதலி கருதும் பொழுதே
விரி உளை நன்மாப் பூட்டிப்
பருவரல் தீரக் கடவுமதி தேரே.
The skies, in accompaniment of clouds and thunder, have begun their downpour. This is the time that my esteemed lover will think of me and worry. And so, to end her deep suffering, tie the fine horses with swaying manes and hasten the chariot!
489 Pull on the reins
அம் சிறை வண்டின் அரியினம் மொய்ப்ப,
மென்புல முல்லை மலரும் மாலைப்
பையுள் நெஞ்சின் தையல் உவப்ப,
நுண் புரி வண் கயிறு இயக்கி, நின்
வண் பரி நெடுந்தேர் கடவுமதி விரைந்தே.
Making the colony of bees with beautiful wings buzz around, the soft-earthed forest blooms in this evening, the time when the young maiden will worry with an anxious heart. To delight her, pull on the intricately twisted, strong reins, and ride your strong horses, tied to the tall chariot, with much haste!
490 Ride on with speed
அம் தீம் கிளவி தான் தர எம் வயின்
வந்தன்று மாதோ காரே, ஆவயின்
ஆய்தொடி அரும் படர் தீர,
ஆய் மணி நெடுந்தேர் கடவுமதி விரைந்தே.
To give to me that beautiful and sweet-voiced maiden, the rains have arrived, behold! To slay the deep suffering of the maiden, adorned with beautiful bangles, ride the tall chariot, adorned with beautiful bells, with much haste!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 481-490. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s parting from the lady, after marriage. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these occur at that moment, when the man is done with his mission and cannot bear to wait even a moment longer to see his beloved, and so, he urges his charioteer to ride with great speed.
The charioteer is referred to in different ways. In a few instances, he’s praised for his horses that are described as flying like birds, so fast they go, that their hooves seem not to touch the earth. In some cases, the man advises the charioteer to use his thorny goad and whip to nudge the horses, although there’s no need to do that, since these horses are leaping already. However, these remarks are to express the urgency in the man’s heart to reach the maiden without any delay. The charioteer’s intelligence is praised by the man in one, a reward strategy to push the worker to perform, no doubt! The intricate twists on the reins the charioteer holds and the tinkling bells on the chariot are the other elements regarding the charioteer highlighted here.
Turning to the intent of the speaker, and in this case, the man, in every case, he urges the charioteer to ride with great speed and take the man to his beloved lady, slightly varying the reason in each. In the first, the man talks of the love affliction that spreads in him, thinking of the lady, and to end that, the charioteer must ride fast, he says. In the second, it’s because even a single day spent fighting with the king would appear like an entire eon to the lady, who’s back home thinking of him, and for him as well, missing her. In the third, flowers are spreading everywhere, the king has given leave and so it was time to rush home. In the fourth, there’s a tinge of guilt in the man, who feels he has been too involved in his mission, and so, he has forgotten his lady for a long while, and decides to make up for all the time that’s been lost. In the fifth, the speedy ride is to make the lady’s suffering end and for the man to embrace her. In the sixth, the man wishes to do away with evenings without his beloved’s company and wishes to see her instantly. In the seventh, the man perceives it’s the rainy season, a time when lovers miss their beloved the most and so wishes to avoid pain in the lady and decides to delight her heart. In the eighth too, he talks about rains and thunder, and says he needs to end the lady’s suffering. In the ninth, he focuses on the bee-buzzing evening hour, when the lady would no doubt worry about him and he wishes to bring joy to her. The final one sees the man declaring that the rains had arrived and he must do all he can to end the pain in his beloved, and so, he urges his charioteer to make haste and take him home.
If the man was living in the current century, he would have to spend all that wealth he has earned on speeding tickets, I’m sure! Joking apart, this collection captures that relatable feeling that anyone in love, who has been parted from their beloved for a long while, would feel, at the moment when they journey towards them. The longing of the loved one and the anticipation of the moment of reunion turns this travel into a journey, filled with excitement like no other! Wishing you safe travels from the twenty-first century, O Sangam man on a speeding chariot! We see what you see and feel what you feel!
In this episode, we perceive the role of bard as a messenger of love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 471-480, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Eighth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ballad of the Bearer Bard
471 Here he comes in support
எல் வளை நெகிழ, மேனி வாட,
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் பனி அலைக் கலங்க,
துறந்தோன் மன்ற, மறம் கெழு குருசில்;
அது மற்று உணர்ந்தனை போலாய்
இன்னும் வருதி; என் அவர் தகவே?
As shining bangles slip away, skin fades in lustre and moisture muddles those many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes, he abandoned her, that lord brimming with bravery! You seem not to realise this state of hers for yet you come! What greatness he has!
472 The Promised season is here
கை வல் சீறியாழ்ப் பாண! நுமரே
செய்த பருவம் வந்து நின்றதுவே;
எம்மின் உணரார்ஆயினும், தம்வயின்
பொய் படு கிளவி நாணலும்
எய்யார் ஆகுதல், நோகோ யானே.
O bard, who wields the small lute with skilled hands! The season your lord promised to return is here! Even if he does not share our feelings, at least he should feel shame for the false words he rendered but he doesn’t feel that too! It pains me a lot!
473 Don’t you forget me too
பலர் புகழ் சிறப்பின் நும் குருசில் உள்ளிச்
செலவு நீ நயந்தனைஆயின், மன்ற
இன்னா அரும் படர் எம்வயின் செய்த
பொய்வலாளர் போல
கை வல் பாண! எம் மறவாதீமே.
To reach your estimable lord, whose has the fame of being praised by many, if you are about to take up this journey, like that man of lies, who seems to have showered ceaseless suffering on me, don’t you forget me too, O skilled bard!
474 The bard’s good mind
மை அறு சுடர் நுதல் விளங்க, கறுத்தோர்
செய் அரண் சிதைத்த செரு மிகு தானையொடு
கதழ் பரி நெடுந் தேர் அதர் படக் கடைஇச்
சென்றவர்த் தருகுவல் என்னும்;
நன்றால் அம்ம, பாணனது அறிவே!
The bard says, ‘To make the flawless, radiant forehead glow, I shall go and bring back the one, who went to destroy well-built forts of foes with his proud army, riding his swift horses, tied to his tall chariot, rushing past paths many!’ It’s fine indeed, this bard’s mind!
475 Kindness of the bard
தொடி நிலை கலங்க வாடிய தோளும்
வடி நலன் இழந்த என் கண்ணும் நோக்கி,
பெரிது புலம்பினனே, சீறியாழ்ப் பாணன்;
எம் வெங் காதலொடு பிரிந்தோர்
தம்மோன் போலான்; பேர் அன்பினனே.
Looking at my faded arms, from which bangles slip away, and my eyes, which have lost their fine beauty, he lamented a lot, that bard, who wields the small lute. He’s not like the man, who parted away with my love; He seems to have great kindness.
476 Loveless evening
கருவி வானம் கார் சிறந்து ஆர்ப்ப,
பருவம் செய்தன பைங் கொடி முல்லை;
பல் ஆன் கோவலர் படலைக் கூட்டும்
அன்பு இல் மாலையும் உடைத்தோ
அன்பு இல் பாண! அவர் சென்ற நாடே?
The skies in accompaniment of clouds and thunder resound with rains, the green vines of the wild jasmine burst into seasonal bloom and the cowherds herd their many cattle back into the shed in this loveless evening. Won’t there be one such, O loveless bard, in the country he left to?
477 Companion to her heart
பனி மலர் நெடுங் கண் பசலை பாய,
துனி மலி துயரமொடு அரும் படர் உழப்போள்
கையறு நெஞ்சிற்கு உயவுத் துணை ஆக,
சிறு வரைத் தங்குவைஆயின்,
காண்குவை மன்னால் பாண! எம் தேரே.
As pallor spreads in those cool, flower-like, huge eyes, with a deep sorrow, she wallows in suffering. As a kind companion to her helpless heart, if you could stay there for a little while, you will see, O bard, the arrival of my chariot!
478 What more did she say?
‘நீடினம்’ என்று கொடுமை தூற்றி,
வாடிய நுதலள் ஆகி, பிறிது நினைந்து,
யாம் வெங் காதலி நோய் மிகச் சாஅய்,
சொல்லியது உரைமதி நீயே
முல்லை நல் யாழ்ப் பாண! மற்று எமக்கே?
Saying, ‘He prolonged the return’, she would have cursed my cruelty and become one with the faded forehead. Thinking about me endlessly, my desirable lover would have been greatly afflicted and lost her health. Please tell me all she said, O bard, who wields the fine lute of the forest!
479 Sweetness of her words
சொல்லுமதி பாண! சொல்லுதோறு இனிய
நாடு இடை விலங்கிய எம்வயின், நாள்தொறும்,
அரும் பனி கலந்த அருள் இல் வாடை
தனிமை எள்ளும் பொழுதில்,
பனி மலர்க் கண்ணி கூறியது எமக்கே.
Please tell me, O bard! In this time, when I am separated by many countries, and tormented endlessly, by the hard and cold, compassionless northern winds, which laugh at my loneliness, whatever you say about the words of the maiden, with moist, flower-like eyes- That rings with lasting sweetness!
480 No more a bard
நினக்கு யாம் பாணரேம் அல்லேம்; எமக்கு
நீயும் குருசிலை அல்லை மாதோ
நின் வெங் காதலி தன் மனைப் புலம்பி,
ஈர் இதழ் உண்கண் உகுத்த
பூசல் கேட்டும் அருளாதோயே!
I’m no bard of yours! You’re no lord of mine! For you seem not to render your grace, even after hearing about the suffering of your desirable lover, as she laments in her home and sheds tears from the moist petals of her kohl-streaked eyes!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 471-480. All the verses are situated in the context of the man’s post marital relationship with his lady and in the situation where he’s parted away from her. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these words are about a bard, who acts as a messenger between the parted. The speakers happen to be the lady’s confidante, the lady, the man and the bard himself.
The bard is referred mostly as the one who wields the small lute, and in one instance, as the wielder of the ‘mullai yazh’ or the ‘forestlands lute’. While his skill is mentioned in a few verses, the spotlight is on the message he bears.
In the first and the second, it’s the confidante saying these words to the bard. In the first, she highlights the lady’s distressed state because the man left her, brimming with bravery to battle. Then, with sarcasm, she talks about the greatness of this lord, who could leave his lady so, and wonders how dare the bard come there, bringing the man’s message. In the second, she declares that the promised season of return was there but there was no sign of the man, and asks, even if he does not have any feelings like the lady, at least shouldn’t he have the shame that the words he rendered to the lady, saying he would never part away, have turned false now? We see how the confidante is exceptionally harsh to the man and through this, she conveys her love and support to the suffering lady that there is someone to speak for her and care for her welfare.
In the third to sixth verses, the lady takes the matter in her own hands and expresses her emotions to the bard. In the third, she asks the bard, who has promised to take her message to the lord, not to forget her when he goes there, in the manner of the man. In the fourth, she celebrates the bard’s good mind which promises to bring back the man to end her suffering. In the fifth, she celebrates the bard’s kindness, as he feels empathy for her faded state at the man’s parting. She contrasts his concerned behaviour with the seemingly loveless actions of the man, who is away from her. In the seventh, she wonders if there’s no suffering-filled evening at all, in the country where the man has parted away to.
Verses seven to ten see the action moving to the battle camp, where the man is engaged in his mission. In the seventh to ninth, the man addresses the bard and he asks the bard to be a good companion to the lady and soon he promises his chariot will be there, in the seventh. In the eighth, the man accepts how the lady would be hurt and angry at him for leaving her, but presses the bard to say whatever she said. In the ninth, the man declares whatever words the bard speaks about the lady, rings so sweet in his ears, as he remains far away from her and tormented by the northern winds. In the final one, the bard says to the man, ‘Enough is enough. If you don’t care for the state of the lady and don’t return, I can no longer be in your service’, and hands his resignation letter, expressing how much he values the welfare of the lady and stressing that love comes before duty to the man. Thus, in this curious section, focusing on the man’s separation from the lady, the spotlight falls on the different ways a message is received, highlighting the challenging role of a messenger, especially in love.
In this episode, we listen to hopeful words rendered to an anxious heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 461-470, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Seventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: Consolation of the Confidante
461 He cannot remain apart
வான் பிசிர்க் கருவியின் பிடவு முகை தகைய,
கான் பிசிர் கற்ப, கார் தொடங்கின்றே;
இனையல் வாழி, தோழி; எனையதூஉம்
நிற் துறந்து அமைகுவர்அல்லர்,
வெற்றி வேந்தன் பாசறையோரே.
Owing to the drops from the sky, accompanied by clouds and thunder, buds of the wild jasmine bloomed, and as the forest wafts with the scent of rain, the season has begun; Worry not, my friend, may you live long! He is not someone who can be apart from you even for a short while, the one who is at the battle camp of the victorious king!
462 Rains in the wrong
ஏதில பெய்ம் மழை கார் என மயங்கிய
பேதைஅம் கொன்றைக் கோதை நிலை நோக்கி,
எவன் இனி, மடந்தை! நின் கலிழ்வே? நின்வயின்
தகை எழில் வாட்டுநர் அல்லர்,
முகை அவிழ் புறவின் நாடு இறந்தோரே.
Seeing the strange rain that falls for no reason, the foolish golden shower tree thinks, ‘The rainy season is here’ and opens its buds. Seeing the garland-like blossom of its flowers, why do you cry now, O naive maiden? He is not someone, who will cause harm to your exquisite beauty, the one who parted away to the forest lands where buds bloom!
463 Flowers for the tresses
புதல்மிசை நறு மலர் கவின் பெறத் தொடரி, நின்
நலம் மிகு கூந்தல் தகை கொளப் புனைய
வாராது அமையலோ இலரே; நேரார்
நாடு படு நன்கலம் தரீஇயர்,
நீடினர் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே.
Taking fragrant flowers blooming on the bush and making it into a garland to add esteem to your beautiful tresses, he shall surely come; He prolongs his return only to bring fine ornaments from the country of the foes, that lover of yours!
464 Winter is here
கண் எனக் கருவிளை மலர, பொன் என
இவர் கொடிப் பீரம் இரும் புதல் மலரும்
அற்சிரம் மறக்குநர் அல்லர் நின்
நல் தோள் மருவரற்கு உலமருவோரே.
Akin to eyes, the bluebell vine blooms, akin to gold, the spreading dark bushes of ridge gourd vines bloom in this winter season. He is not one to forget that this season has arrived, the one who yearns with great pain to embrace your beautiful arms!
465 Foes are finished
நீர் இகுவன்ன நிமிர் பரி நெடுந் தேர்,
கார் செய் கானம் கவின் பட, கடைஇ,
மயங்கு மலர் அகலம் நீ இனிது முயங்க,
வருவர், வாழி, தோழி!
செரு வெங் குருசில் தணிந்தனன் பகையே.
Akin to descending cascades, sturdy horses tied to tall chariots leave behind the beauty of the flourishing forest in the rains and arrive, so that you can sweetly embrace his intoxicating, wide chest, may you live long, my friend! For the foes of the war-loving king are conquered!
466 Messenger of Kings
வேந்து விடு விழுத் தொழில் எய்தி, ஏந்து கோட்டு
அண்ணல் யானை அரசு விடுத்து, இனியே
எண்ணிய நாளகம் வருதல் பெண் இயல்
காமர் சுடர் நுதல் விளங்கும்
தே மொழி அரிவை! தெளிந்திசின் யானே.
Accepting the honourable mission of the great king, he travelled to another king, who wields esteemed elephants with uplifted tusks. He has taken leave from this king now and will return on the promised day that we await. O honey-voiced maiden, on whose glowing forehead, shines the epitome of femininity, I know this very well!
467 Message of his prompt return
புனை இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய், நொந்துநொந்து
இனையல் வாழியோ இகுளை! ‘வினைவயின்
சென்றோர் நீடினர் பெரிது’ என: தங்காது
நம்மினும் விரையும் என்ப,
வெம் முரண் யானை விறல் போர் வேந்தே.
Making the adorned ornaments slip away, you lose your health and worry unceasingly, saying, ‘The man who left on a mission delayed his return’, O young maiden, may you live long! Without staying back, he will hurry and return even before we expect. So say those who come from the conquering king with furious battle elephants!
468 He will come with the rains
வரி நுணல் கறங்க, தேரை தெவிட்ட,
கார் தொடங்கின்றே காலை; இனி, நின்
நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோட்கு ஆர் விருந்து ஆக,
வடி மணி நெடுந் தேர் கடைஇ,
வருவர் இன்று, நம் காதலோரே.
As the striped frogs croak, as toads grunt, the season of rains has begun; Now, to become the excellent feast for your long, bamboo-like arms, climbing on to the tall chariot adorned with bells, he will come today, that lover of yours!
469 Watch the rains bring the man
பைந் தினை உணங்கல் செம் பூழ் கவரும்
வன்புல நாடன் தரீஇய, வலன் ஏர்பு
அங்கண் இரு விசும்பு அதிர, ஏறொடு
பெயல் தொடங்கின்றே வானம்;
காண்குவம்; வம்மோ, பூங் கணோயே!
The red quail steals the drying millet grains in the water-scarce lands of the lord. To bring him to you, climbing on to the right upon the wide spaces there and making it quiver with thunder, the skies have begun their downpour; Come, let’s go see that, O lady with flower-like eyes!
470 How can he remain so?
இரு நிலம் குளிர்ப்ப வீசி, அல்கலும்
அரும் பனி அளைஇய அற்சிரக் காலை
உள்ளார், காதலர், ஆயின், ஒள்ளிழை!
சிறப்பொடு விளங்கிய காட்சி
மறக்க விடுமோ, நின் மாமைக் கவினே?
Making the vast lands cool down, winds blow, and even during the day, harsh dew pours in this time of winter. If that lover of yours does not think of you now at this time, O maiden wearing glowing ornaments, will the memory of your dark-skinned beauty that’s etched in his mind let him remain so?
So concludes Ainkurunooru 461-470. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady, and specifically at a time when he’s parted from her on a king’s mission. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these are said by the confidante to console the lady, who worries that the man has not returned even as the rainy season had arrived. This section can be seen as the finale of the trilogy around the man’s parting away to the battlefield. In the first part (441-450), we saw the man’s perspective as he misses the lady at the battlefield; in the second part (451-460), we perceived the lady’s pining as the man remains away from her; and in this one, we see the lady’s confidante cheering up the lady and promising that all will be well soon.
In the first, the confidante remarks that indeed the rainy season had arrived as indicated by the blooming of the wild jasmine, but the lady need to have no worry because the man is someone who loves the lady so much that he cannot be away from her. Here, the man’s love for the lady is highlighted to bring hope to the lady. In the second, the confidante tells the lady that the rains that have fallen are not the seasonal ones but it’s some random downpour and the golden shower tree was fooled by this, and so the lady shouldn’t worry seeing its blooming flowers. Yet again, the confidante expresses trust in the man’s nature of never causing harm to the lady in any way and promises he would be back before the ‘real’ rains. Whether the lady believed these words of the confidante or not, we have to appreciate the love of this friend and her intention in cheering her friend at all cost.
In the third, the confidante says the man will surely be back to adorn the lady’s tresses with the flowers that will bloom in the rainy season, and that his delay is only because he was in act of collecting fine things from the enemy country to bring back to the lady. Promise of a fragrant and golden future is the strategy here! The fourth sees the confidante promising the lady that the man cannot forget the lady now that the winter season had arrived, and when he looks at bluebell vines, he would think of the lady’s eyes and when he sees the ridge gourd’s golden flowers, it will remind him of the pallor that would spread on the lady and nudge him to rush back to her. In the fifth, the confidante says the king’s enemies are conquered, and so the man will rush back to embrace the lady, hurrying past rain-washed forests.
The sixth offers us interesting details about the role of the man as a messenger between kings and how it was an honourable position. Fulfilling these duties, the man will return on the promised day, the confidante says to the lady. In the seventh, the confidante speaks of the message received from the king’s camp that the man will return sooner than expected and there was no need for the lady to worry about the man not returning in time. In the eighth, the confidante dwells on the rainy season, announced by the croaks of toads and frogs, and says soon the man’s chest will become the feast for the lady’s arms. In the ninth too, the confidante does not shy away in announcing that the rains have started and instead says to the lady that they have begun their magic, only to bring the man to the lady soon. Finally, in the tenth, the confidante talks about the winter season, when dew pours even in the day, and asks the lady that even if the man doesn’t think of the lady, would the etched image of the lady’s beauty let him remain there, forgetting her!
The confidante’s compassionate nature comes to the fore even as she heaps her trust in the man’s love for the lady, and also, on the power of the lady’s beauty. The various techniques this confidante uses are a manual for those who are in the profession of healing minds and offering wise counsel. Her wisdom, kindness and selfless devotion to another’s welfare etch her as the most fascinating character in the pages of Sangam literature!
In this episode, we perceive the yearning of the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 451-460, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Sixth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Tears from the Homefront
451 He cannot return
கார் செய் காலையொடு கையறப் பிரிந்தோர்
தேர்தரு விருந்தில் தவிர்குதல் யாவது,
மாற்றரும் தானை நோக்கி
ஆற்றவும் இருத்தல், வேந்தனது தொழிலே?
How can he, who is parted away on this day in the rainy season, leaving me in helplessness, arrive in his chariot, relish the feast and stay here, if, considering his army that cannot be conquered, the king’s wish happens to be to remain there?
452 Collecting taxes and spreading pallor
வறந்த ஞாலம் தளிர்ப்ப வீசிக்
கறங்குரல் எழிலி கார் செய்தன்றே,
பகை வெங்காதலர் திறைதரு முயற்சி,
மென் தோள் ஆய் கவின் மறையப்
பொன் புனை பீரத்து அலர் செய்தன்றே.
Making the dried-up land cool down, the rainy season has arrived with winds and clouds having thundering voices. My lover, who has won the king’s enemies, is now in the midst of collecting taxes, and owing to this, my slender arms have lost their alluring beauty and pallor spreads on them, in the hue of golden-hued, ridge gourd flowers.
453 Chariot remains away
அவல்தொறும் தேரை தெவிட்ட, மிசைதொறும்
வெங்குரல் புள்ளினம் ஒலிப்ப, உதுக்காண்,
கார் தொடங்கின்றால் காலை, அதனால்
நீர் தொடங்கினவால் நெடுங்கண், அவர்
தேர் தொடங்கின்றால் நம் வயினானே.
In all the puddles, frogs croak, and everywhere above, birds resound with their desirable voices. Look! This is a day when the rainy season has begun, and so, my huge eyes have begun shedding tears, as his chariot has not started its journey towards us!
454 Wild jasmine and the rains
தளவின் பைங்கொடி தழீஇப், பையென
நிலவின் அன்ன நேர் அரும்பு பேணிக்
கார் நயந்து எய்தும் முல்லை, அவர்
தேர் நயந்து உறையும், என் மாமைக் கவினே.
Embracing the pink jasmine, blooming on green vines, slowly, akin to the moon, white buds of the wild jasmine spread, knowing that its loving rainy season had arrived. Akin to that, is my dark-skinned beauty that will bloom only when his loving chariot arrives.
455 Retiring war drums and Resounding rain clouds
அரசு பகை தணிய, முரசு படச் சினைஇ,
ஆர் குரல் எழிலி கார் தொடங்கின்றே,
அளியவோ அளிய தாமே, ஒளி பசந்து
மின் இழை ஞெகிழச் சாஅய்த்
தொன்னலம் இழந்த என் தட மென்தோளே.
As the king’s enemies were vanquished, drums have ceased roaring, and the rainy season heralded by the rainclouds with a resounding voice has begun. Aren’t they to be pitied? These curving, soft arms of mine that have lost their old beauty and glow, as pallor spreads and shining ornaments slip away!
456 Won’t he recollect his promise?
உள்ளார் கொல்லோ தோழி, வெள் இதழ்
பகல் மதி உருவின் பகன்றை மாமலர்
வெண்கொடி ஈங்கை பைம் புதல் அணியும்
அரும் பனி அளைஇய கூதிர்,
ஒருங்கு இவண் உறைதல் தெளித்து அகன்றோரே?
The light-petaled, huge rattlepod flower, akin to the moon during the day, adorns the green bush of the twisted acacia with white vines, in this winter season, with extreme cold. Won’t he think, my friend, of me staying all alone here, at this time, the one who parted away with promises?
457 Unable to forget
பெய் பனி நலிய உய்தல் செல்லாது,
குருகினம் நரலும் பிரிவருங் காலைத்,
துறந்து அமைகல்லார் காதலர்,
மறந்து அமைகல்லாது, என் மடங்கெழு நெஞ்சே.
Unable to bear the pouring dew, flocks of birds resound aloud in this season when it’s unbearable to be apart. At this time, my lover cannot remain apart from me, and my heart filled with naivety, cannot remain without thinking of him.
458 Golden pallor in the eyes
துணர்க்காய்க் கொன்றைக் குழற்பழம் ஊழ்த்தன,
அதிர் பெயற்கு எதிரிய சிதர் கொள் தண் மலர்,
பாணர் பெருமகன் பிரிந்தென,
மாண் நலம் இழந்த என் கண் போன்றனவே.
The tubular fruit clusters of the golden shower, akin to the tresses of maiden, matures in the thunderous downpour and the cool flowers drop down, appearing like my eyes, which have lost their fine beauty, as the lord of the bards parted away.
459 Ending pallor with an embrace
மெல் இறைப் பணைத்தோள் பசலை தீரப்
புல்லவும் இயைவது கொல்லோ, புல்லார்
ஆர் அரண் கடந்த சீர் கெழு தானை
வெல்போர் வேந்தனொடு சென்ற
நல் வயல் ஊரன் நறும் தண் மார்பே?
To make the pallor that spreads on my soft, bamboo-like arms to vanish, is it at all possible to embrace the cool and fragrant chest of the lord, who rules over the town with prosperous fields, the one who went along with the conquering king and his famous army to seize the formidable forts of foes?
460 Swirling northern winds
பெருஞ்சின வேந்தனும் பாசறை முனியான்,
இருங்கலி வெற்பன் தூதும் தோன்றா,
ததை இலை வாழை முழு முதல் அசைய,
இன்னா வாடையும் அலைக்கும்,
என் ஆகுவென் கொல், அளியென் யானே?
The furious king seems not to hate the battle camp still and the lord of the huge mountains seems not to send any messenger. Shaking the plantain tree with dense leaves from top to bottom, the terrible northern winds blow. What is to become of me? I am to be pitied indeed!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 451-460. All the songs are set in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady, and revolve around the situation of the man’s parting away to aid his king in warfare. The unifying theme of all these verses is that all are uttered by the lady back home, seeing that the man had not returned from his war mission even as the rainy season has arrived at her door, tormenting her.
In the previous ten, we saw how the man was away in the battlefield and lamenting that he was not able to return to his lady as promised. The next set of ten seems to be a sequel to the first, where we see the lady echoing his emotions of the pain in being apart at this time. The lady addresses her confidante in all the verses, lamenting about her situation. In the first, she declares that the man cannot return anytime soon because the king seems to want to remain there. In the second, she describes how the rainy season had arrived, and even though the actual battle is over, the man was still engaged collected taxes from the foes so that he was not able to return to her, and owing to this, pallor seemed to spread on her skin, in the hue of the golden flowers of the ridge gourd. Curious to understand how medicine would see these many descriptions of this symptom of pallor, spreading on the skin of these Sangam maiden. Was it only a phenomenon on this particular people at that particular time or do we have parallels in different cultures at different times? After all, pining for a loved one is a timeless and universal emotion and wonder how its manifestation changes over space and time!
Returning, in the third, the lady hears the croaking frogs and the crying birds in the rainy season and talks about how her eyes are shedding tears because there’s no sign of the man’s chariot heading home. In the fourth, the pink jasmine blooms on vines, and close to it, the wild jasmine spreads its white buds only because its love, the rainy season, had appeared. Likewise, she adds her beauty too would bloom only when the man’s chariot appears. In the fifth, the lady laments how though the drums have ceased now and the foes were finished, the rainy season came ahead of the man’s return, and because of this, her arms had thinned away and ornaments were slipping away.
In the sixth, the lady tells us how the seasons have graduated from the rainy season to the winter, when the rattepod is said to bloom like the moon around a touch-me-not bush nearby. She wonders if the man won’t think of her at all, at this time. In the seventh, the lady says as the dew pours and the birds cry, her heart cannot forget the man, whom she knows cannot stay away from her. The eighth sees the theme of pallor returning, and now, attacking the eyes of the lady, making them golden-hued again, like the flowers of the golden shower tree. The interesting detail here is the description of the tube-like black fruits of this tree and placing them in parallel to a woman’s tresses. A testimony to the immense imagination of these ancients!
In the ninth, the lady wonders if it would be possible to embrace the man to end her pallor, even as she describes his mission of helping the king vanquish his enemies and seize their forts. The last one sees the lady expressing how the king seems to not feel any dislike towards his battle camp, even after being there for so long, and there seemed to be no message from the man. While this was so, the seasons were prompt in their torment, for the northern winds were shaking the plantain tree from root to tip, and seemingly, the lady too. And so, in this series, we understand that the pain of parting afflicts not only the man but the lady too, and while he can distract himself by immersing himself in his work, she seems to remain at home, dwelling only on him. Perhaps an indication that this lady perceives the pain of parting with even more intensity!
In this episode, we listen to the laments of the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 441-450, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Fifth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Heartbeats from the Battlefield
441 Her words
ஐய ஆயின, செய்யோள் கிளவி;
கார் நாள் உருமொடு கையறப் பிரிந்தென,
நோய் நன்கு செய்தன எமக்கே;
யாம் உறு துயரம் அவள் அறியினோ நன்றே.
Gentle and beautiful are the words of my flawless maiden; In this day in the rainy season that resounds with thunder, as I’m parted from her helplessly, it renders much affliction in me; It would be good if she knows of the sorrow I feel!
442 Mother of my son
பெருஞ் சின வேந்தன் அருந் தொழில் தணியின்,
விருந்து நனி பெறுதலும் உரியள்மாதோ
இருண்டு தோன்று விசும்பின் உயர்நிலை உலகத்து
அருந்ததி அனைய கற்பின்,
குரும்பை மணிப் பூண் புதல்வன் தாயே.
If this hard mission of the raging king ends, she will attain a fine feast; the woman, with the chastity of ‘Arunthathi’ who resides in the heavens above the dark-hued skies; the mother of my son, adorned with ornaments, appearing like palm fruits.
443 Flight on the chariot
நனி சேய்த்து என்னாது, நற்றேர் ஏறிச் சென்று,
இலங்கு நிலவின் இளம் பிறை போலக்
காண்குவெம் தில்ல, அவள் கவின் பெறு சுடர் நுதல்
விண் உயர் அரண் பல வௌவிய
மண்ணுறு முரசின் வேந்து தொழில் விடினே.
Without hesitating that it’s too far away, climbing on the fine chariot, I shall instantly see the young crescent of the shining moon, her beautiful and radiant forehead, if the king, who has conquered many sky-soaring forts, with drums on the ground echoing aloud, ends his mission!
444 King’s enmity
பெருந் தோள் மடவரல் காண்குவெம் தில்ல
நீள் மதில் அரணம் பாய்ந்தெனத் தொடி பிளந்து
வைந் நுதி மழுகிய தடங் கோட்டு யானை,
வென் வேல், வேந்தன் பகை தணிந்து,
இன்னும் தன் நாட்டு முன்னுதல் பெறினே.
The white-speared king wields an elephant, whose protective covering has broken and the sharp end of its curving tusk has become blunt because it pounced on the long-walled fort. If this king’s enmity towards his foes ceases, and he thinks about returning to his own country, then I shall see the long-armed, naive maiden!
445 Oscillating heart
புகழ் சால் சிறப்பின் காதலி புலம்பத்
துறந்து வந்தனையே, அரு தொழில் கட்டூர்
நல் ஏறு தழீஇ நாகு பெயர் காலை
உள்ளுதொறும் கலிழும் நெஞ்சம்!
வல்லே எம்மையும் வர இழைத்தனையே!
Making my esteemed lover lament, you left her and came here, O heart! Now you cry every time you think about the sight of the fine bull embracing its mate and parting away, as you stay in this well-protected battle camp! It was you who pressed me to come here with haste!
446 Sight of fragrant tresses
முல்லை நாறும் கூந்தல் கமழ் கொள
நல்ல காண்குவம், மாஅயோயே!
பாசறை அருந் தொழில் உதவி, நம்
காதல் நல் நாட்டுப் போதரும் பொழுதே.
O dark-skinned maiden, I will relish the sight of those tresses, wafting with the fragrance of wild jasmines, the moment I return to our adorable, fine country, after I complete rendering my aid in this mission at the battle camp!
447 Season of the pink jasmine
பிணி வீடு பெறுக, மன்னவன் தொழிலே!
பனி வளர் தளவின் சிரல் வாய்ச் செம் முகை,
ஆடு சிறை வண்டு அவிழ்ப்ப,
பாடு சான்ற; காண்கம், வாணுதலே!
If my ties to the king’s mission ends, then now when the pink jasmine blooms in the cold and its red bud appears like the bill of a kingfisher, making bees flutter their wings, I shall get to see the song-worthy maiden with a radiant forehead!
448 Face to Face
தழங்குரல் முரசம் காலை இயம்ப,
கடுஞ் சின வேந்தன் தொழில் எதிர்ந்தனனே;
மெல் அவல் மருங்கின் முல்லை பூப்பப்
பொங்கு பெயல் கனை துளி கார் எதிர்ந்தன்றே;
அம் சில் ஓதியை உள்ளுதொறும்,
துஞ்சாது அலமரல் நாம் எதிர்ந்தனமே.
As the resounding drums echoed in the morning, the furious king stood face to face in his mission; In the soft and gentle pits, making wild jasmine bloom, the rainy season unfolds as rising clouds scatter rain drops; Whenever I think of that maiden with soft and gentle tresses, unable to sleep, I stand face to face with anxiety!
449 Ready to Ride
முரம்பு கண் உடையத் திரியும் திகிரியொடு
பணை நிலை முணைஇய வயமாப் புணர்ந்து,
திண்ணிதின் மாண்டன்று தேரே;
ஒண்ணுதல் காண்குவம், வேந்து வினை விடினே.
Waiting to be tied with the strong horse that hates to remain in this yoked state, with wheels that can break apart pebbles on the path, awaits my sturdy chariot, ready to leave. I shall get to see my maiden with a shining forehead, if the king’s mission ends.
450 End of the Sighs
முரசு மாறு இரட்டும் அருந் தொழில் பகை தணிந்து
நாடு முன்னியரோ பீடு கெழு வேந்தன்;
வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும் நோய் தணிய,
செய்யோள் இளமுலைப் படீஇயர், என் கண்ணே!
When this difficult war mission, resounding with the voice of drums, ends, and the proud and mighty king decides to return to his country, this affliction that makes me sigh will abate, and my eyes will find sleep on the young bosom of my flawless maiden!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 441-450. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady. The unifying theme of all the songs is that all are words expressing the man’s helplessness as he’s held up in the king’s mission of war, while the season he promised to return to the lady has arrived. Most of these songs are solitary laments by the man in the battle camp, uttering these words to himself.
In the first, the man receives a message from the lady about being in a state of affliction, missing him, since the rainy season had arrived. He describes how much pain these words induce in him and wishes that the lady learns how much he misses her and worries about her. In the second, he compares his wife to a symbol of chastity called ‘Arunthathi’ and refers to her as the mother of his son, saying that she would get the feast of seeing him, if the king’s war mission ends. Again in the third, he says wistfully, if only the king’s work of conquering forts ends, in an instant, he would fly off on his chariot to see his maiden’s glowing forehead. In the fourth, the man describes in detail the kind of war the king wages, with his elephants blunting their tusks in the ramming of enemy forts. For a moment, it feels like we are back in Puranaanooru! But the man pulls us into the world of ‘Agam’ or ‘Inner life’, when he talks about how he would get to see his maiden if the king’s enmity towards his foes abates. In the fifth, the man talks to his heart, as if it were a separate entity, and blames it for making him leave his lover and journey with haste to this battlefield, but now whenever it sees the sweet sight of bulls embracing their mates and retiring in the evening hour, it seemed to wallow in sorrow and want to go back to her!
In the sixth, the man thinks about the lady’s fragrant tresses and says he would see it if his work for the king ends. In the seventh, the rainy season had arrived making the pink jasmines open their red buds, called in parallel to a kingfisher’s bill, an instance of the plant-animal connections that Sangam poets are adept at. Saying this season has arrived, the man once again indicates if the king’s mission ends, he can get to see his maiden, who is worthy of songs being penned for her. Much love throbs in this heart, we see! The eighth sees the man contrasting the way the king stands facing his enemies in the morning with the way he stands facing anxiety at night, when thoughts of the lady don’t let him get a moment’s sleep, now that the wild jasmines are blooming and the rainy season had arrived. In the ninth, the man details about how ready his horse and chariot are, to fly to the lady the moment the king’s mission ends. The intricate note here is about how his horse hates to be tied to the stable in the battle camp, and thereby subtly hints at his own state of being yoked to fulfil the king’s mission. In the final one, the man declares if only the king decides to return to his own country, ending this war, then he will get to stop sighing and finally find sleep on the bosom of his perfect wife!
In these verses, we see how a man is being pulled apart in two directions, one by the fierce horse of his duty towards his king, and the other, by the gentle horse of his love for his lady. The highlight here is the importance given to expressing emotions. Just because this man is a noble and brave warrior, he does not swallow his tears and face the battlefield without any feeling. His human side is revealed by his missing of his woman and that’s a beautiful thing to learn from these verses that regardless of gender, emotions need to find an outlet. The other facet I admired is how all these songs are not about any historical character of prominence, some king or queen, but rather about a nameless man and his feelings for his lady, something that anyone, anytime can relate to, and through this, we can infer the value accorded by these ancient people on all humans, regardless of position or power!
In this episode, we perceive the effect of the rains on a domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 431-440, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Fourth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ode to the Flowering Forest
431 Sapphire Peacocks
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
அணி நிற இரும் பொறை மீமிசை
மணி நிற உருவின தோகையும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, atop the bright-hued, huge hill, sapphire-hued peacocks can be seen!
432 Golden Garlands
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
சுடு பொன் அன்ன கொன்றை சூடி,
கடி புகுவனர்போல் மள்ளரும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, wearing golden shower flowers, akin to melted gold, appearing like people heading to a wedding, strong young men can be seen!
433 Moist Earth
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
நீர்ப்பட எழிலி வீசும்
கார்ப் பெயற்கு எதிரிய கானமும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, as clouds scatter the water within, the forest, which gracefully accepts this downpour of the rainy season, can be seen!
434 Leaping in the rain
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
மறியுடை மான்பிணை உகள,
தண் பெயல் பொழிந்த இன்பமும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, as a female deer with a fawn leaps about, the joy in a cool downpour can be seen!
435 Flowers galore
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
நிலன் அணி நெய்தல் மலர,
பொலன் அணி கொன்றையும் பிடவமும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, as the blue lotus that adorns the land blooms, gold-like golden shower and wild jasmine flowers can be seen!
436 Wild lime flowers
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
நன் பொன் அன்ன சுடர் இணர்க்
கொன்றையொடு மலர்ந்த குருந்துமார் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, along with the fine, gold-like, glowing flower clusters of the golden shower, the flowering of the wild lime can be seen!
437 Jasmines in the Hail
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
ஆலித் தண் மழை தலைஇய,
வாலிய மலர்ந்த முல்லையும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, receiving the shower of the cool rain of hailstones, the wild jasmine, which blooms so brightly, can be seen!
438 Endowing Pleasure
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
பைம் புதல் பல் பூ மலர,
இன்புறத் தகுந பண்புமார் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, as green bushes bloom with many flowers , the quality of endowing pleasure can be seen!
439 Villages of Cowherds
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
குருந்தங் கண்ணிக் கோவலர்
பெருந் தண் நிலைய பாக்கமும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, the huge and cool villages of cowherds, who wear wild lime flower garlands, can be seen!
440 Flame lily in the Rain shower
நன்றே, காதலர் சென்ற ஆறே!
தண் பெயல் அளித்த பொழுதின்
ஒண் சுடர்த் தோன்றியும் தளவமும் உடைத்தே.
Good is the path the lover traverses! For there, in that time when the cool shower pours down, the radiant, fire-like flame lily and pink jasmine flowers can be seen!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 431-440. All the verses are set in the context of the man’s post-marital relationship with his lady and specifically in the situation of his parting away from her to complete a mission. The unifying theme of all these verses is that these describe the transformation of the forest after the rains have fallen. Every verse is uttered by the confidante to the lady in a situation when the lady reveals her anxiety about the harshness of the man’s path, and the confidante allays her suffering with these good words.
In every verse, the confidante assures the lady that the path the man treads will be perfectly fine. In the first, she showcases blue-hued peacocks dancing on the hill. In the second, the confidence of seeing strong young men is presented, and these men are said to be wearing golden shower flowers and looking as if they are journeying to a wedding event, giving us information that people attending weddings in that era liked to wear golden shower flowers, which incidentally happens to be the very flower whose flowering signifies the start of the harvest season in the mountains as well as the auspicious time for a wedding.
Returning to the forest, in the third, the confidante reveals that ecstatic confluence of the rains and the forest soil. In the fourth, she points to a deer and a fawn leaping about and spreading joy there. In the fifth, a bouquet of flowers such as the blue lotus, golden shower and wild jasmine are blooming on the land. In the sixth, along with the gold-like golden shower, the wild lime tree bursts open brightly with its flowers. In the seventh, the pouring down of hail seems to knock on the petals of the wild jasmines and makes them bloom. The eighth reveals how all the green bushes decide to paint themselves in the hues of many flowers. In the ninth, the assurance of finding many villages of cowherds, identified by their wild lime garlands, is offered. In the final one, the confidante concludes with the sight of the fire-like flame lilies blooming in the cool rain, in the company of pink jasmine flowers that too! In short, without much adornment, the confidante talks about all the beauty that awaits to enrich the eyes of the travelling man. She thereby highlights her sweet nature of offering the right consolation for the lady’s anxiety. Imagine what a beautiful world it would be, if everyone had a friend like this confidante!
In this episode, we listen to various perspectives on parting away, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 421-430, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Third Ten of Ainkurunooru: Assorted Allusions
421 Scuttling hare
மாலை வெண் காழ் காவலர் வீச,
நறும் பூம் புறவின் ஒடுங்கு முயல் இரியும்
புன்புல நாடன் மட மகள்
நலம் கிளர் பணைத் தோள் விலங்கின, செலவே.
In the evening, when a guard throws his white stick, the hare hiding in the fragrant, flower-filled forest scuttles away in the soft lands of the lord. She is his daughter, and her beautiful, bamboo-like arms have prevented the travel!
422 Make haste
கடும் பரி நெடுந் தேர்க் கால் வல் புரவி,
நெடுங் கொடி முல்லையொடு தளவமலர் உதிர,
விரையுபு கடைஇ நாம் செல்லின்,
நிரை வளை முன்கை வருந்தலோ இலளே.
If we wield the horse with strong legs, tied to the tall chariot, speedily, making the wild jasmine with tall vines along with the pink jasmine shed their flowers, and journey on with haste, the maiden, wearing rows of bangles on her forearms, will worry not!
423 Brimming with tears
மா மழை இடியூஉத் தளி சொரிந்தன்றே;
வாள் நுதல் பசப்பச் செலவு அயர்ந்தனையே;
யாமே நிற் துறந்து அமையலம்;
ஆய் மலர் உண்கணும் நீர் நிறைந்தனவே.
The dark rainclouds resounding with thunder have poured down, and yet, you intend to take up a journey that will spread pallor on the maiden’s glowing forehead. She cannot live apart from you, for those beautiful, flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes are already brimming with tears.
424 Crying for the breast
புறவு அணி நாடன் காதல் மட மகள்
ஒள் நுதல் பசப்ப நீ செலின், தெண் நீர்ப்
போது அவிழ் தாமரை அன்ன நின்
காதல்அம் புதல்வன் அழும், இனி முலைக்கே.
She is the loving young daughter of the lord, who rules over the picturesque forest domain. Making her glowing forehead spread with pallor, if you leave, your loving son, akin to a blooming lotus in the clear waters, will end up crying, yearning for her sweet breast!
425 A speedy ride
புன் புறப் பேடை சேவல் இன்புற
மன்னர் இயவரின் இரங்கும் கானம்
வல்லை நெடுந் தேர் கடவின்,
அல்லல் அரு நோய் ஒழித்தல் எமக்கு எளிதே.
To make its dull-hued mate happy, the male bird cries out in the forest, resounding like the instruments played by the king’s musicians. If you ride the tall chariot speedily, it will be easy for me to end that suffering-filled disease of love!
426 War no more
வென் வேல் வேந்தன் அருந் தொழில் துறந்து, இனி,
நன்னுதல்! யானே செலவு ஒழிந்தனெனே!
முரசு பாடு அதிர ஏவி,
அரசு படக் கடக்கும் அருஞ் சமத்தானே.
The white-speared king has let go of that hard task of war now, O maiden with a beautiful forehead, and so, I won’t have to travel to that harsh battlefield to conquer enemy kings, commanding war drums to resound aloud.
427 A voided travel
பேர் அமர் மலர்க் கண் மடந்தை! நீயே
கார் எதிர் பொழுது என விடல் ஒல்லாயே;
போருடை வேந்தன், ‘பாசறை
வாரான் அவன்’ எனச் செலவு அழுங்கினனே.
O naive maiden with huge and beautiful flower-like eyes! You did not concede to let me go in this time when the rainy season is expected. The warring king too decided, ‘He will not come to the battlefield’, and voided my travel!
428 Mission to protect the maiden
தேர் செலவு அழுங்க, திருவில் கோலி,
ஆர் கலி எழிலி சோர் தொடங்கின்றே;
வேந்து விடு விழுத் தொழில் ஒழிய,
யான் தொடங்கினனால், நிற் புறந்தரவே.
Preventing the chariot from travelling, the blessed rainbow arches and uproarious clouds have started to pour down. Setting aside the mission assigned by the king, I have begun the task of protecting you.
429 Give me leave
பல் இருங் கூந்தல்! பசப்பு நீ விடின்,
செல்வேம் தில்ல யாமே செற்றார்
வெல் கொடி அரணம் முருக்கிய
கல்லா யானை வேந்து பகை வெலற்கே.
O maiden with thick, dark tresses! If you let go of your pallor, I will be able to go thither to win over the enemies of our king, who wields wild elephants that shatter forts of foes, fluttering with flags of victory!
430 Cry not
நெடும் பொறை மிசைய குறுங் கால் கொன்றை
அடர் பொன் என்னச் சுடர் இதழ் பகரும்
கான் கெழு நாடன் மகளே!
அழுதல் ஆன்றிசின்; அழுங்குவல் செலவே.
O daughter of the lord, who rules over the mountains, filled with forests, wherein short-legged golden shower trees soar atop tall mounds and their glowing petals shine like gold discs! Cry not, I shall avoid my travel!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 421-430. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady. The unifying theme of these songs is the rendition of perspectives by various speakers around the core of a man’s parting away from a lady, to complete a mission. The speakers include the man’s companions, the man, and the confidante, and they express a thought revealing the connection between the man’s parting away and the lady’s emotions.
The forest lands and rains make an appearance here and there and we’ll capture this, as we note the intent of the speakers in each verse. In the first, the man’s companions observe how the man has not left his home for many days. They then describe the man’s wife as the daughter of a lord, whose domain is the forest, where guards, possibly cowherds, throw their stick at the end of the day, signalling their work is done, and unintentionally, a hare hiding in the bush is startled and runs away in fear. After the lengthy description to talk about the lady, they say that her arms were the reason that the man has set aside his travel.
In the second, we encounter the familiar scenario of a man asking his charioteer to wield the horses, such that the wild jasmine flowers on the way scatter and fall, such should be the speed. This is to prevent worry from soaring in the heart of his lady. That the jasmines have bloomed indicate it’s the rainy season, which is his promised season of return, and the man wants to go home as soon as possible to avert further pain in the lady.
In the third and fourth, it’s the confidante speaking to the man, and the third sees her pointing to how the rains have arrived and yet the man was thinking of leaving the lady. She declares to him that the lady cannot bear the separation for now, just worrying that he might leave, her eyes were already brimming with tears. In the fourth, she talks about how if the man leaves, the man’s son, whom she describes as a blooming lotus in clear waters, will be left in a state of crying for his mother’s breast, implying that the lady will be no more. What a threat to keep the man from travelling!
In the fifth, we are back to the man hastening the charioteer and asking him to ride home fast to the forest, where a male bird is crying like the king’s musicians to make its mate happy. In the rest of the verses, it’s the man speaking directly to the lady. In the sixth, the lady worries that the man is going to leave her again and part at any moment, and the man assures her that his king is not at war at the moment and so he does not have to travel to the battlefield. In the seventh, the man talks about how the lady would not let him leave in the rainy season and somehow the king too decided that the enemy is not going to battle with him in this season, and so, the man had no plans of leaving, he assures the lady. In the eighth, the man talks about how because the rainbow revealed its face and the rainclouds poured down, he had decided not to carry on the king’s mission but to fulfil his mission of protecting the lady at home.
The ninth sees the man seeking the lady’s permission to go and fulfil his duty to his king and conquer the king’s enemies, and all he asks is that the lady let go of her pallor. Is it something in her hands though? In the final verse, the man describes the lady as the daughter of a lord, who rules over the mountains with golden shower trees, and asks her not to cry, and assures her that he will not travel, parting away from her.
In this section, there are couple of metaphorical references, which are unusual for this landscape, usually filled with direct descriptions of emotions. In the description of the hare scuttling away when a guard throw his stick, that scene stands as a metaphor for how like the hare, which is startled even though it was not the intention of the guard, the lady too feels needless worry that the man’s actions imply that he is going to part away from her soon. Likewise, in the description of the man’s son as a blooming lotus in clear waters, the confidante implies that if the man were to leave, that would be like plucking that lotus from the waters, making it wilt, hinting that the man’s son will suffer likewise, losing his mother. Even in this mixed bag of perspectives, there is unity of thought with all verses revolving around the pain a man’s parting seems to inflict upon a woman in Sangam times!
In this episode, we listen to joyous words about the arrival of a season, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 411-420, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Second Ten of Ainkurunooru: This Time This Place
411 Rains have begun
ஆர் குரல் எழிலி அழிதுளி சிதறிக்
கார் தொடங்கின்றால், காமர் புறவே;
வீழ்தரு புதுப்புனல் ஆடுகம்
தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்! வம்மதி, விரைந்தே.
Rainclouds with a resounding voice have scattered huge drops and begun the rainy season in the picturesque forest. Let’s play in the falling, fresh stream, O maiden with dark and low-lying tresses. Come quickly!
412 Flowers galore
காயா, கொன்றை, நெய்தல், முல்லை,
போது அவிழ் தளவமொடு பிடவு, அலர்ந்து கவினிப்
பூ அணி கொண்டன்றால் புறவே
பேர் அமர்க்கண்ணி! ஆடுகம், விரைந்தே.
Trees like Ironwood, Golden shower, Blue lotus, Wild jasmine have opened their flower buds, as have the vines like pink jasmine and wild jasmine. These have bloomed with beauty and adorned the forest, O maiden with huge, beautiful eyes. Let’s play. Come quickly!
413 A forest like you
நின் நுதல் நாறும் நறுந் தண் புறவில்
நின்னே போல மஞ்ஞை ஆல,
கார் தொடங்கின்றால் பொழுதே
பேர் இயல் அரிவை! நாம் நயத்தகவே.
In the cool and fragrant forest that smells like your forehead, a peacock dances just like you, in this season, when the rains have begun, O maiden with adorable traits, for us to rejoice!
414 Fertile turns the Forest
புள்ளும் மாவும் புணர்ந்து இனிது உகள,
கோட்டவும் கொடியவும் பூப் பல பழுனி
மெல் இயல் அரிவை! கண்டிகும்
மல்லல் ஆகிய மணம் கமழ் புறவே.
As birds and animals unite with joy and leap about, and as flowers on branches and vines mature and bloom, O maiden with a gentle nature, see how this fragrant forest has turned so fertile!
415 This is it
இதுவே, மடந்தை! நாம் மேவிய பொழுதே;
உதுவே, மடந்தை! நாம் உள்ளிய புறவே;
இனிது உடன் கழிக்கின், இளமை
இனிதால் அம்ம, இனியவர்ப் புணர்வே!
This is the one, O naive maiden, the season we were waiting for! That is the one, O naive maiden, the forest we were thinking about! Youth becomes a time of sweetness when spent together in the union of the beloved!
416 Like the elephant
போது ஆர் நறுந் துகள் கவினிப் புறவில் தாது ஆர்ந்து,
களிச் சுரும்பு அரற்றும் காமர் புதலின்,
மடப் பிடி தழீஇய, மாவே;
சுடர்த் தொடி மடவரல் புணர்ந்தனம், யாமே!
In the picturesque forest, filled with the fragrant pollen of flowers, feeding on nectar, the delighted bees resound around the desirable bushes. O elephant, you have embraced your naive mate. I too have united with my naive maiden wearing glowing bangles!
417 Welcome home
கார் கலந்தன்றால் புறவே; பல உடன்
ஏர் பரந்தனவால் புனமே; ஏர் கலந்து
தாது ஆர் பிரசம் மொய்ப்ப,
போது ஆர் கூந்தல் முயங்கினள், எம்மே.
The forest has welcomed the rainy season; It has attained many adornments in its groves; As honey-drinking bees buzz around with beauty, the woman having flower-filled tresses embraced me!
418 Skylark’s thirst
வானம்பாடி வறம் களைந்து, ஆனாது
அழி துளி தலைஇய புறவில், காண்வர
வானர மகளோ நீயே
மாண் முலை அடைய முயங்கியோயே?
Slaying the thirst of the skylark, unceasingly huge drops have fallen on the forest. There, appearing as a heavenly maiden, you embraced me with your esteemed bosom!
419 In the animals around
உயிர் கலந்து ஒன்றிய செயிர் தீர் கேண்மைப்
பிரிந்துறல் அறியா, விருந்து கவவி,
நம் போல் நயவரப் புணர்ந்தன
கண்டிகும் மடவரல்! புறவின் மாவே.
With life fusing as one in that faultless bond, which knows not separation, embracing anew, akin to us, with love, they too have united. O naive maiden, look at those animals in the forest!
420 Beauty of the forest
பொன் என மலர்ந்த, கொன்றை; மணி எனத்
தேம் படு காயா மலர்ந்த; தோன்றியொடு
நன்னலம் எய்தினை, புறவே! நின்னைக்
காணிய வருதும், யாமே
வாள் நுதல் அரிவையொடு ஆய் நலம் படர்ந்தே.
Like gold, the golden shower has bloomed in you; Like sapphire, the bee-buzzing ironwood has bloomed in you; Along with the flame-lily too, you have attained an exquisite quality, O forest! I will come to see you, with the maiden having a shining forehead, to delight in your fine beauty!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 411-420. All the verses are set in the context of a post-marital relationship between the man and the lady. The unifying theme of all the verses is that these are words uttered by the man celebrating the rainy season that has arrived in their forest domain, echoing the satisfaction that he was able to return to the lady as promised before the arrival of this season. As mentioned, the man is the speaker in every one of these verses and he addresses the lady directly, or utters these words to other entities, in her presence.
Almost every song here talks about the changes in the forest that announce the arrival of the rains. Let’s take a look at this aspect first. Thundering clouds are heard and seen scattering huge raindrops in one, and in another, a long list of trees and vines open their buds and blossom together, welcoming their beloved guest called the rains. A peacock is seen dancing because the rains are here, and then all the birds and animals as well as the flowers on trees and vines are at their happiest, turning the forest into a fertile heaven. There’s also mention of bees buzzing around these blooming flowers and an elephant lovingly uniting with its mate with love. In another intricate one, a skylark gets the spotlight saying the rains have poured to end the starvation and thirst of this bird. Another scene shows that the season animals prefer to unite is this very rainy season. In the final depiction, as the rains arrive, golden shower trees bloom with their golden flowers, and the ironwood trees bloom with their sapphire-hued flowers and together with the flame-lilies too, they endow so much beauty on the soft forest!
Having seen the rains wave their magic wand on the forest, let’s turn our attention to the words the man says to the lady. In the first, the man invites the lady to come play with him in the fresh streams that gush because of the new rains. In the second too, he invites the lady to play, pointing to the many flowers that have bloomed in the forest. In the third, he places the forest in parallel to the lady’s forehead and says both waft with the same scent, and then adds how a peacock dances in the forest with the same delicate beauty of the lady. The fourth sees the man pointing to the lady scenes around him of birds and animals delighting with their mates, and flowers bursting into bloom everywhere, turning that forest so fertile. In the fifth, the man rejoices about the rainy season and their forest domain and turns philosophical as he talks about how youth turns into something forever pleasant if spent in the company of those we love.
In the sixth, the man addresses an elephant and says, ‘As bees buzz around the flowers of the bush, you relish the company of your mate. So do I, with my bangle-clad maiden’. He possibly says these words in the presence of the lady, so that she feels much joy. In the seventh, the man says that like the rainy season, which was welcomed by the forest, he too was welcomed with the embrace of his beloved. In the eighth, the man takes a mystical tone and says that the lady seemed to take the appearance of a heavenly maiden and embraced him, when he was returning homeward. In the ninth, the man points to the animals around him and tells the lady how they seem to untie as one, in a flawless togetherness, just like them. The final verse sees the man addressing the forest, and saying that he would visit it, along with his loving woman, to relish with her, the beauty the forest has attained because of the rains.
In verse after verse, we see the joy the rains endow on the forest and here echoes the subtext that the arrival of the man has endowed the same joy on the waiting lady. The timeless bond between the rains and the earth is reflected in the love between the man and the lady here! Looking deeply, we realise that at the core, these verses are a declaration of joy about being in this place, this moment – A celebration of the here and now, something all of us can do more with!
In this episode, we listen to the sweet reminiscences of the lady’s foster mother, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 401-410, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty First Ten of Ainkurunooru: The Music of Togetherness
401 Hard to obtain
மறி இடைப்படுத்த மான் பிணை போல,
புதல்வன் நடுவணன் ஆக, நன்றும்
இனிது மன்ற அவர் கிடக்கை; முனிவு இன்றி
நீல் நிற வியலகம் கவைஇய
ஈனும், உம்பரும், பெறலருங்குரைத்தே.
Akin to a fawn lying between a male deer and its mate, with the son in the middle, the way they were lying together was so pleasant to see. Such a flawless state, is hard to obtain here, in this world, surrounded by the blue-hued wide space, and in the world above.
402 Like a bard’s strings
புதல்வற் கவைஇய தாய் புறம் முயங்கி
நசையினன் வதிந்த கிடக்கை, பாணர்
நரம்பு உளர் முரற்கை போல,
இனிதால்; அம்ம! பண்புமார் உடைத்தே.
The way he was embracing with love, the back of the mother, who was hugging the son, has the same, sweet nature of music from the plucked strings of bards!
403 The sight of his son
புணர்ந்த காதலியின் புதல்வன் தலையும்
அமர்ந்த உள்ளம் பெரிது ஆகின்றே
அகன் பெருஞ் சிறப்பின் தந்தை பெயரன்
முறுவலின் இன் நகை பயிற்றி,
சிறு தேர் உருட்டும் தளர்நடை கண்டே.
Seeing the son of the one he united with; the offspring, who will claim the name of his greatly esteemed father, his heart feels a great love, as the boy, with a sweet, little smile, pushes his toy chariot, with a wobbling gait!
404 Embracing her
வாள் நுதல் அரிவை மகன் முலை ஊட்ட,
தான் அவள் சிறுபுறம் கவையினன் நன்றும்
நறும் பூந் தண் புறவு அணிந்த,
குறும் பல் பொறைய நாடுகிழவோனே.
As the maiden with a radiant forehead suckled her son at her breast, he embraced the small of her back sweetly, that lord of the country, filled with many little mounds, adorned with cool and fragrant, flower-filled forests!
405 Light of the home
ஒண் சுடர்ப் பாண்டில் செஞ் சுடர் போல,
மனைக்கு விளக்கு ஆயினள் மன்ற கனைப் பெயல்
பூப் பல அணிந்த வைப்பின்
புறவு அணி நாடன் புதல்வன் தாயே.
Akin to the red glow of the bright ‘paandil lamp’, she became the light of the home, that mother of the lord’s son, in whose domain, adorned with forests, bloom many picturesque flowers, amidst the heavy downpour!
406 Playing son
மாதர் உண்கண் மகன் விளையாட,
காதலித் தழீஇ இனிது இருந்தனனே
தாது ஆர் பிரசம் ஊதும்
போது ஆர் புறவின் நாடு கிழவோனே.
As the adorable son with kohl-streaked eyes played, embracing his lover, he was there, full of joy, that lord of the country, where honey-seeking bees buzz around the flower-filled forest.
407 Music of the embrace
நயந்த காதலித் தழீஇ, பாணர்
நயம் படு முரற்கையின் யாத்த பயன் தெரிந்து,
இன்புறு புணர்ச்சி நுகரும்
மென் புல வைப்பின் நாடு கிழவோனே.
Embracing his beloved, he would relish the fine music of the bard’s strings and then attain the sweet union with her, that lord of the country, filled with soft tracts of forests.
408 Delight in the son
பாணர் முல்லை பாட, சுடர் இழை
வாள் நுதல் அரிவை முல்லை மலைய,
இனிது இருந்தனனே, நெடுந்தகை
துனி தீர் கொள்கைத் தன் புதல்வனொடு பொலிந்தே.
As the bards sang the ‘mullai’ tune, along with the young maiden wearing glowing jewels, having a shining forehead and adorned with a ‘wild jasmine’ garland, the great lord with flawless principles, was there with much joy, delighting in his young son!
409 A three-fold embrace
புதல்வற் கவைஇயினன் தந்தை; மென் மொழிப்
புதல்வன் தாயோ இருவரும் கவைஇயினள் ;
இனிது மன்ற அவர் கிடக்கை;
நனி இரும் பரப்பின் இவ் உலகுடன் உறுமே.
The father embraced his son; As for the soft-spoken mother of the son, she embraced them both; So sweet was this scene of their togetherness, equal in greatness to this entire world with its huge and spreading lands!
410 An evening scene
மாலை முன்றில் குறுங்கால் கட்டில்
மனையோள் துணைவி ஆக, புதல்வன்
மார்பின் ஊரும் மகிழ்நகை இன்பப்
பொழுதிற்கு ஒத்தன்று மன்னே
மென் பிணித்து அம்ம பாணனது யாழே!
It’s evening, and in the front yard, there lies a short-legged cot. He lies on this, with his wife as his sweet companion and son crawling on his chest. The ecstatic joy and laughter that rise here at this sweet time can be said to be perfectly in tune with an intricately-tied bard’s lute!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 401-410. With this set of verses, we have entered the last domain of the forest landscape, and the verses we have seen so far situated in this domain deal with the patient waiting of the lady, when her husband has parted away on a mission to earn wealth or win a war. Turning to this particular section, all the verses are set in the context of a man’s married life with his lady. The unifying theme of all these verses is that these are uttered by the lady’s foster mother, and in most cases, to the lady’s birth mother, after a visit to the lady’s marital home.
As for references to land, these are very few and generic in description, such as a country, where there are little hills filled with forests, where heavy rains pour and assorted flowers bloom, making bees buzz around them. These lands are characterised as ‘soft’ and this echoes in the scenes that each of these verses reveal.
There’s a perfect coherence and unity of emotion in all the verses because each one depicts a happy scene involving the man and the lady, and in most cases, their son, a toddler. We can see the foster mother’s smiling face and sense her joy as she recollects the happy life of the girl she raised, as she says these words to the girl’s mother. In the first, she draws a parallel to a scene where a baby deer is lying in between a male deer and its mate, and says that’s how the man and lady were lying together, with their young son in the middle and such a state of joy is hard to find on earth and heaven, the foster mother says. In the second, she paints a picture of how the lady was embracing her son, and at that time, the man came and embraced the lady from behind and this makes the foster mother hear the music of a bard’s strings just then.
In the third, there’s an intricate note about how the man’s son will claim the respectable name of the man’s father, a practice followed in many Indian communities till this day, where the grandson is named after his grandfather, sometimes to the embarrassment of these modern youngsters! From these ancient words, we can understand that this is an age-old practice, a living tradition. Returning, here, the foster mother sees the joy in the man’s eyes, as he watches his young son, push his toy cart and toddle about. In the fourth, the man embraces his wife from behind as the lady suckles their young son. In the fifth, the foster mother describes the lady as the light of the man’s home, shining radiantly like a ‘paandil lamp’, a sentiment echoed even today!
In the sixth, the man embraces his wife and watches his son play. Here’s an intricate mention of how the boy’s eyes are kohl-streaked, indicating that this was something mothers did to their young children then. In the seventh, the man is described as enjoying the music of strings and the pleasant union with his wife, all dwelling in the domain of pleasure. The eighth sees the man, praised by the foster mother as someone having laudable principles, and describes him as watching his son with delight, even as bards sing the ‘mullai’ tune and his wife sits near him wearing a ‘mullai’ or ‘wild jasmine’ garland. In the ninth, the father hugs his son and the mother hugs them both and the foster mother describes this scene as being as great as this entire world when it comes to its value. In the final verse, the foster mother speaks to herself as she takes in the scene one evening, of the man lying with his wife by his side on a cot in their front yard, as their son crawls on the man’s chest, and she says the laughter and joy there is in the exact melody of a well-tied lute.
In these verses, there’s a repeated association of a lute’s strings with family’s togetherness. The timeless joy that brims over, when watching young children explore their world with play, is perfectly captured in the musical words of these ancient verses!
In this episode, we perceive joyful scenes of homecoming, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 391-400, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Fortieth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Return of the Daughter
391 A feast for crows
மறு இல் தூவிச் சிறு கருங் காக்கை!
அன்புடை மரபின் நின் கிளையோடு ஆரப்
பச்சூன் பெய்த பைந் நிண வல்சி
பொலம் புனை கலத்தில் தருகுவென் மாதோ;
வெஞ்சின விறல் வேல் காளையொடு
அம்சில் ஓதியை வரக் கரைந்தீமே.
O little black crow with flawless feathers! With much affection, I shall give the food of fresh meat with plenty of fat, in a well-etched, golden bowl, for you to eat with your kin, if you will caw aloud and make that maiden with beautiful, soft hair come here, along with that furious, bull-like young man, with a conquering spear!
392 No place for sorrow
வேய் வனப்பு இழந்த தோளும், வெயில் தெற
ஆய்கவின் தொலைந்த நுதலும், நோக்கிப்
பரியல் வாழி, தோழி! பரியின்,
எல்லை இல் இடும்பை தரூஉம்
நல் வரை நாடனொடு வந்தமாறே.
Looking at my arms that have lost their beauty of being bamboo-like, and my forehead that has lost its exquisite glow because of the scorching heat, do not feel sorrowful, my friend! If you feel sad, that will render endless suffering in this time of my return with the lord of the fine mountain country!
393 Is she back?
துறந்ததற் கொண்டு துயர் அடச் சாஅய்,
அறம் புலந்து பழிக்கும் அளைகணாட்டி!
எவ்வ நெஞ்சிற்கு ஏமம் ஆக
வந்தனளோ நின் மட மகள்
வெந்திறல் வெள் வேல் விடலை முந்துறவே?
As she left you, losing your health because of the great sorrow, you used to rebuke those who spoke of its justice, O woman with eyes brimming with tears! As comfort for that suffering heart, did she come back, that naive daughter of yours, following the young man with the victorious, white spear, ahead of her?
394 She is back
மாண்பு இல் கொள்கையொடு மயங்கு துயர் செய்த
அன்பு இல் அறனும் அருளிற்று மன்ற;
வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்த அம் சில் ஓதி,
பெரு மட மான் பிணை அலைத்த
சிறு நுதல் குறுமகள் காட்டிய வம்மே.
Owing to our principle lacking esteem, rendering crippling sorrow, the act of justice without love happened; But that act has rendered its grace to me today, for the maiden with beautiful, soft hair, who left to the hot drylands, the one who can put a huge, naive female deer to shame, that young maiden with a small forehead, has returned.
395 Crossing the drylands
முளி வயிர்ப் பிறந்த, வளி வளர் கூர் எரிச்
சுடர் விடு நெடுங் கொடி விடர் முகை முழங்கும்
இன்னா அருஞ் சுரம் தீர்ந்தனம்; மென்மெல
ஏகுமதி வாழியோ, குறுமகள்! போது கலந்து
கறங்கு இசை அருவி வீழும்,
பிறங்கு இருஞ் சோலை, நம் மலை கெழு நாட்டே.
Sharp and glowing flames born amidst the dried-up bamboo and kindled by the wind, spread like a tall vine, amidst the caves and clefts of the harsh and imposing drylands, and we have crossed it; Walk on slowly, O young maiden, may you live long! For we have arrived here, where mixed with flowers, resounding with music, cascades fall in our fine mountain country, filled with huge and prosperous groves.
396 Reaching the town
புலிப் பொறி வேங்கைப் பொன் இணர் கொய்து நின்
கதுப்பு அயல் அணியும் அளவை, பைபயச்
சுரத்திடை அயர்ச்சியை ஆறுகம் மடந்தை!
கல் கெழு சிறப்பின் நம் ஊர்
எல் விருந்து ஆகிப் புகுகம், நாமே.
Akin to the spots of the tiger are the golden flower clusters of the ‘Kino tree’. Plucking this, I shall adorn your swaying dark tresses. Slowly let go of the fatigue of crossing the drylands, O naive maiden! For we will soon enter our town, known for its mountains, and savour the midday feast.
397 A message for the companions
‘கவிழ் மயிர் எருத்தின் செந்நாய் ஏற்றை
குருளைப் பன்றி கொள்ளாது கழியும்
சுரம் நனி வாராநின்றனள்’ என்பது
முன்னுற விரைந்த நீர் மின்
இன் நகை முறுவல் என் ஆயத்தோர்க்கே.
Hurrying forward, please say to my sweet and smiling companions in town, ‘She’s crossing the drylands, where the male red dog with hanging hair on its neck lets the pregnant pig go free without killing it!’
398 The town’s lament
‘புள்ளும் அறியாப் பல் பழம் பழுனி,
மட மான் அறியாத் தட நீர் நிலைஇ,
சுரம் நனி இனிய ஆகுக!’ என்று
நினைத்தொறும் கலிழும் என்னினும்
மிகப் பெரிது புலம்பின்று தோழி! நம் ஊரே.
Even more than me, who shed tears every time I thought of you, this town of ours lamented tremendously, my friend, wishing, ‘May it fruit with many ripe fruits that birds know not about, and may there be plenty of waterholes that naive deer know not about, and let the drylands become pleasant’!
399 Demand for a wedding
‘நும் மனைச் சிலம்பு கழீஇ அயரினும்,
எம் மனை வதுவை நல் மணம் கழிக’ எனச்
சொல்லின் எவனோ மற்றே வென் வேல்,
மை அற விளங்கிய கழல்அடி,
பொய் வல் காளையை ஈன்ற தாய்க்கே?
Shall we say, ‘Even if you have performed the ceremony of removing the anklets in your home, let the good marriage ceremony happen in our home!’, to the mother of that bull-like young man, skilled in lies, wearing flawless, glowing anklets on his feet, the one with the victorious spear?
400 Season of spring
மள்ளர் அன்ன மரவம் தழீஇ,
மகளிர் அன்ன ஆடுகொடி நுடங்கும்
அரும் பதம் கொண்ட பெரும் பத வேனில்,
‘காதல் புணர்ந்தனள் ஆகி, ஆய் கழல்
வெஞ் சின விறல் வேல் காளையொடு
இன்று புகுதரும்’ என வந்தன்று, தூதே.
The rare quality of having a vine, akin to a gentle maiden, wrapping around a burflower tree, akin to a strong young man, and swaying with joy, happens in the perfect season of spring. Saying, ‘She, who united with love with that young and furious, bull-like man, wearing well-etched anklets and holding a victorious spear, will come home today’, a messenger has come here!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 391-400. All the verses are set in the context of a post-marital situation. The unifying theme of all the verses is that they happen in the situation when the lady who had eloped away with her man, returns after marriage to her natal home. The words are uttered by various actors within the bounds of this background.
Here’s another section whose focus is on the emotions of the subjects. This set of verses is the finale in this trilogy of tens, with the first part, verses 371-380, dwelling on the mother’s sorrow because of the lady’s eloping away, and the second part, verses 381-390, rendering the reflections of those who met this eloping couple in the drylands. The journey of love comes a full circle in this section with the lady returning home, happily married to her beloved. Let’s turn to the intent of the speakers in each of these verses.
In the first, the lady’s mother speaks to a little crow, promising a delicious feast of fatty meat, for the bird and its huge flock, if only the bird would caw aloud and make the man and lady return home. To understand this statement of the mother, we have to know that it was a superstitious belief that cawing of crows brought guests home. Even today, in many Tamil homes, people say, ‘The crow is cawing. Someone is going to come home’. Reflecting on how this belief would have come about, could it be because crows gather around whenever guests are home, as there would be plenty of food for them to peck on from the leftovers? Maybe somehow, this association of guests and cawing of crows would have later morphed, mistaking cause and consequence! Anyway, the thing to note here is the expectant heart of this mother, who hopes fervently that her daughter will come back home to her.
In the second verse, it’s the lady saying these words to her confidante, who is expressing sadness at how the lady looks tired and seemingly lacking in her beauty and glow. The lady says to her friend, ‘All this is just because I walked in the scorching heat of the drylands. Please do not make a huge issue of this temporary discomfort, because otherwise people home might think that I’m not happy with my man’. The confidante’s concern for her friend, the lady’s thinking about the perception of others and her protectiveness over the man are all subtle nuances depicted in this intricate scene.
In the third, people of the village gather at the lady’s home and talk to the lady’s mother saying how she had felt so heartbroken and in fact, scolded anyone who had dared to say that the lady had done the right thing. Now, they ask the mother whether the girl, who had left home, had come back with her young man, bringing the much-needed comfort to her mother. The close bond between the villagers and they way they take part in the joy and sorrow of each other’s families is evident from this narrative.
Perhaps as a reply to the third verse, in the fourth, the lady’s mother tells the villagers how the lady had done something just but that something had lacked in love towards her family, because they had forbade her wedding. But still, the lady had made amends by returning home with the young man and showered the mother with love and grace. In this verse, the mother talks about how the lady would put a deer to shame, a unique way of showcasing her daughter’s beauty and gentleness.
In the fifth, it’s the man’s voice we hear speaking to the lady. Both of them have started the journey from his home after marriage and are making their way to the lady’s home, crossing the inevitable drylands. The man informs the lady that they are done with the hardest part of their journey, the crossing of the scorching drylands, where wildfire spreads. Now they have entered the mountain country, where cascades gush with flowers many. He thus cheers the lady that their tiring journey is about to end and that the lady will be soon reunited with her parents. In the sixth too, the man speaks to the lady, asking her to wear Kino flowers and walk slowly, trying to let go of the fatigue of crossing the drylands, for they were about to enter the lady’s town for the midday feast. Perhaps he wants to make a good impression on the lady’s family and that’s why he asks the lady to fresh up with flowers and feel energetic as they head home.
In the seventh, the lady requests some travellers she meets in the drylands to rush home before her and inform her good friends that she has crossed the drylands and is returning home to be with them. The eighth sees the lady back home and when the lady asks her confidante how did she bear with the loss when the lady eloped away, the confidante says something beautiful about the people of the village. She says even more than her, who was crying every time thoughts of the lady crossed her mind, the village people felt even more worry on behalf of the lady. They prayed that the drylands would bloom with fruits that birds knew not about, and also, have plenty of waterholes that deer knew not about, so that their dear girl would have a pleasant journey even in that harsh landscape. It’s heartwarming to see the love they feel for a daughter of their village and how they wish well for her, wherever she is.
In the ninth, it’s the lady’s mother speaking. She is informed that the ceremony of removing the anklets, an important part of a woman’s wedding, and something usually done at the lady’s home, has happened at the man’s house. The mother says, ‘Even if that is over, at least let the man and lady have a wedding ceremony at their house’, and wishes for the messengers to put this request to the man’s mother. It’s curious how even today two ceremonies happen in many cases in inter-caste and inter-religious weddings in India, one for the bride’s family and other, for the groom’s!
In the final verse, it’s the lady’s mother who speaks again, talking about how it was the season of spring, when a vine, placed in parallel to a woman, wraps around a burflower tree, placed in parallel to a man. She has remarked about the season saying that is why their daughter too felt the gush of love for the man and eloped with him. She’s not to be blamed at all. She concludes with the words to her family that a message has come in about the lady’s return home with her beloved.
What an exquisite collection of verses exploring intricate emotions that swell up in a challenging reunion! So much of goodness and love wafts from these verses, like the fragrance of flowers. With this section, we come to the end of our exploration of the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and although I was fearing it would be dull and dry, it turned out to be surprisingly stunning, so vivid in its clear organisation of events pertaining to this domain. Indeed, there was much sorrow of separation but also the joy of reunion and a plethora of emotions in between. It’s time to bid farewell to these characters we have met and got to know in the expanse of this harsh landscape and walk on to our next domain!
In this episode, we perceive the observations of travellers, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 381-390, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Ninth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Portraits of the Parted Pair
381 Inseparable lovers
பைங் காய் நெல்லி பல உடன் மிசைந்து,
செங் கால் மராஅத்த வரி நிழல் இருந்தோர்
யார்கொல், அளியர் தாமே வார் சிறைக்
குறுங் கால் மகன்றில் அன்ன
உடன் புணர் கொள்கைக் காதலோரே?
They eat many green gooseberry fruits and rest in the lined shade of the red-trunked burflower tree. Who might they be, for pitiable indeed they are! Akin to the long-winged, short-legged red-naped ibis, they seem to be lovers with the virtue of inseparability!
382 Bane of mothers
புள் ஒலிக்கு அமர்த்த கண்ணள், வெள் வேல்
திருந்து கழல் காளையொடு அருஞ் சுரம் கழிவோள்,
எல்லிடை அசைந்த கல்லென் சீறூர்ப்
புனை இழை மகளிர்ப் பயந்த
மனை கெழு பெண்டிர்க்கு நோவுமார் பெரிதே.
The maiden, whose eyes startle at the sound of birds, has left behind the harsh drylands with the young, bull-like man, wearing etched anklets. Then they rested at night in that uproarious little town, making the matrons of prosperous homes, the mothers of maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, worry a lot.
383 Finding joy in her actions
கோள் சுரும்பு அரற்றும் நாள் சுரத்து அமன்ற
நெடுங் கால் மராஅத்துக் குறுஞ் சினை பற்றி,
வலம் சுரி வால் இணர் கொய்தற்கு நின்ற
மள்ளன் உள்ளம் மகிழ் கூர்ந்தன்றே
பைஞ்சாய்ப் பாவைக்கும் தனக்கும்
அம் சாய் கூந்தல் ஆய்வது கண்டே.
Bees that savour honey resounded aloud around the small branch of tall-trunked burflower tree during the daytime in the drylands. To pluck from the right-whorled, bright flower clusters on this branch, the brave young man bent it and felt his heart brim with joy seeing the maiden with beautiful, soft tresses separate the flowers for her and her sedge doll!
384 Message to my companions
சேட் புலம் முன்னிய அசை நடை அந்தணிர்!
நும் ஒன்று இரந்தனென் மொழிவல்; எம் ஊர்,
‘யாய் நயந்து எடுத்த ஆய்நலம் கவின
ஆர் இடை இறந்தனள்’ என்மின்
நேர் இறை முன்கை என் ஆயத்தோர்க்கே.
O priests, who walk with swaying gaits to faraway lands, I wish to plead to you about something. And that is to go to my town and say to my companions, who wear rows of bangles on their forearms, ‘With the exquisite beauty, with which mother raised her, still intact, she has crossed the formidable drylands path’!
385 Message to my mother
‘கடுங்கண் காளையொடு நெடுந் தேர் ஏறி,
கோள் வல் வேங்கைய மலை பிறக்கு ஒழிய,
வேறு பல் அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனள் அவள்’ எனக்
கூறுமின் வாழியோ! ஆறு செல் மாக்கள்!
நல் தோள் நயந்து பாராட்டி,
எற் கெடுத்து இருந்த அறன் இல் யாய்க்கே.
Please say, ‘With the harsh-eyed, young bull-like man, climbing on a tall chariot, leaving behind mountains filled with murderous tigers, and traversing many other harsh drylands, she has crossed over’! May you live long, O people treading this path! Say these words to the one who always delighted in my beautiful arms, and the one, who spoilt me, that unjust mother of mine!
386 Daughter in the drylands
புன்கண் யானையொடு புலி வழங்கு அத்தம்
நயந்த காதலன் புணர்ந்து சென்றனளே
நெடுஞ் சுவர் நல் இல் மருண்ட
இடும்பை உறுவி! நின் கடுஞ் சூல் மகளே.
Small-eyed elephants and tigers rove in the drylands. With her lover, she has left thither, O woman from a tall-walled fine mansion, filled with confusion and suffering; That daughter you bore in your womb has crossed over!
387 In his company
‘அறம் புரி அரு மறை நவின்ற நாவின்
திறம் புரி கொள்கை அந்தணிர்! தொழுவல்’ என்று
ஒண்டொடி வினவும் பேதைஅம் பெண்டே!
கண்டனெம் அம்ம, சுரத்திடை அவளை
இன் துணை இனிது பாராட்ட,
குன்று உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோளே.
O naive woman, wearing shining bangles, saying, ‘O priests, with strong principles, with tongues that chant precious scriptures, I bow to you’, you question us. Yes, we did see her in the midst of the drylands. As her sweet companion took great care of her, she crossed the radiant mountain with soaring peaks.
388 Path of the Parted
நெருப்பு அவிர் கனலி உருப்புச் சினம் தணியக்
கருங் கால் யாத்து வரி நிழல் இரீஇ,
சிறு வரை இறப்பின், காண்குவை செறிதொடிப்
பொன் ஏர் மேனி மடந்தையொடு
வென் வேல் விடலை முன்னிய சுரனே.
As the sun scorched, akin to fire, letting the flaming fury of the heat subside, they rested in the lined shade of the black-trunked ‘Aacha tree’. If you cross that small mountain, you will come across the drylands, which the maiden wearing well-etched bangles, and a skin, akin to gold, and her young man with a white spear, crossed on.
389 State of her feet
‘செய் வினைப் பொலிந்த செறி கழல் நோன் தாள்
மை அணல் காளையொடு பைய இயலி,
பாவை அன்ன என் ஆய்தொடி மடந்தை
சென்றனள்!’ என்றிர், ஐய!
ஒன்றினவோ, அவள் அம் சிலம்பு அடியே!
You say, ‘Walking slowly with the young and determined, bull-like man having a black beard, clad in tight, shining, well-etched warrior anklets, that doll-like, naive maiden wearing beautiful bangles left’, O good sir! Did her beautiful feet, clad in anklets, touch the ground?
390 Seen in his company
நல்லோர் ஆங்கண் பரந்து கைதொழுது
பல் ஊழ் மறுகி வினவுவோயே!
திண் தோள் வல்வில் காளையொடு
கண்டனெம் மன்ற சுரத்திடை, யாமே.
O woman, you run hither and thither and question all the good people there, with folded hands! We did see her in the company of the strong armed, young, bull-like man, skilled with his bow, in the midst of the drylands.
So concludes Ainkurunooru 381-390. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and specifically in the situation of elopement of this couple. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these are statements about the couple, who have eloped away, from the perspective of those who saw them in the drylands. Most of these words are uttered by travellers, with a few being said by the lady or the lady’s foster mother to those travellers.
In this section, it’s difficult to separate the land and the protagonists as they are intricately tied together in these observations. So, let’s head straight to the speakers and their intentions. In the first, a traveller wonders who this couple, who are eating gooseberry fruits and resting in the shade of a burflower tree, might be. Looking closely at them, this person says they seem to have the quality of an ‘andril’ bird mentioned in Sangam literature as a symbol of inseparable togetherness. In Kurunthogai 160, we debated and discovered that this bird most probably points to the ‘Red-naped ibis’, which is found all over India and have the quality of always being found in pairs. Perhaps this is the reason why the Sangam folks chose these birds to talk about the intimacy and inseparability of these ancient lovers. While this seems to be a mere observation about two people, looking closer, we can sense the empathy in this traveller about their challenging circumstances and their deep love.
In the second, a traveller talks about the lady and man and mentions them to be resting in a little town at the edge of the drylands. The gentle nature of the lady is sketched in the way her eyes startle at the sound of birds, while the man’s strong personality is portrayed by symbolising him as a sturdy bull. This traveller makes an intricate observation about the mothers in that town where the pair are resting for the night. They are the mothers of young maidens and they seem to be in a lot of worry. Perhaps these mothers are thinking about the mother of this young maiden who has eloped and are sympathising with her sorrow or they are worried that their own daughters may inflict them with the similar pain of eloping with a young man.
In the third, is a sweet observation by a traveller about the interaction between the man and lady in the drylands. Seeing a tall burflower tree, resounding with bees, the man seems to have read the mind of his lady and held down a branch for her to pluck flowers from. After she plucked those flowers, the lady was busy separating one group of flowers for her and one group for her doll, made of sedge grass. Seeing this, the man’s heart was filled with joy, says this traveller. To think of this maiden as someone still playing with dolls jolts us indeed. But this is a repeated reference of maiden holding on to their dolls even when they have parted away with men!
In the fourth, the lady takes the spotlight and requests some priests she meets on the way to pass on a message to her playmates that she was doing well, and that her beauty was intact, even as she traverses the drylands with the man. The lady thinks back about her friends with affection and knowing that they will worry in her absence and passes on this message to the travelling priests. In the fifth, the lady passes on a message to her mother this time, describing how the mother had forbidden the lady’s relationship with the man and calling mother as ‘unjust’. Though there seems to be a bit of anger on the part of the lady, she wants the traveller to pass on the good message to her mother that her daughter has crossed the drylands safely with her man.
In the sixth, travellers address the lady’s birth mother by making a note of her suffering-filled state and inform her that the daughter she bore in her womb had crossed the dangerous drylands, where elephants and tigers rove. In the seventh, the travellers address the lady’s foster mother, who has followed the daughter she raised, trying to find her there. They say to this mother that they saw the lady in the middle of the drylands, and also mention how well the man took care of the lady, and together, they had crossed over. In the eighth too, these travellers inform the foster mother that the lady and man were seen resting in the shade of an ‘Aacha’ tree in the drylands and they point to a hill ahead and say, if you cross that, you will find the place where they were. Thereby, these travellers tell the foster mother that the lady is long gone and there was no use in pursuing her.
In the ninth, the foster mother questions the travellers asking whether they saw the beautiful feet of the lady touch the hot ground, wondering how the delicate maiden was able to bear the scorching heat of the place. In the final verse, the travellers remark about the way the foster mother runs everywhere, asking all good people about her daughter with hands folded, and inform her they had indeed seen the man and the lady in the midst of the drylands. And so we see that this is a section with intricate descriptions about both the man and the lady and their travel through the harsh drylands. Moving indeed is the empathy expressed by the various actors such as the travellers about the state of the man, and the lady, the lady’s thought about informing her playmates and mother, and ultimately, a mother’s beating heart about the welfare of her daughter. In short, this is a poignant collection of verses talking about the journey of love!
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 371-380, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Eighth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ballad of the Melancholic Mother
371 Path of righteousness
மள்ளர் கொட்டின் மஞ்ஞை ஆலும்
உயர் நெடுங் குன்றம் படு மழை தலைஇச்
சுரம் நனி இனிய ஆகுக தில்ல
‘அறநெறி இது’ எனத் தெளிந்த என்
பிறை நுதல் குறுமகள் போகிய சுரனே!
When the people of the drylands beat their drums, the peacock dances. May clouds that surround soaring peaks, rain down and make the drylands as pleasant as possible! For deciding ’this is the path of righteousness’, my young daughter, with a crescent-like forehead, has parted to those drylands!
372 Leaving slander behind
என்னும் உள்ளினள்கொல்லோ தன்னை
நெஞ்சு உணத் தேற்றிய வஞ்சினக் காளையொடு,
அழுங்கல் மூதூர் அலர் எழ,
செழும் பல் குன்றம் இறந்த என் மகளே?
Did she even think about me? That daughter of mine, who along with the strong and fierce bull-like young man, who offered the right words for her mind to feast on, making this uproarious, ancient town resound with slander, has parted away, crossing prosperous peaks many!
373 Mother of the young man
நினைத்தொறும் கலிழும் இடும்பை எய்துக
புலிக் கோள் பிழைத்த கவைக் கோட்டு முது கலை
மான்பிணை அணைதர, ஆண் குரல் விளிக்கும்
வெஞ் சுரம் என் மகள் உய்த்த
அம்பு அமை வல் வில் விடலை தாயே!
The suffering of crying every moment when thoughts cross, may she too attain! I speak of the mother of the young man, wielding a strong bow and a quiver full of arrows, with whom my daughter left to the hot drylands, where escaping from a murderous tiger, an old male deer embraces its female and cries aloud in its strong voice!
374 Young daughter
பல் ஊழ் நினைப்பினும், நல்லென்று ஊழ
மீளி முன்பின் காளை காப்ப,
முடி அகம் புகாஅக் கூந்தலள்
கடுவனும் அறியாக் காடு இறந்தோளே.
After thinking about it many times, deciding that this was the right thing to do, with the bull-like, young man, akin to the god of death, who protects her, the daughter of mine with tresses not long enough to be even tied, has parted away to the drylands jungle that not even a male monkey knows about!
375 Seeing her everywhere
‘இது என் பாவைக்கு இனிய நன் பாவை;
இது என் பைங்கிளி எடுத்த பைங்கிளி’ என்று,
அலமரு நோக்கின் நலம் வரு சுடர் நுதல்
காண்தொறும் காண்தொறும் கலங்க,
நீங்கினளோ என் பூங் கணோளே?
Saying, ‘This is the favourite doll of my doll; This is the parrot raised by my little parrot’, as my eyes rove around, I think of my daughter, with a beautiful, radiant forehead, and whatever I see, it makes me shed tears. Leaving me in this state, did she part away, my girl with flower-like eyes?
376 A curse upon fate
நாள்தொறும் கலிழும் என்னினும் இடை நின்று
காடு படு தீயின் கனலியர் மாதோ
நல் வினை நெடு நகர் கல்லெனக் கலங்க,
பூப் புரை உண்கண் மடவரல்
போக்கிய புணர்த்த அறன் இல் பாலே!
Suffering even more than me, who cries every day, may it stand in the midst of a raging wildfire in a forest and perish, that fate, which lacks justice, that which made my naive daughter with flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes part away, making this well-crafted, tall mansion resound with uproar!
377 Her things here
நீர் நசைக்கு ஊக்கிய உயவல் யானை
இயம் புணர் தூம்பின் உயிர்க்கும் அத்தம்
சென்றனள் மன்ற, என் மகளே
பந்தும் பாவையும் கழங்கும் எமக்கு ஒழித்தே.
A fatigued elephant, filled with thirst, sighs akin to the ‘thoombu’ pipe played together with many musical instruments in the drylands. It’s here, she parted away to, that daughter of mine, leaving her ball, doll and playing beans with me!
378 Crying companion
செல்லிய முயலிப் பாஅய சிறகர்
வாவல் உகக்கும் மாலை, யாம் புலம்பப்
போகிய அவட்கோ நோவேன்; தே மொழித்
துணை இலள் கலிழும் நெஞ்சின்
இணை ஏர் உண்கண் இவட்கு நோவதுவே.
It’s that evening hour when wanting to travel far, a bat spreads its wings. At this time, making me lament, she left. I worry not for her, but for this girl with well-set, beautiful, kohl-streaked eyes, whose heart cries because her honey-voiced companion is no more with her!
379 Sweeter than a wedding
தன் அமர் ஆயமொடு நன் மண நுகர்ச்சியின்
இனிது ஆம்கொல்லோ தனக்கே பனி வரை
இனக் களிறு வழங்கும் சோலை
வயக்குறு வெள் வேலவற் புணர்ந்து செலவே?
Is it sweeter than a good wedding in the presence of her beautiful companions? This parting away in the company of that young man with a shining, white spear to groves, where herds of elephants rove, in those cool mountains?
380 Mother of the eloper
அத்த நீள் இடை அவனொடு போகிய
முத்து ஏர் வெண் பல் முகிழ் நகை மடவரல்
தாயர் என்னும் பெயரே வல்லாறு
எடுத்தேன் மன்ற, யானே;
கொடுத்தோர் மன்ற, அவள் ஆயத்தோரே.
To that long and winding drylands path, she left with him, that naive young maiden with white teeth, akin to pearls, and a blooming smile. ‘Mother of the maiden, who eloped away so’ is the name I have received for raising her; The ones who have given me that name are her companions!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 371-380. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and specifically in the situation when the man has eloped away with the lady, foreseeing that the lady’s parents will not accept the man’s marriage proposal. The unifying theme in all the songs is that all are said by the lady’s mother, in this situation when the lady has left her home to be with the man she loves.
The few descriptions of the land in this section talk about how when the people of this region resound their drums, peacocks dance, mistaking the same for thunder. In another instance, there’s a scene where a male deer escapes from a tiger and cries with relief as it embraces its female. A curious statement talks about how the lady has parted away to a jungle that even a monkey does not know, implying that these agile cousins of ours are well-versed with the spread of the land, and if the lady is travelling somewhere that a well-travelled monkey doesn’t know, then we can be sure it’s really far away. Next, is a portrait of an elephant filled with so much thirst in the drylands that seems to sigh exactly like a ‘thoombu’ musical instrument of those days.
Returning to the intent of the speakers, as we have seen, all the verses are said by the lady’s mother. Though it’s hard to say whether these words are said by the lady’s birth mother or the foster mother, who raised her, most interpreters agree that the first nine are said by the birth mother and the last one by the foster mother. In the first, the mother wishes that it rains in the drylands so that it’s pleasant to cross for her dear daughter, who has left her thinking that parting away was the right path for her future. In the second, the mother wonders if the lady even thought about her, as she left with the man, making their town resound with slander. In the third, the lady’s mother curses that the man’s mother too should feel her pain that soars every time thoughts of the lady cross her mind. In the fourth, the mother remarks on the young and immature age of the lady, whose hair has not even grown long enough to be tied up and how she has found the courage to leave to such a faraway place with her man. That a child remains forever young and vulnerable in a mother’s eyes is evident from these words!
In the fifth, the mother remarks how she sees the lady wherever she turns around, be it in her doll or in the parrot the lady used to pet and keep at home. Don’t we too see the people we love in the things they used, whenever they part away from us? In the sixth, mother curses fate for leaving her in that state wherein her daughter has eloped away. In the seventh, mother remarks how the lady has gone, taking away all joy, and just leaving behind her things, like the ball, doll and dried molucca beans that she used to play with. In the eighth, mother declares she worries not for the lady who parted away in the evening hour, when bats spread their wings but for the lady’s confidante, who seems to be shedding tears before her, missing her sweet friend. In the ninth, mother questions whether eloping with the man to the drylands was something sweeter than a marriage in the company of her friends, hinting that had the lady revealed her relationship, mother might have taken steps for their marriage. In the final one, the foster mother talks about how she has been branded as the mother who raised the girl who eloped away and says it’s the lady’s friends who have blessed her with that name, as they were the ones who helped the lady part away with her beloved.
In this section, we are once again back to the realm of coherence and unity of thought, and each verse echoes in the same melancholic tone of a mother’s lament. Among the many emotions encountered such as sadness, dejection and anxiety, the highlight is that verse which describes the mother, who seeks rains to pour upon the drylands and make it pleasant for her daughter, etching for us, that matchless heart, which wishes well, even in the midst of hurt!
In this episode, we listen to perspectives about people, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 361-370, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Seventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: About Her, About Him
361 Fury of her form
உயர்கரைக் கான் யாற்று அவிர்மணல் அகன்துறை
வேனில் பாதிரி விரி மலர் குவைஇத்
தொடலை தைஇய மடவரல் மகளே!
கண்ணினும் கதவ, நின் முலையே!
முலையினும் கதவ, நின் தட மென் தோளே!
By the raised banks of a wild river, in the spreading sands of the wide shore, you heap summer trumpet flowers and weave a garland, O naive maiden! More furious than your eyes, is your bosom; More furious than your bosom, are your soft and curved arms!
362 A dark and difficult path
பதுக்கைத்து ஆய ஒதுக்கு அருங் கவலை,
சிறு கண் யானை உறு பகை நினையாது,
யாங்கு வந்தனையோ பூந் தார் மார்ப!
அருள் புரி நெஞ்சம் உய்த்தர
இருள் பொர நின்ற இரவினானே?
Filled with stone graves, difficult to traverse is that path. Without thinking about the seething wrath of the small-eyed elephant there, how did you arrive here, O lord, with a chest clad in a flower garland? With a heart to render your grace, you have arrived, even as darkness blocked you in the middle of the night!
363 Seeing god
சிலை வில் பகழிச் செந் துவர் ஆடைக்
கொலை வல் எயினர் தங்கை! நின் முலைய
சுணங்கு என நினைதி நீயே;
அணங்கு என நினையும், என் அணங்குறு நெஞ்சே.
O sister of hunters, who wield a ‘silai’ bow and piercing arrows, who are clad in red attire and skilled in killing, you think that those are pallor spots on your breast, but my fearful heart thinks those are furious gods!
364 Wait till I win her over
முளவு மா வல்சி எயினர் தங்கை
இளமா எயிற்றிக்கு, நின் நிலை அறியச்
சொல்லினென் இரக்கும்அளவை
வென் வேல் விடலை, விரையாதீமே!
To the sister of hunters, who gather porcupine meat, that young and beautiful huntress, I will explain your state. Till I plead to her, O young man wielding a white spear, please do not be in haste!
365 Penance of a mango shoot
கண மா தொலைச்சித் தன்னையர் தந்த
நிண ஊன் வல்சிப் படு புள் ஓப்பும்
நலம் மாண் எயிற்றி போலப் பல மிகு
நன்னல நயவரவு உடையை
என் நோற்றனையோ? மாவின் தளிரே!
Hunting huge herds of deer, her brothers bring home fatty meat, and she chases away birds that seek to steal it. Akin to that beautiful and excellent huntress, you seem to posses many good traits that bring joy to all. What penance did you do for this, O shoot of a mango tree?
366 Secret of the Buttercup
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! ‘என் தோழி
பசந்தனள் பெரிது’ எனச் சிவந்த கண்ணை,
கொன்னே கடவுதி ஆயின், என்னதூஉம்,
அறிய ஆகுமோ மற்றே
முறி இணர்க் கோங்கம் பயந்தமாறே?
Long may you live, mother! Listen to me, mother! With reddened eyes, you say that my friend’s form has spread with pallor, and question her about it furiously. How can we understand even a little bit about that, when it is because of the leaves and flowers of the buttercup tree, given to her?
367 His name and her life
பொரி அரைக் கோங்கின் பொன் மருள் பசு வீ,
விரிஇணர் வேங்கையொடு, வேறு பட மிலைச்சி,
விரவு மலர் அணிந்த வேனில் கான் யாற்றுத்
தேரொடு குறுக வந்தோன்
பேரொடு புணர்ந்தன்று அன்னை! இவள் உயிரே.
Wearing fresh and golden flowers of the rough-trunked buttercup tree, along with the blooming flowers of the Kino tree, she went to the wild river, gushing with the various flowers of summer. There came a man in his chariot thither, and with his name, her life has bonded inseparably!
368 If she lives
எரிப் பூ இலவத்து ஊழ் கழி பல் மலர்
பொரிப் பூம் புன்கின் புகர் நிழல் வரிக்கும்
தண் பத வேனில் இன்ப நுகர்ச்சி
எம்மொடு கொண்மோ, பெரும! நின்
அம் மெல்லோதி அழிவிலள் எனினே!
Many flame-like flowers of the silk-cotton tree mature and fall down in the dotted shade of the beechwood tree with flowers, akin to puffed rice, in the cool and pleasant season of spring. You may find pleasure in her company, O lord, if that maiden with beautiful and soft tresses can remain without ruin till then!
369 Louder than the cuckoo
வள மலர் ததைந்த வண்டு படு நறும் பொழில்
முளை நிரை முறுவல் ஒருத்தியொடு, நெருநல்
குறி நீ செய்தனை என்ப; அலரே,
குரவ நீள் சினை உறையும்
பருவ மாக் குயில் கௌவையின், பெரிதே!
In that fragrant grove, where lush flowers bloom and bees buzz around, with a maiden having shoot-like, neat row of teeth, you trysted yesterday, they say. Louder than the cry of the seasonal dark cuckoo that lives on the long branch of the ‘tarenna’ tree, is slander that spreads in town!
370 The garlanded one
வண் சினைக் கோங்கின் தண் கமழ் படலை
இருஞ் சிறை வண்டின் பெருங் கிளை மொய்ப்ப,
நீ நயந்து உறையப்பட்டோள்
யாவளோ? எம் மறையாதீமே.
Who is she, who wears a cool and fragrant garland given by you, made with the flowers of the buttercup tree with tough branches, around which black-winged bees buzz around, and who lives with much desire for you? Do not hide from me!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 361-370. The verses are set in varying situations both before marriage and after marriage between the man and the lady. The unifying theme of these verses is that all of them are direct addresses, bringing to the fore, the character of the person being spoken to. The words are said either by the man, the confidante or the lady in varying contexts.
Unlike the other verses in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the connection to land is wafer-thin. For instance, the only indication of this being set in the drylands in many verses is the type of flower mentioned such as the ‘Kongam’ or the ‘Kuravam’ or the season of spring, heralded by the blooming of flowers or the singing of the cuckoo.
Let’s delve into the intent of the speakers. In the first, it’s the man saying these words to the lady in a situation when they are eloping together. The lady seems to have seen trumpet flowers on the banks of a river and immediately forgetting the situation and inherent danger, she starts heaping the flowers and making a garland, without worrying about anything. The man must have remarked about this, and in response, overcome with shyness, hides her eyes. At this time, the man says that even more than her eyes, her bosom attacks him with fury, and when she hides that in response, the man concludes even more than her bosom, those soft and curved arms of hers attack him. The young man thus expresses how smitten he is with the maiden in his company.
In the second, it’s the confidante addressing the man as she talks about all the dangers in his path. One, that is filled with stone cisterns, which are make-shift graves made with stones by highway robbers for the people they killed and stole from. The thought to respect the dead is an element that echoes the honour among these thieves. Returning, in addition to the danger from these fellow humans, elephants too seem to rove about there. On top of it all, this is at night when darkness blocks the man from taking even a single step. Even so, the man has come to grace the lady, praises the confidante.
The man takes the spotlight in the third and he addresses his lady, calling her the sister of hunters, who are clad in red and skilled with their bows. Like in the case of the first verse, he talks about how the spots on the lady’s bosom seem to look at him with the fury of a mountain god, indicating his surrender to her beauty. In the fourth, the confidante once again addresses the man. Here, he seems to have told her of his intention to elope with the lady. She asks him to wait with patience until she has won over the lady with her words about the man’s proposal. In the fifth, the man address a new leaf of a mango tree, as he walks through the drylands, and says it seems to have such beauty and all the good traits, just like the lady, and asks how was it able to attain that unmatchable quality. This reveals how the man’s heart is still with the lady he left behind and it’s her he sees in all the objects of beauty around him.
In the sixth, the confidante addresses the mother who seems to have questioned the lady about why her form was spread with pallor and why was she was losing her health. To this, the confidante says, ‘You will never understand it by questioning her for this is all because of the leaves and flowers of the buttercup tree’. Though this looks like a puzzle to us, this is the confidante’s way of revealing the lady’s relationship with the man by mentioning the gifts he gave the lady before uniting with her. In the seventh, the confidante yet again addresses the mother talking about a day when the lady went near a wild river to collect the various flowers gushing through it, in that season of spring. Though she doesn’t say it explicitly and just talks about the man arriving there in his chariot, it’s possible that the man saved the lady, when she fell into the river. That’s possibly why the confidante concludes that the man’s name and the lady’s life are irrevocably tied together.
The seventh sees the confidante addressing the man when he intends to part away from the lady to seek wealth and promises that he would be back by spring. The confidante says, ‘Sure, you can delight with her in spring, when the silk-cotton tree’s fire-like flowers fall in the shade of the beechwood tree, but if only the lady manages to live till then. This is to indicate to the man that the lady would suffer in his absence and that he should return as quickly as he can. In the last two, it’s courtesan trouble in the drylands too! In the ninth, the lady addresses the man and asks about a woman that the man met with, the previous day, talking about how rumours are resounding louder than a cuckoo’s call in spring. Likewise, in the tenth, the lady questions the man about the woman to whom he offered a buttercup garland and demands that the man reveal who she is!
Here I was admiring the coherence and unity of thought in the verses set in this landscape, and this section turns out to be that one odd fellow, where various contexts, why even courtesan trouble seems to loom in what’s usually the hot and dry air of the drylands! Perhaps it was evident to people then about why these verses are bunched together, but to us, it seems a random arrangement of words uttered on different occasions with some elements found in this landscape. Still, here too, we can admire the strong association of flowers and seasons with the land and delight in the superlative observational powers of these ancient people about the world around them!
In this episode, we listen to the joyous news of the man’s return, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 351-360, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Sixth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Here he comes
351 Leaving behind the drylands
அத்தப் பலவின் வெயில் தின் சிறு காய்,
அருஞ் சுரம் செல்வோர் அருந்தினர் கழியும்
காடு பின் ஒழிய வந்தனர்; தீர்க, இனி
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் மடந்தை! நின்
நல் எழில் அல்குல் வாடிய நிலையே.
The small fruit of the jackfruit tree on the path, devoured by heat, is the only food for those traversing those formidable drylands. Leaving that jungle behind, he has crossed over and come. May it end now, O maiden with many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes, the faded state of your beautiful waist!
352 Traversed the formidable
விழுத் தொடை மறவர் வில் இடத் தொலைந்தோர்
எழுத்துடை நடுகல் அன்ன விழுப்பிணர்ப்
பெருங்கை யானை இருஞ் சினம் உறைக்கும்
வெஞ் சுரம் ‘அரிய’ என்னார்,
வந்தனர் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே!
Those who perished by the bows of those drylands robbers with unfailing aim, are honoured with hero stones, inscribed with words. Akin to the rough surface of these stones is the skin of elephants with huge trunks, filled with mad rage, living in the hot drylands. Not thinking it’s hard to cross this domain, he has come, O friend, that lover of yours!
353 A chest to embrace
எரிக் கொடி கவைஇய செவ் வரை போலச்
சுடர்ப் பூண் விளங்கும் ஏந்து எழில் அகலம்
நீ இனிது முயங்க, வந்தனர்
மா இருஞ் சோலை மலை இறந்தோரே.
Akin to wildfires spreading vine-like in the red hot hill, are the radiant ornaments on his upraised, beautiful chest. For you to embrace that, he has come, the one who parted away to the mountain with dark and huge groves!
354 Maiden’s memories
ஈர்ம் பிணவு புணர்ந்த செந்நாய் ஏற்றை
மறியுடை மான் பிணை கொள்ளாது கழியும்
அரிய சுரன் வந்தனரே
தெரிஇழை அரிவை! நின் பண்பு தர விரைந்தே.
The wild red dog mounted on its moist mate and then let go of a young deer with a little fawn, without killing it, in that harsh drylands. From there, he has come so speedily, as the memories of you, the young maiden with well-etched ornaments, appeared in his mind!
355 Thinking of you
திருந்துஇழை அரிவை! நின் நலம் உள்ளி,
‘அருஞ் செயல் பொருள்பிணி பெருந் திரு உறுக!’ எனச்
சொல்லாது பெயர் தந்தேனே பல் பொறிச்
சிறு கண் யானை திரிதரும்
நெறி விலங்கு அதர கானத்தானே.
O maiden with well-etched ornaments, thinking of your fine beauty, I decided to let go of this affliction of seeking hard-to-attain wealth, and without telling others, I parted away, from that jungle, where small-eyed elephants rove and block the paths!
356 Pleasant to ponder
உள்ளுதற்கு இனியமன்ற செல்வர்
யானை பிணித்த பொன் புனை கயிற்றின்,
ஒள் எரி மேய்ந்த சுரத்திடை
உள்ளம் வாங்க, தந்த நின் குணனே.
Akin to the golden rope that the wealthy use to tie their elephants with, the glowing fire spreads in the drylands. Here, it seized my heart and made me return, those good qualities of yours, which were pleasant to ponder upon.
357 The power of flowers
குரவம் மலர, மரவம் பூப்ப,
சுரன் அணி கொண்ட கானம் காணூஉ,
‘அழுங்குக, செய்பொருள் செலவு!’ என விரும்பி, நின்
அம் கலிழ் மாமை கவின
வந்தனர் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே.
As the tarenna bloomed and the burflower blossomed, seeing the drylands jungle adorn itself with such beauty, deciding to let the journey to earn wealth perish, to make your dark-skinned beauty turn radiant, he has come, my friend, that lover of yours!
358 Thoughts that pull back
கோடு உயர் பல் மலை இறந்தனர் ஆயினும்,
நீட விடுமோ மற்றே நீடு நினைந்து,
துடைத்தொறும் துடைத்தொறும் கலங்கி,
உடைத்து எழு வெள்ளம் ஆகிய கண்ணே?
Even though he crossed over many hills with soaring peaks, will that let him prolong his journey, those thoughts of yours that make your eyes well with tears, and even though, you wipe and wipe, it continues to soar like a rising flood that breaches the dam?
359 Exhausting to ecstatic
அரும் பொருள் வேட்கையம் ஆகி, நிற் துறந்து,
பெருங் கல் அதரிடைப் பிரிந்த காலைத்
தவ நனி நெடிய ஆயின; இனியே,
அணியிழை உள்ளி யாம் வருதலின்
நணிய ஆயின சுரத்திடை ஆறே.
Desiring to attain rare wealth, leaving you behind, I parted to the path on the huge mountain. At that time, it seemed to be extremely long and exhausting. But now, as I came thinking of you, the maiden wearing beautiful ornaments, it turned so beautiful, that path in the midst of the drylands!
360 An effortless return
எரி கவர்ந்து உண்ட என்றூழ் நீள் இடை
அரிய ஆயினும், எளிய அன்றே
அவவு உறு நெஞ்சம் கவவு நனி விரும்பி,
கடு மான் திண் தேர் கடைஇ,
நெடு மான் நோக்கி! நின் உள்ளி யாம் வரவே!
Although the long path scorched by the sun and devoured by wild fire was formidable, it appeared effortless for me, as my heart, filled with desire, thought about embracing you, making me hasten the sturdy chariot tied with speedy horses, focusing on the moment of being with you, O maiden with huge, deer-like eyes!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 351-360. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s parting from a lady, after marriage, when he leaves her in search of wealth. The unifying theme of these songs is that they all speak about the man’s return from his journey to the drylands to seek wealth and all are addressed to the lady. The confidante says these words to the lady for the most part with some verses appearing in the point of view of the man as well.
Here’s a section which contains some descriptions about the drylands. In one, we see how there’s no other food in the drylands other than a piece of small, shrivelled jackfruit. In another, we see how memorial stones with inscriptions are placed for those who perished in the attack of drylands robbers. The highlight here is the mention of the word ‘எழுத்துடை’ meaning with ‘with letters’ and this showcases the literacy of this ancient culture that honoured its dead with words, two thousand years ago. This memorial stone in turns stands in as a simile for the wild and furious elephants that lived in these drylands. In another instance, we observe how a wild red dog or ‘dhole’ has just finished its mating with its sweet mate, and in that pleasant mood, takes pity on a deer with a young one and lets the poor mother and child escape unharmed. To talk about the spreading wildfire in another scene, the simile of a golden rope that wealthy people tie their elephants with, is brought forth. From this scene of ruin, the focus falls on blooming flowers such as tarenna and burflower and the way these flowers transform those drylands into groves of beauty, proclaiming the arrival of spring. In other instances, there’s further mention of this region being scorched by the harsh sun, and in addition, devastated by wildfires as well. Hot and fiery is the mood of the land here!
Turning to the intent of the speakers, in the first, it’s the confidante conveying the good news saying that the lady’s ruined waists will now transform with beauty, since the man has crossed the drylands and was on his way there. In the second, it’s her again, talking about the man’s courage to cross the terrifying drylands filled with mad elephants, she declares he has returned. In the third, she says to the lady that the man has returned just so that the lady can embrace his handsome, gold-clad chest. In the fourth, the confidante talks about how the man returned so quickly because of thoughts about the lady.
The man takes the spotlight in the next two verses, with him declaring, in the fifth, that he decided to not proceed with this pointless pursuit of wealth and how he returned without telling others, thinking of the lady and the joy to be had in her company. In the sixth, he talks about how the lady’s fine qualities, so sweet to think about, pulled him back from the drylands.
In the seventh, the confidante once again becomes the speaker and she talks about how when spring announced itself in the drylands through the flowering of the ‘kuravam’ and ‘maraam’, the man decided to let go of of his journey and to make the lady happy, he was returning. In the eighth too, the confidante talks about how the lady’s tears and thoughts would not let the man prolong his journey, no matter how far he had gone.
We hear the man’s voice in the last two verses. In the ninth, he contrasts the path he took to reach the drylands on his onward and return journey. Onward, when seeking wealth, it seemed so exhausting, but when returning, it turned so pleasant and beautiful, because he was thinking of the lady. He echoes a similar thought in the tenth about how the onward path was terrible with its heat and wildfire and seemed impossible to cross, but on the return, it was effortless because the man just thought about being with the lady and embracing her, as he wielded his horses and chariot so speedily in her direction.
When it’s about wealth, the path traversed is portrayed as harsh and impassable, but when it’s about being with a beloved, the same path seems to become a place of beauty and ease. A section which shows the timeless feeling of how the entire world seems to transform when one journeys towards love!
In this episode, we perceive the arrival of the promised season, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 341-350, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Fifth Ten of Ainkurunooru: The Season of Love
341 Singing ‘Kuyil’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
குயில் பெடை இன் குரல் அகவ,
அயிர்க் கேழ் நுண் அறல் நுடங்கும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the female cuckoo sings in its sweet voice and the bright-hued, fine black sand ripples!
342 Buzzing ’Surumbu’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
சுரும்பு களித்து ஆலும் இருஞ் சினைக்
கருங் கால் நுணவம் கமழும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when bees relish and resound around the huge branch of the black-trunked mulberry tree, wafting with fragrance!
343 Blooming ‘Kongam’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
திணி நிலைக் கோங்கம் பயந்த
அணி மிகு கொழு முகை உடையும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the beautiful flower clusters of the strong and sturdy buttercup tree burst into bloom!
344 Dancing ‘Kuravam’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
நறும் பூங் குரவம் பயந்த
செய்யாப் பாவை கொய்யும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the fragrant flowers of the Tarenna, appearing like dolls, are to be plucked!
345 Scattering ‘Athiral’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
புதுப் பூ அதிரல் தாஅய்க்
கதுப்பு அறல் அணியும் காமர் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the fine, black sand, akin to tresses, wears with desire, the spreading new flowers of the wild jasmine!
346 Blossoming ‘Paadiri’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
அம் சினைப் பாதிரி அலர்ந்தென,
செங் கண் இருங் குயில் அறையும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when seeing that the trumpet flower has bloomed on its beautiful branch, the red-eyed black cuckoo coos!
347 Adorning ‘Pungam’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
எழில் தகை இள முலை பொலியப்
பொரிப் பூம் புன்கின் முறி திமிர் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the tender leaves of the beechwood tree, having flowers, akin to puffed rice, adorns the exquisite, young breasts!
348 Flowering ‘Maraam’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
வலம் சுரி மராஅம் வேய்ந்து, நம்
மணம் கமழ் தண் பொழில் மலரும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the right-whorled ‘burflower tree’ towers above and flowers in the fragrant and cool grove!
349 Sprouting ‘Maa’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
பொரி கால் மாஞ் சினை புதைய
எரி கால் இளந் தளிர் ஈனும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when burying the branches of the mango tree with a spotted trunk, akin to tiny flames, young shoots sprout!
350 Falling ‘Vembu’
அவரோ வாரார்; தான் வந்தன்றே
வேம்பின் ஒண் பூ உறைப்ப,
தேம் படு கிளவி அவர் தெளிக்கும் பொழுதே!
My beloved has not returned; But it has arrived, the time when the glowing, white flowers of the neem fall on the ground, the time when he said he would clear my woes with his honey-like words!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 341-350. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s separation from the lady, after marriage, in search of wealth. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these are said by the lady expressing the single thought that the season the man said he would return had come but he had not come home. This season happens to be that time of the year called as ‘spring’ in most parts of the world, the season of birth and beginning. The word used in Tamil to denote this season is ‘Ila Venil’, which can be translated as ‘a young summer’ and as how, youth is the time of being in one’s shining best, this young Indian summer is full of beauty and vitality in these verses.
Focusing on the words of the lady, to reveal the arrival of the spring season in her world, she talks about the song of the cuckoo and the swaying dance of the fine black river sand; the buzzing bees around the scented, white flowers of the mulberry tree; the bright yellow flowers of the buttercup opening its buds; the plucking of the white Tarenna flowers, which seem to have the appearance of dolls; the spreading on wild jasmine on the black sand which makes its look the thick tresses of women wearing these flowers; the blossoming trumpet flowers and as if this was its cue, the black cuckoo starts its ceaseless song; the wearing of beechwood tree’s leaves on the breasts of young women; burflower tree’s flowering in the grove; little flames of new leaves sprouting from the mango tree’s branch; and finally, the falling white flowers of the neem tree. She ends with the words that he said he’d be back to allay my sorrow with his words, akin to honey!
This is one of those rare sections in Ainkurunooru with perfect coherence and unity of thought. In a nutshell, the lady points to the various ways in which the season of spring has announced its arrival whereas there was still no sign of the man. Her pain is twofold: One is because the time her beloved said he would return had come without him accompanying it, and the other is that this season of spring is when love seeks togetherness. Seeing the blooming flowers and hearing the singing birds, the sweet season of joy turns bitter to the lady, reminding her of her man’s absence. Wishing that the man returns soon to the lady, let’s delight in this document of the season of spring two thousand years ago, words that continue to make readers’ hearts bloom with joy and fill their lives with the fragrance of nature!
In this episode, we perceive the lady’s emotions after the man’s parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 331-340, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Fourth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Laments of the Lady
331 Scent of the beloved
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! அவிழ் இணர்க்
கருங் கால் மராஅத்து வைகு சினை வான் பூ
அருஞ் சுரம் செல்லுநர் ஒழிந்தோர் உள்ள,
இனிய கமழும் வெற்பின்
இன்னாது என்ப, அவர் சென்ற ஆறே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Bright flowers that have bloomed from clusters on the branches of the dark-trunked burflower tree, spread their sweet scent around the mountain, making those who traverse those drylands think of those they have left behind. Unpleasant it is, they say about the path that he parted away to!
332 Animals that rove
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! என்னதூஉம்
அறன் இல மன்ற தாமே விறல் மிசைக்
குன்று கெழு கானத்த பண்பு இல் மாக் கணம்,
‘கொடிதே காதலிப் பிரிதல்;
செல்லல், ஐய!’ என்னாதவ்வே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Aren’t they utterly without compassion? I speak of those thoughtless animals that live in the jungles atop those mountain peaks, for they never say, ‘It’s cruel to part with your lover. Don’t go, O lord!’
333 Birds that soar
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! யாவதும்
வல்லா கொல்லோ தாமே அவண
கல்லுடை நல் நாட்டுப் புள்ளினப் பெருந் தோடு,
‘யாஅம் துணை புணர்ந்து உறைதும்;
யாங்குப் பிரிந்து உறைதி!’ என்னாதவ்வே?
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Aren’t they utterly incompetent? I speak of the flocks of birds in the rock-filled, fine country there, for they never say, ‘We live so intimately with our mates. Why do you want to live apart from yours?’.
334 Harder than a rock
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! சிறியிலை
நெல்லி நீடிய கல் காய் கடத்திடை,
பேதை நெஞ்சம் பின் செல, சென்றோர்
கல்லினும் வலியர் மன்ற
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் அழப் பிரிந்தோரே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Along the burning drylands path, where sprouts the small-leaved gooseberry tree, as my naive heart follows, the one who walks on must be harder than a rock, for he could part away even when these many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes shed tears.
335 Dangerous path
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம்வயின்
நெய்த்தோர் அன்ன செவிய எருவை
கற்புடை மருங்கில் கடு முடை பார்க்கும்
காடு நனி கடிய என்ப
நீடி இவண் வருநர் சென்ற ஆறே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! In the hue of blood, are the ears of the vulture, which pecks around the stone graves for reeking flesh in the drylands forest. They say, it’s so difficult, the path that the one who delays his return has taken!
336 Afflicted by wealth
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம்வயின்
பிரியலர் போலப் புணர்ந்தோர் மன்ற
நின்றது இல் பொருள் பிணி முற்றிய
என்றூழ் நீடிய சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! In the one, who united with me as if he would never part away, the affliction for that fleeting wealth has gone beyond bounds, making him part away to those long drylands paths, scorched unceasingly!
337 Sweeter than an embrace
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம்வயின்
மெய் உற விரும்பிய கை கவர் முயக்கினும்
இனிய மன்ற தாமே
பனி இருங் குன்றம் சென்றோர்க்குப் பொருளே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! To the one who left to the cold and dark hill, seeking wealth seems sweeter than embracing me with his arms, full of desire!
338 Now when pain soars
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! சாரல்
இலை இல மலர்ந்த ஓங்கு நிலை இலவம்
மலை உறு தீயின் சுரமுதல் தோன்றும்
பிரிவு அருங் காலையும், பிரிதல்
அரிது வல்லுநர் நம் காதலோரே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! In the mountain slopes, the soaring silk-cotton tree, bereft of leaves, blooms with flowers, making it appear as if the mountain’s on fire in the drylands, in this season, when parting is so painful. Even now, he seems so capable of parting, that lover of mine!
339 Aren’t there evenings there?
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! சிறியிலைக்
குறுஞ் சினை வேம்பின் நறும் பழம் உணீஇய
வாவல் உகக்கும் மாலையும்
இன்றுகொல், தோழி! அவர் சென்ற நாட்டே?
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Isn’t there an evening when bats flutter their wings seeking to eat the fragrant fruit on the short branch of the small-leaved neem tree, in the country that he parted away to, my friend?
340 Spreading like wildfire
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! காதலர்
உள்ளார்கொல்? நாம் மருள் உற்றனம்கொல்?
விட்டுச் சென்றனர் நம்மே
தட்டைத் தீயின் ஊர் அலர் எழவே.
Listen, my friend. May you live long! Won’t my lover think of me? Have I lost the quality of attaining his grace? For he has left me and gone for long, making gossip spread around town, akin to wild fire amidst the bamboos!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 331-340. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s parting from the lady, after marriage, in search of wealth. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these words are uttered by the lady to her confidante, expressing her pain at the man’s parting.
Looking at the description of the terrain, in one, there’s a sensory depiction of how the ‘kadamba trees’ or ‘burflower trees’ burst into bloom with their fragrant flowers, and this scent would inevitably make the travellers think about their beloved, whom they have left behind. To give a modern parallel, just as how the scent of a perfume might kindle memories of a particular person, this flower makes the men travelling think back about their women. The interesting facet about this information is that this very flower is used in many perfumes, and that, no doubt dates back to ancient times. Returning, next, we catch a glimpse of a gooseberry tree, having rather small leaves, implying the shade rendered is not sufficient in those burning drylands paths. A unique bird, said to have ears as red as blood, makes an appearance next, said to be sniffing and pecking at the flesh-reeking stone mounds, revealing to us corpses left behind by the highway robbers and echoing the danger to life in those parts. Considering the description of the bird and the account of its activities, we can conclude this refers to the ‘Red-headed vulture’, the renowned scavenger of the Indian skies. In another visually stunning portrayal, the silk-cotton tree appears with no leaves at all, but filled with its red flowers, that make the mountain appear to be on fire.
Turning to the intent of the speaker, in the first, the lady laments that the man has gone far, and even though memories are kindled by the burflower blooms, the man would just keep walking on his harsh path to fulfil his mission. In the second, she projects her anger and sadness on the animals that the man would meet in his path and rebukes these beasts for their lack of compassion in not asking the man to return to the lady. In the third, from the life on land, she turns her attention to the life in the skies and chides the birds for not showing the man how they live so close with their loved ones, thereby nudging him to return to his beloved. In the fourth, she decides the man’s heart is harder than a rock for so easily he has left behind the sorrowful lady and parted away. In the fifth, the lady reflects with worry on the path the man has taken, for here death and danger looms with menace.
The sixth sees the lady exclaiming that the man is deeply afflicted to search for that wealth which never stays anywhere, and that’s why even though he said he would never part away from her, he has done just that. In the seventh, the lady remarks that the man seems to feel that finding wealth was something sweeter than embracing the lady, for why else would he have parted from her! In the eighth, she laments that the man has left her in that season, when the silk-cotton tree bursts into bloom, the one so hard to be apart. This makes me wonder which season would be considered acceptable for a parting by these lovers! From time of the year, the lady moves to the time of the day, and asks her friend whether there wouldn’t be an evening, the time when bats fly about in search of the neem’s scented fruit, in the place where the man has left too. Through this, the lady asks the timeless question of those in love, ‘Won’t they feel what I feel now?’. In the final one, the lady expresses her pain that the man has gone for too long and how this has made rumours spread in town like wildfire, spreading from a spark that fell on the bamboos, with people wondering if the man had abandoned the lady for good!
In this section, we have seen so many nuanced elements. One is, how to a person in love everything seems to revolve around them and their beloved, and the animals, birds, why even a flower seem to exist only to do their bidding. Another is the philosophical tussle between earning wealth and being with a beloved. Yet another is how certain scents, certain time of the day and year seem to make the parting even more painful. Most of all, the prominent thought that arises here is how although the women were far away from their men, their hearts and minds was not where they were, in the comfort of their homes, but wherever their beloved was, in those dangerous paths in the drylands!
In this episode, we travel to the parched spaces in the midst of the drylands, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 321-330, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Third Ten of Ainkurunooru: Thoughts of the Beloved
321 The kite’s lonely call
உலறு தலைப் பருந்தின் உளி வாய்ப் பேடை
அலறு தலை ஓமை அம் கவட்டு ஏறிப்
புலம்பு கொள விளிக்கும் நிலம் காய் கானத்து,
மொழிபெயர் பல் மலை இறப்பினும்,
ஒழிதல் செல்லாது ஒண்தொடி குணனே.
The dry-headed kite’s chisel-mouthed female climbs on a sturdy branch of the frizzle-headed ‘toothbrush tree’ and cries out, filled with loneliness, in the jungle atop the parched earth. Even when I part away thither crossing many hills, where languages keep changing, without vanishing, it stays with me, that good memories of the maiden wearing shining bangles!
322 Hot then, Cool now!
நெடுங் கழை முளிய வேனில் நீடி,
கடுங் கதிர் ஞாயிறு கல் பகத் தெறுதலின்,
வெய்ய ஆயின, முன்னே; இனியே,
ஒள் நுதல் அரிவையை உள்ளுதொறும்
தண்ணிய ஆயின, சுரத்திடை ஆறே!
Drying up tall bamboos, summer prolongs and the harsh-rayed sun splits even rocks. So hot and sweltering it was, before. But now, when I think of the maiden with a shining forehead, it becomes moist and cool, this path in the middle of the drylands!
323 Red dog awaits
வள் எயிற்றுச் செந்நாய் வயவு உறு பிணவிற்குக்
கள்ளிஅம் கடத்திடைக் கேழல் பார்க்கும்
வெஞ் சுரக் கவலை நீந்தி,
வந்த நெஞ்சம்! நீ நயந்தோள் பண்பே.
To allay the yearning of its pregnant female, the sharp-toothed wild red dog lies in wait for a wild boar amidst the cactus scrub jungle in the hot drylands. O heart, crossing these paths, it has arrived here, the thoughts of the one you love!
324 Dreams of her
எரி கவர்ந்து உண்ட என்றூழ் நீள் இடைச்
சிறிது கண்படுப்பினும், காண்குவென் மன்ற
நள்ளென் கங்குல், நளி மனை நெடு நகர்,
வேங்கை வென்ற சுணங்கின்
தேம் பாய் கூந்தல் மாஅயோளே.
Wild fire spreads and devours in the sun-scorching wide drylands. Here, even when I sleep a little, I would see her in the pitch-dark midnight hour, at the wide and tall mansion, that dark-skinned maiden, having honey-flowing tresses and pallor spots that would put ‘Kino flowers’ to shame!
325 Rustling leaves and scuttling birds
வேனில் அரையத்து இலை ஒலி வெரீஇ,
போகில் புகா உண்ணாது, பிறிது புலம் படரும்
வெம்பு அலை அருஞ் சுரம் நலியாது
எம் வெங் காதலி பண்பு துணைப் பெற்றே.
Fearing the sound of the peepul tree’s leaves in the hot summer, birds eat not their food and scatter away to other lands from that harsh and sweltering drylands. I faced this space without suffering because I had the company of my loving mate’s good memories!
326 Dreadful to Delightful
அழல் அவிர் நனந் தலை நிழல் இடம் பெறாது,
மட மான் அம் பிணை மறியொடு திரங்க,
நீர் மருங்கு அறுத்த நிரம்பா இயவின்
இன்னா மன்ற, சுரமே;
இனிய மன்ற, யான் ஒழிந்தோள் பண்பே!
In the scorching wide spaces, without a drop of shade, the naive female deer languishes along with its fawn. Filled with partial paths, where water once cut through, it’s dismal indeed, those drylands. But pleasant it turned, when I thought of the good nature of the one whom I had left behind!
327 Cool in the Heat
பொறி வரித் தடக் கை வேதல் அஞ்சி,
சிறு கண் யானை நிலம் தொடல் செல்லா;
வெயில் முளி சோலைய, வேய் உயர் சுரனே;
அன்ன ஆர் இடையானும்,
தண்மை செய்த, இத் தகையோள் பண்பே!
Fearing that its spotted and lined trunk would be scorched, the small-eyed elephant treads without letting its trunk touch the ground. The sweltering heat has made the orchard a thorn forest, where bamboos soar. Such is the drylands! Even in the midst of such a place, coolness spreads, when I reflect on the good nature of the worthy woman!
328 Hot in the Rain
நுண் மழை தளித்தென நறு மலர் தாஅய்த்
தண்ணிய ஆயினும், வெய்ய மன்ற
மடவரல் இன் துணை ஒழியக்
கடம் முதிர் சோலைய காடு இறந்தேற்கே.
Though it has become cool, as a few raindrops sprinkled down, and made fragrant flowers bloom, it is still unpleasantly hot to me, the one who has parted away from his naive and sweet companion and journeyed to these old jungles of the drylands!
329 Will it forsake?
ஆள் வழக்கு அற்ற பாழ்படு நனந் தலை
வெம் முனை அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி, நம்மொடு
மறுதருவதுகொல் தானே செறிதொடி
கழிந்து உகு நிலைய ஆக
ஒழிந்தோள் கொண்ட, என் உரம் கெழு நெஞ்சே?
That which travelled along to these abandoned and ruined wide spaces of the scorching drylands, will it forsake me and return to the one I left behind, the maiden once wearing tight bangles, which are now slipping away? I wonder about the path that my strong heart will take!
330 Time to stop
வெந் துகள் ஆகிய வெயில் கடம் நீந்தி,
வந்தனம்ஆயினும், ஒழிக இனிச் செலவே!
அழுத கண்ணள் ஆய்நலம் சிதையக்
கதிர் தெறு வெஞ் சுரம் நினைக்கும்,
அவிர் கோல் ஆய்தொடி உள்ளத்துப் படரே.
Even though we have arrived to this scorching drylands filled with hot dust, let’s stop this journey now! For ruining beauty, sorrow spreads in the heart of the maiden, wearing well-carved, rounded fine bangles, having tear-filled eyes, who keeps thinking of this sweltering drylands soaked in the sun’s rays!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 321-330. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s parting from the lady, after marriage, in search of wealth. The unifying theme in all these verses is that these are all said by the man in the midst of his journey in the drylands. Most of these are said by the man to himself, voicing out his emotions during this challenging phase of separation from the lady.
As each of these verses are firmly situated in the space of a drylands domain, we get to see many aspects of this region in this section. In one, a male kite is sketched as having not even a little moisture on its head and the female is said to have a mouth like a chisel. This female climbs on to a toothbrush tree, bereft of leaves, and cries out with loneliness. In another, even sturdy, evergreen bamboos are scorched and the sun’s heat is so intense that it splits the rocks. Next, we see this distinctive animal, the Indian Red Dog or ‘Dhole’ lying in wait to capture a wild boar, so that it can feed the hunger of its pregnant female. Following this, there’s wild fire bursting in odd places, no doubt because of the drying vegetation. In another, there’s mention of how the rustling of the dry leaves in the Peepul tree scares away birds, which seem to leave its food untouched and fly away to other places. Next, a female deer along with its little one comes into the spotlight, as it searches everywhere for some shade and does not find any. Here, the paths are the parched earth where once streams flowed through, sketches the poet. From the deer, we turn to an elephant and this beast seems to be treading without letting its trunk touch the hot ground for fear that it will be scorched in that heat. Where once an orchard stood, now there stands only a thorn jungle with scattered bamboos! In one instance, there’s a welcome change of a few drops of rain falling upon that parched land and flowers are enthusiastically raising their heads. In other representations, we see these regions as utterly uninhabitable spaces where hot dust fills the air! At the end of this journey, we can sense how one’s feet would be in blisters, sweat flooding out of the pores and breath languishing in that maze of hot dust!
Turning to the thoughts of the man in each of the verses, in the first, he declares how even though he has crossed many hills, where people speak different languages, the astonishing thing was that thoughts of the lady’s good nature still remained with him. In the second, he says how even though everything is so hot and distressing around him, when he thinks of his love, everything becomes cool. In the third, the man remarks to his heart about how the lady’s qualities seemed to have arrived there, traversing the harshness of the drylands. In the fourth, after returning from his journey, the confidante asks him how he was able to forget the lady and travel through the harsh drylands, and the man responds saying whenever he would catch a little sleep, it was the lady he used to see in his dreams, and that’s the thing that kept him going. In the fifth, it’s the same situation and he responds to the confidante saying he faced all the hardships because of the memories of his beloved.
The sixth sees the man remarking about how terrible the drylands are, and surprisingly still, this became the polar opposite when thoughts of the lady crossed his mind. In the seventh too, there’s so much heat and unpleasantness, which transforms into a cool oasis, when the man reflects on the nature of the lady. In the eighth, there’s a contrasting situation of a moment when it rains and the drylands turn pleasant to others, but to the man, it’s hot and terrible still, because the lady is not with him. In the ninth, the man wonders whether his heart will abandon him in the middle of the journey and return to the lady. And in the final one, the man has had enough and he decides he must stop this journey and return to his beloved, who is in tears, languishing in his absence. Thus, we see a vivid portrait of that timeless feeling of missing a beloved in separation and the consequences of this emotion on the inner and outer world of the person concerned!
In this episode, we perceive the emotions in parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 311-320, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty Second Ten of Ainkurunooru: Journey of the Parted
311 Will he take long?
வேங்கை கொய்யுநர் பஞ்சுரம் விளிப்பினும்,
ஆர் இடைச் செல்வோர் ஆறு நனி வெரூஉம்
காடு இறந்தனரே காதலர்;
‘நீடுவர்கொல்’ என நினையும், என் நெஞ்சே!
When those who pluck ‘Kino’ flowers, sing the ‘panchuram’ hymn, those who are traversing the formidable drylands, would be much frightened. That drylands jungle, he has crossed, that lover of mine. ‘Will he take long to return?’, wonders my heart!
312 Long live the hill!
அறம் சாலியரோ! அறம் சாலியரோ!
வறன் உண்டாயினும், அறம் சாலியரோ!
வாள் வனப்பு உற்ற அருவிக்
கோள் வல் என்னையை மறைத்த குன்றே.
May goodness flourish! May goodness flourish! Even when dearth surrounds all around, may goodness flourish in that hill, which hid my lord, a man of principles behind its waterfall, shining with a radiant beauty!
313 She who left us in sorrow
தெறுவது அம்ம, நும் மகள் விருப்பே
உறு துயர் அவலமொடு உயிர் செலச் சாஅய்,
பாழ்படு நெஞ்சம் படர் அடக் கலங்க,
நாடு இடை விலங்கிய வைப்பின்
காடு இறந்தனள், நம் காதலோளே!
Tormenting is the love of your daughter! It has revealed our deep sorrow for all to see and made our lives almost part away, and this pitiable heart laments every time memories cross of that loving girl, who has parted away to the drylands, those widespread spaces in between the countries!
314 Terror-filled path
‘அவிர் தொடி கொட்ப, கழுது புகவு அயர,
கருங் கண் காக்கையொடு கழுகு விசும்பு அகவ,
சிறு கண் யானை ஆள் வீழ்த்துத் திரிதரும்
நீள் இடை அருஞ் சுரம்’ என்ப நம்
தோள் இடை முனிநர் சென்ற ஆறே.
‘Wearing shining bangles, ghosts desiring to feed whirl around, as dark-eyed crows and vultures spread with cries on the skies, and a small-eyed elephant, waiting to kill a person, roves in that long and winding path in the impassable drylands’, they say, about the path the one, who hates my arms, took!
315 Far away in the bamboo forest
பாயல் கொண்ட பனி மலர் நெடுங் கண்
பூசல் கேளார் சேயர் என்ப
இழை நெகிழ் செல்லல் உறீஇ,
கழை முதிர் சோலைக் காடு இறந்தோரே.
The pain in those huge eyes, akin to moist flowers, that have lost their sleep, he cannot hear for he is far away, they say about the one who made these ornaments slip away and fall, the one who has parted away to the drylands, filled with mature bamboo forests.
316 Where tigers roam
பொன் செய் பாண்டில் பொலங்கலம் நந்த,
தேர் அகல் அல்குல் அவ் வரி வாட,
இறந்தோர்மன்ற தாமே பிறங்கு மலைப்
புல் அரை ஓமை நீடிய
புலி வழங்கு அதர கானத்தானே.
Making the golden ‘paandil’ ornament slip away, and the fine lines on the wide, chariot-wheel-like waist fade away, he parted beyond the mountains, where spreads the dull-trunked ’toothbrush tree’ and the tiger roams in those scrub forests.
317 The heart’s delay
சூழ்கம் வம்மோ தோழி! பாழ்பட்டுப்
பைது அற வெந்த பாலை வெங் காட்டு
அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர் தேஎத்துச்
சென்ற நெஞ்சம் நீடிய பொருளே!
Let’s think about this, come, my friend! Ruined and devoid of green is that hot jungle in the drylands, and he parted away thither. Let’s think about the reason for my heart, which went in search of him, delaying its return!
318 Fiery fire
ஆய் நலம் பசப்ப, அரும் படர் நலிய,
வேய் மருள் பணைத் தோள் வில் இழை நெகிழ,
நசை நனி கொன்றோர் மன்ற விசை நிமிர்ந்து
ஓடு எரி நடந்த வைப்பின்,
கோடு உயர் பிறங்கல், மலை இறந்தோரே.
Making pallor spread on fine beauty, a deep suffering envelop, radiant jewels on the bamboo-like arms slip away, the one who killed desire completely parted away to the spaces, where resounding aloud, fire spreads everywhere, on the other side of the peak-filled mountain!
319 Has he forgotten?
கண் பொர விளங்கிய கதிர் தெறு வைப்பின்,
மண் புரை பெருகிய மரம் முளி கானம்
இறந்தனரோ நம் காதலர்?
மறந்தனரோதில் மறவா நம்மே?
To that scorching space where the rays assail the eyes, and the earth is filled by dried and dead trees, has that lover of mine parted away? Has he forgotten me, the one who cannot forget him?
320 Falling flowers and soaring sorrow
முள் அரை இலவத்து ஒள் இணர் வான் பூ,
முழங்குஅழல் அசைவளி எடுப்ப, வானத்து
உருமுப் படு கனலின் இரு நிலத்து உறைக்கும்
கவலை அருஞ் சுரம் போயினர்
தவல் இல் அரு நோய் தலைத்தந்தோரே.
The shining, white flowers of the thorny-trunked silk cotton tree, as the roaring winds blow, akin to lightning that accompanies resounding thunder, falls upon the huge spaces in that path on the impassable drylands, and he left there, the one who gave me this terrible and unending affliction!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 311-320. The verses are set either in the situation of a man’s parting after marriage to earn wealth or in the situation of elopement of the man and lady prior to marriage. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these verses describe the path and journey of the one who has parted away. In short, if the previous section can be captioned ‘Don’t go’, this one would be ‘He’s gone!’. The words are rendered either by the lady or the confidante and in one instance, by the girl’s birth mother to her foster mother.
Let’s turn our attention to the portrait of the space, where the parted has gone to, in each of these verses. In one, we hear of how people travelling to the drylands are scared even when they hear a particular song called ‘Panchuram’ being sung by maiden plucking ‘Indian Kino tree’ flowers. To understand the meaning of this, we should know the fact that each region or landscape in Sangam times had different songs or tunes, and this ‘Panchuram’ tune apparently belonged to the ‘Paalai’ or ‘drylands’ region. If you notice, the maiden are still plucking ‘Kino’ flowers, which implies the mountains are still the dominant domain, but hearing this song, those travellers worry that they have already arrived at the drylands, so threatening it looms in their minds! In another one, a hill with a flowing waterfall is mentioned, implying that this is a mountain turned into a drylands scenario. In the horror genre is one depiction of the drylands talking about how ghosts with bangles dance around, flesh-eating birds fill the skies, and a murderous elephant awaits in the path. In another, there’s a rather subdued description of this space containing mature, bamboo forests. Danger enters again in the form of tigers roving around in those wide spaces filled with ‘Omai’ or ‘Toothbrush’ trees. Lacking green is another repeating definition of this space and no doubt due to all the dry vegetation, wild fires keep bursting here. As can be expected, the harsh rays of the sun torment the eyes in one and the earth seems to only have dried and dead trees. In the final one, the silk-cotton tree sheds its white flowers amidst the hot winds that lay siege around it. In essence, it’s a hot, dry, bleak landscape, filled with danger and horror!
Turning to the intent of the speakers, in the first, the lady laments to her confidante, worrying that the man is going to take too long to return. In the second, the lady recollects how a hill saved her man from being found by the lady’s relatives when they were eloping together. She offers a heartfelt blessing to this hill wishing that it may always remain green and lush no matter what drought spreads everywhere else. In the third, is the curious instance of a girl’s birth mother consoling the girl’s foster mother, when the girl had eloped away with the man, talking about how the situation has brought out a deep sorrow in them, made them almost lose their lives with all the pain that soars each time memories of their girl cross their mind. The pain in separation is etched in the words of this mother! Coming to the question of why there are two mothers to this lady, we have to understand that the lady’s foster mother is none other than the lady’s mother’s confidante, and also, the lady’s confidante’s mother. No, I’m not playing with words here. That’s the family set-up of these women, and in fact, this foster mother seems to be even more closer to the lady than the lady’s mother, if these poets are to be believed!
Returning, in the fourth, the lady thinks with worry about the terror-filled path the man travels. In the fifth, the confidante describes the pitiable state of the lady, after the man had parted away without having the courage to inform the lady. In the sixth, it’s the confidante again lamenting the state of the lady after the man had parted away. In all the rest of the verses, it’s the lady voice we hear, as she wonders in the seventh as to why her heart, which went in search of the man, has not returned; in the eighth, about the fiery, dangerous path the man has parted away to; in the ninth, about whether the man has totally forgotten her, she being unable to forget him even a little bit; and in the final one, again worrying about the harsh land the man now treads. Thus, we see how a separation is seen through different eyes in this section. The thing to appreciate in these ancient verses is the stress on expressing emotions, that one timeless cure for pain and distress in life!
In this episode, we listen to the strong words of the confidante, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 300-310, situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and penned by the poet Othalaanthaiyaar.
Thus spreads the Thirty First Ten of Ainkurunooru: Part not away
301 Parting away to the drylands
மால் வெள்ளோத்திரத்து மை இல் வால் இணர்,
அருஞ் சுரம் செல்வோர், சென்னிக் கூட்டும்
அவ் வரை இறக்குவை ஆயின்,
மை வரை நாட! வருந்துவள் பெரிதே.
Taking the flawless white flower clusters of the tall Symplocos tree, those who traverse the harsh drylands, tie it around their heads. If you plan to leave this beautiful mountain range, O lord of the cloud-clad mountains, she will wallow in sorrow greatly.
302 Good if you go not!
அரும்பொருள் செய் வினை தப்பற்கும் உரித்தே;
பெருந் தோள் அரிவை தகைத்தற்கும் உரியள்;
செல்லாய் ஆயினோ நன்றே
மெல்லம் புலம்ப! இவள் அழப் பிரிந்தே.
At times, it’s possible that rare and precious wealth slips away in spite of great efforts; It’s possible that the long-armed maiden might stop you as well; Parting from her and leaving her in tears, if you go not, that would be good, O lord of the gentle shores!
303 Take me along
புதுக் கலத்தன்ன கனிய ஆலம்
போகில்தனைத் தடுக்கும் வேனில் அருஞ் சுரம்
தண்ணிய இனிய ஆக;
எம்மொடும் சென்மோ, விடலை! நீயே.
Akin to a newly made pot is the fruit of the banyan. With its fruits, the tree stops the birds from flying away in the harsh summer of the drylands, and remains cool and pleasant. You should take her along with you, O young man!
304 Dare not part
கல்லாக் கோவலர் கோலின் தோண்டிய
ஆன் நீர்ப் பத்தல் யானை வௌவும்
கல் அதர்க் கவலை செல்லின், மெல் இயல்
புயல் நெடுங்கூந்தல் புலம்பும்;
வய மான் தோன்றல்! வல்லாதீமே.
The illiterate cowherds dig with their rods, puddles of water for their cattle and this is stolen by elephants near that stone-filled path in the drylands. If you are to go there, the maiden, with a gentle nature and long tresses, akin to rain in a storm, will lament a lot, O lord with speedy horses. So, dare not to part!
305 Of what use
களிறு பிடி தழீஇப் பிற புலம் படராது,
பசி தின வருந்தும் பைது அறு குன்றத்து,
சுடர்த் தொடிக் குறுமகள் இனைய,
எனைப்பயம் செய்யுமோ விடலை! நின் செலவே?
Being in the embrace of the female elephant, the male wishes not to move away to other lands, even when hunger torments them in their dried-up hill, lacking green. Making the maiden wearing glowing bangles sad, of what good would it do, that parting away of yours?
306 Melancholic than a flute
வெல்போர்க் குருசில்! நீ வியன் சுரன் இறப்பின்,
பல் காழ் அல்குல் அவ் வரி வாட,
குழலினும் இனைகுவள் பெரிதே
விழவு ஒலி கூந்தல் மாஅயோளே.
O lord, who is victorious in battles, if you go to the wide drylands, making the beautiful lines on her waist, adorned with many ornaments, fade, she would resound with more melancholy than a flute, that dark-skinned maiden with luxuriant tresses, fragrant like a festival!
307 Fire and Fear
ஞெலி கழை முழங்குஅழல் வயமா வெரூஉம்
குன்றுடை அருஞ் சுரம் செலவு அயர்ந்தனையே;
நன்று இல, கொண்க! நின் பொருளே
பாவை அன்ன நின் துணைப் பிரிந்து வருமே.
The bamboos rub against each other and catch fire. Seeing the spreading fire, a strong tiger runs in fear in the peak-filled, harsh drylands, and you intend to journey there. This is not good, O lord, for that wealth will not come unless you part away from your maiden, akin to the statue of a mountain goddess!
308 Parting away from here and now
பல் இருங் கூந்தல் மெல்லியலோள்வயின்
பிரியாய் ஆயினும் நன்றே; விரிஇணர்க்
கால் எறுழ் ஒள் வீ தாஅய
முருகு அமர் மா மலை பிரிந்தெனப் பிரிமே.
If you don’t part away from the gentle maiden with thick, dark tresses, that would be good; If not, remember that you part away, leaving her in this beautiful, huge mountain, where God Murugu resides, and where the shining flowers of the blackboard tree, with blossomed clusters and thick trunk, blooms and spreads!
309 Is it better?
வேனில் திங்கள் வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்து
செலவு அயர்ந்தனையால் நீயே; நன்றும்
நின் நயந்து உறைவி கடுஞ் சூல் சிறுவன்
முறுவல் காண்டலின், இனிதோ
இறு வரை நாட! நீ இறந்து செய் பொருளே?
On a summer day, you intend to part away to the hot drylands. O lord of the rock-filled mountain, would it be sweeter than seeing the smile of your first son, now in the womb of your loving wife, that wealth you are going to gain by parting away!
310 Hard to recover
பொலம் பசும் பாண்டில் காசு நிரை அல்குல்,
இலங்கு வளை மென் தோள், இழை நிலை நெகிழப்
பிரிதல் வல்லுவைஆயின்,
அரிதே, விடலை, இவள் ஆய்நுதல் கவினே!
With a waist, clad with coin-shaped ornaments, made of pure gold, is that gentle maiden with shining bangles. If you part, making her ornaments slip away, it would be hard, O young man, to recover the beauty of her fine forehead!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 300-310. With this section, we have entered the next landscape of ‘Paalai’ or the ‘drylands’. What we have to understand about this land is that this is not a exclusive division of territory in Sangam times, unlike the other four landscapes, but rather a time-varying situation when either the mountain or forest region would turn dry in a harsh and sweltering summer. In line with this bleak landscape, most of the verses are set in the sombre theme of parting away and the pain that arises in this separation. All the verses in this section are set in the situation of a man’s parting from the lady, after marriage, on a journey to earn wealth. The unifying theme of all the verses here is that these are all words uttered by the confidante to stop or delay the parting away of the man from the lady.
As these are the drylands, mentions of imagery in nature is scarce. Let’s focus on the few we find here. In one, there’s an interesting detail of people walking through the drylands wearing the white flowers of the ‘Symplocos tree’, called as ‘Lodhra’ in Hindi. On researching, learnt that this is a medicinal tree with all its parts having multiple benefits, and especially the flowers are said to have a cooling quality. Looks like Sangam people had figured out the much-needed benefit of this tree! In another, the banyan comes to the forefront, and striking is the way, the poet compares the fruits of this tree to newly made pots. Looking at an image of these fruits, I was wowed by their similarity to little red pots, fresh out of the potter’s wheel! Returning to the verse, the banyan is said to stop birds from flying away during the harsh summer to the drylands because of the presence of its fruits and cool shade. In another, cowherds who don’t have much bookish knowledge still dig up puddles to help their cattle during the harsh summer months and elephants steal away this water stealthily. Next, we see a male elephant in the tight embrace of its mate, wishing not to move away even when hunger attacks it, as all the green dries up on that hill, telling us that this is a mountain landscape turned into the drylands one summer. Next, we see the startling sight of bamboos rubbing against each other and bursting into flames, such is sweltering summer, and seeing this, a tiger scuttles away frightened.
Now, moving on to the intent of the speakers, in all cases, it’s the confidante speaking to the man. In the first, she says the lady will suffer in sorrow if the man parts away. In the second, she talks philosophically about how sometimes wealth does not come one’s way inspite of all efforts and how the lady would not want the man to go away, and so, she asks him, not to leave the lady in tears and go on that path. In this verse, the confidante addresses the man, as the lord of the gentle shores, and this could imply that the man was intending to sail away to some distant land to gain that wealth. In the third, the confidante insists that the man take the lady along with him. This makes us infer that both the man and lady travelling together was also a possibility then, though not commonly undertaken. In the fourth, the confidante says the lady will worry a lot if he goes, and asks him not to do that. In the fifth she asks what good can parting away do. In the sixth, the confidante says if the man parts away, the lady’s beautiful appearance would fade and she would be in a more melancholic state than a flute. That’s a poignant thought, I felt! In the seventh, the confidante says wealth that comes from parting away from the lady is no good. In the eighth, she declares that the man shouldn’t part away but if he decides to do so, then he must remember that he’s leaving the lady in the summer season, when the ‘Eruzh’ tree’s flowers spread everywhere in that mountain land of theirs, where God Murugu resides, implying of oaths taken never to part and let the lady suffer. The ninth is the only verse wherein there seemed to be a valid reason to prevent the man’s journey, at least from our perspective. For here, the confidante asks the man whether the wealth he’s going to earn was better than seeing the smile of his first born son, now in the womb of the lady! The thought that a man must be with his wife in this time of childbirth resounds aloud here. In the final verse, the confidante says the man may win all the wealth he needs, but with that, could he recover the beauty that’s lost from the lady.
Looking at the metaphorical elements, in that scene of the banyan extending its shade and sustenance to the birds in the harsh summer, there’s a metaphor for the man being the source of strength to the lady even in the drylands, and so, he must take her along in his journey. In the image of the elephants stealing away the water from the cowherds’ puddles for their cattle, the confidante places a metaphor for pallor stealing away the beauty of the lady, meant for the man. The scene where the tiger runs away seeing the fire flaring between the bamboos is a metaphor for the fear in the lady and confidante, thinking about the fire-like separation between the man and lady. Thus, in this section, we find a great unity of thought and intent, unlike the other sections, for every single one intends to stop the man from taking up his journey to earn wealth. Could this parting away and seeking wealth have been a non-essential thing that makes the confidante so boldly say, ‘Don’t go’ to the man? Interesting to think about which cases the man would still go, and which cases, he would heed the words of this good friend and stay!
In this episode, we observe the dance of the peacock, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 291-300, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Thirtieth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Trail of the Peacock’s Tail
291 Where peacocks dance
மயில்கள் ஆலக் குடிஞை இரட்டும்
துறுகல் அடுக்கத்ததுவே பணைத் தோள்,
ஆய் தழை நுடங்கும் அல்குல்,
காதலி உறையும் நனி நல் ஊரே.
There, where peacocks dance and owls sing in the rock-filled mountain ranges, is the excellent town, in which my lover, the one with bamboo-like arms, wearing beautiful leaves around her waist, resides!
292 More special to me
மயில்கள் ஆல, பெருந் தேன் இமிர,
தண் மழை தழீஇய மா மலை நாட!
நின்னினும் சிறந்தனள், எமக்கே நீ நயந்து
நல் மனை அருங் கடி அயர,
எம் நலம் சிறப்ப, யாம் இனிப் பெற்றோளே.
Peacocks dance and huge bees resound in the tall mountain, embraced by moist rainclouds, in your country, O lord! She’s more special to me than to you, the one, whom you have desired and brought to our fine house, to perform that rare marriage for our betterment; The one I welcome home today!
293 Who else?
சிலம்பு கமழ் காந்தள் நறுங் குலை அன்ன
நலம் பெறு கையின் என் கண் புதைத்தோயே!
பாயல் இன் துணை ஆகிய பணைத் தோள்
தோகை மாட்சிய மடந்தை!
நீ அலது உளரோ என் நெஞ்சு அமர்ந்தோரே?
With beautiful hands, akin to the flame-lily’s fragrant cluster, which spreads its scent across the mountain slopes, you hid my eyes! O naive maiden, with bamboo-like arms, with an appearance of a peacock, who else can there be, other than you, who have taken residence in my heart?
294 Long life to your father
எரி மருள் வேங்கை இருந்த தோகை
இழை அணி மடந்தையின் தோன்றும் நாட!
இனிது செய்தனையால்; நுந்தை வாழியர்!
நல் மனை வதுவை அயர, இவள்
பின் இருங் கூந்தல் மலர் அணிந்தோயே!
With flowers, akin to flames, is the Kino tree, upon which sits a peacock, appearing like an ornament-clad, naive maiden in your country, O lord! As you have done good things, may your father live long! Performing the good ceremony of marriage, you have tied flowers on her thick, dark tresses!
295 Will it? Won’t it?
வருவதுகொல்லோ தானே வாராது
அவண் உறை மேவலின், அமைவது கொல்லோ
புனவர் கொள்ளியின் புகல் வரும் மஞ்ஞை,
இருவி இருந்த குருவி வருந்துற,
பந்து ஆடு மகளிரின் படர்தரும்
குன்று கெழு நாடனொடு சென்ற என் நெஞ்சே?
Will it return to me? Or wishing to reside there, will it stay and not return to me? Peacocks that seek refuge from the mountain farmers’ firebrands, spread akin to maiden who play ball, scaring away sparrows that were living on the millet fields, in the peak-filled country of the lord. I speak of this heart of mine that parted with him!
296 Midnight visitor
கொடிச்சி காக்கும் பெருங் குரல் ஏனல்
அடுக்கல் மஞ்ஞை கவரும் நாட!
நடுநாள் கங்குலும் வருதி;
கடு மா தாக்கின், அறியேன் யானே.
The huge-stalked millets guarded by the mountain maiden are stolen by the peacock in the ranges, O lord! You come in the darkness of midnight! What will I do if wild beasts attack you?
297 Knows not to part
விரிந்த வேங்கைப் பெருஞ் சினைத் தோகை
பூக் கொய் மகளிரின் தோன்றும் நாட!
பிரியினும், பிரிவது அன்றே
நின்னொடு மேய மடந்தை நட்பே.
On the tall branch of the spreading ‘Indian Kino tree’, appears a peacock, akin to flower-picking maiden, in your country, O lord! Even if you part away, it knows not to part, the unwavering love that naive maiden feels for you!
298 Unforgettable
மழை வரவு அறியா மஞ்ஞை ஆலும்
அடுக்கல் நல் ஊர் அசைநடைக் கொடிச்சி
தான் எம் அருளாள்ஆயினும்,
யாம் தன் உள்ளுபு மறந்தறியேமே!
Knowing the arrival of the rainclouds, peacocks dance in the fine mountain town, where lives the maiden with a swaying gait. Even if she does not render her grace to me, I know not how to forget her!
299 Matchless
குன்ற நாடன் குன்றத்துக் கவாஅன்,
பைஞ் சுனைப் பூத்த பகுவாய்க் குவளையும்
அம் சில் ஓதி அசைநடைக் கொடிச்சி
கண்போல் மலர்தலும் அரிது; இவள்
தன் போல் சாயல் மஞ்ஞைக்கும் அரிதே.
On the slopes of the lord of the mountains, the blue-lily that spreads opens its petals in the fresh springs cannot bloom like the eyes of the mountain maiden, having soft, beautiful tresses and a swaying gait; Likewise for the peacock to have her radiant beauty is impossible too!
300 He is here for you
கொடிச்சி கூந்தல் போலத் தோகை
அம் சிறை விரிக்கும் பெருங் கல் வெற்பன்
வந்தனன்; எதிர்ந்தனர் கொடையே;
அம் தீம் கிளவி! பொலிக, நின் சிறப்பே!
Akin to the mountain maiden’s tresses is the tail of the peacock, when it spreads its feathers in the tall mountain country of the lord. He has come; and he has rendered his offerings! O lady, who speaks sweet and beautiful words, may that glory of yours shine on!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 291- 300. Most of the verses are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, with a couple of songs, set after the marriage of the man and lady. The unifying theme in this section is the presence of that radiant peacock, an integral part of this landscape. The words are uttered either by the man, the confidante or the lady in varying contexts.
Let’s focus on the peacock and its manifestations here. We see these peacocks dancing in most instances, the spreading of their feathers being their most striking feature. In some, the lady is placed in parallel with a peacock. We see how the peacock likes to take residence in ‘Indian Kino’ trees. Then, there’s the unique situation of mountain farmers applying their firebrands towards their slash and burn process of farming, and this frightens the peacocks, who seek refuge elsewhere, and as they move, opening out their feathers, they frighten little sparrows on the millet fields. In another, these peacocks are stealing the millets that the lady has been guarding so carefully from the parrots. The peacock on the Indian Kino tree is compared to a flower-picking maiden in one case. Then, there’s the well-known fact about peacock opening their feathers, predicting the fall of rain. In one, there’s comparison between the peacock’s beauty and the lady’s, and in other, a maiden’s flowing tresses are placed in parallel to a peacock that spreads its feathers in its glorious dance.
Turning to the intent of the speakers, in the first, speaks the man, who is returning from his journey to gain wealth for his wedding and he details to his charioteer the remarkable town, where peacocks dance to the beat of the owls’ hoot, the one where his love lives. In the second, is a unique, never-seen before situation after marriage, where the lady of the house warmly welcomes another woman the man has married, saying this lady is more important to her than even to the man, adding she has come to better their lives. If the interpretation about the speaker and situation is right, then there seems to have been a custom of a man taking another wife, perhaps when the first couldn’t give birth to a child. Let’s see if we find any other reference to this situation in our Sangam travels! Moving on, in the third, the lady playfully closes the eyes of the man from behind, when he comes there to tryst with her. The man passes this test with the trick question of ‘Who is it?’ in flying colours, for he says, ‘Who else can it be but you, the one who lives in my heart?’. In the fourth, the confidante praises the man and blesses his father with a long life, because the man had married the lady as promised and here we note the ceremony of tying flowers on the lady’s head to mark their marriage. In the fifth, the lady wonders if her heart that left with the man will return to her or whether it would stay there with him, and torment her.
In the sixth, the confidante remarks about the man wanting to arrive at night to tryst with the lady and refuses it, saying that’s filled with danger from roving beasts. This is an indirect way of nudging him to give up trysting and take steps towards marrying the lady. In the seventh, when the man says to the confidante that he has to part away for a little while, she remarks about the painful state of the lady, whose love knows not how to part away from the man. In the eighth, when the confidante conveys the lady’s shy reaction to the man’s request to meet with her, he replies whether the lady accepts or not, he cannot forget her, words meant to win the confidante’s support. The ninth sees the man in throes of fresh love as he declares that even a blue-lily cannot shine like the lady’s eyes and even a peacock cannot be as beautiful as the lady. In the final one, the confidante declares with much jubilation that the man has returned to claim the lady’s hand and all good things are to follow.
Taking in the metaphors, the peacock that is scared by the firebrand is a metaphor for the man who has parted away from the lady, fearing the gossip of the townsfolk, and the sparrows that are scared by the action of the peacock, refer to the lady and the confidante, who wonder if the man will return and claim the lady’s hand. In the one, where the peacock steal the millets inspite of the lady’s guard, that’s a metaphor for how the man must claim the lady’s hand to overcome the circle of confinement put up by the lady’s family. And with this section, we come to the end of our travels in the mountains, which revealed to us, the throbbing life here as well as the vibrant young love that first sprouts here in this picturesque landscape. Now, it’s time to wave farewell to these awe-inspiring mountains and walk on to our next destination!
In this episode, we perceive scenes involving parrots in a mountain field, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 281-290, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Ninth Ten of Ainkurunooru: In Gratitude to the Parrots
281 Long live the parrot!
வெள்ள வரம்பின் ஊழி போகியும்
கிள்ளை வாழிய, பலவே ஒள் இழை
இரும் பல் கூந்தல் கொடிச்சி
பெருந் தோள் காவல் காட்டியவ்வே.
Even after a gazillion days pass, beyond the limits of time, long may live the parrots! For they have shown me the mountain maiden, wearing shining jewels and having thick, dark tresses, as she came to guard, waving her long arms!
282 Come not at night
சாரல் புறத்த பெருங் குரல் சிறு தினைப்
பேர் அமர் மழைக்கண் கொடிச்சி கடியவும்
சோலைச் சிறு கிளி உன்னும் நாட!
ஆர் இருள் பெருகின; வாரல்
கோட்டு மா வழங்கும் காட்டக நெறியே.
In the field of little millets with huge stalks, situated in the mountainside, even though the mountain maiden with huge and beautiful, rain-like eyes chases them away, those little parrots from the groves peck at the millet cobs in your country, O lord! A deep darkness spreads; So, come not through that jungle path where horned beasts rove!
283 A net of lies
வன்கட் கானவன் மென் சொல் மட மகள்
புன்புல மயக்கத்து உழுத ஏனல்
பைம் புறச் சிறு கிளி கடியும் நாட!
பெரிய கூறி நீப்பினும்,
பொய்வலைப் படூஉம் பெண்டு தவப் பலவே.
The soft-voiced, naive daughter of the harsh-eyed mountain dweller chases away the green-backed little parrots from the field of millets sowed in those water-scarce lands in your country, O lord! Even though others say a lot about your flaws and try to keep them away, women who fall for your net of lies are many indeed!
284 Heart not to part
அளியதாமே, செவ் வாய்ப் பைங் கிளி
குன்றக் குறவர் கொய் தினைப் பைங் கால்
இருவி நீள்புனம் கண்டும்
பிரிதல் தேற்றாப் பேர் அன்பினவே.
To be pitied, are those red-beaked green parrots! For the mountain farmers have harvested the millets and all that’s left is the green stubble. Even after seeing the state of the fields, they wish to part not. Such is their great love!
285 How could you part?
பின் இருங் கூந்தல் நல் நுதல் குறமகள்
மென் தினை நுவணை உண்டு, தட்டையின்
ஐவனச் சிறு கிளி கடியும் நாட!
வீங்குவளை நெகிழப் பிரிதல்
யாங்கு வல்லுநையோ, ஈங்கு இவள் துறந்தே?
The mountain maiden, with dark, well-tied tresses and a fine forehead, eats soft millet flour, and then, with a ‘thattai’ rattle, chases away little parrots from the millet fields in your country, O lord! Making those tight-fitting bangles loosen, how did you find the strength to part away, leaving her here?
286 Will he, won’t he?
சிறு தினை கொய்த இருவி வெண் கால்
காய்த்த அவரைப் படு கிளி கடியும்
யாணர் ஆகிய நல் மலை நாடன்
புகர் இன்று நயந்தனன் போலும்;
கவரும் தோழி! என் மாமைக் கவினே.
On the field where the millets have been harvested, where remains only white stubble, field beans sprout. And parrots that come to eat them are chased away in the prosperous, fine mountain country of the lord. It looks like he desires to do the wrong thing, for this dark-skinned beauty of mine seems to bloom and fade, my friend!
287 All you can do…
நெடு வரை மிசையது குறுங் கால் வருடை
தினை பாய் கிள்ளை வெரூஉம் நாட!
வல்லை மன்ற பொய்த்தல்;
வல்லாய் மன்ற, நீ அல்லது செயலே.
The short-legged mountain goat that lives atop the tall mountain scares away the parrots pouncing on the millets in your country, O lord! You sure can lie, but you can’t do anything else!
288 Debt of gratitude
நன்றே செய்த உதவி நன்று தெரிந்து
யாம் எவன் செய்குவம்? நெஞ்சே! காமர்
மெல் இயல் கொடிச்சி காப்பப்
பல் குரல் ஏனல் பாத்தரும் கிளியே.
What can I offer to them, when I know well the good help they have done to me, O heart? For making that desirable mountain maiden with a gentle nature stand in guard, they keep spreading on the many-stalked millet field, those worthy parrots!
289 Voice like a parrot
‘கொடிச்சி இன் குரல் கிளி செத்து, அடுக்கத்துப்
பைங் குரல் ஏனல் படர்தரும் கிளி’ எனக்
காவலும் கடியுநர் போல்வர்
மால் வரை நாட! வரைந்தனை கொண்மோ!
Saying, ‘The sweet voice of the mountain maiden is like that of a parrot. This attracts the bird flock to spread on the green stalks of the millet fields in the mountains’, they set aside her guarding duties, O lord of the huge mountains! You need to claim her hand and take her with you!
290 Righteous than a king
அறம் புரி செங்கோல் மன்னனின் தாம் நனி
சிறந்தன போலும், கிள்ளை பிறங்கிய
பூக் கமழ் கூந்தல் கொடிச்சி
நோக்கவும் படும்; அவள் ஓப்பவும் படுமே.
Even more worthy than a righteous king, who renders justice with his red sceptre, are the parrots. For making you see the mountain maiden with flower-scented tresses, they spread, and even when she chases them, they continue to spread on the millet fields!
And so concludes Ainkurunooru 281-290. All the verses except one are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and the exception is set after marriage, involving a conflict situation with a courtesan. The unifying theme of all these verses is the presence of parrots and their influence on the love life of the man and lady. The words are spoken by the man, the confidante or the lady in varying contexts.
As the first item on this travel itinerary, let’s focus on the depiction of the parrots. In the first verse, the parrots are blessed with a limitless life. The reason for this generous blessing, we’ll delve into shortly. Next, we see how even when the mountain girl chases the parrots away, they continue to peck at the millet cobs. And this is the predominant scene we observe in most of the verses, where the lady is seen chasing away the parrots from the millet fields, belonging to her father. Then, there’s that poignant scene of how the parrots, look at the empty millet fields, which have been harvested, leaving behind only the stubble of the millet crops, and wish not to part from there. After this, we see a particular mountain maiden eating millet flour, and then with full energy, no doubt, chasing away the parrots using a ‘thattai’, said to be a rattle. Following this, we once again see how the millet fields have been harvested but right there amidst the stubble, field beans are growing up. This could be an instance of crop rotation by these ancient mountain farmers. As smart as these farmers, are the parrots that come to eat those field beans. Looks like they have a wide palate! In another verse, we see how a mountain goat scares away the parrots that are pecking away at the millets. Next, a man looks at these parrots with much affection and gratitude and we’ll keep that mystery of why in suspense, for a little while. Later, we see how in one instance, the lady’s family think that the lady’s voice is so sweet and exactly like the parrots and they decide not to let her guard the fields as it’s attracting those parrots. Should be interesting to hear the voice of this lady, no doubt! In the final portrait, the parrots are praised as being better than even a righteous king.
Let’s turn our attention to the intent of the speakers. In the first, it’s the man who wishes the parrots a life beyond limits, why because it’s the parrots that have made him see his love, the mountain girl, as she came to the millet fields, to chase them away. Two interesting aspects are there in this verse. One, the use of the Tamil word ‘Vellam’, not in the contemporary meaning of ‘flood’, but representing a huge number in their terms, beyond hundreds and thousands. This stands testimony to the futuristic imagination of these ancients, who knew knowledge does not stop with what they know. Next noteworthy aspect is in how the man thanks not any supernatural entity or destiny, but simply the parrots for bringing him and the lady together. This is proof of the rational and logical thinking of these Sangam people.
Returning, in the second, we see the confidante telling the man not to tryst with the lady at night anymore, as there’s darkness and danger of wild beasts around, thereby nudging him to give up trysting and seek marriage with her. The third is the one in the post-marital context, and here, the confidante talks about how even though people say strong words against the man, women seem to continue to fall for his lies, implying his association with courtesans and how the lady seems to forgive and accept him. In the fourth, it’s the confidante speaking those words to the lady, as the man listens nearby, about the parrots that do not part away even after the harvest is done, such is their great love. In the fifth, the confidante asks the man how he has the heart to part away, leaving the lady, talking about the interruptions in the man’s trysting with the lady and the pain this brings to the lady.
In the sixth, the lady takes the spotlight, as she says to the confidante about the man’s changing stance between elopement and parting away to earn wealth, saying how her beauty seems to fluctuate between good and bad, as the man keeps alternating his plan of action. The seventh is an angry statement by the confidante, who declares that the only thing the man can do is lie and not anything else, because he said he would claim the lady on a particular day and failed to keep his promise. In the eighth, we see the man in a pensive, thankful mood again, wondering what he can offer as a gift to those parrots that have given him the boon of meeting with his worthy lady. In the ninth, the confidante clearly states to the man that the lady has been put on guard by her family and the only way for the man to meet the lady is to claim her hand in marriage. In the final one, the parrots are glorified by the confidante, as she remarks to the man about the parrots being more righteous than a king because just to make the man see the lady, they keep spreading on the millet fields, even when the lady chases them, just passing on a consoling message to the man that he need not worry about the lady missing in action for she will be back soon to guard the fields and that the man could tryst with her again.
Taking in the metaphorical elements, in the image of the parrots not parting from the millet fields, even after the harvest, that’s a metaphor for how the man should remain loving to the lady even in the later years of her life with him, when beauty has faded. In the one where the parrots are frightened by the harmless mountain goat, that’s a metaphor for the man delaying seeking the lady’s hand, worrying about the reaction of her family. A verse which illustrates with the fluttering wings of the parrots and the throbbing noise of the rattles, how inseparably the love of the people then was tied to the land and all the life in it!
In this episode, we follow the trail of a monkey, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 271-280, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Eighth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Tales of the mountain monkey
271 Anything for her
அவரை அருந்த மந்தி பகர்வர்
பக்கின் தோன்றும் நாடன் வேண்டின்
பசுப்போல் பெண்டிரும் பெறுகுவன்;
தொல் கேள் ஆகலின், நல்குமால் இவட்கே.
After eating field beans, the monkey looks like a bag belonging to a trader in the land of the lord. If he so desires, he would get many women with the good nature of cows. Since it’s a long and old relationship, close to his heart, he will render everything possible just for her!
272 Mother’s hallucination
கரு விரல் மந்திக் கல்லா வன் பறழ்
அரு வரைத் தீம் தேன் எடுப்பி, அயலது
உரு கெழு நெடுஞ் சினைப் பாயும் நாடன்
இரவின் வருதல் அறியான்;
‘வரும் வரும்’ என்ப தோழி! யாயே.
The black-fingered monkey’s foolish young one, wanting to take sweet honey from the formidable mountain cleft, disturbs the comb and then leaps with fear onto the tall branch in the land of the lord. He does not know to come at night. While that is so, my friend, mother keeps saying, ‘He was here!’, ‘He was here!’.
273 More tears
அத்தச் செயலைத் துப்பு உறழ் ஒண் தளிர்
புன் தலை மந்தி வன் பறழ் ஆரும்
நல் மலை நாட! நீ செலின்,
நின் நயந்து உறைவி என்னினும் கலிழ்மே.
The shining leaves of the Ashoka tree on the path appear akin to coral and is fed upon by the soft-haired female monkey’s strong infant in your fine mountains, O lord! If you leave, the one who loves you will shed much more tears than me!
274 Parted with beauty mine
மந்திக் கணவன் கல்லாக் கடுவன்,
ஒண் கேழ் வயப்புலி குழுமலின், விரைந்து, உடன்
குன்று உயர் அடுக்கம் கொள்ளும் நாடன்
சென்றனன் வாழி, தோழி! என்
மென் தோள் கவினும், பாயலும், கொண்டே.
The lover of the female monkey is an unskilled male. Hearing the roar of the shining and strong male tiger, hurrying, the male monkey immediately rushes to the soaring high mountain ranges to hide in the land of the lord. He has left, my friend, taking along with him, the beauty of my delicate arms and my sleep as well!
275 If you love her
குரங்கின் தலைவன் குரு மயிர்க் கடுவன்
சூரல்அம் சிறு கோல் கொண்டு, வியல் அறை
மாரி மொக்குள் புடைக்கும் நாட!
யாம் நின் நயந்தனம் எனினும், எம்
ஆய்நலம் வாடுமோ அருளுதி எனினே?
The leader of the monkeys is a male with shimmering hair. Taking a small cane stick, it tries to hit the rain cloud in those wide mountain spaces of your land, O lord! Yes, she does love you and if you too love her and render your grace, will her fine beauty fade?
276 Wife of the mountain lord
மந்திக் காதலன் முறி மேய் கடுவன்
தண் கமழ் நறைக் கொடி கொண்டு, வியல் அறைப்
பொங்கல் இள மழை புடைக்கும் நாட!
நயவாய்ஆயினும் வரைந்தனை சென்மோ
கல் முகை வேங்கை மலரும்
நல் மலை நாடன் பெண்டு எனப் படுத்தே!
The lover of the female monkey is the male, who grazes on tender shoots. Taking the cool and fragrant ‘narai’ vine in its hand, it tries to hit the brimming, young clouds in the wide spaces of your land, O lord! Whether you love her or not, please seek her hand so that she will be known as ‘wife of the leader of the fine land, where blooms the ‘Kino’ flowers in the mountain clefts’.
277 Spreader of pallor
குறவர் முன்றில் மா தீண்டு துறுகல்
கல்லா மந்தி கடுவனோடு உகளும்
குன்ற நாட! நின் மொழிவல்; என்றும்,
பயப்ப நீத்தல் என் இவள்
கயத்து வளர் குவளையின் அமர்த்த கண்ணே.
On the scratching stone pillar in the front yards of mountain dwellers’ homes, along with the naive female monkey, the male too delights in your peak-filled land, O lord! I wish to ask you something: Why do you part away so often, making her eyes, akin to a blue lily blooming in the pond, spread with pallor?
278 Renderer of affliction
சிலம்பின் வெதிரத்துக் கண்விடு கழைக்கோல்
குரங்கின் வன் பறழ் பாய்ந்தென, இலஞ்சி
மீன் எறி தூண்டிலின் நிவக்கும் நாடன்
உற்றோர் மறவா நோய் தந்து,
கண்டோர் தண்டா நலம் கொண்டனனே!
As a monkey’s strong infant leaps on it, a bamboo with nodes that blooms in the mountain slopes, bends and appears akin to a fishing rod in the land of the lord. To those who love him, he has given an unrelenting affliction and taken away their flawless beauty.
279 Danger and slander awaits
கல் இவர் இற்றி புல்லுவன ஏறிக்
குளவி மேய்ந்த மந்தி துணையொடு
வரைமிசை உகளும் நாட! நீ வரின்,
கல் அகத்தது எம் ஊரே;
அம்பல் சேரி அலர் ஆங்கட்டே.
The roots of the ‘White fig’ tree spreads around the rocks and climbing upon this, the female monkey that fed on the wild jasmine plays along with its mate in your land, O lord! If you plan on coming, know that our town is amidst the rocky mountains and close to spaces, where slander and gossip spreads!
280 Good tidings to mother
கரு விரல் மந்திக் கல்லா வன் பார்ப்பு
இரு வெதிர் ஈர்ங் கழை ஏறி, சிறு கோல்
மதி புடைப்பது போல் தோன்றும் நாட!
வரைந்தனை நீ எனக் கேட்டு யான்
உரைத்தனென் அல்லெனோ அஃது என் யாய்க்கே?
The black fingered female monkey’s foolish little child, climbs on the huge bamboo’s moist stalk, and appears as if it’s trying to hit the moon in your land, O lord! On learning that you had wed her, I have already informed this to mother, haven’t I?
So concludes Ainkurunooru 271-280. All the verses except the last one are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, whereas the exception is set after marriage, but does not involve the usual courtesan trouble. The unifying theme of all these verses is the presence of the monkey and how it reflects the relationship between the man and the lady. The verses are said either by the confidante or the lady, sometimes to each other, or to the man, and in most cases, for the benefit of the man, listening nearby.
First, let’s take in the different depictions of the mountain monkey. In the very first one, we see a female monkey feeding on the ‘avarai’ or ‘field beans’ and looking like a trader’s bag, implying that the monkey’s belly had swollen with its food of plenty. In another, it’s the young one of the female in the spotlight and this monkey, not so smart, but full of desire for the sweet honey, disturbs the honeycomb and is soon chased by angry bees, making it leap to another branch. After that rather comic depiction, the little monkey is seen eating the leaves of the Ashoka tree, said to be as radiant as coral. Though interpreters have mentioned it as coral, considering the rich green of the Ashoka tree, shouldn’t it be jade? Whereas, if it’s indeed coral, did the leaves of the Ashoka tree turn red then or are they talking about a different tree? We’ll hold on to these questions and follow the monkey. Now, it’s the turn of the male monkey, which hearing the roar of a tiger rushes to the high mountain ranges. In the next too, we get a glimpse of the male monkey, said to have shimmering hair, and we observe how this male takes a cane stick in hand and tries to hit a raincloud up above. The hitting action continues in the next scene, where the monkey takes a ‘narai’ vine and pretends to beat the raincloud. Next, we get to see a pillar in front of a mountain dweller’s home and this is said to be installed there, so that animals can relieve their itch on the same. And here, leaping on that pillar, the male monkey delights with the female out in the open. A monkey infant appears in the next scene and as it jumps on a bamboo, that bends like a fishing rod. In the next, the female monkey, after eating white jasmine, climbs on the roots of the fig tree spreading around the rocks and plays with the male. In the final one, the naive monkey infant appears as if it’s hitting the moon atop the bamboo stalk.
Turning from these lively depictions, let’s focus our attention on the intent of the speakers. In the first, the confidante reveals the lady’s relationship to the lady’s family, when they plan on refusing the man, saying to them that the man can get any woman he wants, and curiously a good woman is referred to as ‘cow-like’ in this instance! Could this be because the male is often referred to as a ‘bull’? Moving on, the confidante tells the lady’s family that because the man loves the lady, he would give a lot of offerings to win her over. In the next, the lady complains to the confidante, while the man listens nearby saying that the man doesn’t ever come to tryst with her at night, but mother seems to keep on harping about how the man has come. This is to warn the man that the lady will be confined to the house soon. In the third, the confidante tells the man, when he conveys his intent to part away to seek wealth for their marriage saying that it’s the lady who will shed tears plenty. It’s back to the lady in the fourth as she laments about how the man has taken away her sleep and beauty when he parted away to gather wealth.
The confidante addresses the man in the next four instances, in a situation when the man’s only interested in trysting and does not seem to be taking steps towards his marriage with the lady. In the fifth, the confidante questions the man’s love and asks if he had truly loved the lady, would he let her beauty suffer. In the sixth, she follows the same approach and declares even if he does not love the lady, he should at least claim her hand to endow her the title of ‘wife’. By questioning his love, the confidante intends to shock the man and nudge him in the right path. In the seventh, she asks the man why he parts away after trysting and makes the lady’s eyes spread with pallor. In the eighth, the confidante makes a generic statement that the man seems to have the nature of inflicting a deep affliction to those who love him.
The ninth sees the confidante refusing the man when he intends to tryst with the lady at night, saying theirs is a rocky place and surrounded by townsfolk known to spread slander. Through this, she’s nudging the man to marry the lady soon. In the final one, the man seems to have eloped with the lady and married her in his village. The confidante visits there and the man says you must tell this to the lady’s mother. Hearing this, the confidante replies with happiness that she already has informed the lady’s mother about the lady’s happy marriage with the man.
Looking at the metaphorical elements, in the image of the monkey eating the beans and looking like a trader’s bag, that’s a metaphor for the man’s wealth and prosperity, as the confidante argues to the lady’s family that they must marry the lady to such a man. In the one with the little monkey and the honey comb, the lady places a metaphor for how the man seems to be interested only in seeking the pleasure of trysting, and seems to run away like the monkey chased by the bees, in fear of the lady’s family’s ire. In the one where the monkey eats the Ashoka tree leaves, that’s a metaphor for the man destroying the lady’s beauty by delaying seeking her hand. The image of the male monkey running to the mountains after hearing the tiger’s roar is a metaphor for how the man had run to gather wealth, fearing that the lady will be put on guard by the lady’s family. In the images, where the monkey tries to hit a rain cloud with a cane or narai vine, that’s a metaphor for the man destroying the lady’s health and beauty by delaying the seeking of her hand. In the final one, where the monkey infant appears as if it’s hitting the moon as it sits on the bamboo stem, that’s a metaphor for how the man’s eloping with the lady seems as if it’s something that harms the lady’s family, but not truly so, since the man had married the lady and brought honour to their love relationship. Thus, we see how in the movements of a wild monkey, the nature of a man’s love for his lady is traced in these mountains of the past!
In this episode, we observe the antics of a wild boar, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 261-270, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Seventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ballad of the Boar
261 Fearless boar and fearful man
மென் தினை மேய்ந்த தறுகண் பன்றி
வன் கல் அடுக்கத்துத் துஞ்சும் நாடன்
எந்தை அறிதல் அஞ்சிக்கொல்?
அதுவே மன்ற வாராமையே.
After grazing on the soft millets, the fearless boar sleeps on the strong boulders in the mountain of the lord. Did he fear that father has come to know? That must be the reason he did not come!
262 A residence with the mate
சிறு தினை மேய்ந்த தறுகண் பன்றி
துறுகல் அடுக்கத்துத் துணையொடு வதியும்
இலங்குமலை நாடன் வரூஉம்
மருந்தும் அறியும்கொல் தோழி! அவன் விருப்பே?
After grazing on the little millets, the fearless boar stays with its mate in the rock-filled, radiant mountain of the lord. Does his desire know that his coming here is my only cure?
263 Accompanied by beauty
நன் பொன் அன்ன புனிறு தீர் ஏனல்
கட்டளை அன்ன கேழல் மாந்தும்
குன்று கெழு நாடன் தானும்
வந்தனன்; வந்தன்று தோழி! என் நலனே!
Akin to fine and flawless gold is the fully grown millet field and akin to a touchstone is the boar that eats it in the peak-filled land of the lord. He has arrived, and along with him, that beauty of mine has arrived too!
264 Pallor in the eyes
இளம் பிறை அன்ன கோட்ட கேழல்
களங்கனி அன்ன பெண்பாற் புணரும்
அயம் திகழ் சிலம்ப! கண்டிகும்
பயந்தன மாதோ, நீ நயந்தோள் கண்ணே!
The curved horn of the boar is akin to the crescent moon, and it mates with a female boar, akin to a Caranda plum, in your slopes, gushing with water, O lord! Have you seen how pallor has spread in the eyes of the one you love?
265 A caring father boar
புலி கொல் பெண்பால் பூ வரிக் குருளை
வளை வெண் மருப்பின் கேழல் புரக்கும்
குன்று கெழு நாடன் மறந்தனன்
பொன்போல் புதல்வனோடு என் நீத்தோனே.
The tender young boar with beautiful lines, left behind by the mother that was killed by a tiger is nurtured by the male boar, with a curved, white horn, in the peak filled country of the lord. He has forgotten us, the one who has forsaken my golden son and me.
266 Battle with a boar
சிறு கண் பன்றிப் பெருஞ் சின ஒருத்தலொடு
குறுக் கை இரும் புலி பொரூஉம் நாட!
நனி நாண் உடையை மன்ற
பனிப் பயந்தன, நீ நயந்தோள் கண்ணே!
With a small-eyed, furious male boar, a short-legged, huge tiger battles in your land, O lord! Filled with much shyness and spreading with pallor are those eyes of the one you love!
267 Words without truth
சிறு கண் பன்றிப் பெருஞ் சின ஒருத்தல்
துறுகல் அடுக்கத்து வில்லோர் மாற்றி,
ஐவனம் கவரும் குன்ற நாடன்
வண்டு படு கூந்தலைப் பேணி,
பண்பு இல சொல்லும், தேறுதல் செத்தே.
Fooling the bowmen in the rock-filled mountain, a small-eyed, furious male boar steals the millet crops in the peak-filled country of the lord. Caressing those tresses, swarming with bees, he has said words many, lacking in truth, just to console her!
268 A motherless boarlet
தாஅய் இழந்த தழு வரிக் குருளையொடு
வள மலைச் சிறு தினை உணீஇ கானவர்
வரை ஓங்கு உயர் சிமைக் கேழல் உறங்கும்
நல் மலை நாடன் பிரிதல்
என் பயக்குமோ நம் விட்டுத் துறந்தே?
Along with its motherless, young boar having close-set lines, the male boar feeds on the little millets in the lush mountain and sleeps in the high peaks of the ranges, where the foresters dwell, in the fine mountain country of the lord. What good will come of his intent to part away?
269 Field of grass
கேழல் உழுதெனக் கிளர்ந்த எருவை
விளைந்த செறுவின் தோன்றும் நாடன்
வாராது அவண் உறை நீடின் நேர் வளை
இணை ஈர் ஓதி! நீ அழ
துணை நனி இழக்குவென், மடமையானே.
As the male boar dug up the soil, rough grass has shot up, looking like a fully-bloomed paddy field in the land of the lord. O maiden, wearing well-set bangles and having moist tresses, if he plans on staying there without coming here, and makes you cry so, I will lose the right to be your companion. I blame it all on my stupidity!
270 An effortless harvest
கிழங்கு அகழ் கேழல் உழுத சிலம்பில்
தலை விளை கானவர் கொய்தனர் பெயரும்
புல்லென் குன்றத்துப் புலம்பு கொள் நெடு வரை
காணினும் கலிழும் நோய் செத்து,
தாம் வந்தனர், நம் காதலோரே.
The male boar digging for tubers tills the land in the mountain slopes and here the mountain dwellers reap a rich harvest and part away in that mountain. Thinking, ‘Even if my lady looks at that sad and lonely mountain, she would be filled with lament and would shed tears many’, he has come here, that lover of yours!
So concludes Ainkurnooru 261-270. All the verses except one are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady prior to marriage and that exception is set after marriage and involves a conflict situation with a courtesan. The unifying theme of all these verses is the presence of a wild boar and its connection to the love life of the protagonists. The words are spoken either by the confidante or the lady, to each other, and in most cases, as the man listens nearby.
Let’s first turn our attention to the many interesting details about the wild boar, as sketched in these words. In the first, we see how the boar feeds on the millets being grown by the mountain farmers and then sleeping without any fear in the mountains. In another one, the boar does the same feeding and instead of sleeping, it stays happily with its mate. This is followed by a verse, a glowing instance of the poet’s prowess with similes, for here, he calls the millets the boar feeds on, as gold, and the black boar itself as the touchstone, on which the gold is rubbed against to test for purity! The curved horn of this beast is then called in parallel to the crescent moon, while the female is compared to a bengal currant plum. Next, we turn to poignant moments in the male boar’s life, when its mate has been killed by a tiger and the young boarlet is now protected by the father boar. As if this is a sequel to the previous image, we see a boar battling with a tiger, in the next. The scene changes, and now, the boar is intent on fooling the bowmen, guarding the fields in the mountains and stealing those millet crops. Yet again, we get a glimpse of that motherless little boar along with its father, munching on the little millets in the fields, and then sleeping in the peaks, where mountain men live. The next is a stunning illustration of how animals change the land, and here, we see a field looking as if lush paddy crops are growing, but on closer look, it turns out be a rich outcrop of that rough ‘korai’ grass that has shot up because the boar had been digging up the land. In the next, the mountain farmers smartly make use of this tilling by the boar. This happens because the boar is actually digging up on that rough ground with its sharp horn for tubers. They sow their millet crops in this land and boom, it’s a rich harvest very soon.
Moving on to the intent of the speakers, in the first, the confidante speaks to the lady, as the man listens nearby, wondering whether the man did not come for his tryst the previous time because he was afraid that the lady’s father had come to know of their relationship, thus mocking the man’s courage with an intention to make him seek the lady’s hand. In the second, the lady wonders to her confidante if the man understands the fact that he’s the only cure for her affliction. In the third too, the lady speaks, talking about how since the man has returned with a marriage proposal, her beauty too has returned to her. In the fourth, the confidante speaks to the man, and points out how pallor has spread in the eyes of the lady because of the man’s delaying their marriage. The fifth is the only exception when we perceive the theme of courtesan trouble and the lady remarks with anger to the man’s messengers about how the man has forgotten not only her but their precious son too, in his courting of courtesans.
In the sixth, the confidante points again to the pallor spreading in the lady’s eyes and nudges the man to seek the lady’s hand without delay. In the seventh, the confidante speaks to the lady as the man listens, chiding him for how he has told many lies to the lady, just to enjoy her company. This is to nudge him to change his ways and seek marriage. In the next, the confidante wonders to the lady, as the man listens, about what good the man’s parting would do, thereby nudging him to seeking an alternate path to marrying the lady. In the ninth, the confidante, with anger and sadness, remarks to the lady when the man is in earshot, about her mistake of bringing them together, for the man seems to be not prompt in his trysting and makes the lady wallow in sorrow. In the final one, the confidante makes a U-turn and praises the man for returning with success quickly and reflects the thoughts that must have gone through his mind about the lady’s state of worry whenever she would look up at his mountain.
Now, taking in the metaphors, in the image of the male boar eating the millets and sleeping fearlessly, that’s a metaphor for the man’s interest in just trysting with the lady and not taking efforts to seek marriage with her. In the next when the male boar resides with its female, that’s a happy metaphor from the confidante for the man marrying the lady and leading a happy life with her. In the image of the father boar taking care of the young boarlet, after its mother is killed, that’s a sad metaphor where the lady, abandoned by the man, who has taken to seeing courtesans, wonders if the man will at least take care of their son, should she perish in the sorrow caused by the man’s actions.
Then, in the one where the male boar fights with a tiger, that’s an intricate metaphor for the situation of strangers seeking the lady’s hand and an indirect message to the man that he needs to stand up, fight against them and claim the lady. In the one, where the boar fools the bowmen and steals the millets, that’s a metaphor for the man’s interest in only fooling the lady’s family and trysting with her, without seeking her hand. In the one, where the father boar feeds on the millets along with its motherless young one, that’s a subtle metaphor nudging the lady to elope with the man and part away from the lady’s family, for like how the male boar takes care of its young one, the man would take care of the lady in their journey of elopement and afterwards, promises the confidante. After that positive depiction, colours change in the next image where because of the boar’s tilling, useful crops don’t grow but it’s a field of rough grass. This is a metaphor for the man’s actions appearing without integrity, as he seems to say whatever he wants just to tryst with the lady. In the final one, where farmers gain from the tilling of the boar and reap a rich harvest, that’s a metaphor for how the man’s actions of returning with the wealth for marriage has brought effortless happiness in the lady’s life.
And thus, we get to see the many incarnations of this wild beast, and the most striking thing is how the boar stands as parallel to the man, the protagonist of these verses. In other words, the man is called a pig, and no one raises an eyebrow. Imagine the scandal now! Time and culture had not yet corrupted these ancient minds, and so, these verses are a delightful illustration of the reverence once held for this esteemed wild beast!
In this episode, we get to know a mountain dweller, as depicted in Sangam Literary work Ainkurunooru 251-260, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Sixth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Portrait of a mountain man
251 Roars and Tears
குன்றக் குறவன் ஆர்ப்பின், எழிலி
நுண் பல் அழி துளி பொழியும் நாட!
நெடு வரைப் படப்பை நும் ஊர்க்
கடு வரல் அருவி காணினும் அழுமே.
When the mountain man cries aloud, clouds pour tiny drops abundantly in your country, O lord! Even if she sees gushing waterfalls that pour in the fields of your town, descending from those tall mountains, she would shed tears!
252 Before time torments
குன்றக் குறவன் புல் வேய் குரம்பை
மன்று ஆடு இள மழை மறைக்கும் நாடன்
புரையோன் வாழி, தோழி! விரை பெயல்
அரும் பனி அளைஇய கூதிர்ப்
பெருந் தண் வாடையின் முந்து வந்தனனே.
The grass-woven thatched roof in the mountain man’s hut hides the young rainclouds that traverse the village centre in the country of the matchless lord! Before the great and cool northern winds could bring the early winter season with heavy rains and tormenting cold, he arrived here!
253 Mother’s decision
குன்றக் குறவன் சாந்த நறும் புகை
தேம் கமழ் சிலம்பின் வரையகம் கமழும்
கானக நாடன் வரையின்,
மன்றலும் உடையள்கொல் தோழி! யாயே?
The fragrant smoke from the mountain man’s sandalwood wafts all around the honey-scented mountain slopes in the land of the lord, filled with forests. If he seeks my hand, will mother decide to marry me to him, O friend?
254 Leave along
குன்றக் குறவன் ஆரம் அறுத்தென,
நறும் புகை சூழ்ந்து காந்தள் நாறும்
வண்டு இமிர் சுடர் நுதல் குறுமகள்!
கொண்டனர், செல்வர் தம் குன்று கெழு நாட்டே.
As the mountain man chopped the sandalwood, fragrant smoke spreads around the flame-lily, O young maiden, around whose glowing forehead bees buzz! He will take you along and leave to his mountain-filled country.
255 All about her
குன்றக் குறவன் காதல் மட மகள்
வரையர மகளிர்ப் புரையும் சாயலள்;
ஐயள்; அரும்பிய முலையள்;
செய்ய வாயினள்; மார்பினள், சுணங்கே.
The naive and loveable daughter of the mountain man has the resemblance of mountain goddesses. She is the epitome of beauty; A maiden with a blooming bosom; She has a red mouth and pallor spots on her chest;
256 More about her
குன்றக் குறவன் காதல் மட மகள்
வண்டு படு கூந்தல் தண் தழைக் கொடிச்சி;
வளையள்; முளை வாள் எயிற்றள்;
இளையள் ஆயினும், ஆர் அணங்கினளே.
The naive and loveable daughter of the mountain man has tresses around which bees buzz; A maiden of the hills wearing a cool leaf attire, clad in bangles and having sharp teeth. Though she is young, she subdues me with her power!
257 Boon of the mountain man
குன்றக் குறவன் கடவுள் பேணி,
இரந்தனன் பெற்ற எல் வளைக் குறுமகள்
ஆய் அரி நெடுங் கண் கலிழ,
சேயதால் தெய்ய நீ பிரியும் நாடே.
She is the young daughter of a mountain man, who was blessed with her after his pleading penance to his god. The eyes of that maiden, clad in shining bangles, fill with tears, since faraway is the country you part away to!
258 Refuse not
குன்றக் குறவன் காதல் மட மகள்
அணி மயில் அன்ன அசை நடைக் கொடிச்சியைப்
பெரு வரை நாடன் வரையும் ஆயின்,
கொடுத்தனெம் ஆயினோ நன்றே
இன்னும் ஆனாது, நன்னுதல் துயரே.
The naive and loveable daughter of the mountain man is one who has a swaying gait like a beautiful peacock. When the lord of the mountains seeks the hand of this mountain maiden, it is better if she’s granted to him. If not, unceasing it will remain, the sorrow of this maiden with a fine forehead!
259 Some more about her
குன்ற குறவன் காதல் மட மகள்
மன்ற வேங்கை மலர் சில கொண்டு,
மலை உறை கடவுள் குலமுதல் வழுத்தி,
தேம் பலிச் செய்த ஈர் நறுங் கையள்;
மலர்ந்த காந்தள் நாறிக்
கலிழ்ந்த கண்ணள் எம் அணங்கியோளே.
The naive and loveable daughter of the mountain man, taking the ‘Kino’ flowers in the town centre, praises the god living in the mountains and the ancestors of their tribe, and gives sweet ritual offerings with her moist and fragrant hands. Her eyes, with the fragrance of a fully blossomed flame-lily, shed tears; She’s the one who has afflicted me with her beauty!
260 Time for the harvest
குன்றக் குறவன் காதல் மட மகள்,
மென் தோள் கொடிச்சியைப் பெறற்கு அரிது தில்ல
பைம் புறப் படு கிளி ஓப்பலர்;
புன்புல மயக்கத்து விளைந்தன தினையே!
The naive and loveable daughter of the mountain man, that hill woman with slender arms will be unattainable henceforth, for she will not come to chase away the parrots in the millet fields, for the crops in the water-scarce fields are ready for harvest!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 251 to 260. All the songs are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage. The verses are spoken either by the lady’s confidante, the lady or the man. The unifying theme of all the verses is the phrase indicating a mountain dweller, who happens to be either a generic person living there, as in the case of the first four, or the father of the lady, as in the rest.
In the first, the mountain man is captured in a moment when he roars aloud and as if hearing his command, the rains pour down in the man’s country. In the second, the thatched roof of his hut hides the rainclouds. Fragrance fills the air in the third as this mountain man burns sandalwood. In the next one, this sandalwood smoke kindled by the mountain man’s burning swirls around a flame-lily. In all the rest of the verses, the mountain man is mentioned only to refer to his daughter, the female protagonist of these verses. Her beauty and adornments is described for the most part, and in one instance, it’s mentioned how she was granted as a boon to her father after much penance to his god, so precious is that lady. In another, we see this daughter of the mountain man praying to the god of the mountains and her ancestors, and endowing ritual offerings with her moist hands. In the final one, we glimpse a characteristic of mountain maiden that we have seen often, their work of chasing away parrots from their father’s millet fields.
Moving on to the intent of the speakers, in the first, the confidante speaks to the man saying how the mere sight of the cascades descending from the man’s country makes the lady cry, thus nudging the man to marry the lady. In the second, the confidante with much joy relays the news that the man has arrived ahead of the tormenting early winter season with its cold winds and harsh dew. In the third, the lady is the one who speaks, and wonders aloud to her confidante, if mother will accept the man’s proposal. In the fourth, the confidante nudges the lady to elope with the man, revealing his plan to take the lady along to his country.
In the fifth and the sixth, the man describes the lady in glowing words to his friend and the confidante respectively. It’s a sure-fire sign of a Sangam man who has fallen in love. In the seventh, the confidante replies to the man when he says that he will part to gather wealth for the wedding saying to him that the lady would suffer much, and thereby urging him to be quick about it. In the eighth, the confidante says these words to the lady’s family, who intend to refuse the man, dissuading them from doing it, saying it’s better if they say yes; If not, endless will be the lady’s suffering. In the ninth, it’s back to the man’s praise about the lady, as he says those glowing words about her, deciding that he’s going to marry her soon. In the final one, the confidante nudges the man to marry the lady by stating how the crops have matured and the lady won’t come to the fields to tryst with him anymore.
As for metaphorical elements, in the image of the mountain man’s thatched roof hiding the rain clouds, the confidante places it as a metaphor for the man’s arrival to seek the lady’s hand and how it has kept away the lady’s sorrow. In the one, where the fragrant sandalwood smoke spreads all around the mountains, that’s a metaphor for the man’s offerings to the lady’s family spreading joy in their home. In the final element of fragrant sandalwood smoke fusing with the flame-lily, that’s a metaphor for the happy married life of the man and lady, about to unfold soon, when the lady decides to elope with the man. A section which shows us how the sensory elements of the land speak for the love between the man and the lady!
In this episode, we perceive events around a divination ritual, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work Ainkurunooru 241-250, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Fifth Ten of Ainkurnooru : Divining the Truth
241 The truth of the relationship
நம் உறு துயரம் நோக்கி, அன்னை
வேலன் தந்தனள் ஆயின், அவ் வேலன்
வெறி கமழ் நாடன் கேண்மை
அறியுமோ தில்ல? செறி எயிற்றோயே!
Looking at our deep suffering, mother has brought ‘Velan’ the priest here. Will that Velan learn of your relationship with the lord of the land, filled with fragrance, O maiden with perfect teeth?
242 Cruel not to tell
அறியாமையின், ‘வெறி’ என மயங்கி,
அன்னையும் அருந் துயர் உழந்தனள்; அதனால்,
எய்யாது விடுதலோ கொடிதே நிரை இதழ்
ஆய் மலர் உண்கண் பசப்ப,
சேய் மலை நாடன் செய்த நோயே.
Out of ignorance, confused that this is due to a divine act, mother suffers from a deep sorrow. And so, it would be cruel to not let her know, about the reason for the affliction of pallor that spreads in the kohl-streaked eyes, akin to a beautiful flower with many petals, that affliction rendered by the lord of the faraway mountain country.
243 Velan’s declaration
கறி வளர் சிலம்பிற் கடவுள் பேணி,
அறியா வேலன், ‘வெறி’ எனக் கூறும்;
அது மனம் கொள்குவை, அனை! இவள்
புது மலர் மழைக் கண் புலம்பிய நோய்க்கே.
Praising the god of the mountain slopes, where grows lush pepper plants, unknowing Velan declares this as the divine act of ‘Veri’. You seem to believe that, O mother, as the reason for the affliction that torments her flower-like, rain-like eyes!
244 Song on the mountains
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் மலர்
நறுந் தண் சோலை நாடு கெழு நெடுந்தகை
குன்றம் பாடான் ஆயின்,
என் பயம் செய்யுமோ வேலற்கு வெறியே?
Listen my friend, may you live long! If he does not sing about the mountains of the esteemed lord, having cool and fragrant, flower-filled groves, of what use is this ‘Veri’ ritual that Velan undertakes?
245 Is it fitting?
பொய்யா மரபின் ஊர் முது வேலன்
கழங்கு மெய்ப்படுத்து, கன்னம் தூக்கி,
‘முருகு’ என மொழியும்ஆயின்,
கெழுதகைகொல் இவள் அணங்கியோற்கே?
With honesty as his tradition, is the old ‘Velan’ of our town. Using molucca beans to divine, lifting a talisman, if he declares as ‘Murugu’, is it fitting for the one, who has truly caused this affliction in her?
246 Satisfied by the unreal
வெறி செறித்தனனே, வேலன் கறிய
கல் முகை வயப் புலி கழங்கு மெய்ப்படூஉ,
புன்புலம் வித்திய புனவர் புணர்த்த
மெய்ம்மை அன்ன பெண்பாற் புணர்ந்து,
மன்றில் பையுள் தீரும்
குன்ற நாடன் உறீஇய நோயே.
Velan has made all preparations for the ‘Veri’ ritual. Mountain farmers, who have sowed crops in the harsh land, make a statue of a tiger that lives in the mountain cleft, spreading with pepper vines, and embed it with molucca beans to make it realistic. Thinking it to truly be a female, a tiger ends its suffering of desire in the frontyard. Such is the lord’s mountain country. That ritual has been arranged only because of the disease that the lord of the mountains has caused!
247 Is that his name?
அன்னை தந்தது ஆகுவது அறிவென்:
பொன் நகர் வரைப்பில் கன்னம் தூக்கி,
‘முருகு’ என மொழியும் ஆயின்,
அரு வரை நாடன் பெயர்கொலோ, அதுவே?
I know that mother has brought someone. If he will lift a talisman within the bounds of the golden house and declare it as ‘Murugu’, will that become the name of the lord of the formidable mountain?
248 Good tidings for her
பெய்ம்மணல் முற்றம் கவின் பெற இயற்றி,
மலை வான் கொண்ட சினைஇய வேலன்
கழங்கினான் அறிகுவது என்றால்,
நன்றால்அம்ம, நின்ற இவள் நலனே!
Spreading fresh sands and making the place beautiful and divine, if Velan praises the god in the high mountains and divines the truth from the molucca beans, then that would be something good for her health and beauty!
249 Velan knows not
பெய்ம்மணல் வரைப்பில் கழங்கு படுத்து, அன்னைக்கு,
‘முருகு’ என மொழியும் வேலன்; மற்று அவன்
வாழிய இலங்கும் அருவிச்
சூர் மலை நாடனை அறியாதோனே!
In the fresh sands, divining with molucca beans, Velan says ‘Murugu’ to mother. May he live long! He knows not the lord of the fearsome mountains, glowing with cascades
250 Not the god, but a lord
பொய் படுபு அறியாக் கழங்கே! மெய்யே
மணி வரைக் கட்சி மட மயில் ஆலும் நம்
மலர்ந்த வள்ளிஅம் கானங் கிழவோன்;
ஆண்தகை விறல் வேள் அல்லன் இவள்
பூண் தாங்கு இளமுலை அணங்கியோனே.
O molucca beans, you do not know how to lie! The truth lies however in the sapphire-hued mountains, where peacocks dance and blooming ‘valli’ creepers spread in the forests of the lord. It is not the victorious and loveable god Murugu, but that lord of the mountains, who has caused this affliction on her young bosom, bearing ornaments many!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 241-250. All the verses in this section are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady prior to marriage. The unifying theme of all these songs is the religious act of divination called as ‘Veri’, a practice undertaken by Sangam people in different regions to different gods to try and understand the cause and consequence of inexplicable things. Since these songs are situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the god who is being worshipped in this ritual is ‘Murugu’, who is a favourite deity of the Tamils, and goes by the name ‘Murugan’ in contemporary times. A priest devoted to Murugu known as ‘Velan’ is summoned to conduct this divination ritual in this domain. Returning to these verses, each one is uttered by the lady’s confidante and she says this either to the lady, the lady’s mother, and in one case, to the molucca beans, objects used for this divination. Even as the confidante speaks to the lady, she does it so as to make the lady’s family or the man understand the truth.
We learn of many facets about this ‘Veri’ ritual in these verses. Primarily, the reason for mother summoning ‘Velan’ the priest to conduct the ritual is because of all the changes in the lady’s form, owing to her separation from the man. Mother, although she was no doubt a young woman herself a while ago, seems to be suffering from amnesia, for she has no clue about why the lady is behaving so. She thinks it’s a divine act of fury, and so, she calls the priest to solve this seeming riddle about the lady’s ill heath. The specific events in this ritual seem to be spreading of fresh sands in the front yard of the lady’s home, then throwing molucca beans on the ground, and from the patterns, trying to read god’s mind. There is also mention of the Velan holding a talisman and then dancing in a frenzy, as if god had descended upon his body. Interestingly, this frenetic dancing and speaking in tongues still goes on in the villages of Tamilnadu and is known as ‘Saami aaduthal’.
In almost all the verses, the confidante declares the futility of this ‘Veri’ ritual for she is the one, who knows the true cause for the lady’s affliction. In the first, the confidante wonders aloud to the lady, while the lady’s mother is in earshot, whether Velan will find out that the reason for the lady’s affliction is her relationship with the man. In the second, she presses the lady to reveal the real reason for her disease is the man to mother, and allay her confusion and sorrow. In the third, the confidante addresses the lady’s mother directly, and laments that mother seems to believe as true the words of Velan, blaming god for the lady’s affliction. In the fourth, she speaks to the lady, when mother is in hearing, saying what’s the use of this ritual if Velan does not sing of the lord’s mountains as the reason for the lady’s affliction.
The fifth sees the confidante speaking to the lady again, however in the presence of the man, and wonders if Velan says the reason is ‘Murugu’, is that right by the honour of the man, who has caused this affliction? Through this, she intends to nudge the man to seek the lady’s hand and avoid the dishonour of a ‘Veri’ ritual. In the sixth too, the confidante speaks to the lady, with the man in hearing, and laments that Velan is going ahead with the ‘Veri ritual’, when the lord of the mountains was the real reason for the lady’s sorrow. Here, the confidante describes the man’s country as one, where mountain farmers make a statue in the image of a tiger, so as to scare away other animals, which come to feed on their crops. An actual tiger descends there, and thinking this is a female, it gives vent to its desire. This intricate description is the only metaphor in this section wherein the confidante indirectly scolds the man for indulging in the fake pleasure of trysting instead of seeking the real and permanent path of marriage.
In the seventh, the confidante goes back to the lady and as the lady’s family are in earshot, asks if in case Velan declares ‘Murugu’ as the reason for the lady’s disease, will that become the man’s name? In the eighth, she addresses the lady’s mother and says if at all Velan can find the truth about the lady from those beans, then that would bring good health back to the lady, implying that the truth is not to be found there. In the ninth, she speaks to the lady, when mother is in earshot, saying poor ‘Velan’ doesn’t know the lord of the mountains. That’s why he’s saying the wrong thing. In the final one, she talks to the molucca beans, while the lady’s family listen nearby, declaring without a doubt that it’s not the good god who is the reason for the lady’s trouble but the man of the sapphire mountains, where peacocks dance and ‘valli’ vines spread around. To summarise the essence, in this section, the confidante takes the stance of a scientist, who wants the world to know the true cause of an event, rather than trusting in imaginative superstitions, and this is one of the reasons the confidante is the most admirable character in this Sangam star cast!
In this episode, we perceive parting pain and hear of daring plans, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 231-240, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Fourth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Alas! The Poor Lass
231 How could you?
யாங்கு வல்லுநையோ ஓங்கல் வெற்ப!
இரும் பல் கூந்தல் திருந்துஇழை அரிவை
திதலை மாமை தேயப்
பசலை பாயப் பிரிவு? தெய்யோ!
How did you find the strength to do this, O lord of the soaring mountains? On the dark form of the young maiden wearing etched ornaments, and having thick, dark tresses, you made beauty spots fade away and spread pallor by parting away! Alas!
232 Shower from the eyes
போது ஆர் கூந்தல் இயல் அணி அழுங்க
ஏதிலாளனை நீ பிரிந்ததற்கே,
அழல் அவிர் மணிப்பூண் நனையப்
பெயல்ஆனா, என் கண்ணே தெய்யோ!
Ruining the exquisite beauty of the maiden with flower-filled tresses, you parted away like a stranger. Drenching the glowing, sapphire-studded jewels on my chest, my eyes shed a downpour! Alas!
233 Leave not to your land
வருவைஅல்லை; வாடை நனி கொடிதே
அரு வரை மருங்கின் ஆய்மணி வரன்றி,
ஒல்லென இழிதரும் அருவி நின்
கல்லுடை நாட்டுச் செல்லல் தெய்யோ!
You are sure not to come! The northern winds are extremely cruel too! From that formidable mountain, rushing down with precious jewels, resounding comes the cascades in your mountain country. Please don’t go there! Alas!
234 Gone with the dream
‘மின் அவிர் வயங்குஇழை ஞெகிழச் சாஅய்,
நன்னுதல் பசத்தல் யாவது?’ துன்னிக்
கனவில் காணும் இவளே
நனவில் காணாள், நின் மார்பே தெய்யோ!’
You ask me, ’Why does this maiden, wearing lightning-like, radiant jewels, thin away and lose her health, as pallor spreads on her fine forehead?’ She, who sees your chest in her dreams so close by, doesn’t find that when she wakes up! Alas!
235 To part or not?
கையற வீழ்ந்த மை இல் வானமொடு
அரிது காதலர்ப் பொழுதே; அதனால்,
தெரிஇழை தெளிர்ப்ப முயங்கி,
பிரியலம் என்கமோ? எழுகமோ? தெய்யோ!
With all the clouds falling on to one side, the sky appears bereft of darkness. This is a difficult time for lovers. And so, will you embrace making those well-carved ornaments resound and declare we shall never part? Shall we rise and go now? Alas!
236 Time to leave
அன்னையும் அறிந்தனள்; அலரும் ஆயின்று;
நல் மனை நெடு நகர் புலம்பு கொள உறுதரும்,
இன்னா வாடையும் மலையும்;
நும் ஊர்ச் செல்கம்; எழுகமோ? தெய்யோ!
Mother has come to know! Slander has spread too! The evil northern winds that blows through the fine and tall mansion torments too! So, shall we rise and go now to your town? Alas!
237 Whereabouts of the mountain town
காமம் கடவ, உள்ளம் இனைப்ப,
யாம் வந்து காண்பது ஓர் பருவம் ஆயின்,
ஓங்கித் தோன்றும் உயர் வரைக்கு
யாங்கு எனப்படுவது, நும் ஊர்? தெய்யோ!
Propelled by desire, tortured by the heart, if the time comes for us to journey on our own, where upon that tall and soaring mountain, is that town of yours? Alas!
238 The hopeful female goat
வார் கோட்டு வயத் தகர் வாராது மாறினும்,
குரு மயிர்ப் புருவை நசையின் அல்கும்
மாஅல் அருவித் தண் பெருஞ் சிலம்ப!
நீ இவண் வரூஉம்காலை,
மேவரும் மாதோ, இவள் நலனே தெய்யோ!
With long and curving horns is that sturdy mountain goat. Even though it does not return, the short-haired female stays with hope and desire in your cool and great mountain slopes, filled with tall cascades, O lord! Only when you appear here, that beauty of hers appears too! Alas!
239 The mistaken male elephant
சுரும்பு உணக் களித்த புகர் முக வேழம்
இரு பிணர்த் துறுகல் பிடி செத்துத் தழூஉம் நின்
குன்று கெழு நல் நாட்டுச் சென்ற பின்றை,
நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோள் ஞெகிழ,
வாராய்ஆயின், வாழேம் தெய்யோ!
Bees buzz around the ichor pouring down the spotted face of the male elephant, which thinking that a dark and rough boulder is its mate, would embrace the rock in your peak-filled fine country. If you leave thither, making her bangle-clad, bamboo-like arms thin away, and then fail to return, we shall not live anymore! Alas!
240 Snared by the scent
அறியேம் அல்லேம்; அறிந்தனம் மாதோ
பொறி வரிச் சிறைய வண்டினம் மொய்ப்பச்
சாந்தம் நாறும் நறியோள்
கூந்தல் நாறும் நின் மார்பே தெய்யோ!
It’s not that we don’t know! We do know! Making bees with spots and lines buzz around, the tresses of that woman, waft with the scent of sandalwood. Your chest wafts with the scent of those tresses! Alas!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 231-240. All except the last verse are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage, around themes of parting and elopement. The exception is set in a post-marital context and involves a conflict situation with a courtesan. The unifying theme of all these songs is that they finish with an exclamation that can be roughly translated as ‘Alas’. Every song here is expressed in the voice of the confidante and she speaks to the man in all cases but one, and in that case, she speaks to the lady.
In the first, in a situation where the man had not trysted with the lady for a while and had been away in his country, the confidante asks him how he had the heart to part away with the lady, bringing such ruin to her beauty. In the second too, she accuses him of abandoning the lady like a stranger, and seeing the state of the lady, the confidante’s eyes shed so much tears that the jewels on her chest were soaked in salt!
The third sees the man asking the confidante leave to go to his country to make preparations for the wedding. At this time, she responds to him saying he is sure not to return in time, before the onset of the cruel northern winds, and so, he better not leave, thereby indirectly nudging him not to stay away too long. In the fourth, there’s a curious situation wherein even though the man has been trysting regularly, the lady was still losing her health. When the man questions the confidante about it, she says that’s because, the lady often dreams of the man and when the lady wakes up and finds the man gone, she loses her joy and health. A nudge to say bye to that temporary trysting and move towards the permanent path of a married life!
The fifth is the one where the confidante addresses the lady and points to how it’s a cloudless sky up there, and so it was a challenging thing for lovers to elope just then. And she asks the lady whether the lady would embrace the man and say we shall never part but let’s leave another day, or will she dare to go along with him. In any case, a question intended to propel the lady out of her inaction.
In the sixth, the confidante relays all the dangers around the lady about how mother has come to know, slander spreads and the northern winds torment. So, speaking in the voice of the lady, she asks the man if they can leave right away to his town. This is to nudge the man to choose the path of elopement with the lady. The seventh sees the confidante asking the man where exactly his town was on that mountain so that when it became imperative that the lady meet the man, she can leave. This is a way of scolding the man for not keeping to his trysting and causing distress in the lady.
In the eighth, there’s a description of a female mountain goat waiting hopefully for its male, even though it does not return, and then the confidante goes on to say how only when the man comes, the lady’s beauty also makes an appearance. This is to relay to the man how important he was in the life of the lady apparently. In the ninth, we get to see another description wherein a male elephant in musth has hormonal secretions called ichor pouring down its face and making bees buzz around, and this male elephant seems to mistake a dark, rough boulder for a female and tries to embrace that. The confidante says this as a description of the man’s country and tells him that if he fails to return, the lady would perish.
In the final one, it’s back to courtesan trouble, and the confidante declares that they, meaning she and the lady, know all about the courtesan the man is courting, simply because the courtesan’s tresses have the scent of sandalwood and the man’s chest was reeking of those tresses just then. A question arises in me as to how the confidante knows the scent of the tresses of a courtesan. Poetic license, I presume! This also reminded me of a popular scene in many movies where the wife discovers that the man has another woman in his life by the scent of a different perfume in his clothes! Here’s the two thousand year old precursor to this event!
Looking at the metaphorical elements, in the one, where the female goat waits patiently for the man, the confidante uses that as a metaphor for the lady’s trust that the man will return to her, and by imprinting this image in him, she hopes to make the man return to the lady without fail. In the other one, where the male elephant seems to be content in embracing a boulder as its mate, the confidante hints about how the man may abandon the lady and marry someone else, not suitable for him, and she warns him that the lady will perish if he does so. Makes me wonder what these Sangam couples would do without the counsel of this wise confidante? And so, we end this section of ‘Alas tales’ in which the confidante predominantly tries to direct the man towards the right path in life!
In this episode, we perceive the emotions around parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 221-230, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
So soars the Twenty Third Ten of Ainkurunooru: Conversations between Companions
221 About to leave
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! காதலர்
பாவை அன்ன என் ஆய்கவின் தொலைய,
நல் மா மேனி பசப்ப,
செல்வல்’ என்ப தம் மலை கெழு நாட்டே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! Ruining my exquisite beauty, akin to an etched doll, making pallor spread on my fine, dark form, the lover of mine intends to go to his mountain country!
222 Visits not anymore
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் ஊர்
நளிந்து வந்து உறையும் நறுந் தண் மார்பன்
இன்னினி வாராமாறுகொல்
சில் நிரை ஓதி! என் நுதல் பசப்பதுவே?
Listen my friend, may you live long! The man with a cool and fragrant chest is one, who used to frequently visit and stay here in our town. Is it because he does not come anymore that my forehead spreads with pallor, O maiden with delicate tresses?
223 Beating the seasonal blues
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் மலை
வரை ஆம் இழிய, கோடல் நீட,
காதலர்ப் பிரிந்தோர் கையற, நலியும்
தண் பனி வடந்தை அற்சிரம்
முந்து வந்தனர் நம் காதலோரே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! Making cascades in our mountain to flow down; flame lilies to open their wide petals; separated lovers to feel helpless, the cool and moist northern winds would torment in the early winter season. Before it could do all that, he has arrived, the lover of yours!
224 No more play
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் மலை
மணி நிறம் கொண்ட மா மலை வெற்பில்
துணி நீர் அருவி நம்மோடு ஆடல்
எளிய மன்னால், அவர்க்கு; இனி,
அரிய ஆகுதல் மருண்டனென், யானே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! In the clear waters of the cascades that flow down from the great cliffs of our sapphire-hued mountain, to play with me was easy for him then. Seeing how it’s going to be harder for him to do that anymore, I’m perplexed!
225 Won’t he know?
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பைஞ் சுனைப்
பாசடை நிவந்த பனி மலர்க் குவளை
உள்ளகம் கமழும் கூந்தல் மெல்லியல்
ஏர் திகழ் ஒள் நுதல் பசத்தல்
ஓரார்கொல் நம் காதலோரே?
Listen my friend, may you live long! In the fresh springs, above the green leaves, rises the cool flower of the blue waterlily. Wafting with the scent of this flower’s heart is your tresses, O gentle maiden. Won’t he know that your radiant and shining forehead will spread with pallor?
226 The bee is back
அம்ம வாழி,தோழி! நம் மலை
நறுந்தண் சிலம்பின் நாறு குலைக் காந்தள்
கொங்கு உண் வண்டின் பெயர்ந்து புறமாறி, நின்
வன்புடை விறல் கவின் கொண்ட
அன்பிலாளன் வந்தனன் இனியே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! In the cool and fragrant slopes of our mountain, flame-lilies bloom in scented clusters. Feeding on this nectar, bees flit about, moving places. Akin to that, he took away your unceasing beauty. That loveless man has come here now!
227 Forgotten oath
அம்ம வாழி! தோழி! நாளும்,
நல் நுதல் பசப்பவும், நறுந் தோள் ஞெகிழவும்,
‘ஆற்றலம் யாம்’ என மதிப்பக் கூறி,
நப் பிரிந்து உறைந்தோர் மன்ற; நீ
விட்டனையோ அவர் உற்ற சூளே?
Listen my friend, may you live long! Day after day, spreading pallor on the fine forehead and thinning those fragrant arms, he has parted away from you, even though he declared with honour ‘I can never bear to see that state’. Are you still holding on to that oath of his?
228 A plea for her hand
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் ஊர்
நிரந்து இலங்கு அருவிய நெடு மலை நாடன்
இரந்து குறையுறாஅன் பெயரின்,
என் ஆவதுகொல் நம் இன் உயிர் நிலையே?
Listen my friend, may you live long! He is the lord of the tall mountains, where cascades flow unceasingly. If he parts away when his plea is refused, what is to become of the state of our life?
229 The secret of the glow
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நாம் அழப்
பல் நாள் பிரிந்த அறனிலாளன்
வந்தனனோ மற்று இரவில்?
பொன் போல் விறல் கவின் கொள்ளும், நின் நுதலே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! Did the one, who, making us cry, parted away for days many, that unjust man arrive in the dark of the night? For it glows with the dashing radiance of gold, that forehead of yours!
230 Past pain future gain
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம்மொடு
சிறு தினைக் காவலன் ஆகி, பெரிதும் நின்
மென் தோள் ஞெகிழவும், திரு நுதல் பசப்பவும்,
பொன் போல் விறல் கவின் தொலைத்த
குன்ற நாடற்கு அயர்வர் நன் மணனே.
Listen my friend, may you live long! He became the guardian of the field with little millets along with us. Then, he made your delicate arms thin away greatly, your esteemed forehead to spread with pallor, and ruined the gold-like radiant beauty of yours. He is the lord of the mountain peaks, and to him, they shall marry you with festivity!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 221-230. All the verses are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and revolve around the themes of parting and how this affects the lady. The unifying element of all these verses is the phrase ‘Listen my friend. May you live long’ that opens every song, signifying an important message is about to be conveyed. These verses are said by the lady or the confidante to each other, sometimes in the presence of the man or the lady’s family.
The first happens in a situation when the man has just informed the lady that he would part from her to prepare for their marriage. At this juncture, the lady says these words to her confidante when the man is in earshot, lamenting about how the man wants to go back to his country and this is sure to ruin her beauty. Perhaps this is to nudge the listening man to finish his duties quickly and return to her. This situation brought to my mind the slogan we, citizens of Chennai, see all over the city these days: That Metro Rail slogan that goes ‘Inconvenience Today for Better Tomorrow’!
In the second, the man, after trysting with the lady, has been away for a while. He then comes one day and stands listening. At this time, the lady tells the confidante that because the man does not visit frequently, pallor was attacking her. Again, a nudge to the man to express what his parting is doing to the lady.
In the third, the confidante gets the spotlight and to the lady she talks about all the changes that the northern winds which arrive in the early winter bring along. While cascades gush with a lot of force and beautiful flame-lilies open their buds, there’s trouble for separated lovers for it’s said to be a painful time for these souls. Why is the confidante saying these sad things to the lady, who’s already lamenting the man’s absence? Only to finish with a flourish that the man has made it back to the lady before the season could inflict that damage. He has won the race against time, implies the confidante.
The ‘talk’ card is handed over to the lady in the fourth, and here, she tells the confidante, as the man is in earshot, about the fact that it was quite easy for him to play with her in the flowing waterfalls back then, but not anymore. Through this, she conveys to the man that the lady’s family have confined her to the house and put her on guard and therefore no more trysting was possible. The only thing for the man to do was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
From the fifth to the final one, the confidante is the one who’s going to be uttering these words, and she starts in the fifth by first praising the lady’s beautiful tresses that seem to waft with the scent of a mountain lily, and asks whether the man won’t realise how his parting is making pallor spread on the lady. Through this question, she actually means that the man will indeed realise and be back soon and thus consoles the pining lady.
In the sixth, the confidante portrays the man as a bee that steals nectar from the flame-lilies, and after roving hither and thither, he’s back, she tells the lady, informing her of how the man has returned from his mission to seek wealth for his marriage with the lady.
The seventh sees the confidante saying these words to the lady as the man listens nearby, when his trysting with the lady had been interrupted by his travels. The confidante recollects how the man swore that he would never part away and cause distress to the lady but now, causing every ruin to her beauty, he has done just that and she questions the lady asking why she was still believing the man and his promises.
In the eighth, the confidante talks to the lady, passing on a significant message to the lady’s family listening nearby. She wonders what would happen if the man’s plea to marry the lady is refused by the parents, and declares living would become impossible for the lady. This is to prepare the lady’s family for the man’s proposal by telling them that the lady is already in a relationship with him and that they should approve his request to marry her.
The ninth sees the confidante teasing the lady, asking her whether the man had arrived in the middle of the night, after a long break of causing ruin to the health and beauty of the lady. The reason she asks so is because the lady’s forehead seemed to suddenly glow with such a brilliance. All a Sangam lady needs apparently for her to be herself is the man’s presence, looks like!
In the final one, the confidante reminisces about how the man used to come along with the lady and guard the millet fields. Then later he had to part to seek wealth for their wedding, and at that time, he made the lady’s beauty and health fade. But now, things have changed and the lady’s family have consented to their marriage and the confidante relays this to her friend with much joy. A finale event that makes me say, ‘All’s well that ends well’!
In this section, the poet breaks his characteristic descriptive style, wherein he avoids metaphors and leaves only the substance of the emotions. Perhaps as a way to say that he need not only cling on to the beauty of the landscape and the fascinating elements there, but try to do something different, something more direct. Reflecting on the skill of this versatile poet, we end this section that narrates the events around a man’s parting and a lady’s pining!
In this episode, we observe the elements and emotions in an ancient hill country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 211-220, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty-Second Ten of Ainkurunooru: Words to a mountain woman
211 Accept the Attire
நெய்யொடு மயக்கிய உழுந்து நூற்றன்ன
வயலைஅம் சிலம்பின் தலையது
செயலைஅம் பகைத் தழை வாடும் அன்னாய்!
Appearing like ghee mixed black gram that’s laid out, the purslane creeper spreads on the mountain cleft, where grows an ‘Ashoka tree’. This attire made with differing leaves of that tree is about to fade, O mother!
212 Together fragrance
சாந்த மரத்த பூழில் எழு புகை
கூட்டு விரை கமழும் நாடன்
அறவற்கு எவனோ, நாம் அகல்வு? அன்னாய்!
From the sandalwood and agarwood, rises smoke and spreads a together fragrance in the lord’s country. He is a righteous man. Why did we say no to him, O mother?
213 Severed green mango
நறு வடி மாஅத்து மூக்கு இறுபு உதிர்ந்த
ஈர்ந் தண் பெரு வடு, பாலையில், குறவர்,
உறை வீழ் ஆலியின், தொகுக்கும் சாரல்
மீமிசை நல் நாட்டவர் வரின்,
யான் உயிர் வாழ்தல் கூடும் அன்னாய்!
The fragrant, unripe fruit of the mango is severed from the stems and these moist and cool huge green mangoes fall down, and are collected by mountain dwellers, akin to how those who live in the drylands collect hailstones that fall in the rain. Such is the mountain slopes of the lord of the fine country above. If he comes, then living my life will become possible, O mother!
214 Falling fruit and scattering honey
சாரல் பலவின் கொழுந் துணர் நறும் பழம்
இருங் கல் விடர் அளை வீழ்ந்தென, வெற்பில்
பெருந்தேன் இறாஅல் சிதறும் நாடன்,
பேர் அமர் மழைக் கண் கலிழ, தன்
சீருடை நல் நாட்டுச் செல்லும் அன்னாய்!
The fragrant fruit of the jackfruit tree hanging in huge clusters in the slopes, falls down on the huge cleft, and shatters the huge honeycomb in the mountains of the lord. Making your huge, beautiful, rain-like eyes shed tears, he will now leave to his fine and prosperous country, O mother!
215 More cruel than an evening
கட்டளை அன்ன மணி நிறத் தும்பி,
இட்டிய குயின்ற துளைவயின் செலீஇயர்
தட்டைத் தண்ணுமைப் பின்னர் இயவர்
தீம் குழல் ஆம்பலின், இனிய இமிரும்
புதல் மலர் மாலையும் பிரிவோர்
அதனினும் கொடிய செய்குவர் அன்னாய்!
In the evening, around a flower bush, a sapphire-hued bee, appearing like a touchstone, resounds sweeter than the pleasant-tuned, lily-shaped flutes, played by those, who follow the players of rattling drums, as they traverse narrow and small mountain passes. At this time, he parts away and acts more cruel than an evening, O mother!
216 Quivering calf, Hiding tiger
குறுங் கை இரும் புலிக் கோள் வல் ஏற்றை,
நெடும் புதல் கானத்து மடப் பிடி ஈன்ற
நடுங்கு நடைக் குழவி கொளீஇய, பலவின்
பழம் தூங்கு கொழு நிழல் ஒளிக்கும் நாடற்கு,
கொய்தரு தளிரின் வாடி, நின்
மெய் பிறிதாதல் எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
The huge and powerful male tiger with short legs, wanting to prey on the calf with a trembling gait, birthed by a naive female elephant in the bushy forest, hides in the thick shade of the jackfruit tree, filled with hanging fruit clusters in the lord’s country. Thinking of him, akin to a plucked shoot, you wither and your form becomes different. Why is this so, O mother?
217 Flower-grazing deers
பெரு வரை வேங்கைப் பொன் மருள் நறு வீ
மான் இனப் பெருங் கிளை மேயல் ஆரும்
கானக நாடன் வரவும், இவண்
மேனி பசப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
The gold-like, fragrant flowers of the ‘Indian Kino tree’ in the huge mountains are grazed upon by huge herds of deer in the forest country of the lord. Even though he has come, why does your form spread with pallor, O mother?
218 Good tidings for the tiger
நுண் ஏர் புருவத்த கண்ணும் ஆடும்;
மயிர் வார் முன்கை வளையும் செறூஉம்;
களிறு கோள் பிழைத்த கதம் சிறந்து எழு புலி
எழுதரு மழையின் குழுமும்
பெருங் கல் நாடன் வரும்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
My eyes with graceful, rising brows twitches; On my forearms with fine hair, bangles tighten; A tiger, which let an elephant escape rises with fury and roars, akin to a soaring raincloud, in the huge mountains of the lord. Don’t you think this is because he is about to arrive, O mother?
219 The shower of pallor
கருங் கால் வேங்கை மாத் தகட்டு ஒள் வீ
இருங் கல் வியல் அறை வரிப்பத் தாஅம்
நல் மலை நாடன் பிரிந்தென,
ஒள் நுதல் பசப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
The huge-petaled, radiant flowers of the black-trunked Indian Kino tree falls upon the huge rocks and spreads in rows in the fine mountain country of the lord. Because he parted away, why does your glowing forehead spread with pallor, O mother?
220 Graced by the rainclouds
அலங்குமழை பொழிந்த அகன்கண் அருவி
ஆடுகழை அடுக்கத்து இழிதரு நாடன்
பெரு வரை அன்ன திரு விறல் வியல் மார்பு
முயங்காது கழிந்த நாள், இவள்
மயங்கு இதழ் மழைக்கண் கலிழும் அன்னாய்!
As the dancing rainclouds pour down, wide cascades in the bamboo-swaying ranges flow down in the lord’s country. Akin to a huge mountain is his esteemed, strong and wide chest. If a day passes without embracing it, her flower-like, rain-like eyes will shed tears, O mother!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 211-220. All the verses in this section are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and revolve around the themes of trysting, parting to earn wealth and revealing relationship to kin. The unifying theme in all these verses is that they end with the words ‘O mother’. As in the previous section, this word does not refer to mother per se, and are spoken either by the lady or her confidante and expressed to each other or the lady’s mother.
Let’s first look at the elements of the mountain country that we can extract from this section. In the first scene, we see purslane creeper spreading on a mountain cleft, and to describe this sight, a food simile is employed by the poet, as he calls ghee-mixed black gram in parallel. However, it’s not the purslane creeper that gets the spotlight but an Ashoka tree that grows in this place. Next, we inhale the combined fragrance of sandalwood and agarwood. A rich and delicious scent for sure! This is followed by the falling of green mangoes that are severed from the branches. As they rain down, these are collected with glee by mountain dwellers, much like how people in the drylands collect hailstones when it rains there. Placing in parallel the actions of people from two different regions is an interesting poetic technique!
Speaking of falling fruit, next it’s the turn of the plump and ripe jackfruit to fall from a tree on a honeycomb hanging in cleft and scattering the nectar all over the mountains. A sensual treat for the tastebuds indeed! Scent, Sight, Taste – All done! Will the poet let the sense of sound go unmentioned? And so, we hear the buzzing of bees, said to be sapphire hued with golden lines appearing like a goldsmith’s touchstone. To perfectly describe it to us, the poet calls the sound that arises from lily-shaped flutes played by those, who follow the drummers through narrow mountain passes. He says the sound of those bees is sweeter than these flutes!
We move on to witness a newly born elephant calf taking its wobbly first steps, even as a male tiger lies in wait in the shade of a jackfruit tree to prey upon it. After this dramatic scene, there’s also the serene sight of deers munching on the golden ‘Vengai’ flowers. Back to drama, we see a tiger that has let an elephant escape rise with fury, like a raincloud that too. In the next, we see how the ‘vengai’ tree decorates the rocks beneath with lines of its yellow flowers. In the final scene, we take in the sight of rainclouds pouring down, filling the cascades and making them gush with gusto in the lord’s country.
Moving on to the intentions of the speakers, in the first, the confidante presses the lady to accept the man’s gift of an attire made with many leaves of the Ashoka tree. In the second, the confidante questions the lady’s mother, asking when the man is so righteous, why was he refused the lady’s hand. Through this question, the confidante is revealing the lady’s love relationship with the man to the lady’s family. In the third, the lady tells the confidante that she can live only if the man arrives to seek her hand in marriage. In the fourth, the confidante tells the lady even as the man is in earshot that the man is about to leave to his country on some work, which is sure to make the lady shed tears. Maybe as a response, in the fifth, the lady says to the confidante, even as the man is again in earshot, saying that he parts away when it’s evening, and thus acts more cruel than the evening, which is known to wreak havoc in the minds of separated lovers.
The sixth sees the confidante asking the lady, as the man again listens, about why she fades like a plucked leaf for the sake of the man, in a situation when the man seems interested only in trysting and not seeking the lady’s hand, thereby nudging him in the right direction. In the seventh, the man’s return from his mission to earn wealth for his wedding is proclaimed by the confidante to the lady asking why does pallor still reside now that the man has returned. In the eighth, the confidante cheers the lady saying certain good omens like eye-twitching and bangles tightening were happening in her, and these are sure-fire signs for the man’s arrival. In the ninth, the confidante speaks consoling words to the lady when the man has parted away to earn wealth by bringing attention to the spreading pallor on the lady’s forehead. In the final one, the confidante speaks to the lady’s mother saying even if a day passes for the lady without embracing the man’s chest, then her eyes would shed teardrops many. She thus reveals the lady’s relationship with the man to the lady’s family.
Turning to metaphorical elements, the scene of smoke from sandalwood and agarwood rising together is a metaphor for the happy married life the man would lead with the lady. The depiction of jackfruit falling on a honeycomb is a metaphor for how the man’s parting would shatter the lady. In the scene of the tiger waiting to prey upon the wobbling calf, that’s a metaphor for the man wanting only to tryst and savour the lady’s company, without taking steps towards marriage. When the confidante talks about deer feeding on the golden flowers of the Kino tree, she implies their family will enjoy the wealth and fame of the man, who comes to marry the lady. In the one, where Kino flowers fall in rows on the rocks beneath, there’s a metaphor for how pallor spreads on the lady and reveals her relationship with the man to the town entire. In the final depiction of rainclouds pouring down and filling the cascades, the confidante places a metaphor for how the lady’s life flows, only because of the shower of the man’s love. Amidst a variety of emotional elements, in this section, the highlight lies in making us see, hear, smell, taste and even touch the striking facets of an ancient mountain land, wielding only words!
In this episode, we explore the sights and emotions of the hill country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 201-210, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the prolific poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty-First Ten of Ainkurunooru: The man and his mountain
201 Name that mountain tree
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! என்னை
தானும் மலைந்தான்; எமக்கும் தழை ஆயின;
பொன் வீ மணி அரும்பினவே
என்ன மரம்கொல், அவர் சாரலவ்வே!
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! My lord wore it himself and rendered those leaves to me too; These had golden flowers and sapphire-hued buds. Which tree in his mountain slopes are they from?
202 The horse he rides
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் ஊர்ப்
பார்ப்பனக் குறுமகப் போலத் தாமும்
குடுமித் தலைய மன்ற
நெடு மலை நாடன் ஊர்ந்த மாவே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Akin to the young Brahmin children in our village, it has tufted hair on its head too – The horse that the man from the tall mountains rides!
203 Better than ours
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் படப்பைத்
தேன் மயங்கு பாலினும் இனிய அவர் நாட்டு
உவலைக் கூவல் கீழ
மான் உண்டு எஞ்சிய கலிழி நீரே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Sweeter than the honey infused milk in our hamlet is his country’s muddy water that is left over, after deers have had their fill, in a puddle under the cover of dried-up leaves!
204 Appealing to unappealing
அன்னாய், வாழி, வேண்டு, அன்னை! அஃது எவன்கொல்?
வரையர மகளிரின் நிரையுடன் குழீஇ,
பெயர்வுழிப் பெயர்வுழித் தவிராது நோக்கி,
நல்லள் நல்லள் என்ப;
தீயேன் தில்ல, மலை கிழவோற்கே!
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Why this is so? Mountain goddesses would stand as a group and looking at me without fail, whenever I would traverse them, would exclaim, ‘She’s so likeable!’ But I seem to have become unlikeable to the lord of the mountains!
205 A sleep on his chest
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! என் தோழி
நனி நாண் உடையள்; நின்னும் அஞ்சும்;
ஒலி வெள் அருவி ஓங்கு மலை நாடன்
மலர்ந்த மார்பின் பாயல்
தவ நனி வெய்யள்; நோகோ யானே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! My friend has a lot of shyness; She fears you as well; But she sure desires one thing the most and that is to attain a sweet sleep on the wide, blooming chest of the lord from the tall mountains, resounding with white cascades. I worry for her!
206 A guardian of the heart
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! உவக்காண்
மாரிக் குன்றத்துக் காப்பான் அன்னன்;
தூவலின் நனைந்த தொடலை ஒள் வாள்,
பாசி சூழ்ந்த பெருங் கழல்,
தண் பனி வைகிய வரிக் கச்சினனே!
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Look there, akin to a mountain guard, who protects the pond in the rainy season, he appears with a shining sword drenched in the drizzle by his side, and wears huge warrior anklets, covered with moss and a cool, soaked striped cloth around his waist!
207 The sight of rainclouds
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நன்றும்
உணங்கல கொல்லோ, நின் தினையே? உவக்காண்
நிணம் பொதி வழுக்கின் தோன்றும்,
மழை தலைவைத்து, அவர் மணி நெடுங் குன்றே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! You are worried that your millet fields would completely dry up, is it not? Look over there, akin to a heap of meat with fat atop, surrounded by clouds appear his sapphire-hued, tall mountain!
208 Blessings of the Kino tree
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! கானவர்
கிழங்கு அகழ் நெடுங் குழி மல்க வேங்கைப்
பொன் மலி புது வீ தாஅம் அவர் நாட்டு
மணி நிற மால் வரை மறைதொறு, இவள்
அணி மலர் நெடுங் கண் ஆர்ந்தன பனியே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Mountain dwellers dig up huge pits to pull out tubers. Filling these pits, the Indian Kino tree sheds its fresh and plentiful golden flowers in his country. Whenever the sapphire-hued mountain in the lord’s country is hidden from sight, her beautiful, flower-like, wide eyes shed tears!
209 The unforgettable mountain man
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நீ மற்று
யான் அவர் மறத்தல் வேண்டுதி ஆயின்,
கொண்டல் அவரைப் பூவின் அன்ன
வெண் தலை மா மழை சூடி,
தோன்றல் ஆனாது, அவர் மணி நெடுங் குன்றே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! You request me saying that I should forget him a little. But how can I, when, akin to bean flowers that bloom in the eastern winds, surrounded by white-headed huge clouds, appear unceasingly his sapphire-hued, tall mountain!
210 The cure for her illness
அன்னாய், வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் படப்பைப்
புலவுச் சேர் துறுகல் ஏறி, அவர் நாட்டுப்
பூக் கெழு குன்றம் நோக்கி நின்று,
மணி புரை வயங்கு இழை நிலைபெறத்
தணிதற்கும் உரித்து, அவள் உற்ற நோயே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! If only she, who wears sapphire-like glowing jewels, gets the opportunity to climb on to the flesh-reeking boulder in our hamlet and stand there, looking for a long while, at his flower-filled mountains, then it will surely recede – That disease which afflicts her!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 201 to 210. As you have no doubt noted, we have set out on a trip to a mountain country from this section onwards, and the poet who rules this space in the pages of Sangam literature is undoubtedly Kabilar, known for his exquisite similes and depictions that this picturesque land demands. All the verses except one is set in the period of a love relationship between the man and lady prior to marriage, and even the one exception, although it’s after marriage, it’s a situation when the lady travels to her native village and is full of praise for the man’s country. So, no courtesan trouble at all in this land of joy! The unifying theme in all these verses is the person being spoken to, and although the word ‘mother’ is used in every verse, with a request that she listen to the words that follow, this person is not only the mother per se. This reflects the tradition of friends calling each other as ‘mother’ and we have the lady and confidante speaking these words and addressing them either to each other or in some cases, to the lady’s mother.
Let’s start our trek and see the sights in one verse after the other. In the first, the lady speaks to her confidante for the benefit of the lady’s mother in earshot. Here, the lady talks about how the lord wore certain flowers and leaves himself and also gave the same to the lady as a gift for her attire. She describes how the flowers were golden when in full bloom and sapphire-hued when they were buds. Sounding innocent, the lady asks her friend, ‘Which tree is that?’. Although it seems the lady is someone with a naturalist’s aptitude or a botanist’s turn of mind, here her intention is to simply tell mother who’s listening, ‘Please say ‘no’ to those stranger folks who are seeking my hand. For my heart is with the another, that man from the mountains!’ Love the lady’s style of asking a curious question to reveal her state of mind to her mother.
In the second, the confidante speaks these words of cheer to her friend saying the man comes riding his horse, which has a tuft like that on the heads of Brahmin children in their village. This is to say the man comes riding speedily to claim the lady’s hand in marriage. This reference to tufts on the heads of children belonging to a particular community could imply that this was not a practice among the people of other communities.
Moving on from anthropological details, in the third is a delightful verse wherein the lady returns to her village after her marriage, and her friend asks her how she can stand the water in her husband’s country for it was known not to be good. For this, the lady replies that sweeter than milk and honey in their hamlet was the little water, left behind after deers had drunk from it, and covered with dried-up leaves, in a muddy puddle in the man’s country. This is high praise for the man and is a projection of the happiness the lady feels with him after marriage. By saying all the milk and honey my parents showered upon me cannot match the puddle water in my man’s country, the lady is echoing the timeless joy of togetherness with a beloved.
Joy turns to lament in the fourth, for now is the time when the man does not seem to be interested in seeking a marriage with the lady and is only concerned about trysting with her. When the man is in earshot, the lady tells her confidante about how even mountain goddesses celebrate her as someone so attractive, but how come, to the man, she seems so repulsive. This is to shock the man and make him ponder on why the lady thinks so wrongly about him, and from there, direct him towards the path of marrying the lady. Here, the lady is quite the brag, extolling her own beauty and its admiration in other eyes!
Then, it becomes time to reveal the lady’s relationship to mother, and here, the confidante talks about how the lady is shy and full of fear for mother’s ire. But there is one thing the lady wants the most and that’s to enjoy a sweet sleep on the man’s chest. Through these words, the confidante is revealing the lady’s relationship with the man to mother.
Trysting is the main theme in the sixth, where the confidante paints an intricate portrait of a guard around a pond, employed during the rainy season. She talks about his drenched sword, moss-covered anklets and soaked cloth around his waist. Bringing forth this image, the confidante projects it on the man, who has come to see the lady at night, saying that’s exactly how the man looks. This is to portray and praise the man’s love for the lady, for he comes there, braving many dangers to meet with the lady, and to leave her happy.
In the seventh, the lady worries that the millet fields are going to dry up without the rains and because of this, she will not get to meet with the man there. The confidante allays this worry of the lady by pointing to the rainclouds that surrounds the man’s radiant mountains, looking like a heap of meat capped by a layer of fat on top. This simile illustrates the perfect fusion of both the farming and hunting traditions of the mountain dwellers.
The eighth reveals to us huge pits dug up by mountain dwellers to gather tubers, and here, filling those pits, the Indian kino tree rains down its golden-hued flowers. These words are said by the confidante to the lady’s mother, talking about the man’s country so, and saying whenever the lady cannot see this mountain, she would shed tears. Through this, the confidante reveals the lady’s love relationship with the man to mother.
In the ninth, the confidante seems to have been telling the lady that she should forget the man a little as the lady was pining and losing her health in his absence. At this time, the lady says but how can I do that, because he instantly appears in my mind, whenever I see his cloud-shrouded mountains ahead!
In the final one, the confidante speaks to mother and says, ‘I know you are worried about the lady’s illness and you are wondering how to cure it. Well, all she has got to do is to climb on a little boulder and look at the man’s mountain, and if she keeps doing that, she’ll be fine’. This is yet again, revealing the lady’s relationship with the man to mother.
Turning to metaphorical elements, let’s focus on the image of the mountain guard. This is a person employed to ensure the banks of ponds and lakes do not overflow and cause damage to villages nearby and stands testimony to the administrative skills of these ancients, showing their preparedness for natural disasters. Apart from this interesting facet, the confidante uses that image of a guard as a metaphor for how the man will protect the lady too. In the scene where the lady describes the sight of the man’s mountains that prevent her from forgetting him, there’s a metaphor for her feelings that she is unable to hide and which seems to soar like those mountains in front of others’ eyes. In that picturesque image of golden flowers of the Indian Kino tree filling the pits, dug for tubers, there’s a metaphor for how the man’s wealth and fame will make up to the lady’s family, when they lose her in marriage to him. And so we find, a majestic and picturesque introduction in this section, where we perceive how the man and his mountain were seen as one and the same, talking about a deep connection with the land, something more pronounced in this rugged region much more than all the other landscapes!
In this episode, we listen to the stories echoing from the sounds of shell bangles, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 191-200, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Thus flows the Twentieth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Tell, O Shell
191 The Stealer of my heart
கடற்கோடு செறிந்த வளை வார் முன் கைக்,
கழிப் பூத் தொடர்ந்த இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,
கானல் ஞாழல் கவின் பெறும் தழையள்.
வரையர மகளிரின் அரியள் என்
நிறை அரு நெஞ்சம் கொண்டு ஒளித்தோளே.
Wearing a stack of tight-fitting bangles made of sea shells on her long forearms, flowers from the backwaters on her dark and thick tresses, and a garment made from the leaves of the tigerclaw, is that beautiful maiden, who is rarer to attain than a mountain goddess. She’s the one, who took my heart brimming with emotions and hid it away!
192 Loose and Tight
கோடு புலம் கொட்ப, கடல் எழுந்து முழங்க,
பாடு இமிழ் பனித் துறை ஓடு கலம் உகைக்கும்
துறைவன் பிரிந்தென, நெகிழ்ந்தன,
வீங்கின மாதோ தோழி! என் வளையே!
As conches rove on the shore, as the sea rises and roars and music resounds, speedy boats set out in the cool shores of the lord. Since he parted away, they slipped away. But now, they seem to fit tightly, O friend, these bangles of mine!
193 Tilling conches, Twinkling pearls
வலம்புரி உழுத வார் மணல் அடைகரை
இலங்கு கதிர் முத்தம் இருள் கெட இமைக்கும்
துறை கெழு கொண்க! நீ தந்த
அறைபுனல் வால் வளை நல்லவோ தாமே?
As right-whorled conch shells leave tracks, tilling the sands, pearls with glowing rays, scattering the darkness, twinkle in the shore of the lord! These white bangles from the resounding seas that you rendered, are they good, well-fitting bangles?
194 Mother’s hypothesis
கடற் கோடு அறுத்த, அரம் போழ் அவ் வளை
ஒண் தொடி மடவரல் கண்டிகும்; கொண்க!
நல் நுதல் இன்று மால் செய்தென,
கொன் ஒன்று கடுத்தனள், அன்னையது நிலையே.
The lady’s beautiful, glowing bangles are cut by a saw from the conch shells of the sea. Look at the state of this naive maiden, O lord! Seeing that her daughter’s fine forehead was looking sickly, mother came up with a reason for that. That’s mother’s state of mind!
195 Trading shells and pearls
வளை படு முத்தம் பரதவர் பகரும்
கடல் கெழு கொண்கன் காதல் மட மகள்
கெடல் அருந் துயரம் நல்கி,
படல் இன் பாயல் வௌவியோளே.
The people of the coast give away pearls within shells to others in the sea-filled shores of the lord. She is the lord’s loving daughter. She’s the one, who has rendered me this undying, harsh sorrow and the one, who has stolen away the sweet sleep of my eyes!
196 Catching shrimp in the backwaters
கோடு ஈர் எல் வளை, கொழும் பல் கூந்தல்,
ஆய் தொடி, மடவரல் வேண்டுதிஆயின்
தெண் கழிச் சேயிறாப் படூஉம்
தண் கடல் சேர்ப்ப! வரைந்தனை கொண்மோ.
Wearing shining bangles cut out of shells, having thick tresses, is that beautiful and naive maiden. If you seek her, O lord of the shores, surrounded by the cool seas, where shrimps in the clear backwaters are caught, you have to seek her hand in marriage!
197 Aura of shyness
இலங்கு வளை தெளிர்ப்ப அலவன் ஆட்டி,
முகம் புதை கதுப்பினள், இறைஞ்சி நின்றோளே
புலம்பு கொள் மாலை மறைய
நலம் கேழ் ஆகம் நல்குவள் எனக்கே.
Chasing a crab that makes her shining bangles quiver, hiding her face within her tresses, with a bent head, she stood. When the lament-filled evening fades away, she will render her beautiful bosom to me!
198 The questioning one
வளை அணி முன்கை, வால் எயிற்று அமர் நகை,
இளையர் ஆடும் தளை அவிழ் கானல்,
குறுந் துறை வினவி நின்ற
நெடுந் தோள் அண்ணல் கண்டிகும், யாமே.
‘Where is that leaf-budding grove on the little shore, where young maiden, their arms clad with bangles, with captivating smiles from shining teeth, play together?’, asked the esteemed man with broad shoulders. Let’s go see him now!
199 Sight of his seas
கானல்அம் பெருந் துறைக் கலிதிரை திளைக்கும்
வான் உயர் நெடு மணல் ஏறி, ஆனாது,
காண்கம் வம்மோ தோழி!
செறிவளை நெகிழ்த்தோன் எறிகடல் நாடே!
In the huge shore, filled with groves, around which uproarious waves delight, climbing on the mountain-high sand dunes untiringly, let’s go see, my friend, the country with pouncing waves, ruled by the man, who has made your tight bangles slip away!
200 A laugh at pallor
இலங்கு வீங்கு எல்வளை! ஆய்நுதல் கவின,
பொலந்தேர்க் கொண்கன் வந்தனன் இனியே;
விலங்கு அரி நெடுங் கண் ஞெகிழ்மதி;
நலம் கவர் பசலையை நகுகம் நாமே!
O maiden, wearing shining, well-fitted bangles! For the distressed forehead to gain its beauty, the lord has come in his golden chariot now. Please open your eyes filled with shining lines. Let us laugh at the pallor that wanted to steal away your good health!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 191-200. All but one song is set in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady prior to marriage, and that exception is set in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady and his involvement with courtesans. The unifying theme of all the verses in this section is the reference to conch shells and specifically the ancient tradition of carving shell bangles for women from them. In this section, it’s the confidante’s voice that’s predominantly heard, even though there are few instances wherein the man and lady speak too.
In most of these verses, the shell bangles are seen glowing on the hands of the lady or other maiden, dancing in their play, and sometimes they seem to tell the state of the lady. If she’s sorrowful and pining, they become loose-fitting and slip away. If she’s in the opposite state, then magically they seem to become tight-fitting. In one, these are the gift the man gives to the lady. A unique rendition in one of the verses is where no reference is made to the bangle, but rather the oyster shells and pearls within them are talked about as an object of barter by those who live near the seas.
Delving into the intent and context of each of these verses, in the first, we see the man giving a long description to his friends about the lady who had stolen his heart to his friends, talking about her shell bangles, backwater flowers on her tresses and her beautiful garment made from the leaves of the tigerclaw tree. Here, we see the rare case of a man in pining, missing the girl he’s fallen for. In the second, conch shells flit about on the shore and elements of the sea such as the waves and boats shine on, and here, the lady is remarking on the miracle of how the bangles were slipping away when the man was gone, but now that he’s back, they seem to fit so well. Astonishing indeed the way these Sangam maiden shed their pounds when in separation and instantly gained them back on the arrival of their beloved!
In the third, conch shells leave tracks on the seashore akin to the ploughs of farmers and pearls seem to be twinkling there too. So much preciousness for the taking in those ancient spaces! Here, the confidante is sarcastically asking the man if the bangles he gifted the lady were any good, implying her question about whether these bangles will stay put on her hands or will the man leave her in pining, making those bangles slip away again. Fourth sees the situation of the confidante informing the man that the lady has been put on guard by mother, after mother saw the sickly state of the lady’s forehead. Mother seems to have come up with some random reason and locked up the lady, says the confidante, implying to the man that if he wanted to be with the lady, he must seek her hand.
The man takes the spotlight in the fifth as he sits in some faraway place on his mission to earn wealth for his wedding, thinking about the lady, the daughter of a lord of the shores, and how she has stolen his sleep. In the sixth one, there’s mention of bangles being cut from the shells with saws and apart from this background information, here the confidante urges the man to marry the lady instead of seeking a way to tryst with her, by obtaining the confidante’s help.
In the seventh, is an emotion-filled moment, when a lady is overcome with the feeling of shyness when she arrives at the spot to tryst with the man, for she seems to be avoiding him and simply chasing crabs and hiding her face behind the thick veil of her tresses. But the man seeing all this is still hopeful that she would overcome this shyness and embrace him when the evening is gone. The eighth is the only one set in the post-marital context and here the confidante recollects to the lady how the man used to seek out her in those days of their love relationship asking people about the shore where the lady lived, and thus tries to direct the lady to forgive his recent meandering towards courtesans.
In the ninth, the confidante takes us back to the time when the man and lady are separated before their marriage and as an act of consolation to her pining friend, she says that they should go and climb the sands on their shore and try to look at the man’s land, resounding with waves far away. The act of walking and climbing on the sands and looking ahead with hope is sure to be a recipe for allaying the sadness of the lady. In the final one, the man comes to elope with the lady in his golden chariot, and so the confidante, wakes up the sleeping lady and says, it’s time to have a good laugh at pallor, which was waiting to torment the lady, for pallor’s plans are laid to dust by the man’s daring.
Turning to metaphorical elements, in the note about coastal people giving away shells and pearls without any regret is an illustration of how this abounds in their landscape and they are always ready to barter that for other things that are hard to find. Apart from this nugget of economics, it’s also a metaphor for how the man is away seeking wealth to offer the lady’s father to win over that precious, pearl-like lady. In the one, where the confidante portrays the man’s shores as those where the shrimps are caught easily in the backwaters, she places a metaphor for how the man too should take efforts to seek the lady’s hand and like the shrimp caught, he too can impress the lady’s family and make a catch of the lady for his happy, married life.
With this section, we come to the end of songs set in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ in Ainkurunooru. While some landscapes like ‘Marutham’ and ‘Kurinji’ are so well-defined in their emotional aspects, I found ‘Neythal’ to be somewhat ambiguous. It seemed to move through all possible stages from the moment of falling in love to courtesan trouble at the end, and not only that, so many different emotions were expressed here too. Perhaps the Sangam poets wanted these songs to echo the rise and fall of emotions and the changing dunes of the mind just the way the waves soar and dive and keep changing the shorelines around. Let’s rise from this dip in these Sangam seas and walk on to relish the wonders of another domain!
In this episode, we perceive the beauty of a blue lotus, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 181-190, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Nineteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ballad of the Blue Lotus
181 Making life sweet
நெய்தல் உண்கண், நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்
பொய்தல் ஆடிய பொய்யா மகளிர்
குப்பை வெண் மணல் குரவை நிறூஉம்
துறை கெழு கொண்கன் நல்கின்,
உறைவு இனிது, அம்ம! இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே.
With kohl-streaked eyes, akin to blue lotuses, soft arms, akin to bamboos, the faultless maiden play ‘Poithal games’ and do ‘Kuravai dances’ on the heaps of white sands in the lord’s rich shores. If he renders his grace, then living would turn sweet in this uproarious town.
182 He is the one
நெய்தல் நறு மலர் செருந்தியொடு விரைஇக்
கை புனை நறுந் தார் கமழும் மார்பன்
அருந் திறல் கடவுள் அல்லன்
பெருந் துறைக் கண்டு, இவள் அணங்கியோனே.
Along with the fragrant flowers of the blue lotus, golden champak flowers are tied together in the hand-woven garland that wafts with fragrance from the lord’s chest. It’s not god almighty, but he, who seeing her in the huge shore, caused this affliction in her.
183 Evening in the morning
தண் கடல் சேர்ப்பன் பிரிந்தென, பண்டையின்
கடும் பகல் வருதி கையறு மாலை!
கொடுங்கழி நெய்தலும் கூம்பக்
காலை வரினும், களைஞரோ இலரே.
When the lord of the shores surrounded by cool seas has parted from me, just like before, you come in the harsh afternoon, spreading helplessness, O evening. Even if you were to appear in the morning to make the blue lotus in the curving backwaters close its buds, there is no one to allay my sorrow!
184 Pushed aside
நெய்தல் இருங் கழி நெய்தல் நீக்கி
மீன் உண் குருகினம் கானல் அல்கும்
கடல் அணிந்தன்று, அவர் ஊரே;
கடலினும் பெரிது, எமக்கு அவருடை நட்பே.
Pushing aside the blue lotus blooming in the dark backwaters of the coast, flocks of birds feed on fish and then rest in the groves, surrounded by seas in his town. To me, greater than the sea is his relationship!
185 Epitome of beauty
அலங்குஇதழ் நெய்தல் கொற்கை முன்துறை
இலங்கு முத்து உறைக்கும் எயிறு கெழு துவர் வாய்,
அரம் போழ் அவ் வளைக் குறுமகள்
நரம்பு ஆர்த்தன்ன தீம் கிளவியளே.
With glowing teeth, akin to the shining pearls found on the shores of Korkai, blooming with blue lotuses, filled with dancing petals; and a mouth, akin to coral; wearing beautiful shell bangles, carved with a saw, is that young maiden, whose words are as sweet as the music from the strings of the lute.
186 Ban to go
நாரை நல் இனம் கடுப்ப, மகளிர்
நீர் வார் கூந்தல் உளரும் துறைவ!
‘பொங்குகழி நெய்தல் உறைப்ப, இத் துறைப்
பல்கால் வரூஉம் தேர்’ என,
‘செல்லாதீமோ’ என்றனள் யாயே.
Akin to flocks of seabirds appear maiden, drying their dripping tresses in your shore, O lord! ’Splashing on the blue lotuses blooming in the brimming backwaters, comes a chariot often on this shore. So, don’t you go!’, said mother!
187 No to you
நொதுமலாளர் கொள்ளார் இவையே;
எம்மொடு வந்து கடல் ஆடு மகளிரும்
நெய்தல்அம் பகைத்தழைப் பாவை புனையார்;
உடலகம் கொள்வோர் இன்மையின்,
தொடலைக்கு உற்ற சில பூவினரே.
Strangers will not accept this; As for maiden, who come along with us and play in the seas, they will never adorn their dolls with anything but the leaves of blue lotuses. As there’s no one to wear them on their form, there are only a few flowers that are fit to be in a garland.
188 Esteemed eyes
இருங் கழிச் சேயிறா இனப் புள் ஆரும்
கொற்கைக் கோமான் கொற்கைஅம் பெருந் துறை
வைகறை மலரும் நெய்தல் போலத்
தகை பெரிது உடைய, காதலி கண்ணே!
Flocks of seabirds feed on shrimps in the backwaters of the huge shore in Korkai, ruled by the southern emperor. Akin to the blue lotus there that blooms there at dawn, greatness dwells in my lover’s eyes!
189 Golden blue lotuses
புன்னை நுண் தாது உறைத்தரு நெய்தல்
பொன்படு மணியின் பொற்பத் தோன்றும்
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் வந்தென,
நல்லஆயின தோழி! என் கண்ணே.
The fine pollen of the laurelwood tree scatters on the blue lotus and makes it appear like a gold-studded sapphire in the gentle shores of the lord. As he has returned, happy have turned my eyes, my friend!
190 Setting aside obstacles
தண் நறு நெய்தல் தளை அவிழ் வான் பூ
வெண்ணெல் அரிநர் மாற்றினர் அறுக்கும்
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் மன்ற எம்
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் பனி செய்தோனே.
Setting aside the huge blooming flowers of the cool and fragrant blue lotus, paddy harvesters chop paddy stalks alone in the gentle shores of the lord. He is the one, who made my many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes fill with tears!
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 181-190. The verses are situated both in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady, as well as a man’s married relationship with the lady involving a conflict situation about a courtesan. The unifying theme in all these verses is the presence of the flower that gives this landscape its name, ‘Neythal’ or ‘Blue lotus’. Either the lady or the confidante or the man render their voice in these verses and we shall explore the context as we go along.
Before that, let’s see how the blue lotus is employed in each verse. In one, the blue lotus becomes a silent simile for the eyes of maiden; in another, they dangle on the chest of the lord along with golden champak flowers; As an object acted upon by the evening, meaning the blue lotus closes its buds at this time of the day, they appear in a verse; Yet again, as an object that’s pushed aside by the birds as these look for fish in the backwaters, the blue lotuses make a poignant appearance. To identify the shores of Korkai, where pearls lie scattered, the blue lotuses stand up in one. In a description of how the lord’s chariot splashes water on them, these flowers make their presence felt. In another intricate description of how maiden have particular preferences about using the petals and leaves of the blue lotus in their garments, these are found. A blue lotus blooming at dawn is called in parallel to a woman’s eyes. As a picturesque image of golden pollen resting on the petals of the blue lotus, they appear in another. In the final representation, we find paddy harvesters carefully setting aside the blue lotuses blooming along with the paddy stalks and cutting only the paddy stalks.
Focusing on the intent of the speakers, in the first, the confidante informs the lady that the man is arriving to claim the lady’s hand, and in response, the lady says that if it were true, then living there in that town would turn sweet, implying that it was not so now, because of the slander that spread about her relationship with the man. In the second, the confidante reveals about the lady’s relationship with the man to the lady’s family saying it’s not god who has caused that affliction in the lady but the man she loves. In the third, the lady laments that it doesn’t matter whether the evening arrives as usual at dusk or even if it comes at dawn, for there was no one to end her sorrow, because the man had parted away from her to seek wealth for their wedding.
In the fourth, the lady remarks how to her the man’s relationship seemed greater than the sea but to him it seemed not to be so, as he was out courting with courtesans. The fifth sees the context changing prior to marriage with the man describing the one he has fallen in love with, as one, who has teeth like pearls, a mouth like coral, and that she wears shell bangles and speaks words, sweet like a lute. In the sixth, the confidante describes to the man that mother has put the lady on guard owing to rumours about the arrival of the man’s chariot in their town, and so if he wanted to be with the lady, he had to take steps to claim her hand. In the seventh, the confidante refuses the man’s gift of a leaf garment indicating that she did not find him suitable for the lady.
The eighth returns to the situation after marriage when the man has been refused entry to their home multiple times and then he decides to arrive with guests so that the lady cannot refuse him. Likewise, she shows no sign of anger towards him because of her innate hospitality, and at this time, to win her over, the man praises her eyes and says great esteem seems to rest there. In the ninth, the confidante tells the lady that she’s happy because the man has returned to claim the lady’s hand. In the last one, we travel back to the situation, prior to marriage when the confidante, speaking in the voice of the lady, says it’s the man, who has made the lady’s eyes fill with tears, revealing the lady’s relationship with the man to the lady’s family.
Turning to metaphorical elements, in the one where the seabirds push aside the blue lotus and seek the little fish in the backwaters, the confidante uses that as a metaphor for the man setting aside the lady and stooping low to seek courtesans. In the one where the man describes how flocks of seabirds feed on shrimps, he recollects his shameful behaviour of seeking courtesans and abandoning the lady and puts that image forth as an apology to the lady. In the picturesque image of the ‘punnai’ tree shedding its golden pollen on the blue lotus, the confidante imagines golden blessings of a happy married life with the man for the lotus-like lady. In the final one, which describes how harvesters of paddy carefully remove the blue lotuses growing in-between the crops so as to not harm them and then cut the paddy stalks, the confidante assures the lady’s family that the man will remove all obstacles in his path and do the needful to claim the lady’s hand. And so, this section an absolutely mixed bag of a little ‘this’ and a little ‘that’ but definitely wafting with the fragrance of a blue lotus, a delight for the senses!
In this episode, we perceive the glory of ancient seaside town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 171-180, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Thus flows the Eighteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Ticket to Thondi
171 Stolen Heart
திரை இமிழ் இன் இசை அளைஇ, அயலது
முழவு இமிழ் இன் இசை மறுகுதொறு இசைக்கும்
தொண்டி அன்ன பணைத் தோள்,
ஒண் தொடி அரிவை என் நெஞ்சு கொண்டோளே!
Fusing with the sweet music of the roaring waves, the sweet music of thundering drums nearby resounds in all the streets of Thondi. Akin to this town, are the bamboo-like arms of the young maiden, wearing glowing bangles- The one who has stolen my heart!
172 Sleepless Eyes
ஒண் தொடி அரிவை கொண்டனள், நெஞ்சே!
வண்டு இமிர் பனித் துறைத் தொண்டி ஆங்கண்
உரவுக் கடல் ஒலித் திரை போல,
இரவினானும் துயில் அறியேனே!
My heart has been stolen by the young maiden wearing glowing bangles! In the bee-buzzing, cool shores of Thondi, roars the resounding waves of the vast ocean. Akin to that, even at night, I sleep not!
173 Astounding beauty
இரவினானும் இன் துயில் அறியாது
அரவு உறு துயரம் எய்துப தொண்டித்
தண் நறு நெய்தல் நாறும்
பின் இருங் கூந்தல் அணங்குற்றோரே.
Sleeping not, even at night, they attain the sorrow of a snake. They are those who have seen the one with long, dark tresses, wafting with the scent of the cool and fragrant blue lotus in the town of Thondi, and are astounded by her.
174 Resolving yearning
அணங்குடைப் பனித் துறைத் தொண்டி அன்ன
மணம் கமழ் பொழில் குறி நல்கினள் நுணங்குஇழை
பொங்கு அரி பரந்த உண்கண்,
அம் கலிழ் மேனி அசைஇய எமக்கே.
Like the astounding cool shores of Thondi, was the fragrant grove, where she rendered her grace in a tryst. She, the one wearing delicate jewels, and having kohl-streaked eyes, filled with lines, as well as an alluring, beautiful form, resolved the yearning in me!
175 Walk with a friend
எமக்கு நயந்து அருளினைஆயின், பணைத் தோள்
நல் நுதல் அரிவையொடு மென்மெல இயலி,
வந்திசின் வாழியோ, மடந்தை!
தொண்டி அன்ன நின் பண்பு பல கொண்டே.
To me, you have rendered your grace. And so, along with the young maiden, with the bamboo-like arms and fine forehead, gently walk and come thither! May you live long, O maiden, who, akin to Thondi, has many admirable qualities!
176 Tell me my fault
பண்பும் பாயலும் கொண்டனள் தொண்டித்
தண் கமழ் புது மலர் நாறும் ஒண் தொடி,
ஐது அமைந்து அகன்ற அல்குல்,
கொய் தளிர் மேனி! கூறுமதி தவறே.
My admirable qualities and my deep sleep, she took away, the one who has the cool fragrance of a new flower in Thondi, the one wearing shining bangles, and having well-structured, wide loins, and a form akin to a tender mango shoot! Please tell me, what my fault is!
177 State of the fallen
தவறு இலராயினும், பனிப்ப மன்ற
இவறு திரை திளைக்கும் இடு மணல் நெடுங் கோட்டு
முண்டக நறு மலர் கமழும்
தொண்டி அன்னோள் தோள் உற்றோரே.
Even though it’s no fault of theirs, they will indeed quiver. Filled with dancing waves, soaring sands along its spreading shore, wafting with the fragrance of the water-thorn flowers, remains Thondi. Akin to the town, is she, and that’s the state of those, who have fallen for her shoulders!
178 Confidante’s grace
தோளும் கூந்தலும் பல பாராட்டி,
வாழ்தல் ஒல்லுமோ மற்றே செங்கோல்
குட்டுவன் தொண்டி அன்ன
எற் கண்டு நயந்து நீ நல்காக்காலே?
Upon her shoulders and tresses, showering praises many, how can I live a happy life, if, unto me, akin to Thondi, ruled by Kuttuvan with a righteous sceptre, you do not render your grace?
179 Man’s grace
நல்குமதி, வாழியோ! நளி நீர்ச் சேர்ப்ப!
அலவன் தாக்கத் துறை இறாப் பிறழும்
இன் ஒலித் தொண்டி அற்றே,
நின் அலது இல்லா இவள் சிறு நுதலே.
Render your grace! May you live long, O lord of the shore with brimming seas. Akin to the sweet-sounding Thondi, where attacked by a crab, a shrimp twists and twirls, is she, and without you nearby, fades the beauty of her little forehead!
180 Sooner than later
சிறு நணி வரைந்தனை கொண்மோ பெருநீர்
வலைவர் தந்த கொழுமீன் வல்சிப்
பறை தபு முது குருகு இருக்கும்
துறை கெழு தொண்டி அன்ன இவள் நலனே.
Little should be the time you take to seek her hand and part away with her beauty, akin to the shore-filled Thondi, wherein a flightless, old seabird waits for the catch of fat fish, reeled in by the fishermen, from the huge seas!
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 171-180. These ten verses are a unique and striking section in this work for many reasons. First of all, all the verses here are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to their marriage, and there is a synchronous flow of events from the first to the last. Usually, we see songs from both pre-marital and post-marital contexts and even if it’s one of the two, there is no rhyme or reason in the flow of the consecutive verses. This is the first one in which I have seen a coherent flow, which we shall delve into shortly. Not only are the events in sync, the structure of each of these verses is designed in an ‘Anthaathi’ format, wherein the thought or word with which one verse finishes happens to be the thought or word with which the next verse begins. It’s an exquisite string of verses, well-tied in form and content. Then, finally, the unifying theme of all these verses, is not an element of nature or a character speaking or spoken to, but the historic town of Thondi, an ancient Chera seaport and city from the Sangam times, mentioned as Tyndis in Graeco-Roman Literature and described extensively as a trading port of the western world with the ancient Indians.
Before we head into the flow of the verses, let’s understand how Thondi finds a presence in these different verses. In one, the pleasant sounds of waves and drums roar together in the streets of Thondi, which is placed in parallel to the bamboo-like arms of the lady. In another, bees buzz on the cool shores, no doubt owing to the lush and inviting flowers there, and here the unceasing waves that never sleep in the Thondi town are called in parallel to the man’s insomnia.
Flowers of this town find a specific mention, such a blue lotus in this town waving a fragrant ‘hello’ to us, and the cool fragrance of a freshly bloomed flower, placed in parallel to the lady. In another portrait, the cool shores here are called in parallel to a spot where lovers meet. Also, in one, the lady’s good qualities are equated to that of Thondi.
In another expansive description, we see swaying waves, tall mounds of sands and a vast shore, filled with the fragrance of water-thorn flowers, and here too, the town is called in parallel to the beauty of the lady. Not only does Thondi stand in parallel to the lady, but also, in one instance, to the man, and in this case, the beauty of the place is not talked about but rather how it was ruled righteously by the Chera King Kuttuvan. Thus, we see how in those times, one gender was seen with the lens of beauty and the other with justice and righteousness.
In the last two verses, two scenes depict the cool shores of sweet-sounding Thondi, and these are one, where a crab is seen chasing a shrimp and making it twirl, and another, where an old, flightless bird waits to take off with a fresh catch brought in by the fishermen, and in both these cases, it’s the beauty of the lady described with the beauty of Thondi. Thus, we see how Thondi is predominantly called to describe the beauty of a woman, in line with the Sangam tradition of equating places and a woman’s beauty. However, there are also rare similes that call in the town to describe a state of sleeplessness and the virtue of righteousness.
Having relished the delightful and sensual scenes in this Sangam town, let’s turn our attention to the flow of the verses. In the first, the man has caught sight of the lady and fallen in love with her, and he declares that she has stolen his heart. In the next, the man explains his state to his friend, who is worried about the changes in the man, saying, because his heart is so stolen, he is unable to get any sleep at night. Then the friend visits the lady and declares that it’s understandable that the man is not able to get any sleep for anyone who has seen her, will suffer so, like a snake that has lost its gem. This last line may be confusing but it arises out of a Sangam belief that a snake has a gem within, which is crucial to its wellbeing and if it were to lose it, it would writhe and suffer. Wonder where they got this belief from, but the essence to be gathered here is that the man’s friend understands the man’s love-lorn, sleepless state.
In the next, things have progressed and the man and lady have united together in a charming spot, which the man equates to the beauty of Thondi. At the end of this, the man turns to the lady, and in a protective tone, tells the lady that she must always come with her confidante thereafter. Listening to his words, the lady possibly brought her friend along the next time. For we see the man, making conversation with this confidante and talking about how the lady has taken away all his good qualities and his sleep. He queries what wrong did he do to suffer so. In reply to the man’s question, the confidante laughingly declares, ‘You have done nothing wrong. This is precisely the state of anyone who has fallen for my friend’. Next, the man seeks the confidante’s help in furthering his love relationship with the lady and declares that without the friend’s help, he cannot live a happy life with the lady.
Accepting the man’s requests, the confidante arranges trysts with the lady, and after this has gone on for long, the confidante opens the topic that the man should seek the lady’s hand because whenever he goes far, the lady’s forehead is clouded in pallor. Possibly, the man has taken her words too lightly, for in the final one, the confidante declares that the man should make haste and take steps towards marriage for strangers were approaching the lady’s parents for the lady’s hand. We cannot help but see the smooth and well-connected flow of events in this one section, from the man’s first sight of the lady to the confidante’s nudge to the man to take his secret love relationship towards marriage.
Turning to the metaphorical elements, there are two such in this section. In the one, where the crab chases the shrimp and makes it twist and turn, the confidante says that as a metaphor for how the slander spread by the townsfolk about the lady’s relationship with the man is tormenting the lady. Likewise in the one where an old seabird bides its time to snatch a fish from the catch brought in by the fishermen of those fertile seas, the confidante uses this scene to project the situation where strangers were waiting to snatch away the lady from the man’s hands. And so, by traversing through this section, we get to take a tour of that picturesque town of Thondi, and also, sail in the flow of that eternal emotion of love, in the sturdy ship of these Sangam songs!
In this episode, we hop in step with a white sea gull to learn of the love dynamics between the man and the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 161-170, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Seventeenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: On the wings of a gull
161 Staying at ease
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
கருங் கோட்டுப் புன்னைத் தங்கும் துறைவற்குப்
பயந்து நுதல் அழியச் சாஅய்,
நயந்த நெஞ்சம் நோய்ப்பாலஃதே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore stays on the black-trunked laurelwood tree in the lord’s shore. Thinking of him, my forehead has lost its lustre and the heart that desired him is filled with affliction.
162 Resting in the grove
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
நீத்து நீர் இருங் கழி இரை தேர்ந்து உண்டு,
பூக் கமழ் பொதும்பர்ச் சேக்கும்
துறைவன் சொல்லோ பிற ஆயினவே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore searches for its prey in the stagnant and dark backwaters and then rests in the groves, filled with the fragrance of flowers, in the lord’s shore. He has not kept his promises!
163 Sound sleep
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழித் துவலை ஒலியின் துஞ்சும்
துறைவன் துறந்தென, துறந்து என்
இறை ஏர் முன்கை நீங்கிய, வளையே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore sleeps not minding the sound of splashes in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. As he parted away from me, they too have parted away from my forearms and fell off my wrists, those bangles of mine!
164 Fishing for small fry
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி மருங்கின் அயிரை ஆரும்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் தகுதி
நம்மோடு அமையாது, அலர் பயந்தன்றே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore feeds on the loach fish near the dark backwaters in the lord’s cool shores. Since his grace remains not only with me, slander spreads!
165 Savouring Slush fish
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
அறு கழிச் சிறு மீன் ஆர மாந்தும்
துறைவன் சொல்லிய சொல் என்
இறை ஏர் எல் வளை கொண்டு நின்றதுவே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore eats to the full the small fish in the slushy backwaters of the lord’s shore. The word he gave back then has seized my well-fitted, glowing bangles and made them slip away!
166 Illusions of capture
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
வரி வெண் தாலி வலை செத்து வெரூஉம்
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் தேறி,
நல்ல ஆயின, நல்லோள் கண்ணே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore mistakes the rows of white cowry shells to be a net and is frightened in the soft shores of the lord. Believing in him, so fine they have become, the eyes of the good lady!
167 Fishing in the backwaters
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி இனக் கெடிறு ஆரும் துறைவன்
நல்குவன் போலக் கூறி,
நல்கான் ஆயினும், தொல் கேளன்னே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore feeds on the schools of catfish in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. Even though he promised to render his grace and does not fulfil it, he has a long-standing love for me!
168 Prosperous eggs in the sturdy boat
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
துறை படி அம்பி அகமணை ஈனும்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் நல்கின்,
ஒண் நுதல் அரிவை பால் ஆரும்மே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore lays its eggs in the inner space of the boat tied on the shore in the cool domain of the lord. If he renders his grace, the young maiden with a glowing forehead will return to drinking milk.
169 Favouring another
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
ஒள் இணர் ஞாழல் முனையின், பொதி அவிழ்
புன்னைஅம் பூஞ் சினைச் சேக்கும் துறைவன்
நெஞ்சத்து உண்மை அறிந்தும்,
என் செயப் பசக்கும் தோழி! என் கண்ணே?
The small white gull in the huge seashore, disliking the tigerclaw tree with radiant clusters, rests in the beautiful, flower-filled branches of the ‘punnai’ tree, blooming with buds in the lord’s shore. Even though it knows the truth in his heart, why do my eyes spread with pallor, my friend?
170 Crushing blue lotuses
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி நெய்தல் சிதைக்கும் துறைவன்
‘நல்லன்’ என்றிஆயின்;
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் பசத்தல் மற்று எவனோ?
The small white gull in the huge seashore muddles the blue lotus in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. If he is ‘a good man’, then why does my many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes spread with pallor?
So concludes Ainkurunooru 161-170. The unifying theme in all these songs is the presence of a white sea gull on a huge shore. To be more accurate, this reference most probably points to the ‘black-headed seagull’, found commonly in the Indian subcontinent. The verses occur either in the context of a man’s secret love relationship with the lady when he delays the marriage and causes anxiety in the lady or in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady and the specific situation of a love quarrel involving courtesans. Except for two verses which are said by the confidante, all the rest are said by the lady to the confidante. The confidante addresses the lady, as the man listens nearby, in one instance, and she addresses mother in the other.
The first three occur in a pre-marital context, and in the first, the lady says the man has made her lose the beauty of her forehead and filled her heart with the disease of sorrow. In the second, the lady tells the confidante that the one she loves is not a man of his word, for he keeps delaying the marriage, taking no efforts whatsoever. In the third, the lady illustrates what the man’s behaviour is doing to her by pointing to the bangles slipping away from her thinning arms.
In the next two, we turn to the post-marital context and a conflict situation involving the courtesan. In the fifth, the lady laments how since the man does not show his love only to her, but rather to the courtesans too, slander spreads in town. In the sixth, the lady recollects the promises made by the man back then and talks about how her trust in them has made her bangles slip away now.
In the sixth, the confidante comes under the spotlight and she says for the benefit of the man who is standing in earshot, remarking sarcastically that the eyes of the good lady have been made to glow with health because the man keeps delaying seeking her hand. In the seventh, the lady takes the centre stage and defends the man saying that even though the man has gone seeking courtesans and forgotten his promise to her, she believes that he has a deep love for her.
The eighth happens in the situation when strangers come seeking the lady’s hand, when the lady is in the midst of a secret love relationship with the man, causing great anxiety in her. Owing to this, she does not eat or drink and loses her health. When mother questions about her state to the confidante, the confidante reveals the lady’s love relationship, and says if the man returns, the lady will eat and drink and regain her health.
The last two are yet again set in the post-marital context, and in the ninth, the lady wonders why her eyes keep spreading with pallor even though she understands the truth in the man’s heart. In the final one, the lady calls her eyes many-petaled, implying that she’s placing them in parallel with blue lotus, and talks about how they spread with pallor, even though the man is such a good person, as the confidante seemed to portray him.
Turning to the metaphorical elements, there are many in this section. In the one, where the man happily stays on the ‘punnai’ tree, that’s a metaphor for the lack of efforts on the man’s part and his relaxed attitude of delaying the marriage. In the scene, where the gull feeds on the prey and then goes to the flower-filled groves to rest, that’s a metaphor for the man relishing the beauty of the lady, and then, forgetting his duty, retiring to his home, without taking any efforts towards marriage. Next, in the one, where the gull sleeps so soundly, not bothering about the sound of splashes in the backwaters, that’s a metaphor for the man ignoring the sounds of slander spreading in the town about his relationship with the lady. There’s another striking metaphor in the one where the gull mistakes a row of cowry shells as a net and flutters away frightened, and the confidante implies that the man, hearing the words of the confidante and lady, beckoning him to seek the lady’s hand, akin to cowry shells, seems to be afraid of falling into the net of a married relationship, and that’s why he was delaying seeking the lady’s hand. Indeed, this man from the pages of this ancient text sounds so much like a modern man, who wants to remain a bachelor, for as long as he can.
The bird is caught! And, moving on to this post-marriage scenario, the gull instead of looking for huge fish in the sea, seems to be content with the small fry in the backwaters, a metaphor for the man’s sinking to the low behaviour of seeking courtesans. In the one where the gull dislikes the tigerclaw tree and goes towards the laurelwood tree, that again is a metaphor for the man’s abandonment of the lady and his seeking courtesans. In the final verse, where the gull crushes blue lotuses, that’s a metaphor for how the man is going to spoil the health and beauty of many a courtesan.
In that one, where the confidante reveals the lady’s love relationship to the mother, she talks of the image of a seagull laying its eggs safely on a sturdy boat in the seashore, and this is a promise to mother that the man will surely protect the lady and lead a happy married life with her, one filled with many children.
Thinking of gulls, from popular culture, the amusing image of gulls crying ‘Mine, mine’ in the animated movie ‘Finding Nemo’ comes first to mind. Then, there’s the philosophical ‘Jonathan Livingstone Seagull’ too, of a gull that dreamed to be different. Likewise, from these verses written two thousand years ago, we see how a little gull stands in place for the man, the hero of these depictions. A little something that tells us that the Sangam people perceived all life around them without any disparity and were ready to learn from all aspects of nature, be it big or small!
In this episode, we perceive the allegorical actions of a stork and a white seabird chick, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 151-160, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Sixteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Case of Mistaken Indentity
151 Blooming blue lotus
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
மிதிப்ப, நக்க கண் போல் நெய்தல்
கள் கமழ்ந்து ஆனாத் துறைவற்கு
நெக்க நெஞ்சம் நேர்கல்லேனே.
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it stepped on a blue lotus, making the bud spread open its petals and look like eyes wide open. The fragrance of the flower’s sweet nectar then spread unceasingly in the lord’s shore. As my heart is broken, I cannot accept this request and allow him entry.
152 Helpless cry
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
கையறுபு இரற்று கானல்அம் புலம்பந்
துறைவன் வரையும் என்ப;
அறவன் போலும்; அருளுமார் அதுவே.
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it called out with helplessness in the groves of the lord’s shore. They say he will marry her; Indeed he’s a man of justice, who never fails to shower his graces.
153 Falling feathers
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
உளர, ஒழிந்த தூவி குவவு மணல்
போர்வில் பெறூஉம் துறைவன் கேண்மை
நல்நெடுங் கூந்தல் நாடுமோ மற்றே?
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it was pecked and the feathers it shed fell on the sand heaps, waiting to be picked in the lord’s shore. Will the one, with fine, long tresses, accept his relationship anymore?
154 The bird that stayed
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
கானல் சேக்கும் துறைவனோடு
யான் எவன் செய்கோ? பொய்க்கும் இவ் ஊரே?
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it stayed in the grove of the lord’s shore. What am I to do, in this town of lies?
155 Washed away by the waves
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
பதைப்ப, ததைந்த நெய்தல் கழிய
ஓதமொடு பெயரும் துறைவற்குப்
பைஞ்சாய்ப் பாவை ஈன்றனென், யானே!
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it fluttered its wings and crushed the blue lotus and these flowers washed away in the waves of the lord’s shore. I have borne him a child, made of sedge grass already!
156 Fluttering feathers
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
பதைப்ப, ஒழிந்த செம் மறுத் தூவி
தெண் கழிப் பரக்கும் துறைவன்
எனக்கோ காதலன்; அனைக்கோ வேறே!
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it fluttered its wings, making its red-lined feathers scatter in the the lord’s shore, with cool backwaters. To me, he appears loving, but to my friend, he appears different.
157 All day stay
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
காலை இருந்து மாலைச் சேக்கும்
தெண் கடற் சேர்ப்பனொடு வாரான்,
தான் வந்தனன், எம் காதலோனே!
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it stayed there from morning to evening in the lord’s shore, with clear seas. Without returning with him, alone he comes, my loving son!
158 Roaming with the mate
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
கானல்அம் பெருந் துறைத் துணையொடு கொட்கும்
தண்ணம் துறைவ! கண்டிகும்,
அம் மா மேனி எம் தோழியது துயரே.
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it forgot that and roamed with its mate in the groves of the lord’s great and cool shore. Why don’t you go and allay the sorrow of our friend with a beautiful form, akin to a tender mango shoot?
159 Hungry bird
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
பசி தின, அல்கும் பனி நீர்ச் சேர்ப்ப!
நின் ஒன்று இரக்குவென் அல்லேன்;
தந்தனை சென்மோ கொண்ட இவள் நலனே?
When the stork with a naive gait went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it felt hungry and stayed in the lord’s shore, filled with the cool waves. I don’t seek anything else from you. Just give back the health and beauty you stole from her!
160 Swelling sadness
வெள்ளாங்குருகின் பிள்ளை செத்தென,
காணிய சென்ற மட நடை நாரை
நொந்ததன் தலையும் நோய் மிகும் துறைவ!
பண்டையின் மிகப் பெரிது இனைஇ,
முயங்குமதி, பெரும! மயங்கினள் பெரிதே!
When the stork went to see the white seabird’s chick, thinking the chick was its own, it lamented and its distress swelled in the lord’s shore. Even more than the past, go and embrace her and shower your graces, O lord, for she seems to be distressed greatly.
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 151-160. All the songs are set in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady, and specifically, in the situation of a love quarrel involving the courtesan. The unifying theme in all these verses is an allegorical depiction of a stork going to see a white seabird’s chick, thinking the little one was its own. This is supposed to imply the situation of a man visiting and living with the courtesan as if she were his rightful mate, the lady, and abandoning the lady in the process. These verses are said either by the lady or the confidante to each other or to the man or his messengers, seeking entry to the lady’s home.
In the first, the lady declares her heart is broken and she cannot accept the man back, when pressed by her confidante. In the second too, in reply to the confidante’s words that although the man has done a wrong thing, he is a good person and full of love for the lady, the lady replies in anger that she had heard about the man’s intention to marry the courtesan, and asks her friend, ‘Is this what you call justice and love?’. In the third, the confidante relays this message of refusal from the lady to the man’s messengers saying, ‘In this situation how can the beautiful lady accept the man again?’.
In the fourth, it’s the lady back in the spotlight as she accuses the town of lying about the man’s goodness and wonders what she is to do in such a town. This is in response to the confidante’s message to her asking the lady to accept the man. In the fifth, the confidante tries to remind her of her wifely duties of giving birth to the man’s child, and in response, the lady says, when they were in a love relationship, she bore him a child in the form of a doll, made of sedge grass. That will do for him, she says, in anger! This strong refusal etches the character of the lady with strength and clarity. In the sixth, it’s the confidante back again and she refuses entry to the man’s messengers saying, ‘I can see that he’s loving but my friend doesn’t think so, and so, no!’.
The seventh reveals a curious situation when the man seems to have taken his son along to the courtesan’s house, and he then decides to stay there, making the child return on his own. It’s this sad state of affairs that the lady remarks about. In the eighth, the confidante says sarcastically to the man that instead of coming home since the courtesan was angry with him, the man should go there and end her sorrow. In the next too, the confidante tells the man, ‘I just want one thing from you and that’s for you to return the lady’s health and beauty that you stole from her!’. In the final one, the lady is back to the spotlight and full of sarcasm, asking the man to go back to the courtesan and even more than ever, show his love to her and cure her ire.
Looking at some of the the metaphorical elements in addition to the core allegory of the stork and the white seabird’s chick, we find images like the blue lotus opening up because the stork steps on it, and spreading its nectar, which is a metaphor for the man’s actions opening the mouths of the town’s people, and their spreading of gossip. In another one, the falling feathers lying in heaps on the shore indicate the money and wealth showered by the man on the courtesans. Then, there’s the easy one, where the stork stays back in the white seabird’s place, and that’s a simple metaphor for the man not returning home from his visit to the courtesans. In the image of the blue lotus being swept away by the waves, there’s a metaphor for the man returning to his wife, because of the elders’ words, and then again going back to the courtesan, pulled by the wave of her attraction.
Yet again, it’s the conflicts of the ‘Marutham’ landscape repeating in the seashore. This allegory of the stork mistaking another chick for its own made me wonder if this really happens in nature. There’s the case of the cuckoo laying its eggs in a crow’s nest and fooling the crow. However, other than this one instance, this sort of confusion does not really seem prevalent. This is because birds are so skilled in identifying their young ones with their unique calls and will always go feed their own chicks. Perhaps looking at the young ones of birds and the wandering parents of these birds, which travel far and bring back food, perhaps Sangam people wondered, ‘Won’t these birds get confused ever?’, and possibly this particular section arose out of such a thought. It would only be a case of underestimating the intelligence of birds and animals, and this thought reminded me of a specific research article that I recently read, about how elephants call their young and other members of their group with a unique voice call, equivalent to the ‘names’ we give people. That’s a stunning discovery and tells us never to think less of the emotions or intelligence of the other kinds of life around us!
In this episode, we observe changing scenes around an element of the seashore, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 141-150, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Thus flows the Fifteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Tigerclaw Tales
141 Scattered droplets
எக்கர் ஞாழல் செருந்தியொடு கமழத்
துவலைத் தண் துளி வீசிப்
பசலை செய்தன பனி படு துறையே.
As the tigerclaw in the sands along with the golden champak wafts fragrance, cool droplets scatter in the mist-filled seashore, spreading pallor in me.
142 Resting birds
எக்கர் ஞாழல் இறங்கு இணர்ப் படு சினைப்
புள் இறை கூரும் துறைவனை
உள்ளேன் தோழி! படீஇயர் என் கண்ணே!
On the tigerclaw in the sands with bent flower-filled branches, birds arrive and rest in the shore of the lord. I shall not think of him anymore. Let my eyes sleep!
143 Changing circumstances
எக்கர் ஞாழல் புள் இமிழ் அகன் துறை,
இனிய செய்த; நின்று, பின்
முனிவு செய்த இவள் தட மென் தோளே.
By the tigerclaw in the wide shores, resounding with the call of birds, the soft and curved arms of hers seemed to render joy back then. But later, they seem to render distress!
144 Solitary sleep
எக்கர் ஞாழல் இணர் படு பொதும்பர்த்
தனிக் குருகு உறங்கும் துறைவற்கு
இனிப் பசந்தன்று என் மாமைக் கவினே.
On the tigerclaw in the sands of the groves, filled with flower clusters, a solitary bird sleeps in the shore of the lord. Thinking of him, my dark-skinned beauty has attained pallor.
145 Ending pallor
எக்கர் ஞாழல் சிறியிலைப் பெருஞ் சினை
ஓதம் வாங்கும் துறைவன்
மாயோள் பசலை நீக்கினன், இனியே!
A tigerclaw in the sands, with small leaves and huge branches, stands on the wave-filled shore of the lord. He has banished the pallor of the dark-skinned maiden now.
146 Sweetening beauty
எக்கர் ஞாழல் அரும்பு முதிர் அவிழ் இணர்
நறிய கமழும் துறைவற்கு
இனியமன்ற என் மாமைக் கவினே.
A tigerclaw in the sands, with mature flower clusters, wafts fragrance in the shore of the lord. Sweet turns my dark-skinned beauty, just for him.
147 Price for attire
எக்கர் ஞாழல் மலர் இல் மகளிர்
ஒண் தழை அயரும் துறைவன்
‘தண் தழை விலை’ என நல்கினன், நாடே.
Seeing the tigerclaw in the sands, without flowers, women gather its shining leaves as attire in the shores of the lord. As the price for your cool leaf attire, he offered a nation entire.
148 Brimming branches
எக்கர் ஞாழல் இகந்து படு பெருஞ் சினை
வீ இனிது கமழும் துறைவனை
நீ இனிது முயங்குமதி, காதலோயே!
On the tigerclaw in the sands, the huge branches brim over with flowers and drop down, spreading fragrance in the shore of the lord. Embrace him well and delight, O loving friend!
149 Spread not suffering
எக்கர் ஞாழல் பூவின் அன்ன
சுணங்கு வளர் இள முலை மடந்தைக்கு
அணங்கு வளர்த்து, அகறல் வல்லாதீமோ!
Akin to the flowers of the tigerclaw in the sands, are the spots on the budding, young breasts of the lady. May you not spread suffering over her and depart away!
150 Crashing waves
எக்கர் ஞாழல் நறு மலர்ப் பெருஞ் சினைப்
புணரி திளைக்கும் துறைவன்
புணர்வின் இன்னான்; அரும் புணர்வினனே.
Against the tigerclaw in the sands, with fragrant flowers on huge branches, crash the waves in the shore of the lord. He only brings pain even in our rare moments of togetherness!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 141-150. The unifying theme of all these songs is an image of the ‘Gnazhal tree’, commonly known as ‘Cassia tree’ or ‘Tigerclaw tree’. These songs occur either in the context of a secret love relationship, prior to marriage, between the man and the lady, or in the context of married relationship and conflict involving a courtesan. The speakers in the different songs are either the lady or the confidante and words are rendered to each other or the man, in a few cases.
The specialty of this section is that constantly repeating image of the tigerclaw tree. In one, we smell its fragrance in fusion with the flowers of the golden champak. In a few others, birds rest on its flower-filled branches and resound aloud. One verse speaks of a solitary bird asleep on this tree, which is a metaphor for the man not seeking the lady’s hand in marriage and preferring to sleep alone after his trysting. In another, waves surround the tree, which is said to have small leaves and huge branches and the aspect of the waves surrounding the tree is another metaphor for the man using the counsel of elders to convince the opposition of the lady’s family. Flowers spread fragrance in one and in another striking verse, women see the tree bereft of flowers and gather the leaves to wear as their attire. In yet another one, flowers brim over from the branches. In one, the flowers of the tigerclaw are described as similes to the spots that appear on a lady’s young breasts. In the final one, waves crash against the tigerclaw tree, talking about how the man’s relationship with courtesans has hindered and troubled the man’s happy married life.
In the first, the lady speaks to the confidante and says how the mood of the seashore affects her own mood and spreads pallor, as the man continues to delay seeking her hand. In the second one, the lady responds to the repeated attempts of the confidante to cheer her up, in a similar situation as the first, by saying, ‘Okay, I won’t think of him anymore. Wish my eyes would close.’ In the third, the confidante talks to the man contrasting how once upon a time the lady’s beauty seemed to give him joy but now, it only evokes dislike in him, as a commentary on his behaviour of seeking courtesans. In the fourth, the one with the solitary bird on the tigerclaw tree, the lady laments that it’s because of the man that her form has attained pallor. The fifth shows us a change of mood where the confidante praises the man for removing the pallor in the lady, implying he has come seeking her hand and won the approval of her kin.
The sixth is said by the lady about how her beauty turns bright, because of the man, implying the positive turn of events. In the seventh, the confidante describes how the man seemed to give his entire country as ‘bride price’ or an offering to the lady’s family. The eighth sees the confidante blessing the lady for a happy life with the man. In the ninth, the confidante becomes an advisor and counsels the man not to make the lady suffer by parting away after marriage. In the final one, things have not gone the way the confidante predicted and the lady is distressed by the man’s relationship with courtesans and refuses to permit him entry to their home. Thus, so many changing scenes such as courtship, seeking a lady’s hand, marriage and then conflict is carved on the sands of an ancient shore, wherein stands a forever fragrant ‘Gnazhal’ tree!
In this episode, we hear the rebuke rendered to a bard, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 131-140, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Thus flows the Fourteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Breaking Bard
131 Slander soars
நன்றே, பாண! கொண்கனது நட்பே
தில்லை வேலி இவ் ஊர்க்
கல்லென் கௌவை எழாஅக்காலே.
It would have been good, O bard, if the lord’s relationship had not made this town, fenced by the milky mangrove trees, resound with the sound of slander!
132 Rumour rises
அம்ம வாழி, பாண! புன்னை
அரும்பு மலி கானல் இவ் ஊர்
அலர் ஆகின்று, அவர் அருளுமாறே.
Listen, may you live long, O bard! In this town, brimming with laurel wood flowers in the seashore groves, rumours spread because he showers his graces.
133 Lifeless arms
யான் எவன் செய்கோ? பாண! ஆனாது
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் பிரிந்தென,
புல்லென்றன, என் புரி வளைத் தோளே!
What can I do, O bard? Unable to bear the parting away of the lord, who rules over the soft shores, lifeless turn my arms clad with twisted bangles!
134 Restored beauty
காண்மதி, பாண! இருங் கழிப்
பாய்பரி நெடுந் தேர்க் கொண்கனொடு
தான் வந்தன்று, என் மாமைக் கவினே.
See, O bard! When the lord of the shore comes through the dark backwaters, with his tall chariot and leaping horses, it seems to come along too – That dark-skinned beauty of mine!
135 Worries no more
பைதலம் அல்லேம், பாண! பணைத் தோள்,
ஐது அமைந்து அகன்ற அல்குல்,
நெய்தல் அம் கண்ணியை நேர்தல் நாம் பெறினே.
We will be rid of all sorrows, O bard! If only we could attain the beautiful one with bamboo-like arms, slender waists, wide hips and blue-lotus-like eyes!
136 Shameless support
நாண் இலை மன்ற, பாண! நீயே
கோள் நேர் இலங்கு வளை நெகிழ்த்த
கானல் அம் துறைவற்குச் சொல் உகுப்போயே!
You lack all shame, O bard! For you are shedding words of support to the one, who made my perfect, curvy, shining bangles slip away – The lord of the beautiful shores filled with groves!
137 Repeating fate
நின் ஒன்று வினவுவல், பாண! நும் ஊர்த்
திண் தேர்க் கொண்கனை நயந்தோர்
பண்டைத் தம் நலம் பெறுபவோ மற்றே?
I will ask you something, O bard! Has anyone, who has loved your town’s lord with sturdy chariots, ever attained their old beauty and health?
138 Stern words
பண்பு இலை மன்ற, பாண! இவ் ஊர்
அன்பு இல கடிய கழறி,
மென் புலக் கொண்கனைத் தாராதோயே!
You lack virtue, O bard! Since you do not scold the lord of the gentle shores with harsh words and bring him back to me!
139 Worse than you
அம்ம வாழி, கொண்க! எம் வயின்
மாண் நலம் மருட்டும் நின்னினும்,
பாணன் நல்லோர் நலம் சிதைக்கும்மே.
Listen, may you live long, O lord! Even more than you, who destroys only my good health, the bard destroys the health of many good women!
140 Shorn of bangles
காண்மதி பாண! நீ உரைத்தற்கு உரியை
துறை கெழு கொண்கன் பிரிந்தென,
இறை கேழ் எல் வளை நீங்கிய நிலையே.
See, O bard, the one who has the right to speak! See this state of mine, wherein, owing to the parting away of the lord of the shores, my well-set, shining bangles remain no more.
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 131-140. All these verses are set in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady and involves the conflict situation of a love-quarrel, owing to the man’s courting of courtesans. The unifying theme of all these ten songs is that all are about the bard’s involvement in the man’s distressing behaviour towards the lady. All are said by the lady and all but one are said to the bard and even the exception is said to the man, when the bard is in earshot.
One of the few elements of the coastal landscape we find here is mention of a seashore town being fenced by ‘thillai’ trees. These are commonly known as ‘milky mangroves’, which is a unique type of mangrove vegetation, whose milk causes blindness. Perhaps a protection the tree developed so as to force humans to leave it alone! Other than this reference, we see one to the ‘punnai’ tree or ‘Indian laurel wood tree’ shedding its beautiful flowers on the backwaters. Apart from these two references, all the other verses touch upon the ‘coastal landscape’ only through a reference to the man as the lord of the gentle shores.
The background of these verses is when the bard speaks to the lady on behalf of the man. In the first, the lady scolds the bard by mentioning how the man’s behaviour has made slander rise, and in the next one, she says this is because he showers his graces to those other women. In the third, she talks about how her arms have turned lifeless since the man left, and in the fourth, she offers a contrast by saying when the man returned, her beauty returned too! So much dependence on the man indeed!
In the fifth, she speaks sarcastically to the bard when the man is in earshot, saying if only a particular courtesan is attained, all sorrows would end, implying she knows about the man’s intention to seek out that courtesan. By bringing his secret intentions into the open, she hopes to prevent the man from going on that path.
The sixth sees the bard getting brickbats for supporting the man who makes the lady’s bangles slip away. In the seventh, the lady makes a statement to the bard that anyone who loves the man is bound to lose their heath and beauty and never ever get it back. In the eighth, there’s more rebuke for the bard for not saying stern words to the man and bringing him back to the lady. The ninth verse is the only exception where the lady addresses the man instead of the bard, even though the bard is still in earshot, and here, she declares the bard is worse than the man in making women suffer. Finally, in the tenth, the lady yet again shows the bard her pitiable state that makes her bangles slip away because of the man’s seeking of courtesans.
In a nutshell, the bard gets the blame for the man’s bad behaviour and seems to be an outlet for the outpouring of the lady’s fury! I thought we had left behind all these love quarrels in the ‘Marutham’ landscape but they seem to continue on this hundred too! The question arises in me as to why the Sangam poets wanted to record these domestic conflicts? Was it documentation of the times or was it a manual on how to be? Why was this so important to them to be described in song after song? Let’s keep the questions alive and see all we can through this window to the ancient world!
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a naive maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 121-130, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Thirteenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Image of Innocence
121 Soaking the garland
கண்டிகும் அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
முண்டகக் கோதை நனைய,
தெண் திரைப் பௌவம் பாய்ந்து நின்றோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who drenching her water-thorn garland, leaped into the clear waves of the ocean!
122 Questioning the bird
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
ஒள் இழை உயர் மணல் வீழ்ந்தென,
வெள்ளாங் குருகை வினவுவோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who losing her glowing jewels in the soaring sands, questioned the white seabird about it!
123 Cheered by Friends
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
ஒண் நுதல் ஆயம் ஆர்ப்ப,
தண்ணென் பெருங்கடல் திரை பாய்வோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who hearing the shouts of her playmates with radiant foreheads, jumped into the waves of the huge, cool sea!
124 Angered by the Sea
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
வண்டற் பாவை வௌவலின்,
நுண் பொடி அளைஇக் கடல் தூர்ப்போளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who seeing the sea snatch her mud doll, in a fit of fury, threw fine sand at the sea!
125 Crying for a doll
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
தெண் திரை பாவை வௌவ,
உண்கண் சிவப்ப அழுது நின்றோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who seeing the clear waves snatch her doll, stood crying, making her kohl-streaked eyes redden.
126 Buzzed by bees
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
உண்கண் வண்டினம் மொய்ப்ப,
தெண் கடல் பெருந் திரை மூழ்குவோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who feeling the bees buzz around her kohl-streaked eyes, dipped into the huge waves of the clear sea!
127 Blocked in embrace
கண்டிகும்அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
தும்பை மாலை இள முலை
நுண் பூண் ஆகம் விலங்குவோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who blocked you from embracing her young breasts, adorned with spiny gourd flowers and intricate jewels.
128 Suckling a doll
கண்டிகும் அல்லமோ, கொண்க! நின் கேளே?
உறாஅ வறு முலை மடாஅ,
உண்ணாப் பாவையை ஊட்டுவோளே!
We saw your dearest, didn’t we, O lord? The one, who tried to suckle her lifeless doll on her empty, milk-less breast!
129
(Lost)
130
(Lost)
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 121-130, with the last two verses lost in time. All these songs are set in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady and around the theme of a quarrel involving a courtesan. Though this theme is more commonly found in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, since these verses have aspects of the sea, these have been placed under ‘Neythal’ category. The unifying theme of all these verses is that these words are said to the man about an immature maiden. Interpreters offer two possibilities with regard to who is speaking these words and about whom. One is the case, wherein the courtesan, wanting to prevent the man from leaving her, describes the man’s young wife so, so as to mock the lady’s lack of maturity. The other is the case when the lady’s confidante says these words to the man, who denies having a relationship with any courtesan, making the confidante says that she has indeed seen the man’s courtesan and says these words mocking the courtesan’s immature nature. For the sake of simplicity and because I see the words ‘Nin Kele’, which means ‘someone connected to you in a familial relationship’, used in every verse, I prefer to see this as the courtesan’s words of derision about the lady’s lack of maturity. All the verses have a rather simple structure, starting with a statement that the lady has been spotted, and then goes on to portray that one thing that reveals her innocence or immaturity.
In the first, the lady, as sketched by the courtesan, is leaping in and drenching her water-thorn garland. Why is this a mark of immaturity? Maybe the lady is expected to remove her garland before she takes a dip. In the second, after losing her jewels that she had left on the sands, the lady is seen interrogating a bird about those missing jewels. A question put forth to a speechless bird is being mocked here. This reminded me of the Ainkurunooru verse we saw in the Marutham landscape wherein a buffalo helps the lady find her jewels lost in the sands. Returning, next we see the lady surrounded by her playmates and to their shouts, she dives into the waves of the cool sea. Is this a mark of immaturity because the lady is playing games in the company of her friends?
Following these, in the fourth, we see the lady getting angry because the sea nabs and destroys her mud doll, and as if she’s scolding the sea, she throws fine sand at it. What foolishness to throw sand at the huge sea, which has the power to break sand dunes on the shore, seems to be the statement of the courtesan! In the fifth too, since the lady loses her mud doll to the sea, she stands there with flowing tears and reddened eyes.
In the sixth, unable to bear the bees buzzing around her eyes, which is another way of saying her eyes are like flowers, the lady jumps into the sea, says the courtesan. How this is mocking I don’t know. This is high praise for the beauty of the young maiden, isn’t it? In the seventh one, the courtesan notices a micro-emotion between the lady and man and says the lady blocked the man when he tried to embrace her young breasts, and in that action, sees immaturity in the lady for not accepting the man. In the eighth and final one that has been found, we see the lady pretending to feed her doll on her empty breast, a sharp instance of her naive nature, as etched by the courtesan to the man.
Being so sparse in words, these verses lack any metaphorical elements. The verses in this section render a feeling of a montage introduction song, with scene after scene depicting a rather childish lady. We have to understand that this is the portrait of one woman by another and is prone to exaggeration to convey the effect of mockery. And here, youth and innocence is not presented in glowing terms but rather in a negative way, implying the lack of suitability for a relationship. What interested me the most in this section is how this young lady is so comfortable, leaping, diving and dipping into the sea! These matter-of-fact portraits stand testimony to the excellent swimming skills of the lady, and no doubt, this comes from a life of playing with abandon in the waves of the roaring seas!
In this episode, we listen to words rendered to the confidante, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 111-120, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Twelfth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Lament of the Lady
111 Baited by love
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பாணன்
சூழ் கழிமருங்கின் நாண் இரை கொளீஇச்
சினைக் கயல் மாய்க்கும் துறைவன் கேண்மை
பிரிந்தும் வாழ்துமோ நாமே
அருந் தவம் முயறல் ஆற்றாதேமே?
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The bard, with a bait, pulls in a pregnant fish in the brackish waters of the lord’s shore. How can I live without his relationship even if I put the greatest of efforts, in a deep penance?
112 Trust in his promise
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பாசிலைச்
செருந்தி தாய இருங் கழிச் சேர்ப்பன்
தான் வரக் காண்குவம் நாமே;
மறந்தோம் மன்ற, நாணுடை நெஞ்சே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The green-leaved golden champak tree spreads in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. He will surely arrive to seek my hand. Our shameful hearts have forgotten his promises!
113 Mother knows
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நென்னல்
ஓங்குதிரை வெண் மணல் உடைக்கும் துறைவற்கு,
ஊரார், ‘பெண்டு’ என மொழிய, என்னை,
அது கேட்டு, ‘அன்னாய்’ என்றனள், அன்னை;
பைபய ‘எம்மை’ என்றனென், யானே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Yesterday, people of the town declared, ’She’s the woman of the lord, in whose shore, the soaring waves crash against the white sands’. Hearing that, mother asked ‘Is this true?’. Slowly, ‘He is my lord’, said I.
114 The seabird’s call
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! கொண்கன்
நேரேம் ஆயினும், செல்குவம் கொல்லோ
கடலின் நாரை இரற்றும்
மடல்அம் பெண்ணை அவனுடை நாட்டே?
Listen, my friend! May you live long! As we don’t see the arrival of the lord of the shore here, shall we go thither, to his land, where the seabird sends out its resounding call as it sits on the leaves of the beautiful palm?
115 Seeks the secret
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் மாண்
நுண் மணல் அடைகரை நம்மோடு ஆடிய
தண்ணம் துறைவன் மறைஇ,
அன்னை அருங் கடி வந்து நின்றோனே!
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The one, who played with me in the fine sands of the beach, with varying scenes, that lord of the cool shores, arrives and stands secretly, near our mansion, in spite of mother’s watchful guard.
116 Tormenting evening
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நாம் அழ,
நீல இருங் கழி நீலம் கூம்பும்
மாலை வந்தன்று, மன்ற
காலை அன்ன காலை முந்துறுத்தே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Making us cry, the evening, which makes the blue lilies in the huge blue backwaters close its buds, has arrived, speeding ahead of the morning that was here.
117 Showers of the Punnai
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நலனே
இன்னது ஆகுதல் கொடிதே! புன்னை
அணி மலர் துறைதொறும் வரிக்கும்
மணி நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பனை மறவாதோர்க்கே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Beauty and health reaches a terrible state, for those who cannot forget the lord of the shore with sapphire-blue waters, where the laurelwood tree showers its beautiful flowers everywhere.
118 Change of heart
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! யான் இன்று,
அறனிலாளற் கண்ட பொழுதில்,
சினவுவென் தகைக்குவென் சென்றனென்
பின் நினைந்து இரங்கிப் பெயர்தந்தேனே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Today, when I saw the man who lacks grace, I went there thinking, ‘I will be angry with him’, ‘I will stop him from coming here’. But later, thinking it would be very cruel of me to do that, I parted away with sympathy for him.
119 Loveless lord
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நன்றும்
எய்யாமையின் ஏதில பற்றி,
அன்பு இலன் மன்ற பெரிதே
மென் புலக் கொண்கன் வாராதோனே!
Listen, my friend! May you live long! He seems not to heed the good and keeps going towards other things. He utterly lacks love, that lord of the gentle shores, who does not arrive to seek my hand!
120 Restoring Return
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நலம் மிக
நல்லஆயின, அளிய மென் தோளே
மல்லல் இருங் கழி மல்கும்
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் வந்தமாறே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! With health and beauty, they transform, these pitiable slender arms of mine, because the lord of the soft shores, where the dark backwaters flow with prosperity, has arrived here!
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 111-120. All these songs are situated in the context of the man’s secret love relationship with the lady prior to marriage. The unifying theme of all the songs is that each one is said to the confidante by the lady, as the man stands within earshot.
In the first, the lady declares that she cannot live without his relationship no matter how hard she tries. This is said to make the listening man understand her love and take all efforts to seek her hand. In the second, the lady tries a different approach by recollecting the promises the man made and reiterating her belief in them to her friend. As she calls her own heart ‘shameful’ for doubting the man, she hopes the man will realise the shamefulness in delaying the seeking of her hand. The third is a unique dialogue-oriented verse, which conveys how the people of the town have revealed to mother about the lady’s relationship with the man and the lady too has accepted the same. This is conveyed to the man telling him that mother is sure to put the lady under strict guard.
In the fourth, waiting endlessly for the man’s action, the lady wonders whether she has to set out to the lord’s shores. In the fifth, silently shaking her head in disbelief, the lady expresses how the man still wants to tryst with her in secret, even after mother had put up a strict watch over her. Thus, she indirectly nudges the man to let go of this secret trysting and do what’s necessary to seek her hand in marriage. The sixth makes the lady lament that the suffering-filled evening has arrived, chasing away the morning, implying that she had been waiting for the man all day to no avail.
The seventh sees her declaring anyone who loves the man is bound to lose their health and beauty, hinting at the man’s inaction. In the eighth, the lady says to her confidante that she went with great determination to fight with the man and ask him not to come see her anymore, but when she saw him, her heart melted and she decided not to go forth with that plan. Yet again, she demonstrates the man’s inaction towards the right thing and her kindness in spite of the same. In the ninth, the lady’s patience runs out and she declares the man to be totally lacking in love towards her. The final one, at the end of all these laments, contrasts with its declaration of joy and restoration of the lady’s health and beauty, because after all this needling, the man has arrived at the lady’s home to seek her hand in marriage, fulfilling her dearest wish.
Turning to the few metaphorical elements, in the image where the bard hunts for the big fish with a bait, the lady places a metaphor for how the man had reeled her in, with his attention and grace, and now left her to suffer. In the one, where the waves break the sands of the shore, the lady place a hope that the man’s arrival would shut the slanderous mouths of those in town. Then, through that picturesque image of the laurel tree shedding its beautiful flowers on the shores of the lord, the lady places a wish that this beautiful scene will remind the man to seek the lady’s hand in marriage and spread joy in their lives.
And so we see how this section neatly falls under the category of verses in Sangam Literature that I like to call as ‘Marry me, marry me’! This is a scenario when the lady wants to change the man’s mind from the mere pleasures of trysting towards the seriousness of seeking her hand in marriage. Interesting to note the techniques the lady uses such as reminding him of his promises in the past, appealing to his sense of love and justice, and clearly expressing her own state of mind. Excellent course material for Communications 101!
In this episode, we listen to the confidante’s words about the man and lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 101-110, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Eleventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: For Mother’s Attention
101 Trampling chariot
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! உதுக் காண்
ஏர் கொடிப் பாசடும்பு பரிய ஊர்பு இழிபு
நெய்தல் மயக்கி வந்தன்று, நின் மகள்
பூப் போல் உண்கண் மரீஇய
நோய்க்கு மருந்து ஆகிய கொண்கன் தேரே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Look over there! Tearing the beautiful vines of the beach morning glory, trampling down and muddling blue lotuses, comes the chariot of the one, who is the cure for the disease that spreads around the flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes of your daughter!
102 Tingling bells
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் ஊர்
நீல் நிறப் பெருங் கடல் புள்ளின் ஆனாது,
துன்புறு துயரம் நீங்க,
இன்புற இசைக்கும், அவர் தேர் மணிக் குரலே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! To end the ceaseless suffering-filled angst of our town’s bird that roves over the blue-hued huge sea, delightfully resounds the tingling sound of his chariot’s bells!
103 Duet of the blooming flowers
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! புன்னையொடு
ஞாழல் பூக்கும் தண்ணம் துறைவன்
இவட்கு அமைந்தனனால் தானே
தனக்கு அமைந்தன்று, இவள் மாமைக் கவினே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Along with the laurelwood, the screw pine too blooms with flowers in the cool shores of the lord. Because she has become one with him, her dark-skinned lustrous beauty has become one with her!
104 Town of the son
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நம் ஊர்ப்
பலர் மடி பொழுதின், நலம் மிகச் சாஅய்
நள்ளென வந்த இயல் தேர்ச்
செல்வக் கொண்கன் செல்வனஃது ஊரே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! In the hour, when many in our town sleep, making her health and beauty fade, came his swaying chariot in the dark of the night then. This is the town of the son of that wealthy lord!
105 Twinkling pearls
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! முழங்குகடல்
திரை தரு முத்தம் வெண் மணல் இமைக்கும்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் வந்தென,
பொன்னினும் சிவந்தன்று; கண்டிசின் நுதலே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! The pearls rendered by the waves of the roaring ocean twinkle on the cool shores of the lord. Take a look at her forehead that glows redder than gold, since he has arrived.
106 Mistaken mate
அன்னை, வாழி!வேண்டு, அன்னை! அவர் நாட்டுத்
துதிக்கால் அன்னம் துணை செத்து மிதிக்கும்
தண் கடல் வளையினும் இலங்கும் இவள்
அம் கலிழ் ஆகம் கண்டிசின் நினைந்தே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! The sea bird with feet, akin to a leather bag, mistakes a cool sea conch for its mate and mounts on it in his country. Think about how whiter than the conch, is her beautiful form!
107 Spreading pallor
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! என் தோழி
சுடர் நுதல் பசப்பச் சாஅய், படர் மெலிந்து,
தண் கடல் படு திரை கேட்டொறும்,
துஞ்சாள் ஆகுதல் நோகோ யானே.
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! My friend’s glowing forehead spreads with pallor, and with thoughts of him, she becomes thin. Whenever she hears the roar of the waves in the cool sea, she sleeps not! I worry for her!
108 The other shoulder
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! கழிய
முண்டகம் மலரும் தண் கடல் சேர்ப்பன்
எம் தோள் துறந்தனன்ஆயின்,
எவன்கொல் மற்று அவன் நயந்த தோளே?
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! The water-thorn in the backwaters blooms in the cool shores of the lord. If he were to abandon my shoulders, what do you think might happen to those other shoulders he desires?
109 Memories of grace
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நெய்தல்
நீர்ப் படர் தூம்பின் பூக் கெழு துறைவன்
எம் தோள் துறந்த காலை, எவன்கொல்
பல் நாள் வரும், அவன் அளித்த பொழுதே?
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! Blue lotuses with hollow stems bloom in the waters of the flower-filled lord’s shore. Even though he has abandoned my shoulders, how come for many days, it goes on – those memories of days he rendered his grace?
110 Destiny’s destination
அன்னை, வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! புன்னை
பொன் நிறம் விரியும் பூக் கெழு துறைவனை
‘என்னை’ என்றும், யாமே; இவ் ஊர்
பிறிது ஒன்றாகக் கூறும்;
ஆங்கும் ஆக்குமோ? வாழிய, பாலே!
Long may you live, mother! I seek your kind attention, mother! The laurelwood spreads its gold in the flower-filled shore of the lord. I think of him as ‘my lord’; But this town seems to say something else. Will that become true? Long may destiny live!
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 101-110. All these songs except one are situated in the context of the man’s parting before marriage, wherein the confidante is relaying various aspects of the lady’s love relationship with the man, to her mother, the foster-mother of the lady. A moment to explain these terms from a Sangam context. We note how there’s a confidante who is so close to the lady and seems to dedicate her life to the happiness of the lady. Likewise, the lady’s mother too would have had a confidante when young, and in later years, that confidante becomes the foster-mother to her friend’s daughter and her own daughter becomes the confidante of the young lady. It appears as if the confidante too gets married to someone in the man’s town and leaves with the lady after marriage to the man’s town, and continues her bond with the lady for generations. Astonishing to even mull on the logistics of such relationships, if these are indeed the truth and not the figment of poets’ imaginations. Returning, the unifying element in all these verses set in the coastal landscape is that each song is addressed to the mother and the confidante is the one speaking these words in every case.
The first one occurs when the man had parted away to earn wealth for his marriage with the lady and the confidante shares with great exuberance about how the man’s chariot is approaching their town, bringing the cure for the lady’s sorrow. Likewise, in the second one too, she draws mother’s attention to the sound of the man’s chariot bells. The third one occurs at a joyous moment when the man and lady are about to get married and the confidante remarks on the perfect match between them and how it has brought out the dark-skinned beauty of the lady shining to the fore. We find a different context in the fourth song for it happens after the marriage of the man and lady, at a time when the lady has given birth to the man’s child. At this time, the confidante tells the visiting mother with much joy that this was town of that wealthy man, who had come in the dark of the night to meet with the lady, and now it has become the town of his son too.
The fifth is one that happens in that happy occasion when the man has earned the wealth to render his offerings to the lady’s family and has returned successfully. As if marking this occasion, the lady’s forehead glows redder than gold, comments the confidante with glee. In the sixth, the confidante is revealing the lady’s love relationship with the man to the lady’s mother, and insisting that they accept his proposal of marriage by pointing out how making it whiter than a conch shell, pallor spreads on the lady. Yet another instance to say how the colour white, fairness and paleness were elements that indicated lack of health and beauty from a Sangam perspective! Likewise, in the seventh too, the confidante comments about how the lady’s forehead spreads with pallor, and she becomes thin, always thinking about the man and expresses her own worry for the lady. This is a way of revealing the lady’s condition to her family and asking them to do the needful to marry her to the man.
The eighth brings forth the worry of the lady’s mother wondering why the man was taking so long to return and marry the lady. She seems to have put forth the suspicions that he might be off wooing other women. To this, in the voice of the lady, the confidante replies with a question, if he can let go of these shoulders he loved so much, imagine what would be the state of others he seeks! A unique way of reassuring mother and letting her know that he would definitely return. In the ninth too, in response to mother’s doubting words, the confidante replies that the man may have been gone for days many but the memories of his grace to the lady and his promises to her are still fresh in her mind, thus reinstating her faith in the man’s return. In the final one, there arises a tricky situation of strangers approaching the lady’s family seeking her hand when the man is away seeking wealth for their marriage. At this time, the confidante reveals the lady’s relationship to the mother and declares the lady has decided that the man is the one, who will be her lord, but the town, meaning the lady’s family, seems to be thinking in other lines. She concludes with a blessing to fate, with a hope that it will stand by the lady’s wishes.
Looking at the metaphorical elements, in the verse where the man’s chariot comes trampling the morning glory vines and blue lotuses, that’s a metaphor for how he returns, shutting the mouths of those who were spreading slander about the lady and the man. In the verse about the marriage of the man and the lady, there hides a fragrant metaphor where both the ‘punnai’ and ‘thazhai’ trees bloom together, a metaphor for the union of the man and lady and their fame and joy spreading together everywhere. In that image of pearls twinkling as they lie on the shores of the man’s domain, waiting to be picked up, there shines a metaphor for how the man will easily obtain the wealth he needs to win the lady’s hand in marriage. In the one where the sea bird mistakes a conch shell for its mate, we can find an intricate metaphor for how mother seems to mistake the ill-health of the lady for the wrong reasons, instead of clearly seeing it was because of the man. In that intricate image of how the stem of a blue lotus hides out of sight and yet the flower blooms in full glory outside, that’s a metaphor for how even though the man is delayed in his return, he will for sure, fulfil his promise to the lady and make marriage bloom. In the last one, depicting how the flowers of the ‘punnai’ shed gold on the shores of the man’s domain, the confidante promises that the man too would return with the wealth he needs to win the lady’s hand.
Thus, we see the various emotions of lament, doubt and hope manifest in this situation of a parting before marriage between the man and lady. A subtle note of anxiety runs through many of these verses and the techniques to allay the same using trust and positivity are lessons relevant to this day.
In this episode, we observe the antics of a buffalo, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 91 to 100, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes the Tenth Ten of Ainkurunooru : Ballad of the Buffalo
91 Immature daughter and troublesome father
நெறி மருப்பு எருமை நீல இரும் போத்து
வெறி மலர்ப் பொய்கை, ஆம்பல் மயக்கும்
கழனி ஊரன் மகள் இவள்;
பழன வெதிரின் கொடிப் பிணையலளே.
The blue-black male buffalo with curving horns steps into the pond with fragrant flowers and muddles the white waterlily there in the field-filled town of the lord. She is his daughter. The one who weaves a garland out of the cane flowers blooming in the common spaces.
92 Suckling the young
கருங் கோட்டு எருமைச் செங் கண் புனிற்று ஆ
காதல் குழவிக்கு ஊறு முலை மடுக்கும்
நுந்தை, நும் ஊர் வருதும்
ஒண் தொடி மடந்தை! நின்னை யாம் பெறினே.
The buffalo with black horns offers its milk-filled udders to its adorable, red-eyed, new-born calf in your father’s town. I shall come seeking thither, O maiden wearing glowing bangles, if I can win your hand in marriage.
93 The curious case of bees
எருமை நல் ஏற்றினம் மேயல் அருந்தென,
பசு மோரோடமோடு ஆம்பல் ஒல்லா,
செய்த வினைய மன்ற பல் பொழில்
தாது உண் வெறுக்கைய ஆகி, இவள்
போது அவிழ் முச்சி ஊதும் வண்டே.
The bees, wanting not the white waterlily along with the black cutch that blooms in the grazing patches of the herd of male buffaloes, and also feeling saturated with all the pollen that these had fed on in the many groves, they have decided to do this instead, and that is to buzz around her flower-filled tresses.
94 Wrestlers and their women
மள்ளர் அன்ன தடங் கோட்டு எருமை
மகளிர் அன்ன துணையொடு வதியும்
நிழல் முதிர் இலஞ்சிப் பழனத்ததுவே
கழனித் தாமரை மலரும்,
கவின் பெறு சுடர்நுதல் தந்தை ஊரே.
Akin to wrestlers, are these buffaloes with curving horns, and akin to their women, the buffaloes remain with their mates, in the shade-filled ponds of the common spaces. Lotus flowers too bloom in the fields. Such is her father’s town; The father of the lady with a beautiful, glowing forehead.
95 Breaking bad buffalo
கருங் கோட்டு எருமை கயிறு பரிந்து அசைஇ,
நெடுங் கதிர் நெல்லின் நாள் மேயல் ஆரும்
புனல் முற்று ஊரன், பகலும்,
படர் மலி அரு நோய் செய்தனன், எமக்கே.
The buffalo with black horns breaks free from the rope around it, and grazes during the day on the tall stalks of paddy in the water-rich town of the lord. He is the one, who made me suffer with an angst-filled affliction, even during the day.
96 The forgiving blue lotus
அணி நடை எருமை ஆடிய அள்ளல்,
மணி நிற நெய்தல் ஆம்பலொடு கலிக்கும்
கழனி ஊரன் மகள் இவள்;
பழன ஊரன் பாயல் இன் துணையே.
The buffalo with a beautiful gait plays in the mud and delights with the sapphire-hued blue lotus and white water-lily in the fields of the lord’s town. She is his daughter, and the sweet companion of the man, from the town with common spaces.
97 The fear-evoking garland
பகன்றை வால் மலர் மிடைந்த கோட்டைக்
கருந் தாள் எருமைக் கன்று வெரூஉம்,
பொய்கை, ஊரன் மகள், இவள்;
பொய்கைப் பூவினும் நறுந் தண்ணியளே.
Seeing the vine of bright rattlepod flowers around the horns of the black-legged buffalo, its calf gets startled in the pond-filled town of the lord. She is his daughter, and has a nature, more fragrant and cooler than a pond flower.
98 Buffaloes and Boats
தண் புனல் ஆடும் தடங் கோட்டு எருமை
திண் பிணி அம்பியின் தோன்றும் ஊர!
ஒண் தொடி மட மகள் இவளினும்
நுந்தையும் ஞாயும் கடியரோ, நின்னே?
The buffalo with curving horns that plays in the cool streams appears like well-tied boats in your town, O lord! Have your father and mother rebuked you more severely than this naive maiden wearing glowing bangles?
99 Cure for the wild buffalo
பழனப் பாகல் முயிறு மூசு குடம்பை,
கழனி எருமை, கதிரொடு மயக்கும்
பூக் கஞல் ஊரன் மகள், இவள்;
நோய்க்கு மருந்து ஆகிய பணைத் தோளோளே.
On the bitter gourd vines, growing in the common spaces, red ants build their nests. The buffaloes in the field ruin these along with the crops in the flower-filled town of the lord. She is his daughter, and the one, with bamboo-like arms, who has become the cure for my disease.
100 Lost and found
புனலாடு மகளிர் இட்ட ஒள் இழை,
மணல் ஆடு சிமையத்து, எருமை கிளைக்கும்
யாணர் ஊரன் மகள் இவள்;
பாணர் நரம்பினும் இன் கிளவியளே.
The shining jewels left behind by maiden playing in the stream gets buried in the sands and is then dug up by the buffalo in the prosperous town of the lord. She is his daughter, and her words are sweeter than the strings of bards.
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 91-100, the last section of verses situated in the farmlands landscape. The songs arise from the context of a man’s relationship with the lady, both before and after marriage. What unifies this entire section is a portrait of a buffalo from various angles. We get to see the buffalo muddling the white-lily in the pond, suckling its newborn calf with love, grazing with its herd amidst the white lily and black cutch flowers, staying with its mates in the common spaces, breaking free of its rope and destroying crops, playing in the mud with the blue lotus and white water-lily, calming its calf that has become frightened seeing a vine of rattlepod flowers around its horns, then appearing like well-tied boats as it plays in the streams, ruining crops and red ants nests, and finally helping maiden recover the jewels, that they had buried and eventually lost in the sands of a river shore. A nuanced observation of the many traits of a buffalo!
Different speakers render their thoughts in varying contexts in this section of verses. In the first verse, the context is when the man approaches the confidante seeking her help in establishing his love relationship with the lady. But the confidante refuses his petition by indicating that the lady is too young for a relationship with him, and this she conveys subtly by the choice of this girl’s flowers. The girl does not even know which flowers she must to wear and which she must not and chooses the sugarcane flowers which have no fragrance at all. So, she’s not ready to be in a relationship with you, the confidante declines. Such situations usually arise only in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains’ landscape. However, this verse has been included because of the presence of the ‘buffalo’, an animal belonging to the farmlands landscape.
Moving on to the second, the confidante informs the man that he needs to come seeking the lady’s hand in marriage and the man responds that he would do that readily if there’s a chance of winning the lady’s hand in marriage. In the third one, which again is in a context before marriage, when the man had been leading a love relationship in secret with the lady, and owing to this, many changes had appeared in the lady’s scent, which then attracted a swarm of bees. Noticing this curious behaviour of the bees, the lady’s mother questions the confidante why that is so. To allay her suspicions the confidante says that’s because the bees are so full with all the nectar they have been feeding in the buffalo-grazing fields and in the many groves, that they have decided to divert themselves by simply roving around the lady’s hair, fragrant now because of the flowers she wore. The confidante’s words sounds to me as if the bees are burning off their calories with this workout around the lady’s head. Whether she calmed the lady’s mother is a moot point but the point the confidante wants to make is to register in the mind of the listening man that he needs to buck up and seek the lady’s hand in marriage, because suspicions are starting to rise in the minds of the lady’s family. In the fourth, the man parts from the lady before marriage to earn wealth. After achieving this, he returns to her and says these glowing words about her town.
Now, we turn to the context of the man parting with the lady, after marriage for the rest of the verses. In the fifth, the lady describes how the man has caused pain and affliction in her by seeking courtesans. This is followed by an observation of messengers about the good nature of the lady in accepting the erring man in the sixth verse. The seventh is again a glowing tribute to the lady by the man, calling her more fragrant and cooler than a flower in the pond. In the eighth, the confidante takes the spotlight and asks the man whether the man’s parents were ever harsher to him that the lady, now that she’s angry about his parting away with courtesans, implying that the lady had a right to be severe with him to put him on the right path. In the ninth, the man yet again praises the lady as the cure for his disease, when the lady accepts him back home, even though all her friends think she should refuse the man’s messengers. In the final one, the confidante praises the lady to the man, saying how she has words sweeter than a bard’s strings, because of her forgiving nature to the man. In this entire post-marital section, we see how virtue is heaped on a lady for forgiving and accepting the erring husband.
Turning to metaphorical elements, in the verse where the buffalo ruins the white-waterlily, the confidante uses that image as a metaphor for the lady’s father being a stern and difficult person, so as to dissuade the man from seeking a relationship with the still immature lady. In the one where the buffalo suckles its young, that stands as a metaphor for the man’s hope that he would be welcomed with love by the lady’s family. In the one where the man sketches the buffaloes as wrestlers but portrays how like women, they prefer to stay with their mates, this is a metaphor for the man’s dreaming about his future married life with the lady.
In the next, where the buffalo breaks free and ruins paddy crops, that’s a metaphor for the man breaking free from his duty to the lady and ruining their married life by courting with courtesans. In the one where the calf is startled by the rattlepod vine on its mother’s horns, that’s a metaphor for how the lady has mistaken the man’s garland as a sign of his being with the courtesans and just like how the mother buffalo calms its calf, he is speaking these words of praise about the lady.
Connecting the boats to the playing buffaloes, the confidante intends to talk about the duty of the man in ensuring a smooth sail for his family life and that he must turn away from the mere pleasures of courting with courtesans, akin to that bathing buffalo. In the final verse, there’s the striking scene wherein maiden place their jewels on the sands so as to play in the streams and sometimes these get buried and lost but later are dug up by a buffalo. This is a metaphor for how the lady brings back the memories of her love relationship with the man so as to forgive his erring ways and lead a beautiful life with him. Thus, we see how this simple animal becomes a symbol of intricate emotions.
With this section of verses, we have come to the end of the first hundred of Ainkurunooru, all situated in the Marutham landscape. Our travels through these hundred verses have taken us to the fields and towns and ponds, filled with flowers, and made us observe the behaviour of distinct animals like the freshwater crab, the otter and the buffalo, perceive the importance of bathing in the river streams and made us reflect on the erring ways of the man, and the sulking and consequent forgiving by the lady. Consider the journey of a river as it reaches the plains. The river leaves behind its rich silt, it slows down and becomes murkier, compared to its wild and young state in the mountains, where it began. Likewise, in these songs situated in the farmlands on the plains, the themes of prosperity, pleasure and the consequent pains of excess seem to echo aloud. It’s time to bid bye to the farmlands, wish the man and lady a happy married life, and move on to our next domain!
In this episode, we perceive many variations of sulking, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 81 to 90, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes the Ninth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Speaking of Sulking
81 Leftover Lover
குருகு உடைத்து உண்ட வெள் அகட்டு யாமை
அரிப்பறை வினைஞர் அல்குமிசைக் கூட்டும்,
மலர் அணி வாயில் பொய்கை ஊர! நீ
என்னை ‘நயந்தனென்’ என்றி; நின்
மனையோள் கேட்கின், வருந்துவள் பெரிதே.
A stork breaks open and feeds on a white-bellied turtle. The leftovers enhance the meal of those ‘ari’ harvest drummers in the fields. Such is your town, O lord, adorned with beautiful flowers on the river shores. You say to me, ’I seek you with desire’. If your wife were to hear, great would be her grief!
82 Bond of the bees
வெகுண்டனள் என்ப, பாண! நின் தலைமகள்
‘மகிழ்நன் மார்பின் அவிழ் இணர் நறுந் தார்த்
தாது உண் பறவை வந்து, எம்
போது ஆர் கூந்தல் இருந்தன’ எனவே.
They say she was furious, O bard! That chief of yours, when she heard the words, ’The pollen-eating bees, on the fragrant garland, with fully bloomed flowers, lying on the chest of the lord, flew away and came to rest on my flower-filled tresses’.
83 His woman
மணந்தனை அருளாய் ஆயினும், பைபயத்
தணந்தனை ஆகி, உய்ம்மோ நும் ஊர்
ஒண் தொடி முன் கை ஆயமும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் பெண்டு எனப்படற்கே.
Even though you render not the graces due after marriage, at least leave me only little by little, so that the young women in your town, wearing glowing bangles on their forearms, learn that I’m the wife of the lord of the town with cool shores.
84 A Public Pond
செவியின் கேட்பினும் சொல் இறந்து வெகுள்வோள்,
கண்ணின் காணின், என் ஆகுவள்கொல்
நறு வீ ஐம்பால் மகளிர் ஆடும்
தைஇத் தண் கயம் போல,
பலர் படிந்து உண்ணும் நின் பரத்தை மார்பே?
She gets so angry when words about that fall on her ears. What would become of her if she sees before her eyes, a sight, akin to the cool pond, where women, wearing fragrant tresses and five-layered braids, bathe and play, the sight of your chest that has been in the company of courtesans, embraced and relished by many?
85 Childish Behaviour
வெண் நுதல் கம்புள் அரிக் குரல் பேடை
தண் நறும் பழனத்துக் கிளையோடு ஆலும்
மறு இல் யாணர் மலி கேழ் ஊர! நீ
சிறுவரின் இனைய செய்தி;
நகாரோ பெரும! நிற் கண்டிசினோரே?
The sharp voice of the female coot with a white forehead rings aloud in the cool and fragrant common spaces of your flawless town, brimming with prosperity, O lord! You seem to act like a small child! Won’t they laugh with mockery when they see you?
86 Call of the Child
வெண் தலைக் குருகின் மென் பறை விளிக் குரல்
நீள் வயல் நண்ணி இமிழும் ஊர!
எம் இவண் நல்குதல் அரிது;
நும் மனை மடந்தையொடு தலைப்பெய்தீமே.
The voice of the delicate young one of the white-headed bird reaches and resounds in the vast fields of your town, O lord! It appears to be difficult for you to render your graces here. Please go live a happy life with the woman at your home!
87 Sugarcane sticks and sweet mangoes
பகன்றைக் கண்ணி பல் ஆன் கோவலர்
கரும்பு குணிலா மாங்கனி உதிர்க்கும்
யாணர் ஊர! நின் மனையோள்
யாரையும் புலக்கும்; எம்மை மற்று எவனோ?
The cowherds, who adorn themselves with head garlands, woven with rattlepod flowers, use sugarcane sticks to knock down sweet mango fruits in your prosperous town, O lord! Your wife is one who sulks with everyone! How would she spare me alone?
88 What she says is true
வண் துறை நயவரும் வள மலர்ப் பொய்கைத்
தண் துறை ஊரனை, எவ்வை எம் வயின்
வருதல் வேண்டுதும் என்பது
ஒல்லேம் போல், யாம் அது வேண்டுதுமே.
In the town of the lord of the cool shores, bees buzz around and desire the lush flowers in the ponds. Sister says that I want him to come to me. Even though I act as if it’s not true, that’s exactly what I want.
89 The Title of ‘Wife’
அம்ம வாழி, பாண! எவ்வைக்கு
எவன் பெரிது அளிக்கும் என்ப பழனத்து
வண்டு தாது ஊதும் ஊரன்
பெண்டு என விரும்பின்று, அவள்தன் பண்பே.
Listen, may you live long, O bard! Why does he render all his graces to sister, as they say? The lord of the town, where bees feed on pollen in the common spaces, does this not because he loves her but just because she is his wife.
90 Lord of the Bees
மகிழ்நன் மாண்குணம் வண்டு கொண்டனகொல்?
வண்டின் மாண்குணம் மகிழ்நன் கொண்டான்கொல்?
அன்னது ஆகலும் அறியாள்,
எம்மொடு புலக்கும், அவன் புதல்வன் தாயே.
Did the bees steal the fine nature of our lord? Or, did our lord steal the fine nature of the bees? Whichever may be true, she does not understand this, for she keeps sulking at us, the mother of his son!
And so concludes Ainkurunooru 81-90. All these songs are situated in the context of the man’s love quarrels with the lady, after marriage, owing to his courting of courtesans. The unifying theme in this section is the act of sulking with the man. This attitude is shown both by the man’s wife as well as his courtesan, and in one instance, the lady’s confidante speaks for the lady too.
The first verse opens in the perspective of the courtesan who says to the man, who in turn was trying to win her affection with sweet words, that the man’s wife would feel so sad if she were to hear these words of the man to the courtesan. Though the courtesan pretends concern for the lady, she actually wants to disturb the lady and says this in the presence of the lady’s friend. This made me wonder does the lady and the courtesan have spies in each other’s camp to report the man’s doings and sayings, for that matter! Much ado about a man indeed!
In the second, the wife takes over and says to the man, while the courtesan’s friends are listening around, that the courtesan is going to feel real angry when she hears about how the bees on the man’s garland jumped ship and started buzzing around the flowers on the lady’s head, which is a sure-fire sign of the lady’s intimacy with the man. In the third too, the lady speaks but in a somewhat mellow, broken hearted tone telling the man, ‘Hey, you married me, brought me here, and then forgot about me. You seem to be seeking courtesans already. Wait a while! I’m not asking you to not go. But go little by little so that at least they recognise me as the woman of your home’. So much acceptance and sorrow seems to hide behind these words.
In the fourth, the lady’s confidante takes over and tells the man, ‘As it is, she gets so mad if anyone talks about you and the courtesans. What do you think she’s going to do if she sees you standing there, with your chest bearing clear signs of having been with the courtesans, as if it were a public pond where many women take a dip’. In the fifth, it’s back to the lady, who scolds the man for behaving so childishly in his seeking pleasures, without seeing what was the right thing to do, and ends with a question, ‘Won’t the town laugh at your silly behaviour?’
From the fifth to the tenth, it’s the voice of the courtesan. In this series, she gets angry with the distracted man at her place and asks him to return to his wife; declares the lady always gets into fights with everyone and how would the courtesan be an exception; pronounces whatever the lady says about the courtesan wanting the man to remain away from his wife was perfectly true; makes a judgement that the man stays away from her and showers his attention on his wife not because he has love for her but he is duty-bound to do that for his wife; and in the last verse, she wonders whether the bees stole the nature of the lord or the lord stole the nature of the bees, and whichever may be the answer, the truth remains that it’s the man who keeps seeking the courtesans like how a bee jumps from flower to flower, and without knowing this, the wife turns her anger towards the courtesan. A nuanced element in some of these renditions is how the courtesan calls the lady ‘her sister’.
Turning to the metaphorical elements, let’s focus on the first verse. Here, we see the stork breaking open the turtle and feeding on its flesh, then leaving it half-eaten when it hears the drum beats of those who come to harvest the fields. This half-eaten turtle later adds to the meal of those field workers. This is a metaphor for how the lady can only relish the leftovers of the man, after the courtesan had been with him. Words that intend to hurt the lady! Setting aside the cruelty in these words, if we were to focus instead on why those harvesters were beating on their drums, we will see an ancient instance of kindness to wildlife. It was the tradition of Sangam people coming to harvest the fields to beat on drums so as to scare away birds and other life, which no doubt would have taken residence in that lush spot. ‘Save lives few and then chop your crops’ seems to have been the motto of these ancient Tamil farmers.
In the verse with the bird call of a young one, that’s a metaphor for the man’s child sending messages to the man, while he was in the courtesan’s house, and owing to that, the man gets an urge to return home to his family. Also, another intricate metaphor occurs in the scene, where cowherds use sugarcane sticks to knock down sweet mangoes. The way the cowherds suck the sweetness of the cane and then use the same to knock down another fruit is a parallel for how the man relishes the company of courtesans, and then later, speaks disparagingly of them, so as to win the fruit of his wife’s affections.
Yet another set of verses that makes me wonder how did these ancients have the time and patience to observe and record these minute expressions of emotions. At the core, it’s just two women fighting over a man and all this importance to ‘She says this, she says that’ leaves me amazed. Were these verses entertainment for the public or was it a way of transferring lessons on psychology? Questions that only time-travel can answer, I suppose!
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the bathing culture of the ancients, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 71 to 80, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Thus flows the Eighth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Tales of Bath
71 Glowing Gossip
சூது ஆர் குறுந் தொடிச் சூர் அமை நுடக்கத்து
நின் வெங் காதலி தழீஇ, நெருநை
ஆடினை என்ப, புனலே; அலரே
மறைத்தல் ஒல்லுமோ, மகிழ்ந?
புதைத்தல் ஒல்லுமோ ஞாயிற்றது ஒளியே?
Embracing your desirable lover, who wears small bangles with clasps, shaped like dice, and who has a seductive gait, you played in the stream yesterday, they say. Can one make rumour retreat? Can one bury the brightness of the sun?
72 My beautiful bathing mate
வயல் மலர் ஆம்பல் கயில் அமை நுடங்கு தழைத்
திதலை அல்குல், துயல்வரும் கூந்தல்,
குவளை உண்கண், ஏஎர் மெல்லியல்
மலர் ஆர் மலிர்நிறை வந்தென,
புனல் ஆடு புணர்துணை ஆயினள், எமக்கே.
With leaves of the white waterlily, blooming in the fields, well-clasped, and gliding around her waist, filled with pallor spots, swaying tresses, kohl-streaked eyes like blue lilies, was that gorgeous and delicate maiden. When the flower-filled, flooding waters gushed, she became my bathing companion then!
73 The one who makes the river fragrant
வண்ண ஒண் தழை நுடங்க, வால் இழை
ஒண்ணுதல் அரிவை பண்ணை பாய்ந்தென,
கள் நறுங் குவளை நாறித்
தண்ணென்றிசினே பெருந் துறைப் புனலே.
With colourful and glowing leaves swaying, wearing shining ornaments, having a radiant forehead, was that young maiden. When she dived into the waters, becoming fragrant with the nectar-filled scent of blue-lilies, the stream by the huge shore became cool and delightful.
74 Peacock Plume in the Sky
விசும்பு இழி தோகைச் சீர் போன்றிசினே
பசும் பொன் அவிர் இழை பைய நிழற்ற,
கரை சேர் மருதம் ஏறிப்
பண்ணை பாய்வோள் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பே.
When she gently removed her glowing gold ornaments, climbed on the ‘Marutham’ tree by the shore and dived into the waters, her cool and fragrant tresses seemed like peacock feathers descending from the sky.
75 Spreading Rumour
பலர் இவண் ஒவ்வாய், மகிழ்ந! அதனால்,
அலர் தொடங்கின்றால் ஊரே மலர
தொல் நிலை மருதத்துப் பெருந் துறை,
நின்னோடு ஆடினள், தண் புனல் அதுவே.
You have become disagreeable to many here, O lord! For rumours have started spreading in town about how by the river shore, where an age-old ‘Marutham’ tree stands, she played in the cool stream with you.
76 Water beauty
பைஞ்சாய்க் கூந்தல், பசு மலர்ச் சுணங்கின்
தண் புனலாடி, தன் நலம் மேம்பட்டனள்
ஒண் தொடி மடவரல், நின்னோடு,
அந்தர மகளிர்க்குத் தெய்வமும் போன்றே.
The woman, wearing shining bangles, having tresses, akin to soft sedge, and pallor spots, akin to fresh flowers, after bathing with you in the stream, saw her beauty soar, making her appear like a god to heavenly maiden.
77 Go not
அம்ம வாழியோ, மகிழ்ந! நின் மொழிவல்:
பேர் ஊர் அலர் எழ, நீர் அலைக் கலங்கி,
நின்னொடு தண் புனல் ஆடுதும்;
எம்மொடு சென்மோ; செல்லல், நின் மனையே.
Listen, may you live long, O lord of the town! I ask of you. Making rumours spread in our huge town, muddling these waters, I will bathe in the cool stream with you. Come with me; But don’t you go to your home.
78 Elephantine flood
கதிர் இலை நெடு வேல் கடு மான் கிள்ளி
மதில் கொல் யானையின், கதழ்பு நெறி வந்த,
சிறை அழி புதுப்புனல் ஆடுகம்;
எம்மொடு கொண்மோ, எம் தோள் புரை புணையே.
Akin to the elephants of King Killi, who wields glowing, leaf-edged tall spears and speedy horses, which shatters fort walls, flowing with such force, shattering barriers in its path, flows the new stream. Come, bathe with me there, holding on to my arms as your floats!
79 Stranger in the stream
‘புதுப் புனல் ஆடி அமர்த்த கண்ணள்,
யார் மகள், இவள்?’ எனப் பற்றிய மகிழ்ந!
யார் மகளாயினும் அறியாய்;
நீ யார் மகனை, எம் பற்றியோயே?
O lord of the town, you caught hold of her hand, and asked, ‘Playing in the fresh stream, your eyes are reddened, whose daughter are you?’ You know not whose daughter she is. So tell me, whose son are you, that you clasp her hand without even knowing her?
80 Reddened in the river
புலக்குவெம் அல்லேம்; பொய்யாது உரைமோ:
நலத்தகு மகளிர்க்குத் தோள் துணை ஆகி,
தலைப் பெயல் செம் புனல் ஆடித்
தவ நனி சிவந்தன, மகிழ்ந! நின் கண்ணே.
I’m not going to get furious; So tell me without lying; You have offered your arms as companions to beautiful maiden and played in the gushing red stream that flows after the first rains, for your eyes are really reddened now, O lord!
And thus concludes Ainkurunooru 71-80. All these verses without an exception are set in the context of the man’s love quarrels with the lady, after marriage, owing to his association with courtesans. The unifying element in each of these verses is the act of bathing together in the river stream. These verses are rendered by different speakers and we will explore the same as we go along.
In the first, the lady is angered by news of the man’s bathing with the courtesan and she says to him that he cannot lie to her because no one can hide gossip just as no one can mask the brightness of the sun. In the next three verses, the man reminisces to the confidante about the time when the lady bathed with him during their love relationship phase, so as to calm the listening lady and invite her to bathe with him now. He talks about all her alluring features and how she readily became his companion as the river stream came gushing with flowers. In another, he relates how the stream became cooler and seemed to take on the scent of blue-lilies, just because the lady plunged into the waters. In the final one in this sub-section, the man recollects how the image of descending peacock feathers from the sky appeared before his eyes, when the lady climbed on to an Arjuna tree by the shore and jumped into the waters from there. What sweet talk on the part of the man! Would the lady be floored with these nostalgic words rendered?
Seems not, for in the fifth, the confidante goes back to theme of the lady’s anger, incited by the man’s playing with the courtesan, and owing to this, the man has become dishonourable in the eyes of many in town. In the sixth too, she talks of how just because the courtesan played with the man in the stream, she seemed to attain so much beauty that angels above thought she was a god spirit of the waters.
In the seventh verse, the spotlight falls on the courtesan as she tells the man, ‘Let’s go bathe without caring about rumours any. Just do one thing for me. Please do not go back to your home and to your wife’. In the eighth too, she uses a simile containing historical elements, reminding us of the Puranaanooru verses, we recently bid bye to, mentioning about how the elephants of King Killi strike against and shatter fort walls, and like that the gushing stream too flows with such force that it breaks any obstacles in its bath. It’s in this stream that she invites the man to play with her. That image of the river stream that breaks barriers and flows with force is the only metaphorical element in these ten verses, and here, the courtesan places it as a metaphor for how the man’s return to the lady will destroy her relationship with the man, and intends to keep that at bay with her invitation to the man to bathe with her.
The ninth verse is set in the curious context of the man bathing alone in the stream, and hearing of this, the courtesan too bathes alone. At this time, wanting to appease her, the man seems to have caught hold of her and pretended to ask who she was. The courtesan’s confidante repeats this incident to the man and asks jokingly, whose son was he that he had the audacity to clasp the hand of someone he knew not. A variation of the ‘Hello, stranger’ line, we have seen in many movies said to a known and intimate character!
In the final verse, the verse comes a full circle and the lady asks the man to tell the truth about whether he was playing in the fresh river stream after the first rains with beautiful women, for she could see that his eyes were a deep red.
And so, we see in verse after verse, the role that the act of bathing played in the life of these Sangam people. It’s not just a daily ritual that many of us indulge in so mindlessly in this machine-age! This was something that seemed to carry so much significance to their emotions and relationships. This reminds me of how in many urban civilisations of the past, provisions would be made for communal bathing. The Great Bath of Mohenjadaro comes first to mind. As does the Greek and Roman baths that we have heard so much about! That no doubt arose from this culture of bathing in waterbodies, and given that civilisations arose on the banks of rivers, this comes as no surprise. From the angle of the Sangam era, it was delightful to read descriptions of rivers rushing with flowers and freshness after the first rains. In a nutshell, if we can set aside the jagged rock edges of these squabbles, it’s a refreshing dip into the rejuvenating flow of the past!
In this episode, we perceive the emotions of the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 61 to 70, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes the Seventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: The Lady in Spotlight
61 Wasted fruit
நறு வடி மாஅத்து விளைந்து உகு தீம் பழம்
நெடு நீர்ப் பொய்கைத் துடுமென விழூஉம்,
கை வண் மத்தி கழாஅர் அன்ன
நல்லோர் நல்லோர் நாடி,
வதுவை அயர விரும்புதி நீயே.
From the mango tree with fragrant tender mangoes, a ripened, sweet fruit breaks and falls resoundingly into a deep stream in the town of ‘Kazhaar’, ruled by the generous ‘Maththi’. Akin to this town, you seek the beautiful among beautiful, desiring to unite with them.
62 Where next?
இந்திர விழவில் பூவின் அன்ன
புன் தலைப் பேடை வரி நிழல் அகவும்
இவ் ஊர் மங்கையர்த் தொகுத்து, இனி
எவ் ஊர் நின்றன்று மகிழ்ந! நின் தேரே?
Akin to the many flowers in the ‘Indra festival’, are the many maiden in this town, where the female bird with a sparse tuft stays in the lined shade and calls out. You have collected all their beauty. In which town does it stand now, O lord, that chariot of yours?
63 Flesh-reeking Otter
பொய்கைப் பள்ளிப் புலவு நாறு நீர்நாய்
வாளை நாள் இரை பெறூஉம் ஊர!
எம் நலம் தொலைவது ஆயினும்
துன்னலம் பெரும! பிறர்த் தோய்ந்த மார்பே.
The flesh-reeking otter that lives in the water attains the scabbard fish as its prey every day in your town, O lord! Even if my beauty were to fade, I shall touch not, O lord, the chest embraced by others!
64 Hide not the truth
அலமரல் ஆயமொடு அமர்துணை தழீஇ
நலம் மிகு புதுப் புனல் ஆட, கண்டோர்
ஒருவரும் இருவரும் அல்லர்;
பலரே தெய்ய; எம் மறையாதீமே.
In the presence of your uproarious companions, embracing your mate, you played in the beautiful, fresh river stream; Those who saw this were not just one or two but many, many. So, please hide not from me!
65 Waterlily in the sugarcane field
கரும்பு நடு பாத்தியில் கலித்த ஆம்பல்
சுரும்பு பசி களையும் பெரும் புனல் ஊர!
புதல்வனை ஈன்ற எம் மேனி
முயங்கன்மோ தெய்ய; நின் மார்பு சிதைப்பதுவே.
The white waterlily that delights amidst the sugarcane field ends the hunger of bees in your river-filled town, O lord! Embrace not my form that has given birth to our son, for it will ruin the adornments on your chest!
66 The obstacle
உடலினென் அல்லேன்; பொய்யாது உரைமோ:
யார் அவள், மகிழ்ந! தானே தேரொடு,
தளர் நடைப் புதல்வனை உள்ளி, நின்
வள மனை வருதலும் வௌவியோளே?
I shall not become furious; Please tell me without lying, who is she, O lord? The one who stopped you, when thinking about your toddler son, you wanted to ride your chariot back to your prosperous mansion?
67 The forsaken many
மடவள் அம்ம, நீ இனிக் கொண்டோளே
‘தன்னொடு நிகரா என்னொடு நிகரிப்
பெரு நலம் தருக்கும்’ என்ப: விரிமலர்த்
தாது உண் வண்டினும் பலரே,
ஓதி ஒள் நுதல் பசப்பித்தோரே.
Foolish indeed, she is, the one whom you have chosen. They say that she compares herself to me and talks about her great beauty with arrogance. Even more than the bees that feed on the pollen of fully bloomed flowers are those with long tresses, whose shining foreheads have become clouded with pallor because of you.
68 Uncontrollable woman
கன்னி விடியல், கணைக் கால் ஆம்பல்
தாமரை போல மலரும் ஊர!
பேணாளோ நின் பெண்டே
யான் தன் அடக்கவும், தான் அடங்கலளே?
In the early hours of dawn, the hollow-stemmed white water-lily pretends to bloom like the lotus in your town, O lord! Does she have no respect, that woman of yours? Even though I control myself, she seems to have no restraint whatsoever!
69 Crying like a child
கண்டனெம் அல்லமோ, மகிழ்ந! நின் பெண்டே?
பலர் ஆடு பெருந் துறை, மலரொடு வந்த
தண் புனல் வண்டல் உய்த்தென,
உண்கண் சிவப்ப, அழுது நின்றோளே!
Did we see not, O lord, that girl of yours? On the huge river shore, where many were bathing, as the cool and gushing stream that came filled with flowers, broke her sand house, with her kohl-streaked eyes reddening, the one who stood there crying?
70 Fishing stork
பழனப் பல் மீன் அருந்த நாரை
கழனி மருதின் சென்னிச் சேக்கும்
மா நீர்ப் பொய்கை யாணர் ஊர!
தூயர்; நறியர் நின் பெண்டிர்:
பேஎய் அனையம், யாம்; சேய் பயந்தனமே.
After feeding on the many fish in the common ponds of the town, the stork climbs atop the ‘Maruthu’ tree in the fields of your prosperous town, filled with plentiful waters, O lord. Pure and fragrant are your women. Whereas akin to a ghost maiden, I am, for I have given birth to a child!
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 61 to 70. Again, all these verses are set in the context of a man parting from a lady after marriage, seeking other women and the quarrels that arise due to this. The unifying element in this section is that each of these verses is spoken from the perspective of the lady, and in all cases, she speaks to the man.
Delving into the direct part of these verses, in the first, we see the lady employing the technique of comparing a woman’s beauty to a town and takes us to the town of ‘Kazhaar’, ruled by a generous leader called ‘Maththi. Unlike her confidante, who used such comparisons to glowingly talk of the lady’s beauty, here, the lady employs this simile to talk sarcastically about the beautiful courtesans that the man likes to seek endlessly. In the second too, she talks of how the man has enjoyed the company of all the courtesans in their town, whom she compares to the many different flowers seen in a festival celebrated in those times called as ‘Indra festival’, possibly in celebration of the lightning god having this name! She turns to the man and questions which other town does the man plan to take his chariot now that he’s done with all the women in their town!
In the third, she refuses to accept him and says that she will never come near the man who has been in the company of others. In the fourth, when the man lies to the lady and says he does not have any relationship, she declares that it’s not just one or two, who saw the scene of the man bathing and playing with his courtesan, but many, many. In the fifth, she reveals to us she has just given birth and asks the man sarcastically not to ruin his well-adorned form by embracing her.
The sixth verse begins with a curious promise on the part of the lady saying, ‘I’m not going to get mad. All I want is the truth!’ She goes on to ask who was that courtesan who stopped the man when he wanted to come see their toddler son. In the next, the jealousy and squabbling between the lady and courtesan becomes prominent, for here the lady declares how she heard from others that the courtesan was comparing herself with the lady and acting superior. The lady declares foolish that courtesan is, because she does not know that she too will cast aside by the man like the many others with pallor-coated foreheads, more in number than the buzzing bees around pollen-rich flowers. The eighth verse is somewhat complicated and some interpreters have described it as the scenario where the lady and courtesan are living in the same house. But to me, it seems like the lady is just upset by the courtesan’s words without restraint, even though the lady tries to act with poise.
In the ninth verse, we perceive a rather shocking reveal about the age of these courtesans, for the lady tells the denying man, that all of them saw his girl, who stood there crying because the waves of the gushing stream broke her sand house. Is the lady just exaggerating the young and naive nature of this girl out of rivalry or were these courtesans really of such a young age? Holding on to these questions, we move on to see in the tenth verse, the lady employing her tool of sarcasm yet again, as she describes the man’s other women as fragrant and pristine beauties, and of course, compared to them, she was unattractive as a ghost, given that she had just given birth to a child! What a slap to the man with these unconventional words that reveal both the lady’s honour and the man’s dishonour.
Turning to metaphorical elements, in the verse, where the ripe mango falls into the stream in the town of ‘Kazhaar’, the lady places it as a metaphor for how the man from a respectable position has fallen to waste by his association with the courtesans. In another one, where the river otter feeds on the scabbard fish day after day, it’s said as a metaphor for the man’s ceaseless appetite for different courtesans. In the bee-buzzing one, the bee roving around pollen-rich flowers and then forgetting them is a metaphor for the man relishing the beauty of courtesans and then casting them aside. In the one, where the white waterlily tries to bloom like the lotus, the lady places a metaphor for how the courtesans try hard to pretend to be like the lady. In the verse, where the stork after feeding on the fish rests on the Arjuna tree, the lady equates this scene to how the man seems to find his sustenance in the company of courtesans, and then just for a break, he returns home to his wife.
From these verses, we obtain a portrait of the man as one who lies, who is not true to his wife and who seems to want the company of many women. In contrast, the lady is one who performs her duties of giving birth to a child, being true to her man and even accepting his indiscretions. The whole set-up of this farmlands landscape in the Sangam era brought an image from a totally different culture. In my eyes, the courtesans and the historic ‘Gieshas’ in Japanese culture seem so similar. Could this simply be the state in any place where men are few and hold all power and wealth in their hands? Wish for a time when no woman in any place on earth is subject to this state of injustice and inequality!
In this episode, we hear the impactful words of the lady’s confidante, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 51 to 60, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Thus flows the Sixth Ten of Ainkurunooru : Heed to the Confidante
51 Craving of the heart
நீர் உறை கோழி நீலச் சேவல்
கூர் உகிர்ப் பேடை வயாஅம் ஊர!
புளிங்காய் வேட்கைத்து அன்று, நின்
மலர்ந்த மார்பு இவள் வயாஅ நோய்க்கே.
O lord of the town, where the sharp-clawed female water fowl seeks its blue-hued mate with a deep craving! Your wide chest is akin to the yearning to eat tamarind, for her disease of desire!
52 Chariot streaking red
வயலைச் செங் கொடிப் பிணையல் தைஇச்
செவ் விரல் சிவந்த சேயரி மழைக் கண்
செவ் வாய்க் குறுமகள் இனைய;
எவ் வாய் முன்னின்று மகிழ்ந! நின் தேரே?
After she wove a garland with the red vines of the ‘vayalai’, the red fingers reddened further in this young maiden with line-streaked, red eyes and a red mouth. Making her feel sad, in front of whose gate did your chariot stand?
53 Pouncing wild stream
துறை எவன் அணங்கும், யாம் உற்ற நோயே?
சிறை அழி புதுப் புனல் பாய்ந்தெனக் கலங்கிக்
கழனித் தாமரை மலரும்
பழன ஊர! நீ உற்ற சூளே.
How would the god residing in the shore affect her disease? This is about oath you took, O lord, in whose pond-filled town, new, wild streams, breaking barriers, flood and muddle the fields, where lotuses bloom.
54 His fear-evoking women
திண் தேர்த் தென்னவன் நல் நாட்டு உள்ளதை
வேனில் ஆயினும் தண் புனல் ஒழுகும்
தேனூர் அன்ன இவள் தெரிவளை நெகிழ,
ஊரின் ஊரனை நீ தர, வந்த
பைஞ்சாய்க் கோதை மகளிர்க்கு
அஞ்சுவல், அம்ம! அம் முறை வரினே.
In the country of the southern king, who wields sturdy chariots, even if it’s summer, cool streams gush in the town of ‘Thenoor’. Akin to that is she! Making her well-etched bangles slip away, you went away to another town within the town. Listen! Thinking about the time when I have to come call you to do your duties, I fear for those women, wearing garlands of sedge!
55 Pallor-filled forehead
கரும்பின் எந்திரம் களிற்று எதிர் பிளிற்றும்,
தேர் வண் கோமான், தேனூர் அன்ன இவள்
நல் அணி நயந்து நீ துறத்தலின்,
பல்லோர் அறியப் பசந்தன்று, நுதலே.
The sugarcane machine trumpets like a male elephant in your town, O lord with beautiful chariots! Because you abandoned the fine beauty of she, who is akin to Thenoor, making it evident to many, her forehead spread with pallor!
56 Useless words
பகல் கொள் விளக்கோடு இரா நாள் அறியா,
வெல் போர்ச் சோழர், ஆமூர் அன்ன இவள்
நலம்பெறு சுடர் நுதல் தேம்ப,
எவன் பயம் செய்யும், நீ தேற்றிய மொழியே?
With lamps that shower light, as if it was day, not knowing what is the darkness of the night, glows the town of Amoor, in the domain of the conquering Cholas! Akin to this town, is she, and making the beautiful, radiant forehead of hers lament, you left. What use is it of now, those words of appeasement you render?
57 Can her beauty compare?
பகலில் தோன்றும் பல் கதிர்த் தீயின்
ஆம்பல் அம் செறுவின் தேனூர் அன்ன
இவள் நலம் புலம்பப் பிரிய,
அனைநலம் உடையோளோ மகிழ்ந! நின் பெண்டே?
Akin to the many-rayed fire that appears in the day, is the town of ‘Thenoor’, filled with picturesque fields where white waterlilies bloom. Akin to this town, is she, and making her good beauty fade, you went away. Does she have so much beauty, O lord of the town, that mistress of yours?
58 The same to all women
விண்டு அன்ன வெண்ணெல் போர்வின்,
கை வண் விராஅன், இருப்பை அன்ன
இவள் அணங்குற்றனை போறி;
பிறர்க்கும் அனையையால்; வாழி நீயே!
Akin to soaring peaks, appear the mounds of white rice in the town of ‘Iruppai’, ruled by the generous ‘Viraan’. Akin to this town is she, and before her, you seem to be afflicted with regret. However, you act the same before other women too. May you live long!
59 No more the cure
கேட்டிசின் வாழியோ, மகிழ்ந! ஆற்றுற,
மையல் நெஞ்சிற்கு எவ்வம் தீர
நினக்கு மருந்து ஆகிய யான், இனி,
இவட்கு மருந்து அன்மை நோம், என் நெஞ்சே.
Listen to what I have to say! May you live long, O lord of the town! To console her, and end the suffering of her desire-filled heart, I became the cure for you then. But now, this heart of mine laments that I’m unable to be the cure any more.
60 The call of the female
பழனக் கம்புள் பயிர்ப்பெடை அகவும்
கழனி ஊர! நின் மொழிவல்: என்றும்
துஞ்சு மனை நெடு நகர் வருதி;
அஞ்சாயோ, இவள் தந்தை கை வேலே?
O lord with towns, filled with fields, where the loving female of the common coot calls aloud in the marshy ponds! I say to you, you seem to come to the sleeping mansion all the time. Don’t you fear the spear held in the hand of her father?
Thus concludes Ainkurunooru 51 to 60. All these songs except the last one is set in the context of the man’s parting after marriage, seeking other women. The last song is one set before the lady’s marriage with the man, in a time when they were having a secret relationship. The unifying element of all these ten verses is that it’s the lady’s confidante, who renders these words, and in all cases, it is said to the man.
In our usual manner, let’s look at the direct second part of the verse. In the first, the confidante refuses entry to the man, placing the man’s chest as parallel to the craving in the lady to eat tamarind. Even when the confidante tries to stop her, the lady keeps accepting the man, and he too, after returning, soon abandons the lady to go to his courtesans. Although the man is fickle, the lady still seeks him with desire like that craving for tamarind, the confidante declares, extolling her virtues and scolding the man indirectly. In the second, the confidante thinks back to the time when the man went away, and queries asking, making the lady suffer, in front of whose gates, did he park his chariot? In this verse, the confidante highlights the colour red as she talks about how the lady’s fingers become redder as she plucks the red purslane vines to weave a garland, and then how, her eyes redden in that pain, and even mentions her red mouth. Perhaps this is to highlight the youth and naive nature of the lady, indirectly asking the man how could he leave her and go away.
The third verse happens in the context of the man saying to the confidante that when he and the lady were bathing in the stream, he felt that the water spirit descended on the lady for she seemed to be suffering there. Here, the confidante dispels such superstitious notions, saying no water spirit attacked the lady. She was simply thinking about whether the man had bathed in the same place with the courtesans and gave them too, an oath of never parting. No one knows the lady’s mind like her friend!
In the next five songs, in that exquisite Sangam tradition, the lady’s beauty is compared either to the Pandya town of ‘Thenoor’, where the rivers never shrink even in summer, or to the Chola town of ‘Amoor’, where the lamps that glow like the day wipe away any knowledge of darkness, or to the town of ‘Iruppai’ ruled by a Velir King Viraan, where such is the prosperity that mounds of rice are like mountain peaks. After placing the lady’s beauty in parallel to these illustrious towns, the confidante declares in the fourth, that her only fear is for how the man’s courtesans will surround him and not let him come home, when it’s time for him to go there and do his duties to his wife, when she has just delivered his child. In the successive ones, the confidante talks about pallor spreading on the lady, then declares the man’s words of appeasement are of no use whatsoever, followed by a piercing question whether the courtesan was so beautiful that made the man forsake the lady with so much beauty, and also says, the man seems to show so much regret before the lady but they are not fooled because he’s the same to other women too.
In the ninth, the confidante thinks back to how she was the cure for all the trouble the man gave when he parted away from the lady before marriage. She was able to speak words of consolation, but now, after marriage, when the man causes pain with another kind of parting, she says she’s no more able to help the lady. Finally, in the last verse, there’s a theme not usually seen in the ‘Marutham’ landscape but rather belongs to the secret relationship of the ‘Kurinji’ land, and here, the confidante asks the man whether he has no fear for the spear in the hand of the lady’s father as he comes to see the lady without fail every night to her mansion? Through this, she is nudging the man to marry the lady.
Turning our attention to the metaphorical elements, in the first by talking about cravings of the blue waterfowl, the confidante is placing a metaphor for the lady’s pregnant state, chiding the man for leaving her. In the one where she talks of the sugarcane machine roaring like an elephant, she places a metaphor for how the lady’s worry and her disappointment with the man is being relayed loudly to the town entire by the pallor that spreads on her forehead.
Beyond the usual laments on behalf of the lady, owing to the atrocities of the man, the highlights of this verse are the portraits of rich towns in the Sangam era, and the way these poets connect it with the beauty of a lady. What a simile! Would we dare to say with such a matter-of-fact tone, ‘a lady as charming as Chennai, or pretty as Paris’, given the many shades of these cities in the twenty-first century? But truly those towns seem to have gained the Sangam poets’ mark of approval! The other interesting facet is the depiction of a blue waterfowl, which on searching, I found out to be the vibrant-hued ‘Purple swamphen’! The Sangam poets care not only for the colourful but even the common coot’s love for its mate is captured by them. The final highlight is the depiction of the lady’s state of pregnancy and the duties that fell upon the man in these times. Fascinating to steal these glimpses of natural and social life, two thousand years ago, in these verses of few words!
In this episode, we take in glimpses of a sulking lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 41 to 50, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes the Fifth Ten of Ainkurunooru : A Sulk Story
41 The loveless crocodile
தன் பார்ப்புத் தின்னும் அன்பு இல் முதலையொடு
வெண்பூம் பொய்கைத்து அவன் ஊர் என்ப, அதனால்
தன் சொல் உணர்ந்தோர் மேனி
பொன் போல் செய்யும் ஊர் கிழவோனே.
Along with a loveless crocodile that eats its own young, white flowers too bloom in the lakes of his town, they say. And so, he is the town’s lord who turns the form of those who trust in him, into gold!
42 The drunken courtesan
மகிழ் மிகச் சிறப்ப மயங்கினள் கொல்லோ
யாணர் ஊர, நின் மாண் இழை அரிவை?
காவிரி மலிர் நிறை அன்ன நின்
மார்பு நனி விலக்கல் தொடங்கியோளே.
Did she become confused owing to excessive drunkenness, O lord of the prosperous town, that woman of yours with well-etched ornaments? For she has cast away your chest, akin to the River Kaveri in full spate!
43 Father turtle
அம்பணத்து அன்ன யாமை ஏறிச்,
செம்பின் அன்ன பார்ப்புப் பல துஞ்சும்
யாணர் ஊர! நின்னினும்
பாணன் பொய்யன், பல் சூளினனே.
Climbing on the turtle, akin to a grain measuring bowl, its young ones many, akin to tiny bronze vessels, sleep in your prosperous town, O lord! Even more than you, your bard lies, swearing many oaths.
44 The mother’s face
தீம் பெரும் பொய்கை யாமை இளம் பார்ப்புத்,
தாய் முகம் நோக்கி வளர்ந்திசினாஅங்கு,
அதுவே ஐய நின் மார்பே,
அறிந்தனை ஒழுகுமதி, அறனுமார் அதுவே.
Akin to the young turtles in the vast, sweet waters of the lakes, which grow gazing at their mother’s face, for her, that’s your chest. Know this and act accordingly. For that’s what justice is!
45 Changing hue of the blue
கூதிர் ஆயின் தண் கலிழ் தந்து,
வேனில் ஆயின் மணி நிறம் கொள்ளும்
யாறு அணிந்தன்று நின் ஊரே!
பசப்பு அணிந்தனவால் மகிழ்ந என் கண்ணே.
When it’s the winter, it appears cool and cloudy, and when it’s spring, it attains its sapphire-like blue hue. So adorned is the river in your town. But my eyes always seem to wear the hue of pallor, O lord!
46 Be there always
நினக்கே அன்று அஃது எமக்குமார் இனிதே,
நின் மார்பு நயந்த நன்னுதல் அரிவை
வேண்டிய குறிப்பினை ஆகி,
ஈண்டு நீ அருளாது, ஆண்டு உறைதல்லே.
It’s not only sweet to you but also to us, if you heed the request of your woman, with a beautiful forehead, the one who desires your chest, and not render your grace here but instead choose to remain there always.
47 An unequal barter
முள்ளெயிற்றுப் பாண் மகள் இன் கெடிறு சொரிந்த
அகன் பெரு வட்டி நிறைய, மனையோள்
அரிகால் பெரும் பயறு நிறைக்கும் ஊர!
மாண் இழை ஆயம் அறியும், நின்
பாணன் போலப் பல பொய்த்தல்லே.
The little daughter of the bard with thorn-like teeth brings a huge and wide vessel holding ‘kediru’ fish, and taking that, the lady of the house fills the vessel with a lot of lentils recently harvested. Such is your town, O lord! Even the playmates clad in well-etched jewels know how you lie a lot, just like your bard!
48 Come not with those signs
வலை வல் பாண்மகன் வால் எயிற்று மடமகள்
வராஅல் சொரிந்த வட்டியுள், மனையோள்
யாண்டு கழி வெண்ணெல் நிறைக்கும் ஊர!
வேண்டேம் பெரும, நின் பரத்தை
யாண்டுச் செய் குறியோடு, ஈண்டு நீ வரலே.
The bard’s son, an expert in casting his net, renders unto the naive young bard’s daughter, the one who has glowing white teeth, ‘varaal’ fish in her vessel. Taking that, the lady of the house, fills the little girl’s vessel with white paddy. Such is your town, O lord! We like not how you come here, with evident signs of being intimate with your courtesan!
49 Bard’s lies
அம் சில் ஓதி அசை நடைப் பாண்மகள்,
சில் மீன் சொரிந்து, பல் நெல் பெறூஉம்
யாணர் ஊர! நின் பாண்மகன்
யார் நலம் சிதையப் பொய்க்குமோ இனியே?
The beautiful young daughter of the bard with scanty hair, supplies a few fish and gets a lot of paddy in exchange in the prosperous town of yours, O lord. Wonder destroying whose good health and beauty, your bard will speak lies next!
50 Render your grace
துணையோர் செல்வமும் யாமும் வருந்துதும்,
வஞ்சி ஓங்கிய யாணர் ஊர!
தஞ்சம் அருளாய் நீயே, நின்
நெஞ்சம் பெற்ற இவளுமார் அழுமே.
The retinue of helpers and I worry, O lord of the town, where the ‘Vanji tree’ soars. Why don’t you offer refuge to the one, who has won your heart, as she sheds tears now?
That concludes Ainkurunooru 41 to 50. Time to explore the nuances of these verses. All these songs are set in the context of the man parting away from the lady, after his marriage with her, seeking other women known as courtesans. Each of these verses are said either by the lady or the lady’s confidante to the man or his messengers. The first three are said by the lady, the next three by the confidante, followed by another three by the lady, and the confidante having the last word in the tenth. The common element in each of these verses is the act of sulking by the lady, hurt by the man’s actions of abandoning her for others.
Looking at the direct thoughts first, we see how in the first verse, the lady accuses the man of turning the skin of those he loves into gold. No, not a good thing! As this was supposed to represent the spread of pallor, a to-be-shunned syndrome in Sangam love relationships. In the second, she asks the man how come the courtesan cast you away? Was she sloshed? Humour apart, the highlight is how the lady compares the man’s chest to River Kaveri, overflowing with water, and thereby, etching the importance of this fertile river to the prosperity of that ancient land. Moving on, in the third, the lady declares that the bard, the man’s helper and messenger, seems to lie even more than the man. It reminds me of how in a moment of anger towards a beloved, instead of blaming only the person, it’s common to focus the ire on their friends too!
After listening to the lady’s direct voice, we turn our attention to the confidante, who speaks on behalf of the lady. First, she starts with a picturesque simile of turtle hatchlings that yearn to look at their mother’s face as they grow. That exact thing in the lady’s life was the man’s chest and the confidante requests him to understand this and act with justice. Next, speaking for the lady, the confidante says the waters in the lord’s town change hues based on the season, appearing cloudy and muddled in winter and a sharp and shining blue in spring. However, her eyes always seem to be clouded with pallor, she says about the lady, accusing the man of neglect. In the next, she says with sarcasm that they know how sweet it is for the man to listen to the courtesan and stay there at her feet. Likewise, it would be sweet to them as well, if he does not come now and then but instead chooses to stick with the courtesan always. An angry statement of refusal to the man’s messengers here!
In the next three, the lady declares how everyone, including her friends know that the man and the bard are great liars; also, that she does not like him coming to her home with obvious signs of being with the courtesan; and then, a wondering statement about who the bard is going to fool next. In the final verse, the confidante returns to make a final statement, strong words talking about how the lady’s helpers and she herself worries so much for her, as she sheds tears copiously thinking of the man. She asks the man to heed this and offer his grace to the lady. A moment to pause and focus on a phrase she uses here – துணையோர் செல்வம், which can be directly translated as the ‘wealth of retinue’. This phrase paints a picture of how when a Sangam lady was married and sent to the man’s house, the confidante travelled with her, along with a group of helpers to make her life easy in the new place. This group of helpers were possibly considered as an offering made to the man’s family, an ancient custom in many cultures and that’s why the confidante uses the word ‘wealth’ in association with them.
Returning, let’s turn our attention to the metaphorical elements of nature in this section. In the first one, there’s mention of a loveless crocodile that eats its own young. It appears loveless in human eyes but perhaps it’s an act of love for a crocodile to not let the weak among its young survive! In any case, here that loveless crocodile that eats its young is a metaphor for the courtesans, who feed on the wealth and happiness of people like the man. In another verse, there’s a delightful image of turtle hatchlings sleeping on the back of their parent turtle, a metaphor for how the man has the duty of offering support and love for his own children, rather than wandering away, seeking pleasures of the courtesans. In the final few verses, there’s a depiction of how a young fish-seller brings her produce and gets lentils, white paddy and other things, in return from the women of the house. It’s depicted as if the girl brings less and gets a lot more, implying that even though the man has done less to the lady, she will reply with the great kindness of accepting him back. However, looks like he will have to bear the sulking of the lady for quite a while!
Interesting how interpreters seem to present this phase of sulking as mild moments of conflict between the man and his lady, which are supposedly then sorted out rather quickly and believed to add spice to their marital life. A little too hot for contemporary times, no doubt!
In this episode, we listen to words addressed to a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 31 to 40, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes the Fourth Ten of Ainkurunooru: For the Confidante’s Ears
31 The vow
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
கடன் அன்று என்னும் கொல்லோ நம் ஊர்
முடம் முதிர் மருதத்துப் பெருந் துறை
உடன் ஆடு ஆயமோடு உற்ற சூளே?
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The lord pledged a vow in our town’s huge river shore, where grows the old and curving ’Marutham’ tree, even as our playmates listened. Will he now say that it’s not his duty to remain true to it?
32 The Return
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
ஒரு நாள் நம் இல் வந்ததற்கு, எழு நாள்
அழுப என்ப, அவன் பெண்டிர்
தீ உறு மெழுகின் ஞெகிழ்வனர் விரைந்தே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Because the lord came to our home for just a day, they say his women cried for seven days, melting away in angst like wax in fire!
33 Play and Pleasure
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
மருது உயர்ந்து ஓங்கிய விரி பூம் பெருந் துறை,
பெண்டிரொடு ஆடும் என்ப தன்
தண் தார் அகலம் தலைத்தலைக் கொளவே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! In our huge river shore, where fully-bloomed flowers of the soaring ‘Maruthu’ tree fall and spread, they say the lord plays with his women, as each of them take turns in embracing his wide chest, adorned with a cool garland.
34 Eyes of Pallor
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் ஊர்ப்
பொய்கைப் பூத்த, புழைக் கால் ஆம்பல்
தாது ஏர் வண்ணம் கொண்டன
ஏதிலாளர்க்குப் பசந்த என் கண்ணே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The hue of pollen in the hollow-stemmed white waterlily that blooms in our town’s pond, spreads in these pallor-filled eyes of mine, yearning for the man, who has become a stranger to me!
35 Hues of Pining
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! நம் ஊர்ப்
பொய்கை ஆம்பல் நார் உரி மென் கால்
நிறத்தினும் நிழற்றுதல் மன்னே;
இனிப் பசந்தன்று, என் மாமைக் கவினே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Glowing even more than the unsheathed, slender stalk of the white waterlily, blooming in our town’s pond, was my hue then; But now, it’s all covered in pallor, that dark and shining beauty of mine!
36 If he can, we can
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! ஊரன்
நம் மறந்து அமைகுவன் ஆயின், நாம் மறந்து
உள்ளாது அமைதலும் அமைகுவம் மன்னே
கயல் எனக் கருதிய உண் கண்
பசலைக்கு ஒல்காவாகுதல் பெறினே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! If the town’s lord can remain forgetting us, we too can forget and remain, without thinking of him. But only if we find a way to avoid my kohl-streaked eyes, akin to fish, from diminishing with signs of pallor!
37 Expert Liar
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
நயந்தோர் உண்கண் பசந்து, பனி மல்க
வல்லன் வல்லன் பொய்த்தல்;
தேற்றான் உற்ற சூள் வாய்த்தல்லே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Causing the kohl-streaked eyes of those who love him diminish with pallor and brim with tears, the lord is an expert of experts in falsehoods. He is sure not to keep the vows he takes!
38 Left in tears
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
தன் சொல் உணர்ந்தோர் அறியலன் என்றும்
தண் தளிர் வௌவும் மேனி,
ஒண் தொடி முன்கை, யாம் அழப் பிரிந்தே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! The lord does not know the heart of those who trust in his words. Forsaking my form akin to a tender mango shoot, and my forearms shining with bangles, he parts, leaving me in tears.
39 Parts but parts not
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! ஊரன்
வெம் முலை அடைய முயங்கி, நம் வயின்
திருந்து இழைப் பணைத்தோள் நெகிழ,
பிரிந்தனன் ஆயினும், பிரியலன் மன்னே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! Even though the lord, after embracing my chest, parted making my bamboo-like arms with well-etched jewels fade, he has not truly parted away.
40 An enamoured bee
‘அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! மகிழ்நன்
ஒண் தொடி முன்கை யாம் அழப் பிரிந்து, தன்
பெண்டிர் ஊர் இறைகொண்டனன்’ என்ப
கெண்டை பாய்தர அவிழ்ந்த
வண்டு பிணி ஆம்பல் நாடு கிழவோனே.
Listen, my friend! May you live long! They say that the lord parted from me, the one wearing shining bangles on forearms, leaving me in tears, and took residence in the home of his woman, about the lord of the town, where even though the bee scatters as the carp fish leaps, it is forever chained by the white waterlilies.
Thus concludes Ainkuru Verses 31 to 40. Time to delve into the details. All these songs are set in the context of a man’s parting after marriage, and revolves around his attitude of seeking other women called as courtesans. The first six are spoken by the lady and the last four are spoken by a courtesan. However, the unifying element in all the verses is that these words are addressed to the confidante, either the lady’s or the courtesan’s. Each of the verses begin with words to a confidante containing an invitation to listen and a blessing to her. I’ve always admired this Sangam nature of blessing a person when seeking their attention. It seems to me like the Sangam equivalent of the thought, ‘I’m grateful for the time you’ve given me!’
Although the exact words are addressed only to the confidante, there are messages hidden for others listening in. And this, we will explore song by song. In the first, the lady thinks back to the past, when the man took a vow to never part from her. This was by the shore in her town, with an old and curving Arjuna tree, as her playmates stood as witness. She now wonders whether he will now declare that he’s not bound to keep those words. This is meant to be heard not only by the confidante but also by the man’s helpers, who are listening in, with the hope it will be conveyed to the man, thereby nudging his sense of decency.
In the second, she talks about how because the man came for just a day to his home with the lady, the courtesans shed tears for seven days, and they seemed to melt in pain like a drop of wax in the fire. Here, the lady refuses entry to the man’s messengers implying that the courtesans’ distress is sure to keep the man away from her. In a similar vein, in the third and the fourth too, she refuses entry to the man’s messengers by declaring that the man is said to be rejoicing in the pleasure of courtesans by the river shore, on a bed of flowers from the Arjuna tree, and how her eyes have taken on the terrible golden hue of pollen on a waterlily, indicating that she was afflicted with pallor because of the man’s heartless actions, which has now made him a stranger to her.
In the fifth one, when the man’s messengers argue his case and detail all that he’s lost, the lady responds in words to her confidante that she too has lost a great deal, that dark and glowing beauty of hers as reflected in the glow of black skin, akin to an unsheathed lily stalk. But now, it becomes golden in hue, she laments. A moment to pause and appreciate how a dark, black hue was the sign of beauty and health in a Sangam woman, and being golden was something to be shunned, when many Indian women still seek to lighten their complexion with many beauty products and laser treatments. What’s beauty on the outside is just a passing cloud across the ages, seems to say this verse from the past!
Returning, in the sixth, in a time when the confidante has refused entry to the man’s messengers, the lady decides it’s the wrong move and says just like how the man is happy without her, it’s quite possible for her to be happy without the man. However, the pallor that coats her eyes make this impossible, she says, implying there’s no other go but to permit the man back to their home.
Following this, the last four verses are from the point of view of a courtesan, as said to her confidante. When she is informed the man has left to his wife and has taken a vow that he will not seek these women again, she declares to her confidante that he will surely not keep that vow, for he is an expert liar. This is meant to fall on the ears of the lady’s friends listening in, and shake the lady’s confidence. In the next, she blames the man for not understanding the heart of those who trust in him and like he causes pain to her, he will eventually cause pain to the lady as well. In the ninth one, the courtesan’s confidence seems to return and she says even though the man has left, he has truly not left her. Again, an attempt to shake the lady’s assurance by passing on this message through her listening friends.
As you may have noticed, these ten so far curiously lack that metaphorical quality of implying other meanings that we saw in the previous verses of Ainkurunooru and seem rather direct. This last verse makes up for that in the depiction of a bee that is startled by a jumping carp fish and flies away, and a statement that while it may be so, that bee will be inevitably pulled towards that lily and will return, a metaphor for how though the man has gone home, disturbed by the tears of his wife, he is hopelessly attracted to these courtesans and will be back here.
In a nutshell, this entire section is a poetic cat fight! The only reason for this state of affairs could be the loss of many men in wars, leaving the few remaining to become objects of tussle between women! Why did the Sangam folks give so much importance to these exchanges, which seem somewhat petty in our time and age? Perhaps, they were being honest in their depiction of reality! Triumph and freedom truly awaits a woman in any age, when her thoughts and ideas soar above and beyond the mere preoccupation with a man!
In this episode, we perceive the antics of crabs, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 21 to 30, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Thus goes the Third Ten of Ainkurunooru: Faces of the Crab
21 The Lily-Shredder
முள்ளி நீடிய முது நீர் அடைகரைப்
புள்ளிக் களவன் ஆம்பல் அறுக்கும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் தெளிப்பவும்,
உண்கண் பசப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!’
Near the sandy banks of the ancient stream, filled with thorny bushes, the spotted crab shreds the white lily stalks in the cool shores of the lord’s town. Even though he tries to appease you, why does your kohl-streaked eyes spread with pallor? Tell me, O mother!
22 The Mud-stained
அள்ளல் ஆடிய புள்ளிக் களவன்
முள்ளி வேர் அளைச் செல்லும் ஊரன்
நல்ல சொல்லி மணந்து, ‘இனி
நீயேன்’ என்றது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!’
The spotted crab, after playing in the mud, goes on to stay in the burrows near the roots of the thorny bushes in the lord’s town. He spoke good words and married me then. What has happened to his words ‘I shall not part from you?’ Tell me, O mother!
23 The Chased
முள்ளி வேர் அளைக் களவன் ஆட்டி,
பூக் குற்று, எய்திய புனல் அணி ஊரன்
தேற்றம் செய்து நப்புணர்ந்து, இனித்
தாக்கு அணங்கு ஆவது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
Teasing the crab in the burrow near the roots of the thorny bush, plucking flowers and playing in the stream, are the maiden in the beautiful lord’s town. He made promises and extended his affection then. Why has he become an attacking spirit now? Tell me, O mother!
24 The Killer
தாய் சாப் பிறக்கும் புள்ளிக் களவனொடு
பிள்ளை தின்னும் முதலைத்து அவன் ஊர்
எய்தினன் ஆகின்று கொல்லோ? மகிழ்நன்
பொலந் தொடி தெளிர்ப்ப முயங்கியவர்
நலம் கொண்டு துறப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
Spotted crabs that are born killing their mother and a crocodile that eats its young are found in his town. Why hasn’t he come here? Why does the lord steal the beauty of maiden, clad in resounding golden bangles, and then abandon them? Tell me, O mother!
25 The Destroyer
அயல் புறந்தந்த புனிற்று வளர் பைங் காய்
வயலைச் செங் கொடி களவன் அறுக்கும்
கழனி ஊரன் மார்பு பலர்க்கு
இழை நெகிழ் செல்லல் ஆக்கும் அன்னாய்!
The fresh vines of the ‘vayalai’ creeper with tender, unripe fruits growing in the backyard are torn apart by the crab in the field-filled town of the lord. His chest seems to make the jewels slip away in many, O mother!
26 The Promiscuous
கரந்தைஅம் செறுவில் துணை துறந்து, களவன்
வள்ளை மென் கால் அறுக்கும் ஊரன்
எம்மும், பிறரும், அறியான்;
இன்னன் ஆவது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
In the beautiful fields with gold thistles, leaving its mate, the crab chops up the slender stems of the ‘vallai’ shrub in the lord’s town. He discerns not my distress nor that of others. Why did he become such a person? Tell me, O mother!
27 The Homebound
செந்நெல்அம் செறுவில் கதிர் கொண்டு, களவன்
தண்ணக மண் அளைச் செல்லும் ஊரற்கு
எல் வளை நெகிழச் சாஅய்,
அல்லல் உழப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
In the beautiful fields with red paddy, the crab steals the cobs and retires to its home amidst the burrows in the mud in the lord’s town. Thinking of him, why do you remain with your shining bangle slipping away, suffering in great sorrow? Tell me, O mother!
28 The Artistic
உண்துறை அணங்கு இவள் உறை நோய் ஆயின்,
தண் சேறு களவன் வரிக்கும் ஊரற்கு
ஒண் தொடி நெகிழச் சாஅய்,
மென் தோள் பசப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
If a spirit that lives by the river shore is the reason for her affliction, seeing the lord, in whose town, the crab in the cool mud draws lines, why does her shining bangles slip away and her slender arms become shrouded with pallor? Tell me, O mother!
29 The Impeder
மாரி கடி கொள, காவலர் கடுக,
வித்திய வெண் முளை களவன் அறுக்கும்
கழனி ஊரன் மார்பு உற மரீஇ,
திதலை அல்குல் நின் மகள்
பசலை கொள்வது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
Even as the rains pour down heavily and the guards speed around, the white sprouts of sown seeds are shredded in the field-filled town of the lord. After embracing his chest, why does her freckled waist shroud in pallor? Tell me, O mother!
30 The Prosperous
வேப்பு நனை அன்ன நெடுங் கண் களவன்
தண்ணக மண் அளை நிறைய, நெல்லின்
இரும் பூ உறைக்கும் ஊரற்கு இவள்
பெருங் கவின் இழப்பது எவன்கொல்? அன்னாய்!
With tall eyes akin to neem sprouts, is the crab. In its cool burrows in the mud, dark sprouts of the paddy crop abound in the lord’s town. Why does she lose her great beauty to him? Tell me, O mother!
That ends Ainkurunooru 21 to 30. Let’s delve into the details. All these verses are placed in the context of the man’s parting. Verses 21 to 27 are when he parts away after marriage, seeking the company of courtesans, whereas the last 3 verses are when he parts away before marriage. All the songs except the second and third are spoken by the lady’s confidante, and these remaining two are spoken by the lady to her confidante. The confidante in turn speaks to the lady in the first seven and to the lady’s mother in the last three. The unifying element in all these verses, as you have no doubt noted, is the ‘Kalavan’ or ‘Freshwater Crab’, found near the fields and waterbodies in the farmlands region.
The direct second part of the first six verses lament about the man’s attitude of abandoning the lady and seeking other women. In the first, the confidante wonders aloud why even after the man has returned and has tried to clarify things, the lady’s eyes was still spreading with pallor. In the second and third, the lady seems to look back at the past and describe how the man was kind and attentive before marriage and made many promises but has turned into this demon of distress now. From the fourth to the sixth, the confidante wonders why the man relishes the beauty of maiden and then abandons them, and yet he seems to possess some charm that makes the jewels of many slip away. Also, she talks about how he not only causes pain to the lady but by his pursuit of newer, multiple women, he brings pain even to those courtesans. In the seventh, the confidante pacifies the lady not to let her bangles slip away, worrying about the man in his absence.
Leaving this territory after marriage, in the next three verses, we move to a point before marriage, where the confidante is revealing the lady’s relationship with the man to the lady’s mother. Though this theme is most commonly found in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘mountain landscape’, here these are transplanted into the ‘Marutham’ domain. In the eighth, the confidante challenges mother in her belief that a deity has caused the affliction in her daughter and declares it’s the man who is the true reason. In the next, she reveals how even after she is happy with the man, her waist is covered in pallor because of the opposition she faces in her family. In the final verse, she makes it common knowledge to the mother that the lady has lost her great beauty only to the man. You may have noted that the confidante and the lady refer to each other, with the same epithet of ‘mother’. While this may be surprising to many, the culture of girls addressing their friends as ‘ma’ or the shortened form for ‘mother’ is prevalent to this day in many parts of Tamilnadu.
Turning to the antics of the crab, we find it shredding lily in the first one, a metaphor for the man destroying his happy family life with the lady. Next, after playing in the mud, without a care, the crab goes back to its burrow, a metaphor for how the man seems not to care about the stains on his character because of his association with the courtesans. Following this, the crab turns from subject to object and is teased by maidens, a metaphor for how his association with courtesans torments the life of the lady. Next, is a depiction of how the crab that kills its mother and a crocodile that kills its child are to be found in the lord’s town, a metaphor for his brutality in throwing away women in his life. A moment to ponder on this detail about animal life. In my search, though I found cannibalistic tendencies in crabs and crocodiles, I could not find evidence for a crab killing its mother. A crocodile killing its young one seems true enough. However, I learnt that scorpions are one of the animals die in giving birth to their young ones and become the feed for the young, a supreme sacrifice. Could the Sangam folks be referring to a scorpion instead of a crab or did a species of crab have this quality in those times? A question of students of biology and evolution.
Returning to our crab, we find it destroying the fruit-clad purslane creeper, a metaphor for how the man is causing angst to the lady who bears the future progeny of that family. Not stopping with the purslane, next the crab, leaving its home in the fields, turns its attention to the bindweed vines and chops that up too, a metaphor for how the man not only torments the lady, but also those courtesans, by seeking new women and abandoning the old. After all these laments, in the sixth verse, the confidante echoes a message of hope in describing how the crab brings to its home cobs of crops, a metaphor for the promise that the man will return to the lady with wealth, and will not abandon her for courtesans.
Leaving these post-marriage scenarios, we turn to the crab symbolising events in the time when the lady had a secret relationship with the man and the confidante decides it’s time to reveal that to their mother. Here, the crab is seen drawing patters in the sand and this becomes a metaphor for the beauty and joy the man endows on the lady. This reminded me of extraordinary patters made by crabs on shores that I glimpsed at, both in my travel to Thoothukudi in Tamilnadu and Darwin in Australia.
Returning, we seem the sprouts of seed shredded by the crab in spite of the pouring rains and strong guard, a metaphor for how the man has stolen the beauty of the lady, in spite of all the protection from her family and other difficult circumstances. In the final one, we see how the crab stores paddy sprouts in its burrows, a metaphor for the wealth and affluence of the man, and an indirect nudge to the mother to give her daughter in marriage to the man. And thus, we see how a spirited crab skips along from one verse to another, leaving its deep imprint, and etching the stories of a human’s nature!
In this episode, we listen to the lamenting words of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 11 to 20, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
Here goes, the Second Ten of Ainkurunooru – Reeds of Sorrow.
11 Not a good man
மனை நடு வயலை வேழம் சுற்றும்
துறை கேழ் ஊரன் கொடுமை நாணி,
‘நல்லன்’ என்றும், யாமே;
‘அல்லன்’ என்னும், என் தட மென் தோளே.
The ‘vayalai’ creeper planted in the house swirls around the reeds in the shores of the lord’s town. Embarrassed by the fear of his cruelty becoming known, I say, ‘A good man, he is!’. However, my soft and curving arms say, ’Nay, he isn’t!’.
12 Unbearable cruelty
கரை சேர் வேழம் கரும்பின் பூக்கும்
துறை கேழ் ஊரன் கொடுமை நன்றும்
ஆற்றுகதில்ல, யாமே;
தோற்கதில்ல, என் தட மென் தோளே.
The reeds sprouting on the banks bloom with flowers like the sugarcane in the shores of the lord’s town. I can bear his cruelty very well; However, my soft and curving arms bear it not!
13 A forgotten sleep
பரியுடை நல் மான் பொங்குஉளை அன்ன
அடைகரை வேழம் வெண் பூப் பகரும்,
தண் துறை ஊரன் பெண்டிர்,
துஞ்சு ஊர் யாமத்தும், துயில் அறியலரே.
Akin to the thick and bobbing mane of a fine and speedy horse, are the white flowers blooming on the reeds by the sandy banks in the cool shores of the lord’s town. Even when all the town sleeps, his women know not what sleep is.
14 The chest of the lord
கொடிப் பூ வேழம் தீண்டி அயல
வடிக்கொள் மாஅத்து வண் தளிர் நுடங்கும்
அணித் துறை ஊரன் மார்பே
பனித் துயில் செய்யும் இன் சாயற்றே.
As the flowers of the reeds graze against it, nearby the lush leaf sprouts of the mango tree with tender fruits tremble in the beautiful shores of the lord’s town. His chest has the good nature of endowing a sweet sleep.
15 A mere stranger
மணல் ஆடு மலிர்நிறை விரும்பிய, ஒண் தழை
புனல் ஆடு மகளிர்க்குப் புணர் துணை உதவும்
வேழ மூதூர் ஊரன்
ஊரன் ஆயினும், ஊரன் அல்லன்னே.
For the young women, who love the sand-filled shores near the flowing waters, those clad in shining leaf garments, playing in the river stream, the reeds offer the companionship of a float in the ancient town of the lord. Although he is the lord of this town, to me, he isn’t one.
16 Golden eyes
ஓங்கு பூ வேழத்துத் தூம்புடைத் திரள்கால்
சிறு தொழுமகளிர் அஞ்சனம் பெய்யும்
பூக் கஞல் ஊரனை உள்ளி,
பூப் போல் உண்கண் பொன் போர்த்தனவே.
On the thick but hollow stems of the soaring reeds with flowers, little helper girls leave the kohl paste in the flower-filled town of the lord. Thinking of him, the kohl-streaked, flower-like eyes are now covered in a golden pallor!
17 Barren heart
புதல் மிசை நுடங்கும் வேழ வெண் பூ
விசும்பு ஆடு குருகின் தோன்றும் ஊரன்
புதுவோர் மேவலன் ஆகலின்,
வறிது ஆகின்று, என் மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சே.
The white flowers of the reeds dancing in the bushes, appear like the birds playing in the sky in the lord’s town. As he keeps seeking new women, barren becomes my naive heart!
18 Broken oath
இருஞ் சாய் அன்ன செருந்தியொடு வேழம்
கரும்பின் அலமரும் கழனி ஊரன்,
பொருந்து மலர் அன்ன என் கண் அழ,
பிரிந்தனன் அல்லனோ, ‘பிரியலென்’ என்றே?
Reeds dance along with the dark and rough ‘cherunthi’ grass, like sugarcane in the uproarious fields of the lord’s town. As my eyes akin to perfect flowers tear up, he has parted away, the one who said, ‘I shall part not!’.
19 Flowers in the rain
எக்கர் மாஅத்துப் புதுப் பூம் பெருஞ் சினை,
புணர்ந்தோர் மெய்ம் மணம் கமழும் தண் பொழில்,
வேழ வெண் பூ வெள் உளை சீக்கும்
ஊரன் ஆகலின் கலங்கி,
மாரி மலரின் கண் பனி உகுமே.
The mango trees with new, flower-filled huge branches soaring on the sand has the scent of lovers in the cool groves, even as the white mane-like flowers of the reeds dispel it in the lord’s town. And so, akin to a flower in the rain, my eyes shed tears!
20 Slipping bangles
அறு சில் கால அஞ்சிறைத் தும்பி
நூற்றிதழ்த் தாமரைப் பூச் சினை சீக்கும்,
காம்பு கண்டன்ன தூம்புடை, வேழத்துத்
துறை நணி ஊரனை உள்ளி, என்
இறை ஏர் எல் வளை நெகிழ்பு ஓடும்மே.
With six small legs and fine wings is a beautiful fly and the eggs it has laid on the hundred-petaled lotus flower is troubled by the reeds with stalks, akin to sugarcane, in the water-filled shores of the lord’s town. Thinking of him, the shining bangles on my forearms slip away.
That ends Verses 11 to 20 of Ainkurunooru. Time to delve into the nuances of these words. All the verses are situated in the context of a man parting away from a lady, after marriage, seeking other women known as courtesans. Also, all these words are spoken by the lady to her friend, the confidante, or a messenger from the man, the bard. The unifying element in each of these verses is the ‘Reed’, a type of grass that grows on the banks of waterbodies with a thick plume of flowers. From this section of verses in the farmlands landscape, we can conclude that this plant was a common feature of this region.
In the second part of the verse, the lady is rather direct in the expression of her disappointment in the man. For instance, in the first, she says though she tries very hard to hide the man’s cruelty of forsaking her and being with other women, her thinning arms are not so discreet and they proclaim the truth to the world. In the second verse too, she separates herself from her arms and says though she may try to bear his abandonment, her arms will not. In the third, she proclaims how the man’s courtesans sleep not through the night, and thus, the man can never leave to be with his wife. Saying this, she renders a message of refusal for the man’s request to return home. In the fourth, the lady replies to her friend saying even though the man has been cruel to her, it’s his chest that she seeks to have a sweet sleep. In the fifth, the lady perceives that though the man has returned to her, his heart is still roving towards the courtesans and so she replies to her friend that though he is by her side, he doesn’t act like the lord he is. In the sixth, she talks of her kohl-streaked eyes taken on a golden hue, to indicate the pallor of pain that spreads on her. In the seventh, she mentions how because the man keeps seeking new women, her heart has become barren. In the eighth, she laments that the man had broken his oath of never parting from her. In the ninth, she talks of how her eyes shed tears like flower petals after a rain shower. And in the final one, she brings forth the repeated image of bangles slipping away that we have seen in many Sangam poems, here talking about her own thinning arms, owing to the man’s behaviour.
It’s evident the lady is heartbroken because of the man’s seeking of other women. This she further etches in the form of metaphors using the single element of a reed. She talks of how the purslane creeper seeks out the reeds, implying her husband seems to spread away from the home and seek courtesans. Next, she mentions how the flowers of the reed make them seem like sugarcane, a metaphor for the man treating the lady, symbolised by the sugarcane, and the dressed-up courtesans, symbolised by the flower-filled reeds, as one. The next reference too is in a similar vein, metaphorically placing the lady in parallel to a horse with a thick mane, and the courtesans, with the reeds, whose flowers seem like the mane of that horse, as they try to cheat with a false feeling of being with family women. In the next, the lady becomes a mango tree, whose tender leaves tremble, hurt by the shoots of the reeds rubbing against it, representing the courtesans’ actions. Next is the image of reed stems becoming a float and a companion to playing maiden, a symbol of the man finding pleasure in the courtesans’ company.
In the next one, there’s another subsidiary connecting element and that is the kohl that maiden paint on the hollow stems of this grass, which is a symbol of how the man endows his attention and gifts on the reed-like courtesans. This kohl, she connects back to her kohl-streaked eyes that are now raining down with tears. Similar to the placement of the lady as sugarcane and horse’s mane, now she becomes the birds in the sky and the courtesans, whose flowers merely look like those birds, as they pretend to be the lady in the man’s life. There’s another comparison with how the reeds are dancing along with other rough grasses, as if they were sugarcane, implying that the courtesans are strutting with arrogance, along with their confidantes, pretending to have the pride of the lady. The next is a reference to the fragrance of a lush mango tree having the scent of lovers who come together near it, being masked and dispelled by the smell of reeds, implying that the courtesans are making the man forget the happy life he lead with the lady. And in the final one, there’s an image of a fly that hides its eggs in a lotus flower, and that being toppled by the swaying stalks of the reeds, implying that the courtesans will do all possible to disrupt the family life of the lady with the man.
Death to the reeds, seems to be the shout of the lady! Even though it appears so, that poets have given so much importance to this situation seems to suggest this was an inevitable consequence of money in the hands of a few men, the exact outcome of a lifestyle in an agricultural town. Like how you can’t keep the reeds from growing near a lush water source, the presence of courtesans was taken as a given thing in that society. What’s appreciable though is the piercing focus on the lady’s emotions in such a situation and the one unforgettable takeaway from this section of songs is the subtle nudge to pay attention to all that unfolds within!
In this episode, we start our exploration of a new Sangam Literary work, ‘Ainkurunooru’ or ‘Five Hundred Short Poems’. As the name clearly indicates, there are five hundred verses in this collection. However, it’s the organisation of these five hundred verses that is unique among the entire Sangam collection. These five hundred verses have a major classification of 5 different landscapes such as ‘Marutham’, ‘Neythal’, ‘Kurinji’, ‘Mullai’ and ‘Paalai’ with a perfect slicing of hundred songs each. And the entirety of these hundred songs within one landscape has been sung by a single poet. This is in contrast to the arrangement of verses we have seen this far in Natrinai, Kurunthogai and Puranaanooru, with their random sequencing of songs sung by various poets. Not only that, each of these hundred songs is further subdivided into ten sections of ten songs each, with one unifying theme. Without further ado, let’s jump into our first 10, ‘Wishes – Hers and Mine’ in Ainkurunooru, situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, penned by the poet Orambokiyar.
For this Sangam Literary work, I intend to start with the number of the verse, the English title that I have given for the verse, followed by a reading of the original Tamil verse, and then, its English translation. Once we have traversed all ten songs in this manner, we will assimilate the whole and savour its core in the final section.
With that, I give you, ‘Ainkurunooru 1-10’:
1 Plentiful pregnant fish
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
நெல் பல பொலிக! பொன் பெரிது சிறக்க!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘நனைய காஞ்சிச் சினைய சிறு மீன்
யாணர் ஊரன் வாழ்க!
பாணனும் வாழ்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May there be an abundance of paddy! May there be a profusion of gold!’ – So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the man from the prosperous town with the ‘Kanji’ tree filled with buds and small fish, laden with many eggs, live long! May his bard live long too!’.
2 The blue lily and the white
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
விளைக வயலே! வருக இரவலர்!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘பல் இதழ் நீலமொடு நெய்தல் நிகர்க்கும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் கேண்மை
வழிவழிச் சிறக்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the fields be bountiful in their harvest! May the supplicants come seeking!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the relationship with the man, from the town with cool waters, where along with the many-petaled blue lily, the white lily too blooms, thrive on for long!’.
3 Reapers of harvest
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
பால் பல ஊறுக! பகடு பல சிறக்க!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘வித்திய உழவர் நெல்லொடு பெயரும்,
பூக் கஞல் ஊரன் தன் மனை
வாழ்க்கை பொலிக!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the milk pour copiously! May the bullocks multiply and prosper!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the life of the man, from the town with plentiful flowers, where farmers who sow part with mature paddy undoubtedly, flourish in his own home!’.
4 The sugarcane and the paddy crop
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
பகைவர் புல் ஆர்க! பார்ப்பார் ஓதுக!’
என வேட்டோளே யாயே: யாமே,
‘பூத்த கரும்பின், காய்த்த நெல்லின்,
கழனி ஊரன் மார்பு
பழனம் ஆகற்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the enemies bite the dust! May the priests sing songs of worship!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the chest of the man, from the town with lush fields, having sugarcane with flowers and paddy with plentiful grains, not become public property!’
5 Young crocodile’s huge appetite
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
பசி இல்லாகுக! பிணி சேண் நீங்குக!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘முதலைப் போத்து முழு மீன் ஆரும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் தேர் எம்
முன்கடை நிற்க’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May hunger vanish! May disease part far away!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the chariot of the man, from the town with cool shores, where the young crocodile feeds thoughtlessly on fully grown fish, stand in front of our gates!’
6 Blooming lotus in the pond
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
வேந்து பகை தணிக! யாண்டு பல நந்துக!’
என வேட்டோளே யாயே: யாமே,
‘மலர்ந்த பொய்கை, முகைந்த தாமரைத்
தண் துறை ஊரன் வரைக!
எந்தையும் கொடுக்க! என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the enmity of foes be subdued! May he rule for years many!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the man, from the town with cool shores, with the blooming lotus in the widespread pond, seek her hand! May my father give her too!’.
7 Waterbird on the Marutham tree
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
அறம் நனி சிறக்க! அல்லது கெடுக!’
என வேட்டோளே யாயே: யாமே,
‘உளைப் பூ மருதத்துக் கிளைக் குருகு இருக்கும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் தன் ஊர்க்
கொண்டனன் செல்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May justice thrive with excellence! May injustice disappear completely!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the man, from the town with cool shores, where the waterbird resides on the branch of the ‘Marutham’ tree with soft flowers, take her to his town!’.
8 Peacock on the Mango tree
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
அரசு முறை செய்க! களவு இல்லாகுக!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘அலங்குசினை மாஅத்து அணி மயில் இருக்கும்
பூக் கஞல் ஊரன் சூள் இவண்
வாய்ப்பதாக!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the king render rightful justice! May falsehood vanish entirely!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the man, from the town with flourishing flowers, where the beautiful peacock rests on the swaying branch of the ‘Mango’ tree, make his oath come true!’.
9 Sleeping stork
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
நன்று பெரிது சிறக்க! தீது இல்லாகுக!’
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘கயல் ஆர் நாரை போர்வில் சேக்கும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் கேண்மை
அம்பல் ஆகற்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May what’s good flourish greatly! May what’s evil vanish entirely!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the relationship with the man, from the town with cool shores, where the stork that fed on the fish sleeps on the haystack, not become an object of slander!’.
10 Fragrance of flowers and fish
‘வாழி ஆதன், வாழி அவினி!
மாரி வாய்க்க! வளம் நனி சிறக்க!
என வேட்டோளே, யாயே: யாமே,
‘பூத்த மாஅத்து, புலால்அம் சிறு மீன்,
தண் துறை ஊரன் தன்னொடு
கொண்டனன் செல்க!’ என வேட்டேமே.
‘Long life to Aathan! Long life to Avini! May the rains pour plentifully! May prosperity grow abundantly!’ -So, wished mother. As for me, I wished, ‘May the relationship with the man, from the town with cool shores, with the flowering mango tree and the flesh-reeking small fish, take her along and leave!’.
That ends Ainkurunooru Verses 1 to 10. Now, let’s delve into the hidden references and deeper meanings in these verses. The first common element we note is how all the songs begin with a salute to King Avini, who belonged to the clan of ‘Aathan’. This king is said to be a Chera king of renown in Sangam times.
Next, a quick note to tell you that all these songs are situated in the context of a man, who questions the lady’s confidante, on how the lady fared in his absence. The first five are when he leaves the lady to pursue other women called as courtesans. The last five are when he’s married and living a happy life with her and he turns to the lady’s confidante and asks her what did the lady do, in that time before he married her. The beauty of this section is its consistency. As you may have noted, in each verse, the confidante talks first about the lady, whom she addresses as ‘mother’, possibly because of her noble nature or that she’s the mother of the man’s child. And, this lady always seems to wish for the good of the land.
In the first, she hopes for food and mineral wealth for the country; In the second, for a rich harvest, not so that she can hoard it but to give away to supplicants, whom she hopes will arrive at her door; In the third, for milk production and cattle wealth; In the fourth, for the defeat of enemies and for the good work of priests; In the fifth, for vanquishing hunger and disease, which no doubt is prone to crop up in an agricultural landscape; In the sixth, for enemies to be defeated and for a long life to the king; In the seventh, for justice to reign supreme; In the eighth, for rightful actions by the king and death to falsehood; In the ninth, for the triumph of good and the defeat of evil; And finally, in the tenth, for rains and its inevitable consequence of prosperity. So, if we see, all the priorities of a person, who is completely focussed on the common good of the land comes to fore, in the first section of all these verses.
Now, let’s contrast this to the wishes of the confidante, which centres around the man and his private life specifically. In the first verse, she wishes for a long life to the man and his bard too, but where she places the catch is in her description of his town, which she calls as one filled flowering Portia trees and pregnant small fish. As in all Aham poetry, where a description is not merely a description, here she places a metaphor for how the man treats the towering lady, symbolised by the Portia tree, and the many petty courtesans, symbolised as small fish, as one, and does not discern the greatness of the lady. Likewise, in the second, she wishes good for the man and lady, but yet again by describing the blue-lily and the white blooming together, she hints that the man has not understood the glory of his wife, and had treated her as an equal to the courtesans. In the third, is a scene with the farmers leaving with plentiful paddy, and here, she directly wishes that the man returns to his home for a happy life with his own family. In the fourth, the confidante contrasts the sugarcane with flowers and the paddy with grains, and directly refers to the artificially adorned courtesans, who cannot extend his family line, as the flowers of sugarcane do not bear fruit. Likewise, the lady she refers to as paddy with plentiful grains, implying that she’s the one who can bear the man’s children, who will reinstate his name, and in a curious wish, she hopes the man’s chest will not become a common land, for anyone to graze on, again hitting at the courtesans. In the fifth and final one in this section, spoken after the man’s return from courtesans, she comments on how he has been thoughtlessly interested only in relishing the pleasures of the courtesans like how a young crocodile keeps munching on small fish, without seeing what’s what, and in this one, she says she wished for the man’s chariot to return home.
In the next five, the confidante talks about what she wished for when the man was having a secret relationship with the lady prior to marriage, and here, she wishes that the man seeks the lady’s hand and find success in pleasing the lady’s father, followed by a wish that he takes her to his town, also that he fulfils the oath he took before the lady saying he would marry her, a hope that the relationship does not become gossip material, and finally, if all fails, that the man should elope with the lady. Even in this segment, with the blooming lotus, she tells the lady’s relationship with the man is becoming evident for all to see, and like how the waterbird rests on the ‘Arjuna tree’ and the peacock rests on the ‘Mango tree’, the lady should also rightfully be at the man’s home. With the image of the sleeping stork on the haystack, she scolds the man for enjoying the pleasures with the lady and not taking the steps to marry her, and finally with the flowering mango tree and the flesh-smelling fish, she points out how though the relationship is beautiful like the flowering tree, reeking slander is spreading through the town.
Thus, in this collection of ten verses, we see a dense compaction of so many elements of Aham themes, and in the process, we are presented with these images of a farmland country in the Sangam era, etched like an indelible rock art that stands the test of time!
In this episode, we perceive the noble qualities of a respected leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 400, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse reveals nuances about the king’s compassion and administration.
மாக விசும்பின் வெண் திங்கள்
மூ ஐந்தான் முறை முற்ற,
கடல் நடுவண் கண்டன்ன என்
இயம் இசையா, மரபு ஏத்தி,
கடைத் தோன்றிய கடைக் கங்குலான்
பலர் துஞ்சவும் தான் துஞ்சான்,
உலகு காக்கும் உயர் கொள்கை
கேட்டோன், எந்தை, என் தெண் கிணைக் குரலே;
கேட்டதற்கொண்டும், வேட்கை தண்டாது,
தொன்று படு சிதாஅர் மருங்கு நீக்கி,
மிகப் பெருஞ் சிறப்பின் வீறு சால் நன்கலம்
…………………………………………………..லவான
கலிங்கம் அளித்திட்டு என் அரை நோக்கி,
நார் அரி நறவின் நாள் மகிழ் தூங்குந்து;
போது அறியேன், பதிப் பழகவும்,
தன் பகை கடிதல் அன்றியும், சேர்ந்தோர்
பசிப் பகை கடிதலும் வல்லன் மாதோ;
மறவர் மலிந்த தன் …………………..
கேள்வி மலிந்த வேள்வித் தூணத்து
இருங்கழி இழிதரும் ஆர்கலி வங்கம்
தேறு நீர்ப் பரப்பின் யாறு சீத்து உய்த்து,
துறைதொறும் பிணிக்கும் நல் ஊர்
உறைவின் யாணர் நாடு கிழவோனே.
A verse with many missing phrases and lines, highlighting to us the importance of saving the past from the ravages of time, and passing on that treasure to the future. The poet’s words about this much celebrated Chozha King can be translated as follows:
“Appearing akin to the white moon in the sky above, which has completed three fives and stands shining in the middle of the ocean, was my drum. I played upon it, and as per tradition, sang praises at his gate, when it was the last phase of the night. Even though many were asleep, he slept not, owing to his noble ideals of protecting this world. And so, that lord of mine heard the voice of my clear ‘Kinai’ drum.
The moment he heard it, with unceasing compassion, he came and removed my old and torn garment; He gave unto me, exceptional fine objects with an inordinate significance… Also, he rendered an attire to me, and looked with satisfaction at my newly adorned form. Drinking fine toddy filtered through thick fibres, every day was filled with joy for me; How many such days went by, in this way, I know not! Not only in chasing away his foes, but also in chasing away that foe called hunger in those close to him, this king is an expert indeed!
With countless warriors… with sacrificial pillars embedded with the knowledge of rituals… with widened and sculpted rivers to ensure uproarious ships, which come sailing through the dark backwaters, are docked at the many, many ports, are the fine towns, filled with prosperity, a delight to live in, in the country of this great leader!”
Time to delve into the intricacies of these words. The poet begins by talking about the glowing white moon in the high sky. He then goes on to give us a tiny mathematics lesson by saying this moon has completed three-fives, as depicted in the Tamil phrase he uses ‘Moo-Ainthaan’. Not sure about the generations that follow, but those of us, who know our tables, can tell instantly that this phrase represents the number 15. We can infer what the poet means is that the moon has journeyed for 15 days from the point you would call ‘New moon’ or ‘No moon’, depending on whether you are an ‘optimist’ or ‘pessimist’. Growing every day for fifteen days, this celestial object, which has charmed poets across the ages, becomes the ‘Full moon’. And thus, with a few lines, the poet not only teaches us mathematics but also a little astronomy. Returning, the poet has delighted us with these references only to say his ‘Kinai’ drum looks like this full moon in the middle of the ocean. Now, he gets working on that and goes playing the drum, singing the praises of this king to his gates. The time is the dark hour just before dawn. The poet says at this time the whole world seems to be sleeping but not the king, why because, like any leader, worth his salt, he takes the responsibility of protecting this land seriously. So, the king, suffering from a bit of expected insomnia, hears the drum beats at his gates.
Hearing that, the king rushes to the gates and immediately removes the old and torn garment of the poet and renders fine things and new clothes, says the poet. Pausing for a moment here, the poet describes how the king looks at the poet, all adorned with a new garment, with much satisfaction. Isn’t this a relatable emotion of feeling joy when a person emerges out of their state of misery right before our eyes? That’s what the king feels here. Then, he bids the poet to stay in his town and enjoy all the good things. The poet says, with such joy, countless days passed by, and declares a verdict that the king is a master not only in making his enemies scuttle away, but also in chasing that enemy called hunger in all those dear to him.
After all these details about the king’s nature, the poet turns to the outer world around the king and mentions something about countless warriors and ritual places, but these lines are missing. However, the last detail is etched and clear and this talks about how the king takes up the task of widening rivers, clearing the rich sediments they bring, so that ships that come from faraway can sail from the ocean with ease and be docked at the many towns of his kingdom. The poet concludes by depicting these towns in the land of this great leader as places filled with wealth and a pleasure to live in.
And here, in the last line of this last verse of Puranaanooru, we find an instance of a king, who does not only care about fighting wars, enriching his wealth or even rendering to supplicants. We find here, an expert administrator, who knows what needs to be done to ensure the wealth and happiness of his people. He takes up the challenging task of ancient engineering, wherein the shapes of rivers are moulded to let the vessels of commerce sail through. In this way, the poet has left behind, for generations to savour, this impressive portrait of a Chozha king, who has set sail from the ocean of the past, two thousand years ago, and docks in our hearts today.
In this episode, we perceive a poet’s dilemma and its resolution, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 399, penned about the Leader Thaamaan Thondrikon by the Poet Aiyoor Mudavanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and talks about the thoughtful and boundless generosity of a patron.
அடு மகள் முகந்த அளவா வெண்ணெல்
தொடி மாண் உலக்கைப் பரூஉக் குற்று அரிசி
காடி வெள் உலைக் கொளீஇ, நீழல்
ஓங்கு சினை மாவின் தீம் கனி நறும் புளி,
மோட்டு இரு வராஅல் கோட்டு மீன் கொழுங் குறை,
செறுவின் வள்ளை, சிறு கொடிப் பாகல்,
பாதிரி ஊழ் முகை அவிழ் விடுத்தன்ன
மெய் களைந்து, இனனொடு விரைஇ,
மூழ்ப்பப் பெய்த முழு அவிழ்ப் புழுக்கல்,
அழிகளின் படுநர் களி அட வைகின்,
பழஞ்சோறு அயிலும் முழங்கு நீர்ப் படப்பைக்
காவிரிக் கிழவன், மாயா நல் இசைக்
கிள்ளிவளவன் உள்ளி, அவற் படர்தும்;
செல்லேன் செல்லேன், பிறர் முகம் நோக்கேன்;
நெடுங் கழைத் தூண்டில் விடு மீன் நொடுத்து,
கிணைமகள் அட்ட பாவல் புளிங்கூழ்
பொழுது மறுத்து உண்ணும் உண்டியேன், அழிவு கொண்டு,
ஒரு சிறை இருந்தேன்; ‘என்னே! இனியே,
அறவர் அறவன், மறவர் மறவன்,
மள்ளர் மள்ளன், தொல்லோர் மருகன்,
இசையின் கொண்டான், நசை அமுது உண்க’ என,
மீப் படர்ந்து இறந்து, வன் கோல் மண்ணி,
வள் பரிந்து கிடந்த என் தெண்கண் மாக் கிணை
விசிப்புறுத்து அமைந்த புதுக் காழ்ப் போர்வை,
அலகின் மாலை ஆர்ப்ப வட்டித்து,
கடியும் உணவு என்னக் கடவுட்கும் தொடேன்,
‘கடுந் தேர் அள்ளற்கு அசாவா நோன் சுவல்
பகடே அத்தை யான் வேண்டி வந்தது’ என,
ஒன்று யான் பெட்டாஅளவை, அன்றே
ஆன்று விட்டனன் அத்தை, விசும்பின்
மீன் பூத்தன்ன உருவப் பல் நிரை
ஊர்தியொடு நல்கியோனே; சீர் கொள
இழுமென இழிதரும் அருவி,
வான் தோய் உயர் சிமைத் தோன்றிக் கோவே.
A long song containing a celebration of not one patron as usual but two. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Measureless white paddy is gathered by a maiden who cooks, and using a huge pestle with a rope, it is made into pounded rice, and cooked in a white steaming pot. Fragrant, sour mixture, made from sweet fruits of mangoes on tall branches, fleshy meat of black murrel fish and horned fish, ‘vallai’ greens growing in the fields, bitter gourd hanging from small vines are the different foods had along with the fully cooked rice in a closed pot, made after removing the husk from paddy, akin to the blooming of a trumpet flower, by farmers working in the fields. Having had their fill of toddy in the evening, at dawn, they eat fermented old rice. Such is the land filled with fertile fields and roaring streams of the Kaveri, ruled by the leader Killivalavan, with unfading, fine fame. Intending to win his graces, I journey towards him; I don’t wish to see the faces of others and seek from them!
Catching fish with a long bamboo rod, and selling that, the female drummer cooked a sour tamarind gruel. Eating this at odd times, I remained filled with suffering on one side. To me, they said, ‘Why do you remain so? The righteous to the righteous, the courageous to the courageous, the valiant to the valiant, the scion of an ancient tribe, has learnt of your fame. Go and relish the ambrosia you desire’. Reflecting on this, I went and mended my drumming stick, and then took my clear-eyed huge kinai drum, whose strap had broken, and tied it with a new, sturdy strap. Making those garland-like straps quiver, I beat on my drum, and without offering food or prayers to the god in my drum, I went thither. Even before I could petition saying, ‘All I seek is a strong bull that can pull a cart with speed even in the mud seamlessly’, right that moment, he rendered unto me, numerous cattle, akin to blooming stars in the sky, along with the cart too- That great lord of Thondri, from whose sky-soaring peaks, cascades come down, roaring with music!”
Let’s delve into the details. The poet starts with a long list of all the food that is savoured by farmers of the Chozha country. He begins by talking about how a cook gathers so much paddy, without even bothering to measure it, and then pounds this on a pestle and cooks it in a pot. Leaving this rice to cook, the poet then goes on to talk about a sour foodstuff made from sweet mango fruits. I was immediately reminded of the sweet and sour ‘mango chutney’, an Indian delicacy, the memory of which is making my mouth water right now! Moving on, the poet talks about different types of fish, then greens in the fields and bitter gourd, a vegetable with incredible benefits for diabetics. As we can see, these farmers seem to have a well-balanced diet full of protein, vegetables and grains. The poet returns to the paddy he had spoken about earlier and tells us how the husk is removed, making it look like a trumpet flower in the process and then this is fully cooked. The hardworking farmers relax with toddy in the evening and then have this old, fermented rice in the morning, said to have many health benefits. Such is the land of the Chozha king Killivalavan, where the River Kaveri graces with her prosperity, connects the poet. He says he had decided that he will only seek the graces of this king and not think of any other.
With such a vow, he had been for a long time, and poverty struck him, says the poet, describing how this was a time he ate at odd times, whatever the female drummer, his wife, brought home by selling the fish that she caught with a long bamboo rod. It shows the enterprise of this woman, doesn’t it? She waits not for her husband as was the custom then to bring all that rice and rich food and manages to keep the family going. The story of many an unsung woman across the centuries and across the miles!
Returning, we find the poet eating the tamarind gruel she has made and feeling sorrowful about his state. When we ask him why doesn’t he go to the Chozha king and attain all he wants, he doesn’t answer us! But instead, he talks about how others came to him and scolded him for remaining there. They told him that a great leader, renowned for his courage, justice, talent and ancestry had heard about this poet’s fame and was desirous of meeting him. So, these people ask him to go there and get whatever he wants. So, the poet thinks about it and then decides that’s the right course of action. Probably he reasons that he is not seeking this leader on his own and pleading to him, but the leader himself wishes to see the poet. So, he mends his broken drumming stick and the straps on his Kinai drum, and without even waiting to offer food or prayers, which would delay his journey, he heads to the leader’s place. There, even before he could complete his request and ask the leader, ‘All I want is a bull that can pull my cart through mud with ease’, the leader provides him with a cart and cattle, countless like the stars in the sky. Such was the generosity of ruler of Thondri hills, where cascades descend with a melodious uproar, concludes the poet.
In that request this poet puts forth to the leader, we can infer the reason he has not gone directly to the one and only Chozha King Killivalavan. Possibly he was incapacitated by losing a bull on his journey to the court of this king. The poet’s name also indicates that he could be a differently-abled person, who requires a cart and oxen to take long journeys. This would explain why he could not immediately reach the gates of that generous Chozha king, but is able to visit this leader, who probably lives close to where the poet was. Also, even to this leader the poet meets, all the poet wants to ask for, is a bull, which is an unusual request among all the ones we have seen this far. A verse that lets us ponder upon and infer so many intricate details about the lives of our ancient ancestors!
In this episode, we observe acts of generosity, straight from the heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 398, penned about the Chera King Vanjan by the poet Thiruthaamanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse reveals the request of a supplicant and the response from the patron.
மதி நிலாக் கரப்ப, வெள்ளி ஏர்தர,
வகை மாண் நல் இல்……………………
பொறி மயிர் வாரணம் பொழுது அறிந்து இயம்ப,
பொய்கைப் பூ முகை மலர, பாணர்
கை வல் சீறியாழ் கடன் அறிந்து இயக்க,
இரவுப் புறம் பெற்ற ஏம வைகறை,
பரிசிலர் வரையா விரை செய் பந்தர்
வரிசையின் இறுத்த வாய்மொழி வஞ்சன்,
நகைவர் குறுகின் அல்லது, பகைவர்க்குப்
புலியினம் மடிந்த கல் அளை போல,
துன்னல் போகிய பெரும் பெயர் மூதூர்,
மதியத்து அன்ன என் அரிக் குரல் தடாரி,
இரவுரை நெடுவார் அரிப்ப வட்டித்து,
‘உள்ளி வருநர் கொள்கலம் நிறைப்போய்!
தள்ளா நிலையை ஆகியர் எமக்கு’ என
என் வரவு அறீஇ,
சிறிதிற்குப் பெரிது உவந்து,
விரும்பிய முகத்தன் ஆகி, என் அரைத்
துரும்பு படு சிதாஅர் நீக்கி, தன் அரைப்
புகை விரிந்தன்ன பொங்கு துகில் உடீஇ,
அழல் கான்றன்ன அரும் பெறல் மண்டை,
நிழல் காண் தேறல் நிறைய வாக்கி,
யான் உண அருளல் அன்றியும், தான் உண்
மண்டைய கண்ட மான் வறைக் கருனை,
கொக்கு உகிர் நிமிரல் ஒக்கல் ஆர,
வரை உறழ் மார்பின், வையகம் விளக்கும்,
விரவு மணி ஒளிர்வரும், அரவு உறழ் ஆரமொடு,
புரையோன் மேனிப் பூந்துகில் கலிங்கம்
உரை செல அருளியோனே
பறை இசை அருவிப் பாயல் கோவே.
And we continue in the theme of generosity from patrons in the morning hour. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“As the moon’s light faded and Venus ascended, in that well-built and fine mansion… Roosters with spotted feathers, knowing it’s time, crow out aloud; Flowers in the pond bloom; Bards play on the small lutes held in their hands as per tradition. It’s that hour of dawn that has seen the rear of night. There, the tent with unceasing fragrance, set up for supplicants by the man of truth, Vanjan, may be easily approached by those who are friends. Whereas, for foes, it’s something like a mountain cave, where an ambush of tigers reside. In that formidable ancient town with a great name, beating on my moon-like thadari drum with a booming voice, making its skin resound, I said, ‘You, who always fills the vessels of those who come seeking to you, may you offer a state of unending protection to me’. As I announced my arrival so, for these little words, feeling great joy, with a face glowing with affection, removing my attire that was torn in shreds, he rendered his garment, made of a rich cloth, appearing akin to spreading smoke. Then, into my fire-emitting empty bowl that had not seen anything for long, he poured toddy to the brim, making me see my shade in it. Not only did he render all this for me, he took the bowl in which he had been eating, filled with deer meat, and rice, akin to storks’ claws, and rendered that for my kith and kin to eat. After that, from his chest, akin to a hill, taking that which the whole world celebrates, a glowing necklace made of many precious stones, lying like a snake around his neck, and the floral, well-stitched garment lying on his form, he offered, spreading his fame forever- That lord of the Paayal cascade resounding like drums!”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet starts in a familiar tone, describing the morning when this event takes place, bringing to fore, the fading moon, rising Venus, crowing roosters and blooming flowers. At this time, bards are heard playing on their small lutes. From time locators, the poet turns to place and says this is happening at a fragrant tent set up for arriving supplicants by the great king Vanjan, and this place opens its doors and reveals itself easily to those who come with friendship. But for those who approach it with enmity, it turns a tigers’ cave, contrasts the poet. Here, the poet seems to have arrived, beating on the thadari drum and seeking the king’s protection.
Hearing the words of this poet, for the little he said, the king felt great joy, and arriving there, with a face shining, he changed the torn attire of the poet with his own attire, which the poet compares to smoke, possibly indicating the softness and fineness of its threads. Clothing check. As expected, the king next turns to food and offers so much toddy in the poet’s burning empty bowl that the poet sees his reflection there. Other than these things offered just for the poet, taking from his own plate, the king offers deer meet and rice to all his kith and kin. Continuing this showering of gifts, the king then takes his own gem-studded necklace as well as his floral, well-stitched garment and gives both to the poet. Such is the deep generosity of the ruler of the domain, where the Paayal cascade thunders aloud like drums, concludes the poet.
Although it’s the same song of generosity, the differentiating element in this particular verse is how the king gave what was his own to others without a moment’s hesitation. It was as if the ruler had no sense of ‘this is mine’! It’s such nuances that Sangam poets are adept at revealing in the personality of patrons they adore!
In this episode, we perceive the absolute trust in a patron’s protection, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 397, penned about the Chozha King Kulamuttrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Erukkattoor Thaayankannanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and describes in detail the moments of meeting between the ruler and supplicant.
வெள்ளியும் இரு விசும்பு ஏர்தரும்; புள்ளும்
உயர் சினைக் குடம்பைக் குரல் தோற்றினவே;
பொய்கையும் போது கண் விழித்தன; பைபயச்
சுடரும் சுருங்கின்று, ஒளியே; பாடு எழுந்து
இரங்குரல் முரசமொடு வலம்புரி ஆர்ப்ப,
இரவுப் புறங்கண்ட காலைத் தோன்றி,
‘எஃகு இருள் அகற்றும் ஏமப் பாசறை,
வைகறை அரவம் கேளியர்! பல கோள்
செய் தார் மார்ப! எழுமதி துயில்’ என
தெண் கண் மாக் கிணை தெளிர்ப்ப ஒற்றி,
நெடுங் கடைத் தோன்றியேனே; அது நயந்து,
‘உள்ளி வந்த பரிசிலன் இவன்’ என,
நெய்யுறப் பொரித்த குய்யுடை நெடுஞ் சூடு,
மணிக் கலன் நிறைந்த மணம் நாறு தேறல்,
பாம்பு உரித்தன்ன வான் பூங் கலிங்கமொடு,
மாரி அன்ன வண்மையின் சொரிந்து,
வேனில் அன்ன என் வெப்பு நீங்க,
அருங் கலம் நல்கியோனே; என்றும்,
செறுவில் பூத்த சேயிதழ்த் தாமரை,
அறு தொழில் அந்தணர் அறம் புரிந்து எடுத்த
தீயொடு விளங்கும் நாடன், வாய் வாள்
வலம் படு தீவின் பொலம் பூண் வளவன்;
எறி திரைப் பெருங் கடல் இறுதிக்கண் செலினும்,
தெறு கதிர்க் கனலி தென் திசைத் தோன்றினும்,
‘என்?’ என்று அஞ்சலம், யாமே; வென் வேல்
அருஞ் சமம் கடக்கும் ஆற்றல் அவன்
திருந்து கழல் நோன் தாள் தண் நிழலேமே.
Yet another poet praises this much-celebrated Chozha king. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Venus was ascending on the dark and vast sky; Birds in their nests perched on tall branches were voicing out aloud; Flowers in the ponds were opening their eyes; Slowly, the moon was dimming its light; Music was soaring as the thundering drums and right-whorled conches resounded; Appearing on such a morning that had seen the rear of the night, I sang, ‘Listen to the sounds of dawn that scatters away the remaining darkness in this well-guarded encampment, O lord, wearing a well-woven garland with many flower-knots, Arise from your sleep!’ I sang so, as I beat on the skin of my clear-eyed huge ‘kinai’ drum, appearing at his tall gates. Liking that very much, he said, ‘Here’s a supplicant who has come seeking my grace’, and rendered under to me hot meat, well-fried with spices and copious ghee, along with fragrant toddy brimming over from a gem-studded bowl, as well as white floral cloth with a texture, akin to snake skin. All this, he showered upon me with a rain-like generosity and ended my summer-like poverty by this offering of rare and precious gifts.
Forever with red-leaved lotuses blooming in the mud, and the fire that is born from the just prayers of priests, who perform six duties, shines this land, and he is the ruler of this domain, the one with the victorious sword who conquered islands many and adorned himself with their gold, the great Valavan. Even if the huge ocean with roaring waves is in its final days and even if the sun with its scattering rays appears in the south, saying ‘What?’ we shall never fear. For we are the ones, who live in the cool shade of his powerful feet, adorned with well-etched anklets, and he is one, who has the power to conquer any battlefield with the skill of his white spear!”
Let’s delve into the details. The poet begins by sketching vividly the world outside when he went seeking this patron. He talks about Venus rising in the sky, birds singing their morning songs from their nests, and how the moon was turning down the dial on its brightness. Just then, drums and conches resounded in what could be a tradition of waking up kings. The poet says, on such a morning, which was seeing the night walk away, he appeared at the gates of this king and woke him up by playing on his kinai drum and singing aloud, asking the king to listen to the sounds of dawn that was chasing away the last of the darkness left. Let’s make a note of these elements of the morning and return to it shortly.
Hearing the song and drums of this poet, the king seems to have liked it very much and reflected on how the supplicant had come to him with hope. To fulfil the wishes of this hopeful person seeking his graces, the king rendered unto him, food in the form of ghee-fried, hot meat, drink in the form of toddy in a gem-studded bowl and clothing in the form a floral garment that seemed like snake skin, so well-stitched and soft, the poet details. He talks about how the plentiful raindrops of the king’s generosity fell on the parched and barren summer of his poverty. That image captures the joy and delight of a land looking to the skies for relief from the harsh heat of summer and etches the elevated place rains occupy in the psyche of the people of this region.
Returning, the poet then describes the land of this ruler as one with lotuses forever blooming and the fire of justice kept alive by priests. He portrays the king as one who won islands and adorned himself with their gold. Although the poet says not which island, this stands testimony to the power of the Chozha navy in Sangam times. Finally, the poet concludes with the words that even if the oceans end and the sun rises in the south, they will feel no fear or worry because they remain at ease in the shade of this wining king’s protection. Unshakeable trust indeed!
Interesting how the poet does not say ‘even if the sun rises in the west’, which is what we normally say to talk about the world going topsy-turvy. Perhaps, the poet is a little more practical and prefers to go halfway to the south rather than all the way to the west! Returning to the moments of the morning this poet met the king, I was struck by all the music in the air just then. Drums are resounding, conches are being blown, and the poet too is playing on his Kinai drum. Even as he plays, he tells the king to listen to the sounds of the dawn. He doesn’t say ‘feel the morning breeze’ or ‘taste your morning beverage’ or ‘smell the fragrance in the air’. The sense in focus here is sound! Tangentially, this made me think of the practice in the Hindu religion to wake up sleeping gods with music and mantras. The similarity in a bard’s waking up a king and priests’ waking up gods, employing music as their tool, struck me as a significant element of culture, whose causality and connection should be reflected upon!
In this episode, we perceive the boundless generosity of a ruler, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 396, penned about the Velir King Vaattraattru Ezhiniyaathan by the poet Mangudi Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse echoes the pride of a supplicant about his patron.
கீழ் நீரான் மீன் வழங்குந்து;
மீ நீரான், கண் அன்ன, மலர் பூக்குந்து;
கழி சுற்றிய விளை கழனி,
அரிப் பறையான் புள் ஓப்புந்து;
நெடுநீர் கூஉம் மணல் தண் கான்
மென் பறையான் புள் இரியுந்து;
நனைக் கள்ளின் மனைக் கோசர்
தீம் தேறல் நறவு மகிழ்ந்து,
தீம் குரவைக் கொளைத் தாங்குந்து;
உள் இலோர்க்கு வலி ஆகுவன்,
கேள் இலோர்க்குக் கேள் ஆகுவன்,
கழுமிய வென் வேல் வேளே,
வள நீர் வாட்டாற்று எழினியாதன்
கிணையேம், பெரும!
கொழுந் தடிய சூடு என்கோ?
வள நனையின் மட்டு என்கோ?
குறு முயலின் நிணம் பெய்தந்த
நறு நெய்ய சோறு என்கோ?
திறந்து மறந்த கூட்டுமுதல்
முகந்து கொள்ளும் உணவு என்கோ?
அன்னவை பல பல
……………………………….. வருந்திய
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் அருந்து எஞ்சிய
அளித்து உவப்ப, ஈத்தோன் எந்தை;
எம்மோர் ஆக்கக் கங்குண்டே;
மாரி வானத்து மீன் நாப்பண்,
விரி கதிர வெண் திங்களின்,
விளங்கித் தோன்றுக, அவன் கலங்கா நல் இசை!
யாமும் பிறரும் வாழ்த்த, நாளும்
நிரைசால் நன் கலன் நல்கி,
உரை செலச் சிறக்க, அவன் பாடல்சால் வளனே!
Another long song of praise. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Below the surface of water, schools of fish flow; Above the surface of water, akin to eyes, flowers bloom; In the fields all around the backwaters, by playing on the ‘ari’ drum, birds are chased away; Because of the moist and cold breeze that scatters soft sand near the vast seas, birds with delicate wings call out aloud; Kosars relish sweet, filtered toddy from moist nectar and sing ‘Kuravai’ songs many;
To those who lack strength, he becomes the strength; For those who lack kin, he becomes the kin; He is a leader with a victorious spear, Ezhiniyaathan, who rules over the fertile waters of Vaattraaru, and we are his bards, O lord!
Should I talk about the fleshy pieces of meat? Or about the rich nectar of toddy? Or the ghee-soaking rice mixed with the flesh of small hares? Or about the door of the food storehouse that he opened for us to take from and forgot to close? Much, much more like this…. To my sorrow-filled huge group of kin, more than they could eat, he kept rendering, that great lord of mine!
There is no limit to what he gave to people like me; Amidst the rainy skies and the twinkling stars, akin to the white moon that spreads its rays, may his unfading fame shine radiantly! As I and others like me bless him for the copious shower of fine ornaments, may the treasure of songs that sings his praises flourish and spread his fame for long!”
Let’s explore the details. The poet begins by asking us to take a dip in water to see huge schools of fish swimming down under, and then, he asks us to pop our heads out to catch a glimpse of the fine flowers like the eyes of maidens blooming above. Then, as we step out of the water, he points to the sounds of ‘Ari drums’ resounding and birds fluttering away from the fields. It’s not only humans disturbing the birds, but even nature in the form of cold winds near the shore that seems to be scattering fine sand and making birds with soft wings cry out aloud. From the world outside, the poets moves inside the homes of people called ‘Kosars’ and points out how they are drinking toddy and singing ‘Kuravai’ folk songs and dancing happily. Then, the poet moves on to describe Ezhiniyaathan, the ruler of this land and talks about how whatever people lack, he becomes that to them. If it’s strength, he’s their strength; If what they lack is someone to call kith and kin, the king becomes their kin, says the poet, in this glowing portrait.
Then, in an ecstatic tone, the poet wonders about what he should sing about for there is so much. Should it be about the thick and fleshy pieces of meat or the bowls of toddy or the taste of ghee-soaked rice with the meat of hares or the nature of this king to open out his granary and forget even to close it, after asking these supplicants to go and take whatever they want! More than whatever his kin dreamed of, this king kept offering, says the poet. The poet says you cannot put a limit on what he’s given to people like him, and concludes by wishing the king’s fame shines like the full white moon on a rainy sky and that the number of songs singing his praise keep growing so as to spread his fame forever.
Contrary to this poet’s wish, this is the only song about this Velir King that made it to the collection of Sangam verses. It’s interesting to see the way the poet describes this king’s generosity by portraying him as someone who never said ‘Stop, that’s all I can give you’. It was like he opened out his treasures like a genie and said ‘Take all you can and more’. Is this just an elevated expression of an overjoyed and relieved person at the end of his suffering or is this the truth? Could these Tamil rulers have been so generous so as to not think of themselves in their giving to others? Or perhaps these kings believed that was the only way they could live beyond their mortal years. If we think about it, isn’t it only because of the songs of such euphoric poets, that after two thousand years, we know about these kings and are still reflecting on their acts of limitless generosity?
In this episode, we perceive a day in the life of a lush ancient town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 395, penned about the Leader Chozhanaattu Pidavoor Kizhaarmakan Perunchaathan by the poet Madurai Nakeerar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse talks about the unceasing generosity of this leader.
மென் புலத்து வயல் உழவர்
வன் புலத்துப் பகடு விட்டுக்
குறு முயலின் குழைச் சூட்டொடு
நெடு வாளைப் பல் உவியல்
பழஞ் சோற்றுப் புக வருந்திப்,
புதல் தளவின் பூச் சூடி,
அரில் பறையாற் புள்ளோப்பி,
அவிழ் நெல்லின் அரியலா ருந்து;
மனைக் கோழிப் பைம்பயி ரின்னே,
கானக் கோழிக் கவர் குரலொடு,
நீர்க் கோழிக் கூப்பெயர்க் குந்து;
வேய் அன்ன மென் தோளால்
மயில் அன்ன மென் சாயலார்
கிளி கடியின்னே,
அகல் அள்ளல் புள் இரீஇயுந்து;
ஆங்கப் பல நல்ல புலன் அணியும்
சீர் சான்ற விழுச் சிறப்பின்
சிறுகண் யானைப் பெறல் அரும் தித்தன்
செல்லா நல்லிசை உறந்தைக் குணாது,
நெடுங்கை வேண்மான் அருங்கடிப் பிடவூர்
அறப் பெயர்ச் சாத்தன் கிளையேம் பெரும!
முன் நாள் நண்பகல் சுரன் உழந்து வருந்திக்
கதிர் நனி சென்ற கனையிருள் மாலைத்
தன் கடைத் தோன்றி, என் உறவு இசைத்தலின்,
தீங்குரல்………கின் அரிக்குரல் தடாரியொடு,
ஆங்கு நின்ற எற் கண்டு
சிறிதும் நில்லான் பெரிதும் கூறான்,
அருங்கலம் வரவே அருளினன் வேண்டி
ஐயென உரைத்தன்றி நல்கித் தன் மனைப்
பொன் போல் மடந்தையைக் காட்டி, “இவனை
என் போல் போற்று” என்றோனே அதற்கொண்டு
அவன் மறவலேனே; பிறர் உள்ளலேனே;
அகன் ஞாலம் பெரிது வெம்பினும்,
மிக வானுள் எரி தோன்றினும்,
குள மீனொடும் தாள் புகையினும்,
பெரும் செய் நெல்லின் கொக்கு உகிர் நிமிரல்
பசுங்கண் கருனைச் சூட்டொடு மாந்த
விளைவு ஒன்றோ வெள்ளம் கொள்க என
உள்ளதும் இல்லதும் அறியாது
ஆங்கு அமைந்தன்றால் வாழ்க அவன் தாளே.
One of the longest verses we have encountered this far. The poet’s words to this leader can be translated as follows:
“Farmers, who work in the fields on fertile farmlands, let their oxen graze in the drier forest lands. Along with many dishes made with the soft meat of small hares and long scabbard fish, they eat old rice. Adorning themselves with jasmine flowers blooming in the bush, with an ‘ariyal drum’, they chase away birds, and then drink toddy, made from steamed paddy; As a house hen sends out its soft call, a forest fowl responds with its alluring voice; Hearing this, the water hen calls out in a song too. With soft arms, akin to bamboos, and an appearance, akin to a peacock, they chase away parrots, making many birds resting in the wide muddy space to flutter away. Having many lush farmlands around, is the wealth-abounding, renowned town to the east of the town Uranthai, with unceasing fame, ruled by Thithan, who owns small-eyed elephants and whose grace is hard to obtain. This town to Uranthai’s east is the well-protected Pidavoor, the one ruled by the long-armed great lord, Chaaththan, known for his just nature. We are under his protection!
One day in the past, when I had been walking through the drylands for long in the midday sun and then when the harsh rays had faded, and the thick darkness of the evening enveloped around, I appeared at his gate, and announced my arrival, with the sweet-voiced…. clear tones of my ‘thadari’ drum. Seeing me standing there, without even hesitating a little and without speaking a lot, he rendered unto me rare and precious jewels, with a few words. Not only that, turning to his wife, a maiden who shone like gold, he said, ‘Treat him with the care you would render unto me’. Because of this, I can never forget him; I can’t think of any other protector either;
Even if this wide land becomes dry and barren, even if many burning comets appear in the sky, even if the ‘Kula’ star and the ‘Thaal’ star appear smoky, he would render unto us cooked rice from paddy that grows in huge fields, akin to the sharp claws of a stork, along with meat and fresh sprouts. Long live the one, who never worries about what is there and what isn’t, and always renders as if the harvest has poured in like a flood. Long live his rule!”
Time to explore the nuances. Although it’s long and winding, the verse can be neatly divided into three segments. In the first and most detailed segment, the poet talks about the town of Pidavoor, ruled by this leader. He mentions about the farmers working in the fields and oxen grazing in the drier forest lands nearby. He then talks about the food they relish such as the meat of hares and scabbard fish as well along with the rich rice from their fields. From the taste and smell of food, the poet turns in the direction of sounds heard and mentions how the people there, wearing jasmine flowers partake a liquor made from cooked rice. Let’s take a special note of this ancient food item and come back to it shortly. Going back to the sounds in this town, hens and forest fowl are heard singing their own songs of yearning. Amidst all these bird calls, young and graceful maiden are seen chasing away parrots from the paddy fields, and as they clap on their drums, flocks of birds take to the skies, the poet details. Such is the fertile town of Pidavoor, and to geographically locate it, he says this town is to the east of the even more famous town of ‘Uranthai’, which was ruled by a formidable king called ‘Thiththan’. Returning to Pidavoor, he says this place is ruled by the great Chaththan and he was one of the bards of this town.
After taking us on this tour of Pidavoor, the poet moves on to the next section, where he details the events of the day he met the lord of this town. He had been walking for long in the harsh midday sun and when evening arrived, he came to the gates of this leader’s mansion and announced his arrival with a ‘thadari’ drum. Without wasting time or words, the leader seems to have showered rare gifts to the poet. Not only that, he seems to have turned to his wife and said, ‘You should regard him with the same respect you render unto me and serve him fine food’. These words of the leader touched a chord in the poet and he declares that he can never ever forget this lord and that he cannot go seeking any other patron henceforth. With that, he moves to final section, talking about how no matter how the land around becomes barren, the signs in the stars are all worrisome, the leader would still offer cooked rice and meat and allay the hunger of supplicants. Such is his generosity that he never cares about whether there is more or whether there is a lack, says the poet, and concludes by wishing this leader lives for long.
Let’s return to the town of Pidavoor and to that particular moment, we saw the farmers there, preparing liquor from rice. Reading this line, I was immediately reminded of ‘Sake’, the popular Japanese rice wine, and decided to search about places in the world, where there is a custom of preparing such liquor from paddy. Although ‘Sake’ is the most popular member of this club of rice wine, I learnt that there’s a long list of these beverages in many parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Seeing the names and places on this list as the contemporary ‘Sunda Kanji’ in Tamilnadu, ‘Sonti’ in Andrapradesh, ‘Apo’ in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, ‘Zutho’ in Nagaland, ‘Sato’, ‘Taupe’, ‘Makkoli’ and the famous ‘Sake’, my mind traced a possible trajectory of ancient travel from South India via North east India to Thailand, Philippines, Korea and Japan, sailing in this sea of rice wine! Is it just a coincidence that all these cultures happened to make liquor out of rice or does it speak of a long-extending bond across the ages between the different cultures of this region? An interesting question for food, history and culture enthusiasts to ponder upon!
In this episode, we perceive a striking poetic device deployed with dexterity, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 394 penned about the Leader Chozhiya Enaathi Thirukkuttuvan by the poet Chonattu Erichaloor Madalan Madurai Kumaranaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse sketches the leader’s generosity in a unique manner.
சிலை உலாய் நிமிர்ந்த சாந்து படு மார்பின்,
ஒலி கதிர்க் கழனி வெண்குடைக் கிழவோன்,
வலி துஞ்சு தடக் கை வாய் வாள் குட்டுவன்,
வள்ளியன் ஆதல் வையகம் புகழினும்,
உள்ளல் ஓம்புமின், உயர் மொழிப் புலவீர்!
யானும் இருள் நிலாக் கழிந்த பகல் செய் வைகறை,
ஒரு கண் மாக் கிணை தெளிர்ப்ப ஒற்றி,
பாடு இமிழ் முரசின் இயல் தேர்த் தந்தை
வாடா வஞ்சி பாடினேனாக,
அகம் மலி உவகையொடு அணுகல் வேண்டி,
கொன்று சினம் தணியாப் புலவு நாறு மருப்பின்
வெஞ் சின வேழம் நல்கினன்; அஞ்சி
யான் அது பெயர்த்தனெனாக, தான் அது
சிறிது என உணர்ந்தமை நாணி, பிறிதும் ஓர்
பெருங் களிறு நல்கியோனே; அதற்கொண்டு,
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் பெரும் புலம்புறினும்,
‘துன் அரும் பரிசில் தரும்’ என,
என்றும் செல்லேன், அவன் குன்று கெழு நாட்டே.
This leader’s name is a contradiction of sorts because the epithet ‘Kuttuvan’ indicates he belongs to the Chera country. However, the other part of his name ‘Chozhiya Enathi’ means ‘Commander-in-chief of the Chozhas’. How this came about must be an interesting story in itself! Perhaps inspired by the interesting combination of this leader’s name, the poet employs a novel technique to portray his qualities. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Having a sandal-coated chest, upright owing to endless practice with the bow, and fields filled with luxuriant crops is the leader of the town of ‘Ven Kudai’, the one having thick arms, where strength takes forever refuge, and the one with victorious swords- Kuttuvan. Even though the world entire praises him saying he’s so generous, please do not think it is so, O poets, who render noble words!
For, one day, at a time when the dark moon was fading and dawn was breaking, striking against the eye of my huge ‘kinai’ drum, I sang the praises of his father, who wielded chariots many and made war drums resound, as the unfading ‘Vanji’ songs of battle conquests. With a happiness that brimmed over from his heart, wanting for me to approach him, he rendered unto me, a furious battle elephant, wafting with the smell of flesh, its rage not yet calmed. Scared, I sent the elephant back to him. Thinking that I had considered it to be too small a reward, he felt ashamed, and rendered another even bigger elephant along with that! Because of this, even if my huge group of kith and kin suffer and lament, thinking ‘He would render unreachable rewards’, I would never ever go to his mountain-rich country!”
Let’s take a deep-dive into the nuances. The poet starts as is custom praising the sandal-streaked chest of this leader, and indicating that’s always upright because of the long years using the bow, and thus throws light on the leader’s skill by talking about his physical feature. Next, the land this leader rules is also fertile having lush crops, the poet continues, adding that its name is ‘Ven Kudai’, translated as ‘White Umbrella’, which should have come from this oft-used phrase for the royal umbrella, symbolising ‘ the good rule of a leader’. More praise is laid at the feet, or rather, the arms of this leader, by sketching how strength has taken an eternal residence there. There’s some mention of victorious swords too. Just when we are thinking the poet is stacking soaring accolades one on top of the other, suddenly, he topples this tower of praise and tells to all the listening poets that the world may tell this ruler is generous but prevent yourselves from thinking so.
Then, he goes on to clarify the reason for this statement and transports them to one morning when the sky was bidding bye to the moon and welcoming the sun. The poet seems to have gone drumming and singing the praises of the leader’s father. Listening to this, the leader becomes overjoyed and wanting to shower his appreciation on the poet, sends him the gift of an elephant. Isn’t that the coveted gift of many a poet? However, the poet sketches the elephant as one, just back from its exploits in the battlefield, still smelling of blood and flesh, and in a fury too. The poet is frightened by the sight of this elephant and he seems to have sent it back to the leader. Noting that his reward was returned, the leader mistakenly assumes that the poet must have considered it to be too small for his standing, and so, to make up for that, he sends the poet, an even bigger, wilder elephant. And so, the poet concludes saying no matter how much his kith and kin suffer in hunger, he’s never going back to the leader thinking he will give him unapproachable gifts!
A classic example of the poetic device called in Tamil as ‘Vanja Pugalchi Ani’, implying the scenario when either the poet insults the protagonist by praising them or praises the protagonist by insulting them. The closest element I could find in English was the device of ‘verbal irony’, when a person says one thing and means another thing entirely. The highlight in this verse is the leader imagining that the poet must have thought the gift of that elephant to be too small. I burst out laughing when I read that line! In the scene preceding this one, the poet, no doubt, thin and famished because of all his wandering, arriving with hope at the leader’s gates, and being startled by the gift of this huge and wild elephant has such a comedic effect too. And in the end, is that elegant word-play talking about ‘unreachable rewards’ implying both a reward beyond one’s wildest dreams, and also, a real, unreachable, roaring elephant in front! In short, even if the poet had written a hundred lines of praise, that wouldn’t have been as effective as this single note of seeming censure. It’s one of those verses that show us that humour is truly the pinnacle of human cognition!
In this episode, we perceive the wishes in the heart of a supplicant, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 393, penned about the Chozha King Kulamuttrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Nalliraiyanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and etches, with striking similes, the present state of a person.
பதிமுதல் பழகாப் பழங்கண் வாழ்க்கைக்
குறு நெடுந் துணையொடு கூர்மை வீதலின்,
குடி முறை பாடி, ஒய்யென வருந்தி,
அடல் நசை மறந்த எம் குழிசி மலர்க்கும்
கடன் அறியாளர் பிற நாட்டு இன்மையின்,
‘வள்ளன்மையின் எம் வரைவோர் யார்?’ என,
உள்ளிய உள்ளமொடு உலை நசை துணையா,
உலகம் எல்லாம் ஒரு பாற் பட்டென,
மலர் தார் அண்ணல் நின் நல் இசை உள்ளி
ஈர்ங்கை மறந்த என் இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல்
கூர்ந்த எவ்வம் விட, கொழு நிணம் கிழிப்ப,
கோடைப் பருத்தி வீடு நிறை பெய்த
மூடைப் பண்டம் மிடை நிறைந்தன்ன,
வெண் நிண மூரி அருள, நாள் உற
ஈன்ற அரவின் நா உருக் கடுக்கும் என்
தொன்று படு சிதாஅர் துவர நீக்கி,
போது விரி பகன்றைப் புது மலர் அன்ன
அகன்று மடி கலிங்கம் உடீஇ, செல்வமும்,
கேடு இன்று நல்குமதி, பெரும! மாசு இல்
மதி புரை மாக் கிணை தெளிர்ப்ப ஒற்றி,
‘ஆடுமகள் அல்குல் ஒப்ப வாடி,
கோடை ஆயினும், கோடா ஒழுக்கத்துக்
காவிரி புரக்கும் நல் நாட்டுப் பொருந!
வாய் வாள் வளவன்! வாழ்க!’ எனப்
பீடு கெழு நோன் தாள் பாடுகம் பலவே.
All about the suffering of a supplicant in this verse of praise! The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“From the beginning, unable to come to terms with this wretched life, my wife, who has been with me for long from a young age, and I suffered. Even as my sharpness declined, I kept singing in the courts of many kings, worrying deeply, to no avail. Since I found no one who knew their duties in any of these countries, who would make our pots, which had lost their wish to cook, to stand upright once again, I remained, wondering within, ‘Who could be that generous person, who can shower unto me?’. Then propelled by all this sorrow, I recollected your great fame that speaks about how all the world’s goodness has risen in one place in you, O garland-clad, esteemed king!
Ending the angst of my huge group of kith and kin, who have forgotten what it’s like to have moist hands, shredding pieces of fatty meat, akin to carded cotton stuffed to the full in sacks during summer, render unto us, white fatty meat. Removing my old and torn garment, akin to the split tongue of a snake, offer me, a wide and well-stitched attire, with the softness of a fully bloomed ‘pakandrai’ flower. Shower riches plenty, leaving nothing in want, O lord! Striking a flawless, huge drum, akin to the full moon, and making it resound, saying, ‘Even if it’s the summer, when everything shrinks, akin to a dancing maiden’s waist, with a tradition of never ceasing, the Kaveri flows in the good country of the lord, Valavan, with a victorious sword! May he live long!’, I shall sing praises many of your proud and mighty presence!”
Time to explore the details. The poet begins by talking about the sad life he had been leading with his wife for long because there was no one who realised their duty of giving to supplicants. He talks about how all their cooking pots were sitting upturned and empty, forgetting even the desire to cook. Even though he sang in the courts of many kings, no one was there to turn those pots upright, the poet adds. He seems to have been wondering who could end this state and then he recollects the greatness of this Chozha king. He arrives to his court, looks at the king and asks him for food in the form of fatty meat. The request is nothing new but where the poet shines is in placing that fluffy fat-filled meat to sacks filled with carded cotton in the summer months. This matter-of-fact reference tells us that the Sangam people were experts at cotton cultivation two thousand years ago. Next request from the poet is for the king to remove the stained garment he is wearing, and here too, he compares it to the forked tongue of snake, implying that it was torn in that manner. He asks for clothes as soft as the ‘rattlepod’ flowers. The last request is for wealth to the brim, so that the poet lacks nothing at all. Here’s someone who is clear about what he wants! Moving on, the poet talks about the fertile country of this King Valavan, where the River Kaveri never stops flowing, even if every other place has dried up and shrunk like a dancing maiden’s waist, and concludes by declaring that he shall always sing praises of the king and shower blessings upon his conquering sword.
A verse that showcases the brilliance of Sangam poets in showing us the connectedness of all things. Their ability to see a sack of cotton in a food item, a snake in a garment, and a dancing maiden’s waist in a shrinking river is nothing short of spectacular. This no doubt arises from the deep attention they paid to all aspects of the world around them. Speaking of the dancing maiden, the verse made me remember the famous bronze statue of the ‘Dancing girl’, discovered in the excavation of Mohenjo-daro, one of the most impressive artefacts from the Indus Valley Civilisation. That intricate indent indicating the waist of this dancing girl that I saw in an image, made me imagine a sculptor from the Indus Valley and this poet from the Sangam age shaking hands and acknowledging their connection across the eras!
In this episode, we listen to the greatness of a king in war and peace, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 392, penned about the Velir King Poguttu Ezhini by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and reveals a fascinating fact in the history of agriculture.
மதி ஏர் வெண் குடை அதியர் கோமான்,
கொடும் பூண் எழினி, நெடுங் கடை நின்று, யான்
பசலை நிலவின் பனி படு விடியல்,
பொரு களிற்று அடி வழி அன்ன, என் கை
ஒரு கண் மாக் கிணை ஒற்றுபு, ‘கொடாஅ,
உரு கெழு மன்னர் ஆர் எயில் கடந்து,
நிணம் படு குருதிப் பெரும் பாட்டு ஈரத்து
அணங்குடை மரபின் இருங் களந்தோறும்,
வெள் வாய்க் கழுதைப் புல் இனம் பூட்டி,
வெள்ளை வரகும் கொள்ளும் வித்தும்
வைகல் உழவ! வாழிய பெரிது!’ எனச்
சென்று யான் நின்றனெனாக, அன்றே,
ஊர் உண் கேணிப் பகட்டு இலைப் பாசி
வேர் புரை சிதாஅர் நீக்கி, நேர் கரை
நுண் நூல் கலிங்கம் உடீஇ, ‘உண்’ எனத்
தேள் கடுப்பு அன்ன நாட்படு தேறல்
கோள்மீன் அன்ன பொலங் கலத்து அளைஇ,
ஊண் முறை ஈத்தல் அன்றியும், கோள் முறை
விருந்து இறை நல்கியோனே அந்தரத்து
அரும் பெறல் அமிழ்தம் அன்ன
கரும்பு இவண் தந்தோன் பெரும் பிறங்கடையே.
The words of the prolific and peerless female poet Avvaiyaar resound in this verse sung not about her best friend and king Athiyamaan but about Athiyamaan’s son, Poguttu Ezhini. Here, she assumes the voice of a male drummer to convey the essence of this king’s generosity effectively. Her words can be translated as follows:
“With a royal, white umbrella, akin to the moon, rules the king of Athiyars, Ezhini, the one wearing curvy garlands of gold. Standing at his wide gates, as the young moon sheds its misty dew in the morning hours, I beat on the eye of my huge kinai drum, shaped like the footprint of a battle elephant, and sang, ‘Conquering the formidable walls of terrifying kings, who had refused to render, in that huge battlefield made moist with flowing blood, filled with fatty flesh, you would tie white-mouthed, dull-hued donkeys to a plough and sow white millets and horse gram day after day, like a farmer, O lord! May you live long!’.
As I sang so and stood there, right that moment, he appeared and removed my garment, torn and stained like the roots of the wide-leafed moss that spreads on the drinking water tanks in the village, and rendered unto me, a neatly cut attire made of fine threads. Then, saying ‘Eat’, he gave me a long-fermented distillation of toddy, with a scorpion’s sting, in a golden bowl, akin to the planets in the sky. The way he rendered was not merely as per the tradition of giving food to another, but going further, he rendered a feast unto me with perfect hospitality! He is the scion in the line of that great ancestor, who, from a place that was beyond, brought that hard-to-obtain ambrosia called sugarcane!”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet starts in the voice of a male drummer and talks about the famous rule of Ezhini, by referring to his royal umbrella as the moon. The drummer describes how he stood at the gates of this king and sang about the king’s prowess in the battlefield and the way he ploughs it with donkeys, sowing millets and horse gram, something which sounds curious to our ears but could be an age-old tradition of insulting the enemies in the battleground. Immediately after this song, the king seems to have summoned the drummer and then seeing the stained, moss-like garments, gave him fine clothes. After that, toddy of the best possible quality, something that had been fermented for many days to give it the sting of a scorpion, was given to him, in a golden bowl that shone like a planet in the sky, says the drummer. He then summarises how the king did not do these things merely out of tradition but he could sense the true hospitality in the king’s manner of giving. Finally, the poet concludes in the voice of this drummer saying that this king is one who comes in the great lineage of that famous king, who had brought the delicious ambrosia on earth called sugarcane from far beyond to this land.
That single line is the highlight of this verse, which otherwise contains the usual descriptions of war and generosity. When I searched about the history of sugarcane, I learnt that it came from the Austranesian lands of Papua New Guinea to India around 1000 BCE, and only from here, it travelled to regions as far as Greece and Rome. The lines of this verse tells us that it was the ancestor of this king who brought sugarcane from far beyond. This ‘far beyond’ could be ‘beyond the seas’ and behind this one line, rests so much history about agriculture,maritime trade and commerce between regions, separated by more than 7000 kilometres, three thousand years ago. Sadly, the rich history of the people in these regions have been swept away in the current of colonialism because of the mistaken branding of these cultures as ‘primitive’. Hope such striking words that speak to us will inspire future generations to uncover such unsung glory of the past!
In this episode, we perceive the journey of a people in search of a better life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 391, penned about the Leader Poraiyaatrukizhaan, by the poet Kalladanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse expresses the hope of finding refuge in the domain of this prosperous ruler.
தண் துளி பல பொழிந்து எழிலி இசைக்கும்
விண்டு அனைய விண் தோய் பிறங்கல்
முகடுற உயர்ந்த நெல்லின் மகிழ் வரப்
பகடு தரு பெரு வளம் வாழ்த்தி, பெற்ற
திருந்தா மூரி பரந்து படக் கெண்டி,
அரியல் ஆர்கையர் உண்டு இனிது உவக்கும்
வேங்கட வரைப்பின் வட புலம் பசித்தென,
ஈங்கு வந்து இறுத்த என் இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல்
தீர்கை விடுக்கும் பண்பு இல முதுகுடி
நனந்தலை மூதூர் வினவலின்………..
‘முன்னும் வந்தோன் மருங்கிலன், இன்னும்
அளியன் ஆகலின், பொருநன் இவன்’ என,
நின் உணர்ந்து அறியுநர் என் உணர்ந்து கூற,
காண்கு வந்திசின் பெரும, மாண்தக
இரு நீர்ப் பெருங்கழி நுழை மீன் அருந்தும்
துதைந்த தூவி அம் புதாஅம் சேக்கும்
ததைந்த புன்னைச் செழு நகர் வரைப்பின்,
நெஞ்சு அமர் காதல் நின் வெய்யோளொடு,
இன் துயில் பெறுகதில் நீயே வளஞ்சால்
துளி பதன் அறிந்து பொழிய,
வேலி ஆயிரம் விளைக, நின் வயலே!
Praises continue to pour at the gates of rulers. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Pouring down cool raindrops, clouds resound and swirl around sky-soaring hills. Heaped like these hills, were mounds of paddy, harvested by the joyful work of oxen. Praising this great prosperity and obtaining huge chunks of meat, they spread it, cooked it, relished it with toddy and lived happily in the north of the Venkatam Hills. Since drought spread in that region, my huge group of kith and kin came here seeking. When the ancient people there, who never have to leave from that widespread place, were asked… Knowing about you and seeing me, they said, ‘This person came before too, and he is a supplicant who is to be pitied.’ So, I came to see you, O lord, in your prosperous mansion, surrounded by ‘punnai’ trees, in which beautiful storks, with thick feathers, after feeding on the fish in the dark backwaters, rests upon. Here, may you always attain a sweet sleep with your wife, who resides in your heart with love, and may the rains know the needs of all your fields and make them flourish in thousands of ‘veli’.”
Let’s explore the details. The poet, wishing to talk about mountains, mentions clouds, which pour down rain drops, and talks about their tendency to envelope these projections on the land. Here, the poet gives us a subtle geography lesson on the inseparable bond between clouds that bear rain and mountains that stop them in their tracks and make them pour down, much to the joy of those living there. Moving on, these mountains have been spoken about to place them in parallel to heaps of paddy that were to be found in a particular place. Here, people like the poet praised the wealth of this land made possible by the oxen, they called their possessions. As a gift they obtained pieces of meat and toddy. Such was the happy life of his kith and kin, the poet reveals, in a country to the north of Venkatam Hills, identified as the contemporary Tirupati Hills in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
But that life had to end, continues the poet, saying drought and famine spread in that region, and so they all came to this town, whose people had been living there from ancient times, so deep were their roots. This is the story of migration which perpetually keeps repeating in the history of human life! Those migrants questioned the people living there and because they knew about their leader’s generosity, they spoke kind words to allay the poet’s situation and directed him to the ruler’s abode. To describe this place, the poet calls in thick-feathered birds that have had a plentiful catch of fish in the backwaters and are now retiring for the day in the soaring ‘Laurelwood’ trees. These ‘punnai’ trees surround the leader’s home, indicating that this is a coastal town. The poet concludes with a blessing that the leader should always sleep in peace with his loving wife, and also, that the rains should always understand the needs of the leader’s fields, and make them flourish vastly. In the original verse, the word ‘veli’ is used in connection with the prosperity of these fields, and though that word means ‘fence’ in contemporary Tamil, here it’s used as a measure of land such as acres or hectares, which we employ today. The nuanced element in this blessing is how the poet personifies the rains as a knowing entity that has the ability to pour according to the needs of a land. And thus, the poet neatly ties up the verse starting from the rain clouds around the mountains to the raindrops on the fields beneath!
In this episode, we perceive the thoughtful generosity of a much-celebrated king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 390, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse talks about all the ways the leader allayed the suffering of a supplicant.
அறவை நெஞ்சத்து ஆயர், வளரும்
மறவை நெஞ்சத்து ஆய் இலாளர்,
அரும்பு அலர் செருந்தி நெடுங் கால் மலர் கமழ்,
விழவணி வியன் களமன்ன முற்றத்து,
ஆர்வலர் குறுகின் அல்லது, காவலர்
கனவினும் குறுகாக் கடியுடை வியல் நகர்,
மலைக் கணத்து அன்ன மாடம் சிலம்ப, என்
அரிக் குரல் தடாரி இரிய ஒற்றிப்
பாடி நின்ற பல் நாள் அன்றியும்,
சென்ற ஞான்றைச் சென்று படர் இரவின்
வந்ததற் கொண்டு, ‘நெடுங் கடை நின்ற
புன் தலைப் பொருநன் அளியன்தான்’ என,
தன்னுழைக் குறுகல் வேண்டி, என் அரை
முது நீர்ப் பாசி அன்ன உடை களைந்து,
திரு மலர் அன்ன புது மடிக் கொளீஇ,
மகிழ் தரல் மரபின் மட்டே அன்றியும்,
அமிழ்து அன மரபின் ஊன் துவை அடிசில்
வெள்ளி வெண் கலத்து ஊட்டல் அன்றி,
முன் ஊர்ப் பொதியில் சேர்ந்த மென் நடை
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் பெரும் புலம்பு அகற்ற,
அகடு நனை வேங்கை வீ கண்டன்ன
பகடு தரு செந்நெல் போரொடு நல்கி,
‘கொண்டி பெறுக!’ என்றோனே உண் துறை
மலை அலர் அணியும் தலை நீர் நாடன்;
கண்டாற் கொண்டும் அவன் திருந்து அடி வாழ்த்தி,
………………………………………………………………………
வான் அறியல என் பாடு பசி போக்கல்;
அண்ணல் யானை வேந்தர்
உண்மையோ, அறியல்? காண்பு அறியலரே!
It’s another nuanced poem by the prolific female poet Avvaiyaar, celebrating her friend and king Athiyamaan. In this verse, she chooses the voice of a male drummer, arriving at the gates of this king to etch the leader’s personality vividly. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Herders of cattle with hearts of righteousness and denizens of small hamlets with thriving hearts of strength hold festivities in wide areas, which are fragrant like the blooming, tall-stalked flowers of the ‘Serunthi’ tree. Akin to this, was the entrance to his well-protected, wide palace that supplicants can reach with ease, but enemies cannot come close even in their dreams. Making the tall mansion resound like the mountains, I beat upon my sharp-toned ‘thadari’ drum with vigour and sang there. This, I did not even have to do for many days, but on the very day I reached there, when night fell, he said, ‘The sparse-haired supplicant standing at the tall gates is to be pitied’, he wished for me to go near him. And when I did, he removed my garment, akin to moss that spreads on water standing for long, and made me wear a new cloth, akin to a soft and gentle flower. He offered me not only ecstasy-endowing, fine toddy, but delicious meat and rice, akin to ambrosia, in a glowing white silver vessel. Not only that, to end the suffering of my huge group of kith and kin with weak gaits, assembled at the common area of the town, making them feel as if they were seeing ‘vengai’ flowers with moist cores, he rendered unto them, red paddy ploughed by oxen, in huge mounds, and said, ‘Take all of this”. He is the lord of the country, where gushing streams decorate their shores with lush mountain flowers.
When seeing him, blessing his perfect feet… Those hungry souls who lament that the sky does not see their suffering, are those who know not this great king, who owns esteemed elephants many, or they have not yet seen him!”
Time to unravel the nuances in this wordsmith’s creation! The poet starts by talking about cattle herders and those who live in small villages. The first group she characterises as people having just hearts and the latter as people having strong hearts. However, the reason for this classification is not evident. Moving on, she has referred to these people to bring to fore the festivities they hold in their town, and she qualifies the fragrance of these festivities to the ‘Serunthi’ or ‘Golden Champak’ flowers, also curiously called ‘Mickey Mouse flowers’, owing to the curious features that form on these flowers to attract bees. Returning, we learn that the poet has mentioned that fragrant and festive area, only to call it in parallel to the entrance of this king’s palace, which he says has the contrasting qualities of being welcoming to supplicants and unapproachable to enemies.
The poet, speaking in the voice of the drummer, says he beat upon his ‘thadari’ drum with such force, making the mansions echo like mountains, and stood there singing. He did not even have to wait for days together to gain the attention of the king. That very night, the king took pity on this sparse-haired supplicant at his gates, called him in, and immediately changed the drummer’s mossy clothes to new clothes with a flower-like softness. After attire, food in the form of intoxicating toddy and elixir-like meat and rice was offered to the drummer. Not only that, thinking about the relatives of this poet, who were waiting at the town centre, the king seems to have showered them with heaps of red paddy, akin to the moist inner core of Kino flowers. Thus, in every possible way, the king seems to have allayed the suffering of the drummer, and he, in turn, paints a vivid image of the king’s country by describing how the rivers that flow decorate the shores there with beautiful mountain flowers. Imagine the taste and fragrance of that water!
The drummer then goes on to talk about praising the feet of this king but the line that follows is lost in time. The poet, speaking in the voice of the drummer, concludes that if anyone is complaining about the skies disappointing them or not caring about their plight, it can only mean that they do not know about this king or they have not seen him yet. A verse that minutely etches the thoughtful ways this king attends to the needs of a supplicant. The ruler doesn’t make the drummer wait for long, makes him respectable with a clean attire, offers food and drink for his famished body, and most of all, goes beyond the artist, and thinks of the drummer’s family and ends their suffering, which is what the drummer ultimately wants. No wonder the artist is so touched by all these caring moments that he declares that anyone complaining about lack in their lives is sure to be someone who know not this generous king or have not yet had the fortune of meeting him. A female poet, from two thousand years ago, assuming the stance of a male drummer, to render this intricate song of praise, filled with picturesque similes, makes this verse unique and noteworthy!
In this episode, we hear of an ancestor’s fame, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 389, penned about the Leader Naller Muthiyan by the poet Kallil Aathiraiyanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and puts forth a request to a leader of a hilly domain.
‘நீர் நுங்கின் கண் வலிப்ப,
கான வேம்பின் காய் திரங்க,
கயம் களியும் கோடை ஆயினும்,
ஏலா வெண்பொன் போருறு காலை,
எம்மும் உள்ளுமோ பிள்ளைஅம் பொருநன்!’
என்று ஈத்தனனே, இசைசால் நெடுந்தகை;
இன்று சென்று எய்தும் வழியனும் அல்லன்;
செலினே, காணா வழியனும் அல்லன்;
புன் தலை மடப் பிடி இனைய, கன்று தந்து,
குன்றக நல் ஊர் மன்றத்துப் பிணிக்கும்
கல் இழி அருவி வேங்கடம் கிழவோன்,
செல்வுழி எழாஅ நல் ஏர் முதியன்!
ஆதனுங்கன் போல, நீயும்
பசித்த ஒக்கல் பழங்கண் வீட,
வீறுசால் நன் கலம் நல்குமதி, பெரும!
ஐது அகல் அல்குல் மகளிர்
நெய்தல் கேளன்மார், நெடுங் கடையானே!
Seeking a person’s grace by recollecting the greatness of another is the core of this verse. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“‘Whether it’s a harsh summer, when water-filled palmyra ice apples harden, when the forest neem’s shoots dry-up and when deep ponds become parched or it’s a time when the white-gold planet refuses to move from the south, make sure to think of me, O supplicant of young years!’, said he and gave generously, that great and famous king! He is not in a place, where I could go and reach. If at all I were to go, he is not someone who would remain unapproachable.
Making the naive female elephant with spots on its head suffer, they bring its young calf and tie it in the town centre of the fine town in the hills. Such is the domain of Venkatam, filled with cascades descending from the mountains, and you are its lord, O Naller Muthiyan, whose mind doesn’t wander wherever it wants. Akin to Aathaanungan, you should end the suffering of my famished kith and kin and render fine and excellent gifts, O lord! May your royal maiden, having delicate waists, never hear the beats of ‘Neythal’ in your wide front yard!”
Let’s delve into the words. The poet starts by recollecting the words of a person who had asked the poet to remember him, whether it was the harsh and dry times of summer when the normally moist, water-filled palm fruits become hard, when the neem’s soft fruits dry up and even deep ponds show their parched bottoms, or whether it was a time of drought and famine, indicated by the silver planet staying put in the south. This seems to be a practice of generous leaders, to render not only in the present but also offer a promise for the future. Now the poet comes to the present and says that person is no longer in a position where the poet can reach him, implying that this generous soul is no more. The poet adds that such is the generosity of that person such that if at all, the poet is able to go to that unreachable place, even there he would appear to the poet and help him in his time of need.
The poet then turns to the person who is before him, a leader called Naller Muthiyan, and describes his mountain country of Venkatam, where cascades flow, talking about how the people there separate the calf from the saddened mother elephant and tie it in the town centre. It’s not clear what quality of that place the poet is trying to project with this description. Why should the people separate the mother and calf? Is this to say they raise many battle elephants from a young age? Moving on from this ambiguous reference, we see the poet asking this leader to render unto him just like the person he was talking about previously, whom he reveals as the Leader Aathanungan, who ruled over this land in the past, and is an ancestor of this present ruler. He requests the present lord to relieve the suffering of his kith and kin and ends with a blessing that the royal maiden of this ruler never hear the ‘Neythal’ drum at their gates. To understand the significance of this cryptic statement, we need to delve into the customs of the Sangam era and learn that the ‘Neythal’ drum was the drum that declared to the world that a death had happened. In short, the poet renders a blessing of a long, long life to this leader for his generosity or he is saying that the leader’s generosity is sure to make him immortal. A verse where we hear the striking drum beats of the twin notes of fatality and generosity in a person’s life!
In this episode, we listen to impressive words of praise about a lord of a minor domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 388, penned about the Leader Pannan by the poet Madurai Alakkar Gnaalalaar Makanaar Mallanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse talks about a poet’s determination to spread the fame of this ruler.
வெள்ளி தென் புலத்து உறைய, விளை வயல்,
பள்ளம் வாடிய பயன் இல் காலை,
இரும் பறைக் கிணைமகன் சென்றவன், பெரும் பெயர்
சிறுகுடி கிழான் பண்ணன் பொருந்தித்
தன் நிலை அறியுநனாக, அந் நிலை
இடுக்கண் இரியல் போக, உடைய
கொடுத்தோன் எந்தை, கொடை மேந் தோன்றல்,
நுண்ணூல் தடக்கையின் நா மருப்பாக,
வெல்லும் வாய்மொழிப் புல்லுடை விளை நிலம்
பெயர்க்கும் பண்ணற் கேட்டிரோ…
வினைப் பகடு ஏற்ற மேழி கிணைத் தொடா,
நாள்தொறும் பாடேன்ஆயின், ஆனா
மணி கிளர் முன்றில் தென்னவன் மருகன்,
பிணி முரசு இரங்கும் பீடு கெழு தானை
அண்ணல் யானை வழுதி,
கண்மாறிலியர் என் பெருங் கிளைப் புரவே!
An interesting description of a poet hides in this verse! The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“As Venus stood frozen in the south and the yielding fields and rich water resources dried up, on a barren morning, a drummer went playing on his huge ‘parai’ to the gates of Pannan, the famous lord of a small hamlet, and declared his impoverished state. Immediately, making the suffering and angst of that drummer vanish away, my lord, the generous scion, rendered whatever he had. With knowledge gleaned from intricate books as the trunk, their tongues as the tusk, are the poets who always speak elephant-like victorious words of honesty. To them, he grants fertile fields many. Hear of these acts of Pannan! I shall sing praises about his worthy bulls and ingenious water lifts, beating my Kinai drum, every single day. If I don’t do this, let the heir of the southern emperor, in whose courtyard, a bell of justice hangs, and a well-tied drum resounds, the one who has a proud army, and a battalion of esteemed elephants, Vazhuthi, forget to grace and render his protection to my huge band of kith and kin!”
Let’s explore the nuances here. The poet starts by talking about the signs of the skies, focusing on their favourite Venus and says this celestial body seemed to stand for long in the south, and as a consequence, the lands once fertile and ponds brimming with water, dried up. On such a lifeless morning, a drummer seems to have gone to the gates of this leader, who exerted his rule over a small hamlet. Though his domain was small, his name was famous throughout the ancient world, says this poet. This we have witnessed for ourselves, in Puranaanooru 173, when the great Chozha King Killivalavan himself sings the praises of this generous leader. As fitting his name and fame, the leader seems to have generously given all that he had to that drummer, ending his poverty.
The poet continues by adding that this is no isolated event, for the leader is known to give lands with fertile fields to poets, whom he then depicts with an intriguing metaphor. He equates the knowledge the poets have gained from books as their trunk and their tongue as their tusk, signifying the elephantine qualities of the words they render with truth and victory. To express it in another way, the poet talks about how the words of his people(the poets), portrayed as the elephant here, contain both the knowledge of the past, represented by the trunk, and their own creative expertise that flows from their tongue, symbolised as the tusk. A perfect blend of the abstract and tangible to etch the characteristics of a Sangam poet!
Returning, we find the poet saying he will always sing about the greatness of Pannan, mentioning his sturdy oxen and his water lifts that render fertility to the fields in his land. And if at all, he forgets to sing about the greatness of this leader, then let the curse of being forgotten and ignored by the Pandya emperor Vazhuthi befall on his kin, concludes the poet with conviction. And, from this line, we understand that the poet was dependant on the graces of the Pandya king, and yet, he glorifies this leader from a minor region. This stands testimony to the fact that in the Sangam era, the extent of power and wealth mattered not, only what they did with what they had!
In this episode, we listen to the glory of a king in war and compassion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 387, penned about the Chera King Selvakadungo Vaazhiyaathan by the poet Kundrukatpaaliyaathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and renders a heartfelt blessing upon this ruler.
வள் உகிர வயல் ஆமை
வெள் அகடு கண்டன்ன,
வீங்கு விசிப் புதுப் போர்வைத்
தெண் கண் மாக் கிணை இயக்கி, ‘என்றும்
மாறு கொண்டோர் மதில் இடறி,
நீறு ஆடிய நறுங் கவுள,
பூம் பொறிப் பணை எருத்தின,
வேறு வேறு பரந்து இயங்கி,
வேந்துடை மிளை அயல் பரக்கும்
ஏந்து கோட்டு இரும் பிணர்த் தடக் கை,
திருந்து தொழில் பல பகடு
பகைப் புல மன்னர் பணிதிறை தந்து, நின்
நகைப் புலவாணர் நல்குரவு அகற்றி,
மிகப் பொலியர், தன் சேவடி அத்தை!’ என்று,
யான் இசைப்பின், நனி நன்று எனா,
பல பிற வாழ்த்த இருந்தோர் தன் கோன்……
மருவ இன்நகர் அகன் கடைத்தலைத்
திருந்து கழல் சேவடி குறுகல் வேண்டி,
வென்று இரங்கும் விறல் முரசினோன்,
என் சிறுமையின் இழித்து நோக்கான்,
தன் பெருமையின் தகவு நோக்கி,
குன்று உறழ்ந்த களிறு என்கோ?
கொய் உளைய மா என்கோ?
மன்று நிறையும் நிரை என்கோ?
மனைக் களமரொடு களம் என்கோ?
ஆங்கு அவை, கனவு என மருள, வல்லே, நனவின்
நல்கியோனே, நசைசால் தோன்றல்,
ஊழி வாழி, பூழியர் பெரு மகன்!
பிணர் மருப்பு யானைச் செரு மிகு நோன் தாள்
செல்வக் கடுங்கோ வாழியாதன்
ஒன்னாத் தெவ்வர் உயர்குடை பணித்து இவண்
விடுவர் மாதோ, நெடிதோ நில்லாப்
புல் இலை வஞ்சிப் புற மதில் அலைக்கும்
கல்லென் பொருநை மணலினும், ஆங்கண்
பல் ஊர் சுற்றிய கழனி
எல்லாம் விளையும் நெல்லினும் பலவே.
A long song of praise extolling the greatness of this much-celebrated Chera King. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Like the white underbelly of the sharp-clawed field turtle, appears the spread-out, well-tied new skin of the clear-eyed, huge Kinai drum. Playing on this drum, I sang, ‘The one who always shatters walls of enemies, with elephants, which are known to work with expertise, having fragrant foreheads coated with mud, thick necks covered with fine spots, upraised tusks, thick and rough long arm, by making them spread in different directions in the forests of the foes; The one, who receives taxes, handed over subserviently by kings of enemy lands, and removes the suffering of poets who are dear to him; May his feet shine with glory forever’. Hearing this, saying ‘That’s very good’, many others praised too.
There, stood the great king at the imposing entrance of his palace. He beckoned me to come near his fine feet clad with well-etched warrior anklets, that king with a strong drum that always resounds with victory. Without looking down upon the inferiority of my state, he saw me from the superiority of his stature. Should I talk about the hill-like elephants? Or the horses with clipped manes? Or the cattle that filled the common space? Or the fields and field workers? Right there, confusing me as if it was a dream, promptly he rendered all this, in reality, that affectionate scion! May he live long, the great lord of Poozhiyar! The one who has elephants with fine tusks and efforts that always end in victory, King Selva Kadungo Vaazhiyaathan. Hearing his name, even enemies bend their tall umbrellas, and without prolonging for long, offer all manner of respect to him. And so, more than the sand on the shores of the uproarious Porunai that caresses the boundary walls of the leafless Vanji, and more than the paddy that grows in all the fields in the many towns around, may he live on!”
Time to explore the details. The poet starts with a striking simile, equating the underside of a turtle that lives in paddy fields and the new, stretched-out skin on his ‘Kinai’ drum. Upon some research, understood that this turtle could be the ‘Indian Flapshell Turtle’, for this lives near river streams and irrigation channels. Seeing a picture of this turtle’s other side, I was convinced that this is exactly what our poet is talking about. Returning, we find the poet saying how he was drumming on the eye of the Kinai drum that looks like the turtle’s belly, and singing about the way the king defeats his enemies with his sturdy, fierce battle elephants. He also sang about how the king takes the taxes of these enemies and ends the poverty of the poets and supplicants who come to him. When others assembled at the king’s court heard these praises, they too declared that it was true and good. Just then, the king himself appeared with warrior anklets glowing on his feet and he beckoned the poet, not minding his shabby appearance and lowly state, for he saw him from the height of his stature, the poet explains.
Then, the poet talks in excitement about the elephants, horses, cattle and fields given along with field workers. All this was showered upon the poet, making him wonder if it was a dream. Then, he declares with conviction that the king has offered all this in reality indeed. He goes on to praise the king once again saying how his very name makes even enemies bow down with respect and how the king’s drums forever resound with victory. The poet wishes that the king lives on for more days than the sand on the shores of the Porunai river that encircles the boundary walls of the great city of Vanji, referred to as ‘leafless Vanji’ to differentiate the city from the tree with the same name. Not only that, he must live for more days than all the paddy in all the fields in all the towns around this rich river, the poet concludes. That is an astronomical number of days, no doubt! A verse which praises a king, celebrating his victory in war and his generosity in peace, and with that unique blessing, not only shows the regard the poet held for the king, but also underscores the harvest of prosperity born from the fertility of ancient rivers!
In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 386, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse proclaims the trust in this patron’s generosity.
நெடு நீர நிறை கயத்துப்
படு மாரித் துளி போல,
நெய் துள்ளிய வறை முகக்கவும்,
சூடு கிழித்து வாடுஊன் மிசையவும்,
ஊன் கொண்ட வெண் மண்டை
ஆன் பயத்தான் முற்று அழிப்பவும்,
வெய்து உண்ட வியர்ப்பு அல்லது,
செய் தொழிலான் வியர்ப்பு அறியாமை
ஈத்தோன், எந்தை, இசை தனது ஆக;
வயலே, நெல்லின் வேலி நீடிய கரும்பின்
பாத்திப் பன் மலர்ப் பூத் ததும்பின;
புறவே, புல் அருந்து பல் ஆயத்தான்,
வில் இருந்த வெங் குறும்பின்று;
கடலே, கால் தந்த கலன் எண்ணுவோர்
கானல் புன்னைச் சினை அலைக்குந்து;
கழியே, சிறு வெள் உப்பின் கொள்ளை சாற்றி,
பெருங் கல் நல் நாட்டு உமண் ஒலிக்குந்து;
அன்ன நல் நாட்டுப் பொருநம், யாமே;
பொராஅப் பொருநரேம்;
குண திசை நின்று குடமுதல் செலினும்,
குட திசை நின்று குணமுதல் செலினும்,
வட திசை நின்று தென்வயின் செலினும்,
தென் திசை நின்று குறுகாது நீடினும்,
யாண்டும் நிற்க, வெள்ளி; யாம்
வேண்டியது உணர்ந்தோன் தாள் வாழியவே!
A song containing vivid images from different regions of an ancient country. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to drops that fall and splatter in the rainy season upon a huge and deep pond, food dropped in ghee, is taken and relished. Also, pierced by kindling sticks, dried meat is roasted in fire and eaten. White vessels that had held meat, brims over with cow’s milk. Other than the sweat that pours from eating such hot food, we know not sweat that arises out of hard labour. For thus, our lord rendered, to claim fame as his!
In the fields, tall sugarcanes that soar as a fence to paddy crops, bloom with many flowers; In the forests, many herds of cattle graze on grass, protected by bowmen; In the shores, those who count ships that sail with the wind, sitting on the ‘punnai’ tree growing in the groves, shake its branches; In the backwaters, shouting out the price of small white salt crystals, thrive salt merchants, who take their wares to fine countries with huge hills; We are the bards of such a good country, and we are not bards who need to battle;
Whether it goes from east to west, or west to east, or north to south, or stands in the south for long without moving, the Venus can stand wherever it wants; May the rule of the one, who knows what we desire and renders it to us, live for long!”
Let’s unravel the layers of this verse. In the first section, the poet talks about all the food that’s to be had in this king’s country. He starts with a sensory simile of rain drops falling on a pond during a downpour. Imagine the sound and sight of that splattering! The poet equates this sensory experience to that of food being fried in plentiful ghee. After saying such tasty, fried food is served to them, he moves on to the next type of cooking, which is roasting meat pieces, pierced by a kindling stick, possibly skewers- the ancient Tamil equivalent of kebabs perhaps. In addition to all this main food, a beverage of cow’s milk overflows in the vessel that held meat, says the poet. With all that eating, sweat pours down his face, relates the poet, and he declares proudly that’s all the sweat he ever sees, and never the kind that comes from doing hard labour. An interesting reference which we will revisit soon! The poet clarifies this is because his lord, the Chozha King, renders copiously to him.
Moving on to the next section, the poet gives vivid details about how in the fertile fields of this king’s country, paddy is fenced by sugarcane and these bloom with many flowers, indicating the rich water resources available in that region. From this farmland landscape the poet shifts to the forests, where cows are grazing with content. Following this, the poet moves to the seashore, and shows us how there are people who climb on the branches of the ‘punnai tree’, and shake it as they count the numerous ships that arrive from faraway countries, courtesy of the wind. Also, in the backwaters, salt merchants are to be found stacking their wares and preparing to go to faraway hilly regions to sell their stock. Such is the prosperity of this king’s country, describes this poet, and declares he is a bard, who belongs to this domain, and he is not a bard who has to go to the battlefront either. In the final section, the poet concludes with a simple message that no matter where Venus moves or stands, it doesn’t concern him, because he has the protection of this king, who gives to him all that his heart desires.
Exploring the details presented here, we learn that the ancient Tamils attached great importance to the position of Venus in determining their future. Perhaps, skywatchers in those days had a correlation between the position of this planet and the possibilities of drought and famine that year. Most probably, all this was an oral tradition, and that’s why, we lack the documentation from the past, revealing these fascinating details about the ancient sky and its connection to the livelihood of the people then. In the section about the different regions, we see how this king’s country comprised all the four fertile landscapes such as farmlands, forests, shores and hills. The fertility of the farmlands is presented in the lush paddy fields and blooming sugarcane plants, whereas in the forests, the cattle grazing echoes this same element. The shores and seaside reveal wealth pouring in from faraway countries in those images of ships sailing to this port. The thriving trade of salt merchants, who barter their wares with the riches of the hilly regions, also stands testimony to this facet. Thus, the king has every resource at his disposal, details the poet. And finally, what amused me is the proud declaration by the poet that they never have to work hard and sweat in consequence, for the king makes them sweat with all the food he showers upon them. In effect, he’s saying all he does is eat and nothing else, and somehow, that’s a glorious thing to these ancients, quite contrary to our assessment of this same scenario. Interesting how the perception of work has changed over the millennia!
In this episode, we learn of the compassion of a patron, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 385, penned about the local leader Ambar Kizhaan by the poet Kallaadanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse delivers a heartfelt blessing.
வெள்ளி தோன்ற, புள்ளுக் குரல் இயம்ப,
புலரி விடியல் பகடு பல வாழ்த்தி,
தன் கடைத் தோன்றினும் இலனே; பிறன் கடை,
அகன்கண் தடாரிப் பாடு கேட்டருளி,
வறன் யான் நீங்கல் வேண்டி, என் அரை
நிலந்தினச் சிதைந்த சிதாஅர் களைந்து,
வெளியது உடீஇ, என் பசி களைந்தோனே;
காவிரி அணையும் தாழ் நீர்ப் படப்பை
நெல் விளை கழனி அம்பர் கிழவோன்,
நல் அருவந்தை, வாழியர்! புல்லிய
வேங்கட விறல் வரைப் பட்ட
ஓங்கல் வானத்து உறையினும் பலவே!
A crisp song in this series of lengthy praises! The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“As the morning star appeared and songs of birds soared, in that dawn that ends the darkness, I was standing there, praising oxen. I stood not even at his gate. Even though I was standing at the gates of another, hearing the song of my wide-eyed thadari drum, graciously, wishing for my poverty to be done away with, he asked me to be rid of my half garment ruined by mud, gave me fresh and white clothes, and removed my hunger too. He is the leader of Ambar, the low-lying farmlands filled with lush paddy fields, upon which River Kaveri flows with gusto. He goes by the good name of ‘Aruvanthai’. May he live for days more than the rain drops that fall from the high skies on the ‘Venkata’ mountain ranges, ruled by Pulli.”
Let’s delve deeper into the verse. The poet starts by saying just when Venus was visible in the eastern sky, and birds started singing in their delicious voices, in the early hours of the morning, he was singing the praises of a rich man’s ploughing bulls. Just then, even though the poet was at someone else’s gates, this leader, hearing the poet’s song and drum beats, had called him over to his mansion, with grace and affection. Seeing the ruined state of his clothes, the leader gave him fresh, white clothes and food too, ending his poverty, declares the poet. He then goes on to describe the town Ambar, ruled by this leader, a rich farmland, made fertile by the great River Kaveri. He reveals the name of this leader to be ‘Aruvanthai’ and concludes by blessing him to have more days of life than the rain drops that fall on the ‘Venkatam’ hills, in the domain of Pulli.
We have heard this blessing before but what could be the significance of rain drops in Venkatam hills specifically? Researchers say that these hills refer to the contemporary Tirupathi hills in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This is not a place recognised for any significant rainfall in contemporary times. But, two thousand years ago, could this same place have had a different climate and could it have been the ‘Cherrapunjee’ of the ancient world? A question for climate researchers to ponder upon! This verse also vividly sketches the hospitality of ancient Tamils, which not only gave food to a supplicant but also new clothes. Incidentally, this tradition of giving clothes such as ‘veshti’ and ‘saree’, the South Indian attire for men and women, along with food, is followed even today in parts of Tamilnadu, if not for guests everyday, at least on special occasions. Thus, in subtle ways, we observe this continuity in the flow of culture across the ages!
In this episode, we observe the natural wealth of a leader’s region, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 384, penned for the Leader Karumbanoor Kizhaan by the poet Purathinai Nannaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and depicts the boundless trust in a patron’s generosity.
மென்பாலான் உடன் அணைஇ,
வஞ்சிக் கோட்டு உறங்கு நாரை
அறைக் கரும்பின் பூ அருந்தும்;
வன்பாலான் கருங் கால் வரகின்
அரிகால் கருப்பை அலைக்கும் பூழின்
அம் கண் குறு முயல வெருவ, அயல
கருங் கோட்டு இருப்பைப் பூ உறைக்குந்து;
விழவு இன்றாயினும், உழவர் மண்டை
இருங் கெடிற்று மிசையொடு பூங் கள் வைகுந்து;
கரும்பனூர்க் கிணையேம் பெரும!
நெல் என்னா, பொன் என்னா,
கனற்றக் கொண்ட நறவு என்னா,
மனை மன்னா அவை பலவும்
யான் தண்டவும், தான் தண்டான்,
நிணம் பெருத்த கொழுஞ் சோற்றிடை,
மண் நாணப் புகழ் வேட்டு,
நீர் நாண நெய் வழங்கி,
புரந்தோன்; எந்தை; யாம் எவன் தொலைவதை
அன்னோனை உடையேம் என்ப இனி வறட்கு
யாண்டு நிற்க வெள்ளி, மாண்ட
உண்ட நன் கலம் பெய்து நுடக்கவும்,
தின்ற நண் பல் ஊன் தோண்டவும்,
வந்த வைகல் அல்லது,
சென்ற எல்லைச் செலவு அறியேனே.
This verse is an echo of the promise given by this patron in Puranaanooru verse 381 from the poet’s perspective. His words can be translated as follows:
“In the tamed farmlands, along with its flock, the crane that sleeps on the branches of the ‘vanji’ tree, feeds on the flowers of the mature sugarcane; In the wild forest lands, the mouse that lives amidst the stubble of black-stemmed ‘varagu’ millets is chased by a small quail, and startled by that uproar, a small hare with beautiful eyes makes the flowers on the black-trunked ‘Iruppai’ tree nearby fall to the ground; Even though it’s not the time of festivities, bowls of farmers brim with huge ‘keliru’ fish and flower-filled toddy. Such is the country of ‘Karumbanoor’ and we are its ‘kinai’ drummers!
What is paddy? What is gold? What is toddy that heats up the body? Even though I may lack all these in my home, he would never lack of it. Desiring a fame that would put the world to shame, he would offer fat-filled fleshy meat and rice, and pour ghee that would put flowing water to shame. Such is the generosity of my lord. How I can be ruined when I have him as my protector? And so, the star that predicts drought and famine may stand wherever it wants. I will only see day after day, the washing of fine vessels we ate from, still containing leftover food, and wedging out bits of meat in between the teeth. No other sort of day shall I ever see!”
Let’s delve into the details. The poet begins by portraying two different regions in this leader’s country. On one side, there are lands that have been brought under the plough and here we find flocks of cranes that have the habit of sleeping in the branches of the ‘Indian willow tree’. A surprising fact I learnt today about this tree is that even today, the tree is referred to as ‘Vanji’ in Malayalam, the state language of Tamil nadu’s neighbouring state Kerala, reiterating the bond that extends beyond the ages between the people of these two southern states of India. Returning, we find the poet mentioning how this crane flock feeds on the flowers of the ripened sugarcane in the fields. Next, the poet shifts his focus to the forest lands that are not so rich in water but still millet crops abound there. A quail decides to give chase to a mouse, living amidst the stubble of these millet crops. Hearing this uproar, a hare jumps in fear on a ‘Mahua tree’, making it shed its flowers. Such is the beautiful country of Karumbanoor and they are the drummers, who sing the praises of this country, the poet connects.
The poet continues by declaring that he doesn’t have to worry about paddy or gold or toddy, even though it may not always be available at his home. That’s because, the lord of that country will never ever lack for it, the poet explains. He talks about how the leader wishes to attain such fame that shames the entire world and so he gives away fatty meat and rice ceaselessly to supplicants and pours ghee in such quantities that would make a copious stream of water put down its head in shame. Because this is so, the poet boldly declares that he is not worried about what the planets and stars are saying about the imminent drought and famine. He concludes with the words that he is sure to see only days where they would wash vessels still left with food that they couldn’t finish eating and the leisurely picking away at the bits of meat between the teeth, and not a single day of dearth or suffering!
What immense confidence resounds from these words! ‘I don’t fear for the future because I have this leader as my protector’ declares the poet. Interesting how the poet qualifies a day of content and prosperity as one when they would be washing vessels with leftover food that they cannot eat, and sitting there, picking away at the bits of meat stuck between the teeth. The first instance would be met with disapproval in the current age for it signifies food wastage. Still it’s a cultural thing and I have read that many Asian cultures consider it rude if you finish all your food, which seems to tell them, as hosts, that they have not offered enough to the guest. Perhaps that philosophy of extreme hospitality comes from such a notion in ancient times. Coming to the other aspect of picking the teeth, this is not something we talk about or give importance to, definitely not seen as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Just wondering which facets of life we consider great in the current era will make the people of the future shake their heads in disbelief! Fascinating that even though, these acts of our human ancestors may not meet our approval after thousands of years, still those scenes from nature that this poem opened with, continue to paint smiles of joy, even today!
In this episode, we perceive the trust of a poet in a patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 383, penned about the Leader Aviyan by the poet Maarokaththu Nappasalaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse reveals the emotions of the poet after receiving the leader’s patronage.
ஒண்பொறிச் சேவல் எடுப்ப, ஏற்றெழுந்து,
தண் பனி உறைக்கும் புலரா ஞாங்கர்,
நுண் கோல் சிறு கிணை சிலம்ப ஒற்றி,
நெடுங் கடை நின்று, பகடு பல வாழ்த்தி,
தன் புகழ் ஏத்தினெனாக, என் வலத்து
இடுக்கண் இரியல் போக ஊன் புலந்து
அருங் கடி வியல் நகர்க் குறுகல் வேண்டி,
கூம்பு விடு மென் பிணி அவிழ்த்த ஆம்பல்
தேம் பாய் உள்ள தம் கமழ் மடர் உள,
பாம்பு உரி அன்ன வடிவின, காம்பின்
கழை படு சொலியின் இழை அணி வாரா,
ஒண் பூங் கலிங்கம் உடீஇ, நுண் பூண்
வசிந்து வாங்கு நுசுப்பின், அவ் வாங்கு உந்தி,
கற்புடை மடந்தை தன் புறம் புல்ல,
எற் பெயர்ந்த நோக்கி……………………………….
………………………………………….கல் கொண்டு,
அழித்துப் பிறந்தனெனாகி, அவ் வழி,
பிறர், பாடு புகழ் பாடிப் படர்பு அறியேனே;
குறு முலைக்கு அலமரும் பால் ஆர் வெண் மறி,
நரை முக ஊகமொடு, உகளும், சென…………….
…………………..குன்று பல கெழீஇய
கான் கெழு நாடன், கடுந் தேர் அவியன், என
ஒருவனை உடையேன்மன்னே, யானே;
அறான்; எவன் பரிகோ, வெள்ளியது நிலையே?
Another intricate verse with many missing lines. The words of this female poet can be translated as follows:
“As the rooster with radiant spots crowed and woke me up, rising up on that cool, dew-filled morning that hadn’t dawned yet, striking my small ‘kinai’ drum with my light and delicate stick, standing in the long front yard, I sang about his oxen and praised his fame, wanting to relieve the great suffering that had enveloped me and made me thin and famished. As I entered his well-guarded, wide mansion, he was there, holding toddy with honey in a fragrant bowl, akin to a water-lily that has opened out its delicate buds. Wearing a shining, floral garment that was in the texture of snake skin and in the hue of the inner side of a bamboo stalk, with countless well-stitched threads, having a narrow waist shining with intricately carved ornaments, and a gently curving belly, was his virtuous royal maiden, by his side. He turned and looked at me….
After that, I felt as if I was dead before and am born again. Just then, I decided that I shall never go seeking others to sing their praises. A goat kid wanting to suckle runs around the small udders of the mother goat and then leaps along with a grey-faced monkey… With such peaks many, is the jungle-filled country of this lord, Aviyan, with speedy chariots, the one who never swerves from justice. When I have him as my leader, I have no fear about what would happen, reading the signs of the stars in the sky.”
Let’s explore the details. The poet begins by talking about how she woke up on a cool morning when it was not yet dawn, woken up by the crowing rooster, and she decided to go to the palace of this leader. Arriving there at his huge front yard, she started playing on her drum with her stick, and started singing about the wealth of this leader, and in particular, about the ploughing bulls of his. Her intention was to end her poverty by reaching out to this leader. In the next section, she talks about a cup or bowl shaped like a fully blossomed lily which seemed to hold toddy and honey. She also mentions about delicate clothes, so intricate like a snake skin and with a radiant hue of the inner portion of a bamboo sheath, made of dense fibres and shining with its floral designs. Interpreters have varying views about these two descriptions. Some say the leader gave that food and those clothes to this poet. Some say he gave only the food and the clothes were worn by someone else. Reading the verse repeatedly, my instinct told me that the cup being spoken about must have been in the hands of the leader that this poet is seeing before her in his huge mansion. And, those delicate clothes must belong to the leader’s wife, whom the poet describes as wearing well-etched ornaments on her waist and lying by the side of this leader. This is to illustrate the wealth and pleasure aspect of this leader’s life, something deemed important in the portrait of a patron.
The poet details how the leader turned and looked at her but the words following this are lost in time. When she continues, she declares that she feels as if she’s born again and that she wants nothing more and that she will never sing about anyone else anymore. She talks about the fertile country of this lord where goat kids and grey-faced monkeys play together. The leader then, she sketches, as someone who never goes away from the path of justice. The poet concludes with the words saying with such a leader as her protector, she has no worry about the disheartening signs about the future, seen in the position of stars and planets in the sky. This tells us that astronomical observation and prediction about farming and famines was done in Sangam times. Perhaps, watching the skies so closely, they could tell which year the rains would fail, and consequently, there would be a dearth of resources. A verse that has presented us with intricate details about vessels and clothes used in Sangam times, as well as their observation of the skies, all in a simple verse, praising a leader’s generosity.
In this episode, we hear of a king’s fame, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 382, penned for the Chozha King Nalankilli by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and reveals the respect held for this ruler in the hearts of many.
‘கடல்படை அடல் கொண்டி,
மண்டுற்ற மலிர் நோன் தாள்,
தண் சோழ நாட்டுப் பொருநன்,
அலங்கு உளை அணி இவுளி
நலங்கிள்ளி நசைப் பொருநரேம்;
பிறர்ப் பாடிப் பெறல் வேண்டேம்;
அவற் பாடுதும், ‘அவன் தாள் வாழிய!’ என;
நெய் குய்ய ஊன் நவின்ற
பல் சோற்றான், இன் சுவைய
நல்குவனின் பசித் துன்பு அற’
என்ப நின் பொருநர் பெரும அதற்கொண்டு
முன்னாள் விட்ட மூது அறி சிறாஅரும்,
யானும், ஏழ் மணி, அம் கேழ், அணி உத்தி,
கண் கேள்வி, கவை நாவின்,
நிறன் உற்ற, அராஅப் போலும்
வறன் ஒரீஇ வழங்கு வாய்ப்ப,
விடுமதி அத்தை, கடு மான் தோன்றல்!
நினதே, முந்நீர் உடுத்த இவ் வியன் உலகு, அறிய;
எனதே, கிடைக் காழ் அன்ன தெண் கண் மாக் கிணை
கண் அகத்து யாத்த நுண் அரிச் சிறு கோல்
ஏறிதொறும் நுடங்கியாங்கு, நின் பகைஞர்
கேட்டொறும் நடுங்க, ஏத்துவென்,
வென்ற தேர், பிறர் வேத்தவையானே.
Praise, praise and more praise! The poet’s words to this Chozha king can be translated as follows:
“‘Winning treasures by battling with his navy, having the strength and effort that dares to fight close, is the ruler of the moist and fertile Chozha country, the one who owns horses with alluring, swaying manes, King Nalankilli, and we are his loving bards. We never think of singing about others and always sing only about him, wishing that his efforts live for long. Flesh roasted in ghee, copious amounts of rice and many other delicious things, he would render to allay the suffering of your hunger’. Thus spoke your bards, O lord. Hearing this, young people, well-versed in our ancient customs, whom you have rendered to before, and me, as well, have come here. Having precious gems and vibrant spots, eyes like its ears and a split tongue, is the colourful snake. Akin to how it sheds its skin, please make me be rid of my poverty, so that I too can give unto others, O scion with speedy horses!
All yours is this great land surrounded by water on all three sides. Mine is this dark kinai drum. Whenever I beat on the eye of this drum, with my intricately carved, small stick, light as a ‘kidai’ stem, it trembles. Akin to that, I will make your enemies quiver too, as I sing the praises of victorious chariots won by you, in the courts of these other kings!”
Let’s explore the details here. The poet starts by talking about the powerful navy of the Chozha king that has won him immense wealth. From this, we understand it’s not only the later Chozhas, those who came to spotlight, a thousand years ago, and known for extending the Chozha empire to many East-asian countries like Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, but also, that even a thousand years before these descendants, the Chozha ship-building and sailing skills were top-notch. Returning from this interesting detail, we see the poet talking about King Nalankilli, the one who owns not only ships but horses with dashing manes. At this point, the poet reveals that these are not his words but the words of the king’s bards, who declare that they shall never think of singing about anyone else but will always sing only about this king, wishing him, a long life. They turn to this poet and tell him if you go to him, ghee-roasted meat, rice and many more tasty foodstuffs, he shall render to you, to end every shred of your hunger. Hearing this, I have come here, says this poet to the king. And then, he starts describing the vibrant shades and features of a snake, only to say that just like the snake sheds its skin, the king must help him shed his poverty. Declaring that all the known world belongs to this king, the poet points out that his own world is his drum, which he strikes with a stick, as light as the wood of ‘Sholapith’ or ‘Indian cork’. The poet concludes with a promise that just the way the eye of his drum quivers when he beats upon it every time, he shall make the king’s enemies tremble too, as he sings this king’s praises in their courts.
In addition to the intriguing details about the Chozha ships, the imagery of that bright-hued snake, the last striking thing about this verse is the promise of this poet to sing in the courts of others about this king. Though this has been promised, somehow we don’t find poems praising other kings to a particular king in the Puranaanooru songs we have seen this far. Didn’t the poets actually carry through their promise? Or if they did, weren’t such songs found to be worthy of being added to this compilation? Which brings us to an even bigger question… How did the ancient Sangam assembly decide on which songs to include, and which to omit, arriving at this perfect number of 400? Other than time travel, is there any way to find answers for these questions? Even if we don’t, having this source from the past that makes us ask these questions, by itself, is a treasure to be valued!
In this episode, we meet with an icon of hospitality, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 381, penned for the Leader Karumbanoor Kizhaan by the poet Purathinai Nannaakanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse reveals the promise rendered by this patron to his supplicants.
ஊனும் ஊணும் முனையின், இனிது என,
பாலின் பெய்தவும், பாகின் கொண்டவும்,
அளவுபு கலந்து, மெல்லிது பருகி,
விருந்துறுத்து, ஆற்றி இருந்தனெமாக,
‘சென்மோ, பெரும! எம் விழவுடை நாட்டு?’ என,
யாம் தன் அறியுநமாக, தான் பெரிது
அன்பு உடைமையின், எம் பிரிவு அஞ்சி,
‘துணரியது கொளாஅவாகி, பழம் ஊழ்த்து,
பயம் பகர்வு அறியா மயங்கு அரில் முது பாழ்,
பெயல் பெய்தன்ன, செல்வத்து ஆங்கண்,
ஈயா மன்னர் புறங்கடைத் தோன்றி,
சிதாஅர் வள்பின் சிதர்ப் புறத் தடாரி
ஊன் சுகிர் வலந்த தெண் கண் ஒற்றி,
விரல் விசை தவிர்க்கும் அரலை இல் பாணியின்,
இலம்பாடு அகற்றல் யாவது? புலம்பொடு
தெருமரல் உயக்கமும் தீர்க்குவெம்; அதனால்,
இரு நிலம் கூலம் பாற, கோடை
வரு மழை முழக்கு இசைக்கு ஓடிய பின்றை,
சேயைஆயினும், இவணைஆயினும்,
இதற்கொண்டு அறிநை; வாழியோ, கிணைவ!
சிறு நனி, ஒரு வழிப் படர்க’ என்றோனே எந்தை,
ஒலி வெள் அருவி வேங்கட நாடன்,
உறுவரும் சிறுவரும் ஊழ் மாறு உய்க்கும்
அறத்துறை அம்பியின் மான, மறப்பு இன்று,
இருங் கோள் ஈராப் பூட்கை,
கரும்பனூரன் காதல் மகனே.
A long song sketching the hope a leader’s words instil in the hearts of artists seeking his patronage. The poet’s words to this leader can be translated as follows:
“When we felt we had enough of the flesh and rice, we were given delicacies made with milk and jaggery in the right proportion. Drinking this delight that rendered gentleness, we relished our feast and stayed there, relaxed. Then, when we announced to him, ‘Shall we take leave, O lord, and go to our land in this time of festivities?’, because of his great love, fearing our separation, he said, ‘Imagine a place where, even though they are hanging in huge clusters, the fruits are useless and impossible to eat, because they are found tangled with dense vines filled with thorns. Akin to rains pouring down in such a place, would be your songs in impeccable tunes, as you beat on the clear eyes of your thadari drums, surrounded by pieces of dried meat, with frayed straps and worn-out sides, standing at the gates of the wealthy palaces of kings who lack generosity! How can your suffering be ended thus? But I shall end your yearning and poverty. And so, when the huge land all around is barren in that harsh time of summer, when the sweet sounds of rain clouds are heard no more, whether you are far away or near by, remember these words. May you live long, O drummer! Think a little and come this way”. My lord, who spoke these words, is the ruler of the region of ‘Venkatam’, filled with resounding waterfalls. He is like a raft near a stream, which takes across everyone, whether they are young or old, ceaselessly between the shores, without saying no. A man with unswerving determination and principles, the loving son of the great leader of ‘Karumbanoor’!”
Let’s delve into the details. The poet starts by telling us of a curious state that he and his group found themselves in, when they had so much of meat and rice that they started disliking the thought of having any more. In most verses, we see how supplicants dream about and celebrate this offering of meat and rice. This is to say this patron had given them those preferred foods to their heart’s content that they couldn’t have even a bite more. However, as it’s often said, ‘There’s always place left for dessert’, the poet adds after that main food, they turned their attention to foodstuffs made of milk and jaggery in a perfect blend. As they drank that, a gentleness spread through them, says the poet. Such was their relaxed state at this leader’s place, the poet details.
After days of this rich hospitality, it was time for the poet to leave to his hometown as the festivities were starting there. When the poet and his group inform this to the leader, the leader is much saddened by the separation. With affection, he turns to them and asks them to think of that place that they may have seen in their travels – A drylands domain, where although fruits hang in huge clusters, no one is able to pluck them, because these are entangled thickly in thorny vines. He tells them just as how futile it is for the rains to pour in that place, so is their act of singing and drumming at the gates of kings, who never give to others. Saying that, he promises them that he would always render to them and asks them to think of him, wherever they may be, when the land around is barren in the harsh summer, and return to his abode.
The poet declares that these were the kind words of the ruler of the region of Venkatam, renowned for its waterfalls, and symbolises him as a tireless raft that discriminates not and always takes everyone across the shores, without ever refusing. Such a man of principles is the son of the great leader of Karumbanoor, the poet concludes. This leader seems to be someone who not only cares about the present state of his supplicants but also extends his kindness to their future. Words that no doubt symbolise hope in the hearts of these travelling artisans!
In this episode, we perceive the nuanced portrait of a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 380, penned for the local leader Nanjil Valluvan by the poet Karuvoor Kathapillai. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse talks about the personality and generosity of this patron.
தென் பவ்வத்து முத்துப் பூண்டு,
வட குன்றத்துச் சாந்தம் உரீஇ,
…………………………………. கடல் தானை,
இன் இசைய விறல் வென்றி,
தென்னவர் வய மறவன்;
மிசைப் பெய்த நீர் கடல் பரந்து முத்து ஆகுந்து,
நாறு இதழ்க் குளவியொடு கூதளம் குழைய,
வேறுபெ…………………………………………………….த்துந்து,
தீம் சுளைப் பலவின் நாஞ்சில் பொருநன்;
துப்பு எதிர்ந்தோர்க்கே உள்ளாச் சேய்மையன்;
நட்பு எதிர்ந்தோர்க்கே அங்கை நண்மையன்;
வல் வேல் கந்தன் நல் இசை அல்ல,
………சிலைத்த்தார்ப் பிள்ளை அம் சிறாஅர்;
அன்னன் ஆகன்மாறே, இந் நிலம்
இலம்படு காலை ஆயினும்,
புலம்பல் போயின்று, பூத்த என் கடும்பே.
A compact song with many missing lines too. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Wearing pearls from the southern seas, and smearing sandalwood paste from the northern mountains… An ocean-like army, he is the warrior-chief of the southern kings, renowned for their strength and victory. Rain that falls from above, spreads in the sea, and becomes pearls, fragrant-petaled ‘Kulavi’ flowers fuse with the ‘Koothalam’ flowers, …… Such is the country of ‘Nanjil’, densely filled with sweet clusters of jackfruit, the domain of my lord; He remains beyond reach to those who show him enmity, but to those who approach him with friendship, he becomes closer than the palms of their hands; Not only does he have the good fame of being strong like the sharp-speared ‘Kanthan’ but also… like adorable, little children who wear garlands, curving like bows; As this is his nature, even though this land entire may be filled with the suffering of poverty, there’s no reason to lament for my kith and kin, rejoicing with the blossoming of my life!”
Let’s delve into the details here. The poet begins by sketching the king’s appearance, talking about how he adorns himself with the pearls that arrive from the southern seas and the sandalwood paste that comes from the northern hills. Interpreters are divided about which mountains are being referred here. Some say, it’s the Pothigai hills, the southernmost hills of the Western Ghats in Tamilnadu, while others go as far as the Himalayas in the north. But most probably, this verse is referring to the special sandalwood called ‘Red Sanders’ found only in the Seshachalam hills, part of the Eastern Ghats, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Today, this place is often in the news for the smuggling of this precious commodity. Possibly this same sandalwood was preferred in the ancient world too.
Returning, we find the poet mentioning about the ocean-like army of southern kings, no doubt referring to the Pandya kings, and connects that this leader is none other than the victorious commander of that army. Thankfully, without delving too much into those victories in the battlefield, bound to be gruesome, the poet starts instead talking about the natural wealth of this leader’s domain, the Nanjil country, mentioning fragrant flowers like wild jasmine and nightshade that bloom here, the sweet-tasting clusters of the jackfruit tree, and most importantly, the pearls that abound in the seas. This Sangam poet puts forth the theory that pearls form because of the rain drops that fall on the seas. The reason for this belief could be that pearls were so abundant in those seas around Pandya territory that the people then could have connected it only to the bountiful showers of the rain. This reference made me search about how a pearl is formed and I learnt that this precious creation is born because the oyster reacts to a natural irritant that enters it, so as to protect the life of the mollusc. Reminds me of the English saying, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. Here’s an oyster making a pearl, all with a bit of annoyance that enters its life, perhaps nature’s nudge to us to face the challenges of our life with such a creativity!
Back from our meandering, we find the poet now talking about the leader’s nature, and to symbolise it, he says, to his enemies, this leader is far, far away, but to his friends, he’s like the palm of their hand, so close and approachable. Next, in strength, he’s compared to the sharp-speared Kanthan, which could be a reference to God Murugan. The poet so tastefully contrasts this fierce nature of the leader to his other side, that part of him, which is innocent and loveable like young children. He concludes with the words that even though the whole world may be in suffering and hunger, his kith and kin have nothing to worry about for this leader has showered many a golden lotus on his poet to sustain him for long. An exquisite portrayal of the country and character of this charismatic commander-in-chief of the Pandya kings!
In this episode, we perceive the eagerness of a poet in meeting with a patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 379, penned for the Leader Oymaan Villiyaathan by the poet Purathinai Nannakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and paints a portrait of a patron’s generosity.
யானே பெறுக, அவன் தாள் நிழல் வாழ்க்கை;
அவனே பெறுக, என் நா இசை நுவறல்;
நெல் அரி தொழுவர் கூர் வாள் மழுங்கின்,
பின்னை மறத்தோடு அரிய, கல் செத்து,
அள்ளல் யாமைக் கூன் புறத்து உரிஞ்சும்
நெல் அமல் புரவின் இலங்கை கிழவோன்
வில்லியாதன் கிணையேம்; பெரும!
குறுந் தாள் ஏற்றைக் கொழுங் கண் அவ் விளர்
நறு நெய் உருக்கி, நாட் சோறு ஈயா,
வல்லன், எந்தை, பசி தீர்த்தல் என,
கொன் வரல் வாழ்க்கை நின் கிணைவன் கூற,
கேட்டதற்கொண்டும் வேட்கை தண்டாது,
விண் தோய் தலைய குன்றம் பின்பட,
நசை தர வந்தனென் யானே,வசை இல்
தாயிறூஉங் குழவி போல, ஆங்கு அத்
திருவுடைத் திரு மனை, ஐது தோன்று கமழ் புகை
வரு மழை மங்குலின் மறுகுடன் மறைக்கும்
குறும்பு அடு குண்டு அகழ் நீள் மதில் ஊரே.
A verse in which a single theme is presented in two different voices. The poet’s words to this local leader can be translated as follows:
“‘May I be endowed a life in the shadow of his feet; May he be endowed with the praises of his fame from my tongue; When their sickles become blunt, paddy harvesters wanting to continue cutting with the same strength, would treat the curved back of a turtle in the mud as their whetting stone, in the fields filled with paddy clusters belonging to the lord of ‘Ilankai’ Villiyaathan. I’m his ‘Kinai’ drummer! The lord is one who generously renders the fleshy meat of the short-legged male boar, roasted in fragrant ghee, along with rice, every single day, and routs all hunger’. Hearing your Kinai drummer, who has a life of singing in the early hours of dawn, utter these words, with unceasing desire, leaving behind sky-soaring mounds, I rushed with eagerness, just like a baby which rushes to its flawless mother to suckle, and saw fragrant smoke arising from your wealthy and splendid mansion, akin to a rain cloud, hiding the streets around, in that town, having a fort, a deep moat and fenced with walls, all around.”
Let’s explore the nuances. The poet starts by rendering the words of another person, who wishes that his life is at the shadow of that patron’s feet and that he may forever sing his praises. That person goes on to describe the prosperity of the patron’s place by talking about how the paddy harvesters in his domain, seeing their sickles becoming blunt with all the the heavy work being done, wanting not to stop their work, and at the same time, wishing to cut with the same force as before, sharpen their tools on the backs on turtles lying in the mud, by their feet. While this seems like an illustration of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of these ancient farmers, what the poet actually means is that there was so much work to be done in the huge and numerous paddy fields of the leader’s domain that not a moment was to be wasted and that such improvisation was inevitable!
Returning, we see the poet revealing that the land spoken of thus is the city of ‘Ilankai’, ruled by the leader Villiyaathan, and that the person speaking this far was none other than the Kinai drummer, who sings at the patron’s palace. This Kinai drummer goes on to talk about how the leader offers delicacies like the fatty meat of boars, roasted in ghee, along with rice, every single day. Hearing of the leader’s infinite generosity, the poet says, he rushed, crossing hills many, with the same feeling that an infant has when seeking its good mother for milk. When he arrives here, he sees the mansion of this leader covered in fragrant smoke, no doubt cooking the items promised by the drummer. The poet compares this cloud of smoke that hides the streets to rain-bearing clouds, and ends by describing that town as one fenced by walls, having a huge fort and a deep moat.
A verse filled with evocative similes like a child’s innate gravitation to its mother and also images that depict the wealth and prosperity of the town and mansion belonging to this leader. I can’t help wishing that archaeological evidences for such forts and moats as described in these Sangam verses are found for real. Just recently, I was reading about how an ancient village with a circular structure belonging to the Iron age period dating back to the 5th century BCE, much like the one found in Asterix and Obelix comics, was discovered using the LIDAR technology in France, without a single spade in the mud. Heartening to read that the same LIDAR is guiding the excavations of ancient sites in Tamil nadu. More global collaborations in this area will enhance this laudable work of bringing alive the past for the present and future!
In this episode, we perceive the ecstatic joy of a poet’s family, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 378, penned for the Chozha King Cheruppaazhi Erintha Ilanchetchenni by the poet Oonpothi Pasunkudaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse portrays the victory and wealth of this king.
தென் பரதவர் மிடல் சாய,
வட வடுகர் வாள் ஓட்டிய,
தொடை அமை கண்ணி, திருந்து வேல் தடக் கை,
கடு மா கடைஇய விடு பரி வடிம்பின்,
நல் தார், கள்ளின், சோழன் கோயில்,
புதுப் பிறை அன்ன சுதை சேய் மாடத்து,
பனிக் கயத்து அன்ன நீள் நகர் நின்று, என்
அரிக் கூடு மாக் கிணை இரிய ஒற்றி,
எஞ்சா மரபின் வஞ்சி பாட,
எமக்கு என வகுத்த அல்ல, மிகப் பல,
மேம்படு சிறப்பின் அருங் கல வெறுக்கை
தாங்காது பொழிதந்தோனே; அது கண்டு,
இலம்பாடு உழந்த என் இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல்,
விரல் செறி மரபின செவித் தொடக்குநரும்,
செவித் தொடர் மரபின விரல் செறிக்குநரும்,
அரைக்கு அமை மரபின மிடற்று யாக்குநரும்,
மிடற்று அமை மரபின அரைக்கு யாக்குநரும்,
கடுந் தெறல் இராமனுடன் புணர் சீதையை
வலித்தகை அரக்கன் வௌவிய ஞான்றை
நிலம் சேர் மதர் அணி கண்ட குரங்கின்
செம் முகப் பெருங் கிளை இழைப் பொலிந்தாஅங்கு,
அறாஅ அரு நகை இனிது பெற்றிகுமே
இருங் கிளைத் தலைமை எய்தி,
அரும்படர் எவ்வம் உழந்ததன்தலையே.
We are now in that series of songs, which talk about the journey of poets to a patron’s abode, where they find respite for their suffering. Two lines within seemed to me to be out of context, about which we shall discuss shortly. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Subduing the strength of ‘Parathavars’ from the south and chasing away spears of the ‘Vadugars’ from the north, wearing a well-woven garland, having huge arms, holding an etched spear and spurs to hasten the speedy horses, owning garlands and good toddy, was the great Chozhan. Arriving at his palace, whose plastered walls shone like the full moon, and standing there in that huge mansion, akin to a cool pond, making the eye of my huge, well-tied ‘Kinai’ drum resound, as I sang songs of his great victory, in the right tradition, he showered upon me copiously, things not meant for supplicants like me, such as ornaments and other precious items, so intricately made.
Seeing that, my huge group of kith and kin, who were suffering in poverty, started wearing the jewels meant for the fingers on their ears; jewels meant for the ears on their fingers, jewels meant for the waist on their necks; jewels meant for the necks on their waists. (When Sita, the wife of the great Raman, was carried away by the strong demon, her ornaments fell down). Seeing women’s jewels lying on the ground, a huge group of red-faced monkeys, wore them and were seized by endless laughter, just like we were, at that moment, when as the head of this huge family, I saw all our great suffering and pain fade away!”
Let’s delve deeper into these words. The poet first talks about the king’s victories over his enemies, in the south and the north. The way he quelled their uprising and chased away their armies is presented here. Then, the king is described as one, who wears beautiful garlands, holds a spear and spurs to nudge his horses to ride faster. Looks like he’s always ready for a fight! Then, the poet talks about the king’s palace and how it shines like the moon with its white walls glowing and the entire palace seems like a pond, thus symbolising this place as coolness in the midst of summer’s unrelenting heat and suffering, which, in turn, is the poet’s poverty. So, seeing hope before him, the poet seems to have beat his drum with great vigour and sung songs of the king’s victory, featuring what we saw in the first few lines, no doubt! The king is moved by the poet’s skill and offers him the reward of ornaments and precious things meant for the best of the best.
The poet takes these gifts to his home and shows it to his huge group of kith and kin and never having seen such intricate and precious things, they are overcome with emotion and start wearing jewels meant for the fingers on the ears and vice-versa, and also, jewels meant for the waist on the necks and vice-versa. To present a simile for this topsy-turvy wearing of jewels, the poet supposedly brings in a reference to the scene, when Sita, the female protagonist of Ramayana, is abducted by a demon, making her jewels slip away and fall. Seeing jewels on the ground, some monkeys wear the same and find themselves laughing at their act. This was how his kith and kin felt, the poet concludes, talking about that moment of jubilation, when their sorrows had ended because of the generosity of that Chozha king!
Now, let’s turn our attention to the two lines I mentioned earlier. These are obviously the reference to Ram and Sita in this Puranaanooru verse and the lines in question are:
கடுந் தெறல் இராமனுடன் புணர் சீதையை
வலித்தகை அரக்கன் வௌவிய ஞான்றை
The main reason I find these lines as not fitting in the flow of this verse is that Sangam poets do not have the custom of depicting facets not situated in reality. In the thousands of Sangam verses seen so far, scenes of war and scenes evoking fear in the dark of the night alone mention ghosts, ghost maiden and demons. When these poets are talking about elements in nature, you never seeing them mixing that with fantastical elements as depicted in the lines above, about a demon snatching a woman and flying away. Now, if we were to remove these two lines from the verse, nothing would affected at all. This is because the focus of the simile is upon the monkeys that find jewels on the ground. These jewels may have been left there by maiden bathing in the streams and waterfalls of the mountains. It would be quite a possible thing for these monkeys to snatch away these glowing ornaments and play with them. A nature of theirs, which continues till this day, in their snatching of mobile phones and backpacks from tourists, who happen to visit their domains.
Another reason I find the lines to be a misfit is that a woman, the wife of a great man, being snatched away by a demon, is surely a tragic moment for all, and to refer this in a song about the exuberance and joy of a poet’s family simply does not make sense. So, my conclusion is that these two lines were inserted at some point in the past two thousand years. It could be a time when these epics from the north were gaining popularity, and in the rewriting of this literature, perhaps someone saw the need to add this reference. So, although I have left the words as I found them and translated the same too, I felt the need to convey the reasons that these lines seemed out of place in the flow of this verse and the tradition of Sangam poets. Leaving aside this point of contention, we can choose to focus on the joy and laughter echoing aloud from the pages of the past when the sorrow of a family is finally at an end!
In this episode, we listen to the fame and glory of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 377, penned for the Chozha King Rasasooyam Vetta Perunar Killi by the poet Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’ and sketches a poet’s awe in seeing a patron’s kindness.
பனி பழுநிய பல் யாமத்துப்
பாறு தலை மயிர் நனைய,
இனிது துஞ்சும் திரு நகர் வரைப்பின்,
இனையல் அகற்ற, என் கிணை தொடாக் குறுகி,
‘அவி உணவினோர் புறங்காப்ப,
அற நெஞ்சத்தோன் வாழ நாள்’ என்று,
அதற் கொண்டு வரல் ஏத்தி,
‘கரவு இல்லாக் கவி வண் கையான்,
வாழ்க!’ எனப் ‘பெயர் பெற்றோர்
பிறர்க்கு உவமம் தான் அல்லது,
தனக்கு உவமம் பிறர் இல்’ என,
அது நினைந்து, மதி மழுகி,
ஆங்கு நின்ற எற் காணூஉச்
‘சேய் நாட்டுச் செல் கிணைஞனை!
நீ புரவலை, எமக்கு’ என்ன,
மலை பயந்த மணியும், கடறு பயந்த பொன்னும்,
கடல் பயந்த கதிர் முத்தமும்,
வேறு பட்ட உடையும், சேறுபட்ட தசும்பும்,
கனவில் கண்டாங்கு, வருந்தாது நிற்ப,
நனவின் நல்கியோன், நசைசால் தோன்றல்;
நாடு என மொழிவோர், ‘அவன் நாடு’ என மொழிவோர்;
வேந்து என மொழிவோர், ‘அவன் வேந்து’ என மொழிவோர்;
புகர் நுதல் அவிர் பொற் கோட்டு யானையர்,
கவர் பரிக் கச்சை நல் மான்,
வடி மணி, வாங்கு உருள,
கொடி மிசை நல் தேர்க் குழுவினர்,
கதழ் இசை வன்கணினர்,
வாளின் வாழ்நர், ஆர்வமொடு ஈண்டி,
கடல் ஒலி கொண்ட தானை
அடல் வெங் குருசில்! மன்னிய நெடிதே!
The interesting facet about this song is that it’s full of dialogues within! The poet’s words to this Chozha King can be translated as follows:
“Crossing many nights, as the pouring dew drenched my unkempt hair, hoping to end my poverty, I arrived at the gates of the wealthy palace that seemed to rest pleasantly, beating my ‘Kinai’ drum and sang, ‘Protected by those who eat sacrificial offerings, may this man with a just heart live for long’. Just then, he was welcoming others who came singing his praises, saying, ‘May the one with generous hands, which know not to hide wealth but only to give ceaselessly, prosper’, ‘He is the one who becomes a simile for the great and famous but there’s no one who can be a simile unto him’. Reflecting on these words, I stood there, dazed. Seeing me lost in thought, saying, “O Kinai drummer, who seems to be going to far-away lands! You are now under my protection’, he rendered gems from the mountains, gold from the forests, and shining pearls from the seas, a variety of clothes, pots brimming with liquor, as if I was seeing all this in a dream. But he was giving it for real, removing every shred of my sorrow, that kind and smiling scion!
Those who think about countries will declare, ‘His is the only great country’; Those who think about kings will declare, ‘He is the only great king’; Those owning elephants wearing golden ornaments on their spotted foreheads; those riding speedy horses wearing saddles; those wielding fine chariots with fluttering flags, rolling wheels and ringing bells; agile and famous men with strong eyes, who live by the sword; They all gather around the king with eagerness. May the lord, with such an army, roaring like the ocean, who desires battles, live for long victoriously!”
Let’s explore the details. The poet first talks about how the pouring dew of many nights past had tamed his rough and unkempt hair, reminding us of the words of another poet in Puranaanooru 374. He continues by saying he reached the gates of this king’s huge palace, which was sleeping peacefully. He has come there, playing on his ‘Kinai’ drum, blessing the righteous king with a long life, one that is protected by those who received cooked food as offerings. Some have interpreted this reference as if the poet is talking about gods, but deriving from other poems, he may be referring to ancestors as well. Returning, all around him, he hears praises for the king saying he’s renowned for his ceaseless generosity, and that he knows not to hide or hoard his wealth for himself, and also, how he can be a reference for every great and famous person, but there is no one at all who can be this king’s equal. As the poet was standing there, awestruck by these praises of others, the king sees him and welcomes him declaring that this poet was under his protection.
Not just words, but the king offers everything the poet has ever wanted, like precious gems that came from the mountains of his domain, gold that was mined in his forests and pearls obtained from his seas, as well as practical items like a plethora of clothes, and most importantly, toddy for the tummy! For a moment, to the poet, everything seems like a dream. But then, he realises, ‘No, this is real and the king is standing right there and ending my sorrow!’ He decides the king’s country is the only true country and this ruler is the only one worthy of the title of ‘king’. He goes on to say how around the king stands a huge army, filled with those riding grand elephants, speedy horses, sturdy chariots as well as swordsmen known for their strength and courage. Wishing the king to live a long and famous life, the poet concludes. To me, the key facet of this verse is how the king makes the poet’s dream a reality with his compassion, and after all these thousands of years, we can still relate to the joyous feeling that arises out of such a moment, when our heart’s desires are fulfilled!
In this episode, we perceive a poet's contentment, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 376, penned for Leader Oymaan Nalliyakodan by the poet Purathinai Nannaakanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse sketches an unforgettable moment in the life of a poet.
In this episode, we hear the lament of a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 375, penned for the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse spotlights the generosity of this king in the contrast of a barren background.
In this episode, we listen to music rendered in a picturesque place, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 374, penned for the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and extols the glory of a king.
In this episode, we perceive the many ways a king has attained victory in a battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 373, penned for the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse spotlights a war zone from the perspective of the affected others.
In this episode, we perceive a battlefield ritual, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 372, penned for the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Maankudi Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and reveals a poet's reason for arriving in a battle zone.
In this episode, we perceive the events of a battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 371, penned for the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Kallaadanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse presents an impoverished poet's perspective of a king's conquest.
In this episode, we listen to a supplicant's difficult journey, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 370, penned for the Chozha King Cheruppaazhi Erintha Ilanchetchenni by the poet Oonpothi Pasunkudaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and sketches the terrible state of a battlefield.
In this episode, we observe a perfect instance of projection, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 369, penned for the Chera King Kadalottiya Velkelu Kuttuvan by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse puts forth a specific request to a winning king in the battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive bloodshed and loss in a battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 368, penned for the Chera king Kudakko Neduncheralathan by the poet Kazhaathalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about a king's generosity in the midst of great strife.
In this episode, we listen to a blessing rendered unto three kings, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 367, penned for the Chera king Maavenko, Chozha king Perunarkilli and Pandya king Ukkira Peruvazhuthi by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse celebrates the unity of these three kings.
In this episode, we perceive the certainty of death, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 366, penned by the poet Kothamanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and instructs a leader about the way to be.
In this episode, we listen to a unique perspective on impermanence, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 365, penned by the poet Maarkandeyanaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse subtly instructs a king to follow the right path.
In this episode, we perceive the importance accorded to generosity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 364, penned by the poet Kookai Kozhiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and talks about all that a king must do before the end arrives.
In this episode, we listen to words conveying the absoluteness of death, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 363, penned by the poet Aiyaathi Siruventheraiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse echoes the reality of life.
In this episode, we perceive the motivations of warriors, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 362, penned by the poet Siruventheraiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and reveals attitudes regarding facing death.
In this episode, we listen to words rendered unto Death, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 361, penned by the poet Kayamanaar. Set in an unidentified category, the verse talks about the qualities of a leader.
In this episode, we perceive a study in contrast, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 360, penned for the leader Thanthu Maaran by the poet Sangavarunar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and elaborates on the virtues of the great.
In this episode, we listen to words of advice being rendered to a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 359, penned for the leader Anthuvan Keeran by the poet Kavattanaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the powerful presence of death and the path to a lasting life.
In this episode, we understand the importance accorded to penance, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 358, penned by the poet Vanmikiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and talks about the greatness of an ascetic life.
In this episode, we perceive the impermanence of wealth and achievement, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 357, penned by the poet Piramanaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the only thing that will aid someone in their afterlife.
In this episode, we encounter a philosophical truth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 356, penned by the poet Kathaiyankannanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and vividly describes an ancient cremation site.
In this episode, we perceive the state of a town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 355, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse focuses on the attitude of a girl's family.
In this episode, we perceive battle-ready warriors, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 354, penned by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and talks about the conflict between the beauty of a town and that of a maiden.
In this episode, we hear about the wealth and strength of a girl's family, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 353, penned by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaarikkannanaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse sketches the arresting beauty of a maiden.
In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a city, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 352, penned by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and wonders about the precarious situation at hand.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a fertile town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 351, penned by the poet Madurai Padaimanga Manniyaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the sea of troubles arriving at the town's shores.
In this episode, we listen to anxious words about an imminent attack, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 350, penned by the poet Madurai Melaikkadai Kannampuguthaar Aayathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and extols the beauty of a maiden.
In this episode, we listen to exchanges between a king and a girl's father, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 349, penned by the poet Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse speaks about the danger to a town.
In this episode, we perceive interesting aspects of an ancient town, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 348, penned by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and regrets the events that have unfolded.
In this episode, we meet with a historic personality characterised by a colourful simile, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 347, penned by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the state of a town after a refusal.
In this episode, we hear predictions about a family and town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 346, penned by the poet Andar Makan Kuruvazhuthiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and speaks about the relationship a girl has with her family members.
In this episode, we observe the harsh outcomes of a refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 345, penned by the poet Andar Nadum Kallinaar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse unravels the attitude of a girl's family when suitors arrive claiming her hand.
In this episode, we listen to two possible consequences, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 344, penned by the poet Andar Nadum Kallinaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and talks about a situation involving a maiden of marriageable age.
In this episode, we perceive the riches of an ancient town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 343, penned by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse laments a war that is about to commence.
In this episode, we perceive striking similes and subtle metaphors, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 342, penned by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and talks about the fierceness of a maiden's family.
In this episode, we perceive events that have led to an outbreak of war, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 341, penned by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse etches the words and vows expressed before a battle.
In this episode, we learn of the deciding authority in a woman's life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 340, penned by the poet Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and portrays the family of a young maiden.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 339, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the looming possibility of a war.
In this episode, we explore a prosperous town in ancient times, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 338, penned by the poet Kundroor Kizhaar Makanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence' and reveals the power that a father of a daughter had in the Sangam era.
In this episode, we meet with a young maiden and her family, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 337, penned by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse brings to light a precarious situation involving suitors in marriage.
In this episode, we hear a subtle cry against war, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 336, penned by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kanchi Thinai' or 'Defence' and reveals the events that have led to an outbreak of hostilities.
in this episode, we listen to powerful statements about worship, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 335, penned by the poet Mangudi Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about the elements of importance in a leader's town.
In this episode, we learn of the acts of compassion in a household, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 334, penned by the poet Madurai Thamizh Koothanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and gives a glimpse of the division of labour in Sangam times.
In this episode, we meet with a generous lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 333, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about the sense of compassion and fairness in the midst of an impoverished situation.
In this episode, we listen to the greatness of a leader's spear, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 332, penned by the poet Viriyoor Nakkanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and elaborates on the places that a spear can be.
In this episode, we perceive how a leader faces different circumstances, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 331, penned by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukoothanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse sketches striking similes to convey the nature of a leader's generosity.
In this episode, we observe a leader's courage in the battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 330, penned by the poet Madurai Kanakkayanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and reveals the economic status of a town.
In this episode, we perceive the virtues of a town, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 329, penned by the poet Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse informs us about ancestor worship in Sangam times.
In this episode, we observe the promise of good food, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 328, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about a leader's generosity in the midst of difficult circumstances.
In this episode, we observe the extent of a leader's generosity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 327, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and reveals the impoverished state of a courageous leader.
In this episode, we perceive the noble virtues of a couple as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 326, penned by the poet Thangaal Porkollanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and presents a vivid scene around a Sangam home in the woods.
In this episode, we gather intriguing facets in the life of people from a drylands domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 325, penned by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about a leader's courage and compassion.
In this episode, we perceive detailed descriptions about the children of hunters, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 324, penned by the poet Aalathoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and speaks about the support a leader extends to his superior king.
In this episode, we perceive compassion both in the wild and in the home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 323, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about the unfailing courage of a leader.
In this episode, we observe action-packed moments, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 322, penned by the poet Avoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and etches the terror evoked by the leader of a town.
In this episode, we perceive dynamic scenes in a town as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 321, penned by the poet Uraiyoor Maruthuvan Damodaranaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse guides a bard in the direction of a leader's hospitality.
In this episode, we perceive a fascinating scene in a hunter's home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 320, penned by the poet Veerai Veliyanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about the limitless generosity of a leader.
In this episode, we take in domestic scenes of everyday life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 319, penned by the poet Alangudi Vanganaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse echoes the trust in the triumphant return of a king.
In this episode, we perceive the present prosperity of a place with a curious illustration, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Puranaanooru 318, penned by the poet Perunkundroor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and speaks about the consequence of a king's fall.
In this episode, we learn of the compassionate nature of an unassuming leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 317, penned by the poet Vempatroor Kumaranaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse sketches the nature of a sleeping hero.
In this episode, we are introduced to an interesting character, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 316, penned by the poet Madurai Kallil Kadaiyathan Vennaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and portrays the after-effects of a triumph in a battle.
In this episode, we perceive the characteristics of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 315, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse highlights and contrasts the elements of this ruler's nature.
In this episode, we listen to the attributes of a valorous leader, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 314, penned by the poet Aiyoor Mudavanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and paints a portrait of a striking personality.
In this episode, we perceive the importance accorded to rendering charity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 313, penned by the poet Mangudi Maruthanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse reveals the trust in the generosity of a king.
In this episode, we perceive the duties of the members of society, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 312, penned by the poet Ponmudiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and presents a mother's eye view of her son's life.
In this episode, we listen to the immense courage of a chieftain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 311, penned by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse etches the greatness of a leader in times of war and peace.
In this episode, we perceive a mother's sorrow, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 310, penned by the poet Ponmudiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and speaks about the then and now of a soldier.
In this episode, we understand a unique quality of a soldier, as depicted in Sangam literary work, Puranaanooru 309, penned by the poet Madurai Ilankanni Kosikanaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse presents striking similes to capture the essence of a personality.
In this episode, we take in the infinite courage of a warrior in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 308, penned by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and echoes a wife's pride.
In this episode, we perceive what was considered a valorous action in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 307, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse sketches the search for a fallen warrior and the events that unfolded.
In this episode, we listen to the fervent wishes of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 306, penned by the poet Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and reveals the priorities in the mind of a married Sangam woman.
In this episode, we perceive an action which prevents a momentous event, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 305, penned by the poet Madurai Velaasaan. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about the triumph of a messenger.
In this episode, we perceive a vow and its impact, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 304, penned by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and sketches the emotions of rage and revenge.
In this episode, we perceive admiration for a foe, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 303, penned by the poet Erumai Veliyanaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse paints a dual portrait of warriors from opposing camps.
In this episode, we listen to an account of a young soldier's actions in war and peace, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 302, penned by the poet Veri Paadiya Kaamakanniyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and etches the perceived compassion and courage of the protagonist.
In this first episode for 2024, we perceive subtle values upheld in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 301, penned by the poet Aavoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse etches the principles of a king, when facing the enemy.
In this episode, we take in furious intentions that unfold in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 300, penned by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and sketches the passion of a soldier in his search for an enemy.
In this episode, we observe a clash of two armies, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 299, penned by the poet Pon Mudiyaar. Set in the category of 'Nochchi Thinai' or 'Defence from within', the verse contrasts the actions of the clashing forces.
In this episode, we observe the relationship dynamics between a king and his soldiers, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 298, penned by the poet Aaliyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Recapturing' and indirectly reveals the noble virtues of a leader.
In this episode, we understand the preferences of victorious warriors, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 297, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Vetchi Thinai' or 'Capturing', the verse differentiates two different types of towns in Sangam times.
In this episode, we observe the reaction to a person's absence as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 296, penned by the poet Vellai Maaranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about the virtue of a warrior.
In this episode, we perceive a miracle moment in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 295, penned by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse sketches the courage of a warrior and the love of a mother.
In this episode, we perceive the confidence of a warrior, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 294, penned by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and brings alive an ancient battlefront.
In this episode, we perceive problems caused by war, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 293, penned by the poet Nochi Niyamankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Kanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse talks about the call to war and the fall of a flower seller.
In this episode, we listen to celebratory words about a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanoory 292, penned by the poet Virichiyoor Nannaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'Prowess' and etches a portrait of a quirky character.
In this episode, we observe the angst of a warrior's wife, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 291, penned by the poet Nedunkalathu Paranar. Set in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Recapturing', the verse talks about the king's respect and affection for this warrior.
In this episode, we perceive the fame of a warrior, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 290, penned by the prolific poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Recapturing' and etches the promising personality of a young man.
In this episode, we perceive a process of careful selection, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 289, penned by the poet Kazhaathalaiyaar. Set in an unidentified category, the verse sketches the mindset of a leader before a battle.
In this episode, we observe events in a battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 288, penned by the poet Kazhathalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and talks about the courage and love shining in that battlefield.
In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement relayed to warriors before a battle, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 287, penned by the poet Saathanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Recapturing' and conveys the dangers and the glory that await in a battlefield.
In this episode, we listen to the nuanced words of a mother, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 286, penned by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Recapturing' and talks about a soldier who has returned successfully from a battle.
In this episode, we observe the events after a warrior's fall in the field, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 285, penned by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse etches the noble virtues of a leader.
In this episode, we perceive a dashing personality in action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 284, penned by the poet Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and talks about the exploits of a warrior in the battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive a person's unceasing courage, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 283, penned by the poet Andar Nadum Kallinaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse echoes the events in the life of a valorous warrior.
In this episode, we learn of the lasting legacy of a warrior, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 282, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in an unidentified category and sketches a person's courage and fame.
In this episode, we observe the care showered upon the wounded, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 281, penned by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Kanji Thinai' or 'Defence', the verse gives insight into the understanding of medicine in Sangam times.
In this episode, we observe the plight of someone facing the prospect of another's death, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 280, penned by the poet Maarokkathu Nappasalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and reveals the consequence of a person's demise.
In this episode, we perceive the immense courage of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 279, penned by the poet Okkoor Maasaathiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse reveals the priorities of people in this past time and space.
In this episode, we understand the integrity demanded in a soldier's stance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 278, penned by the poet Kaakkai Paadiniyaar Nachellaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and talks about that which instills pride in a Sangam mother.
In this episode, we perceive a bitter-sweet moment in the life of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 277, penned by the poet Poonkan Uthiraiyaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse depicts a deep and moving feeling.
In this episode, we perceive the strength of a warrior in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 276, penned by the poet Madurai Boothan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and sketches a dashing personality.
In this episode, we observe a moving act of friendship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 275, penned by the poet Oroouthanaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse sketches vividly the valour of a warrior in the battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive a scene in the midst of a heated battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 274, penned by the poet Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and describes the courageous actions of a warrior.
In this episode, we hear the lament of a warrior's wife, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 273, penned by the poet Erumai Veliyanaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse projects sorrow on an animal in the battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive the glory of a flower, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 272, penned by the poet Mosi Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Nochchi Thinai' or 'Defence from within' and portrays two different realms in the Sangam world.
In this episode, we take in a startling sight amidst a battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 271, penned by the poet Veri Paadiya Kaamakanniyaar. Set in the category of 'Nochchi Thinai' or 'Defence from within', the verse reveals the multiple uses of a flower in Sangam times.
In this episode, we perceive the respect earned by a fallen soldier, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 270, penned by the poet Kazhathalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle Recapturing', the verse expresses the emotion of helplessness in conveying a grievous news.
In this episode, we listen to an account of activities before a battle, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 269, penned by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse in situated in the category of 'Vetchi Thinai' or 'Cattle capturing' and reveals the successful exploits of a leader.
In this episode, we listen to the angst of a supplicant, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 266, penned about the Chozha King Uruvappahrer Ilanchetchenni by the poet Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse extols the wealth of a nation and seeks support to slay poverty.
In this episode, we perceive the greatness of a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 265, penned by the poet Sonaattu Mukaiyaloor Sirukarunthumbiyaar. Set in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'cattle recovering', the verse indirectly talks about the prosperity in the lives of others owing to the presence of a person.
In this episode, we learn about customs relating to memorial stones, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 264, penned by the poet Uraiyoor Ilampon Vaanikanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle recovering' and speaks about the consequence of losing a leader.
In this episode, we listen to praise of a leader who had perished in a mission, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 263, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle recovering' and offers a word of advice to a supplicant.
In this episode, we listen to instructions rendered to prepare for a welcome party, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 262, penned by the poet Madurai Peraalavaayar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vetchi Thinai' or 'Cattle capturing' and speaks about the efforts of those who aid a leader in his mission.
In this episode, we listen to an account of the past glory of a place, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 261, penned by the poet Aavoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle Recovering', the verse expresses the helplessness felt after the loss of a patron.
In this episode, we perceive the despair felt at the loss of a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 260, penned by the poet Vadamothankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle Recovering', the verse sketches the tale of a man who fought against his foes.
In this episode, we listen to advice rendered to a leader, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 259, penned by the poet Kodai Paadiya Perumpoothanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Karanthai Thinai' or 'Cattle Recovering' and speaks words of caution to a man on a mission.
In this episode, we meet with a unique character, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 258, penned by the poet Ulochanaar. Set in the category of 'Vetchi Thinai' or 'Cattle Capturing', the verse informs about the activities and preferences of a particular person.
In this episode, we perceive an interesting personality, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 257, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vetchi Thinai' or 'Capturing Cattle' and celebrates a leader's quality of defeating his enemies.
In this episode, we listen to a request put forth to a potter, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 256, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse reveals the anguish in the heart of a bereaved woman.
In this episode, we listen to the plea of a woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 255, penned by the poet Vanparanar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse sketches the words said by a woman to her dead husband.
In this episode, we reflect on the pain of a mother as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 254, penned by the poet Kayamanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' and talks about a grievous event.
In this episode, we observe the plight of a woman who has lost a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 253, penned by the poet Kulampanthaayanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai', the verse depicts the thoughts that traverse a mind which has suffered a loss.
In this episode, we observe the past and present of a person as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 252, penned by the poet Maaripithiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and sketches a charming personality.
In this episode, we observe the transformation of a person as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 251, penned by the poet Maaripithiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about the transition to an ascetic life.
In this episode, we observe a house in mourning, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 250, penned by the poet Thaayankanniyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'common themes', the verse reveals the former prosperity of a place.
In this episode, we learn of a land's prosperity and a leader's hospitality, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 249, penned by the poet Thumbai Sokinanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and reveals the sorrow of a woman after the demise of her husband.
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 248, penned by the poet Okkoor Masaathanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes', the verse provides a glimpse into the ascetic life of a widow in ancient times.
In this episode, we perceive the distress of a bereaved woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 247, penned about the Pandya Queen Perunkoppendu by the poet Madurai Peraalavaayar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and talks about devotion in a moment of distress.
In this episode, we listen to the emotional words of a woman, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 246, penned by a Pandya Queen Perunkoppendu, wife of Pandya King Boothapandiyan. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse sketches the austerity expected in the life of widows.
In this episode, we perceive the grief of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 245, penned by a Chera King Kottampalathu Thunjiya Maakothai. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse portrays a rather unique context amidst these Purananooru verses.
In this episode, we are presented with an incomplete thought, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 244, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and hints at the helplessness perceived by people.
In this episode, we perceive nostalgia about the past, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 243, penned by the poet Thodithalai Vizhuthandinaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse contrasts two different stages of life.
In this episode, we listen to words spoken to a jasmine bush, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 242, penned about the local leader Ollaiyoor Kizhaan Magan Perunchaathan by the poet Kudavayil Keerathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and sketches the mood of sorrow that spreads in a town.
In this episode, we observe the mythological beliefs about afterlife, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 241, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse talks about the welcome the king is about to receive.
In this episode, we perceive the helplessness of supplicants, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 240, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Kuttuvan Keeranaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse details the before and after of a king's death.
In this episode, we listen to the list of virtues of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 239, penned about the Velir King Nambi Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Pereyil Muruvalaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and attempts to resolve a dilemma about a funeral practice.
In this episode, we listen to the anguish of a poet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 238, penned about the Velir King Velimaan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse describes the consequence of the king's death.
In this episode, we perceive the disappointment and distress of a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 237, penned about the Velir King Velimaan's brother Ila Velimaan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes' and reveals events that affected the poet, after the king's death.
In this episode, we perceive a poet's angst at losing his friend, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 236, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the prolific Sangam poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse illustrates the deep friendship between this poet and his patron.
In this episode, we perceive the immense grief of a poet at the demise of a patron, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 235, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse recollects with nostalgia the care and comfort felt by supplicants in the presence of this king.
In this episode, we perceive the distress of a poet at his patron's demise, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 234, penned about the Velir King Vel Evvi by the poet Vellerukkilaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and details a tradition of offering, followed by the family of the deceased.
In this episode, we listen to the fervent wish of a poet in the midst of distressing news, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 233, penned about the Velir King Vel Evvi by the poet Vellerukkilaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse talks about the king's valour and generosity.
In this episode, we listen to the lament of a poet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 232, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and expresses the helplessness felt at the demise of this king.
In this episode, we perceive the pride in a poet about her patron's fame, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 231, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse informs us about a funeral custom.
In this episode, we perceive the peace and prosperity in the rule of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 230, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse echoes the helplessness experienced by the world upon the demise of this king.
In this episode, we perceive a reference to an astronomical phenemon, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 229, penned about the Chera King Yaanaikatchey Maantharancheral Irumporai by the poet Koodaloor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and reveals the events following the demise of this king.
In this episode, we perceive a poet's conversation with a potter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 228, penned about the Chozha King Kulamuttrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse provides literary evidence about burial customs in the Sangam era.
In this episode, we perceive a poet's anger towards Death, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 227, penned about the Chozha King Kulamuttrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Aavaduthurai Maasaathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and expresses despair at the king's demise in a unique manner.
In this episode, we learn of the king's qualities through a unique portrait, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 226, penned about the Chozha King Kulamuttrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Maarokkathu Nappasalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes', the verse echoes the poet's dejection on hearing about this king's demise.
In this episode, we perceive fascinating poetic devices to portray the power of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 225, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli by the poet Aalathur Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse reveals the dominance of this king when alive.
In this episode, we listen to the great deeds of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 224, penned about the Chozha King Karikaalan by the poet Karunkuzhal Aathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyial Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and talks about the consequences of this king's demise.
In this episode, we hear about an unbelievable event that occurred in the poet's life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 223, penned about the Chozha king Koperunchozhan by the poet Poththiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse echoes the elation in the poet's mind on receiving an answer he sought.
In this episode, we understand the extent of a poet's regard for his patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 222, penned about the Chozha King Koperunchozhan by the poet Poththiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and brings out the thoughtful personality of this king.
In this episode, we hear about the praiseworthy attributes of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 221, penned about the Chozha king Koperunchozhan by the poet Poththiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse echoes the deep sorrow of those who witnessed this king's demise.
In this episode, we observe an overpowering emotion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 220, penned about the Chozha King Koperunchozhan by the poet Poththiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’, the verse sketches a sense of loss and sorrow.
பெருஞ் சோறு பயந்து, பல் யாண்டு புரந்த
பெருங் களிறு இழந்த பைதல் பாகன்
அது சேர்ந்து அல்கிய அழுங்கல் ஆலை,
வெளில் பாழாகக் கண்டு கலுழ்ந்தாங்கு,
கலங்கினென் அல்லனோ, யானே பொலந் தார்த்
தேர் வண் கிள்ளி போகிய
பேர் இசை மூதூர் மன்றம் கண்டே?
Poththiyaar was a poet closely associated with the Chozha King Koperunchozhan, as we saw in the verse written by Pisiraanthaiyaar, describing their joyous friendship. On seeing King Koperunchozhan prepare to part away by facing north, this poet attempts to join the ruler. At this time, the king refuses to allow the poet join the company of those who were giving up their life with him, because this poet’s wife happened to be pregnant then. The king bids the poet to ensure the safe birth of the poet’s child before giving up his life along with the king. Accepting the king’s command, the poet leaves to the king’s capital, and there, he says these words:
“The sorrowful mahout, who has lost a huge male elephant that he reared with care for many years by rendering it huge amounts of food, seeing the once-uproarious space, where the elephant rested and resided, now reduced to ruins, would shed tears copiously. Akin to that, I cried too, when I saw the centre of the ancient and famous town, bereft of Killi, the one, who wears golden garlands and donates chariots many.”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet starts by making us envision a mahout, one who has been taking care of an elephant for many long years, finding it the huge amounts of food that it needs. Then one day, for some reason, that elephant dies. Imagine how this mahout would feel when he walks by the pavilion, where this elephant used to live. Wouldn’t the trumpeting sounds of the energetic elephant ring in his ears from the past? And seeing the dilapidated state of that pavilion, wouldn’t this mahout cry inconsolably? That was my exact emotion as I stepped into the ancient capital of our king Killi, an epithet given for Chozha rulers, and saw how it looked without the presence of this rich and generous monarch, the poet concludes.
One would think that in these Puranaanooru poems that focus on war, fame and material pursuits, there would be no space for the finer emotions of life. That’s where the Sangam folks prove us wrong. Even here, they bring in elements that illustrate what it means to lose something precious to us. The tears glistening on the mahout’s face and the same on this poet’s face can almost be touched through these words. That is the unique contribution of these ancient Tamils, who, time and again, have illustrated the importance of inner life, for they seem to have clearly understood that everything we do in the world outside is inevitably determined by how we manage the world within us!
In this episode, we understand a poet’s immense grief, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 219, penned about the Chozha King Koperunchozhan by the poet Karuvoor Perunchathukkathu Poothanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’ and describes the helplessness experienced by this poet.
உள் ஆற்றுக் கவலைப் புள்ளி நீழல்,
முழூஉ வள்ளூரம் உணக்கும் மள்ள!
புலவுதி மாதோ நீயே
பலரால் அத்தை, நின் குறி இருந்தோரே.
A tiny verse echoing a single thought that arises in the mind of this poet as he observes the king’s life languishing, about to part away. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“In the spotted shade of the river islet, you are wasting all the flesh in your form, O courageous one! Could it be that you are angry with me, for not joining the many, who sat in your stance?”
Time to explore the nuances in this tiny seed of a verse. The poet informs us where exactly the king is present, as he faces north, and prepares to give up his life so as to avoid the dishonour of fighting his sons. Was there no other choice for this much-adored monarch? Giving up one’s life sounds extreme when seen with our modern eyes. But it was a different time, with a different code of ethics. Returning, the spot where the king sits is a mound in the midst of a river, on an islet. Describing how the king’s flesh seems to be rotting away in the shade of this place, the poet concludes by asking the king whether he was angry that this poet did not join the king in his fast unto death, unlike the many around him.
Obviously, the king is speechless not because he’s sulking with the poet but because his life is parting away and he does not have the energy to talk anymore. But as a projection of his own grief, the poet puts forth this question to the king. In the end, the thought in this verse is an instance of processing grief, something vital for the mental health of any human being, and here, we see how an ancient poet expresses that deep sense of loss, seeing the ruined state of a beloved!
In this episode, we perceive an apt simile that reflects the situation at hand, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 218, penned about the Chozha king Koperunchozhan and the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar by the poet Kannakanaar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’, the verse celebrates the devotion and friendship of this famous duo.
பொன்னும், துகிரும், முத்தும், மன்னிய
மா மலை பயந்த காமரு மணியும்,
இடைபடச் சேய ஆயினும், தொடை புணர்ந்து,
அரு விலை நன் கலம் அமைக்கும்காலை,
ஒரு வழித் தோன்றியாங்கு என்றும் சான்றோர்
சான்றோர் பாலர் ஆப;
சாலார் சாலார் பாலர் ஆகுபவே.
A crisp verse that arises when Poet Pisiraanthaiyaar joins King Koperunchozhan in giving up his life facing north. Poet Kannakanaar observes this miraculous event of two friends, originally separated by a kingdom and a great distance, coming together, and renders these words:
“Gold, coral, pearl, and the desirable sapphire, which is rendered by the immovable huge mountain, are separated by great distances, but they are tied as one, when a precious, fine jewel is to be made, appearing as if they were born together. Akin to that, the wise will always be found in the company of the wise; And, the foolish will always be found in the company of the foolish!”
Let’s delve into the words here. The poet starts by remarking how although gold, coral, pearl and sapphires come from different regions such as river beds, coastal regions, ocean floor and mountains, which are separated by huge distances, when a jeweller decides to make a precious ornament, all these different gems are woven together, giving the appearance that these were born together and never apart. Exactly like that, it is the tendency of wise people to seek the company of the wise and that of the ignoble to seek the company of the ignoble, the poet concludes.
The coming together of precious elements reminded me of an oft-used English proverb – ‘Birds of feather flock together’. That these precious elements have been casually used in a poetic reference talks about the riches that were abundant in ancient Tamil land. In a tangent, the verse also seems to subtly nudge us to choose our company with much care, for the world will inevitably judge us by whom we associate ourselves with!
In this episode, we perceive people’s astonishment in a series of events, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 217, penned about the Chozha king Koperunchozhan and the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar by the poet Poththiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common Themes’ and talks about the helplessness experienced after the demise of a king.
நினைக்கும் காலை மருட்கை உடைத்தே,
எனைப் பெருஞ் சிறப்பினோடு ஈங்கு இது துணிதல்;
அதனினும் மருட்கை உடைத்தே, பிறன் நாட்டுத்
தோற்றம் சான்ற சான்றோன் போற்றி,
இசை மரபு ஆக, நட்புக் கந்து ஆக,
இனையது ஓர் காலை ஈங்கு வருதல்;
‘வருவன்’ என்ற கோனது பெருமையும்,
அது பழுது இன்றி வந்தவன் அறிவும்,
வியத்தொறும் வியத்தொறும் வியப்பு இறந்தன்றே;
அதனால், தன் கோல் இயங்காத் தேயத்து உறையும்
சான்றோன் நெஞ்சுறப் பெற்ற தொன்று இசை
அன்னோனை இழந்த இவ் உலகம்
என் ஆவதுகொல்? அளியது தானே!
In an earlier song, we saw how the Poet Pisiraanthaiyaar had celebrated the friendship between the Chozha king Koperunchozhan and this Poet Poththiyaar. Now, it’s the turn of Poet Poththiyaar to be stunned by the friendship of this famous duo. In the two preceding songs, we saw how the king declared that the Poet Pisiraanthaiyaar would indeed come to his side as he prepared to part away. As expected by the king, the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar arrives there. Seeing this, the poet Poththiyaar says these words:
“Whenever it’s thought about, it makes one astonished; That is having the greatness of heart to dare to do this now and here; But there’s something that’s even more astonishing, and that is for him to praise a scholar, who resides in another country, with fame as the tradition and friendship as the pillar, and for that scholar to arrive here one morning. The greatness of the king who said ‘He would come’ and the wisdom of the one who came without falsifying those words is an awe-inspiring wonder of wonders. And so, what will become of this world which has lost such a person of fame, who reigns in the heart of a scholar, who happens to come from a land where the king’s sceptre does not reach and rule! The world is to be pitied indeed!”
Let’s delve into the words of this verse. The poet starts by talking about the awe-inspiring turn of events. First, he remarks on the decision of the king to give up his life by fasting unto death rather than fight his own sons and says this is a rare instance of courage and determination. But something else is even more astonishing, and that is, the nature of that king to celebrate a poet who lived in another’s king domain, and united only by friendship, for that poet to appear there then. The poet Poththiyaar considers it a miraculous thing for the king to have declared his friend would come and for that friend to appear there, failing not the king’s trust in him. After narrating these events, the poet turns to look at the state of this world that has lost such a great human being, a king who had inspired love and respect in the heart of a scholar, who lived in a land where his sceptre controlled not. How can this world ever recover from this loss, the poet wonders in an emotion of dejection.
If Poet Pisiranthaiyaar was from the Chozha country, one could say that he owed respect to his king and it’s no wonder he felt such love and affection for his king. But the fact that this poet came from another king’s domain and owed no allegiance to this Chozha king by custom, and yet developed that deep feeling of friendship echoes aloud the greatness of this Chozha king, implies the poet. It’s no easy friendship that has been groomed by power and communication but one that grew at great odds, separated by distance and domain, we understand. A verse that offers an observer’s view of the magnificence in that sequence of events, which sketches the depth of trust in a king and the fulfilment of that trust by his friend!
In this episode, we perceive the nature of friendship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 216, penned about the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar by the Chozha King Koperunchozhan. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse brings out the reasoning in the king’s mind about an expected event.
‘கேட்டல் மாத்திரை அல்லது, யாவதும்
காண்டல் இல்லாது யாண்டு பல கழிய,
வழு இன்று பழகிய கிழமையர் ஆயினும்,
அரிதே, தோன்றல்! அதற்பட ஒழுகல்’ என்று,
ஐயம் கொள்ளன்மின், ஆர் அறிவாளீர்!
இகழ்விலன்; இனியன்; யாத்த நண்பினன்;
புகழ் கெட வரூஉம் பொய் வேண்டலனே;
தன் பெயர் கிளக்கும்காலை, ‘என் பெயர்
பேதைச் சோழன்’ என்னும், சிறந்த
காதற் கிழமையும் உடையன்; அதன்தலை,
இன்னது ஓர் காலை நில்லலன்;
இன்னே வருகுவன்; ஒழிக்க, அவற்கு இடமே!
A verse that sounds like a continuation of the previous verse, where we heard the king declare his trust in his friend, the Poet Pisiraanthaiyaar. The king’s words can be translated as follows:
“You say, ‘You both have heard of each other but have not met in person. Even though they might be friends with a close relationship for many, many years, it would be hard for them to appear by one’s side. So consider that and act accordingly’. O people of deep wisdom, doubt not in this way. He never disrespects; He is a pleasant person and my dear friend; Even if a lie were to render fame, he would not utter that; When asked for his name, he’d say, ‘My name is that of the naive Chozhan’. Such is his affection for me; More than that, he would not stay away in a distressful time such as this; He will come anytime now; Set aside a space for him!”
Time to explore the details herein. The king starts by repeating the words of poets and scholars around him, who seem full of doubt about the poet’s arrival for they are saying that the king and the poet have not met at all but only heard about each other. Even for people who have been close for years together, it’s difficult for them to appear by their friend’s side whenever they wished. While that is the case, how can Poet Pisiraanthaiyaar arrive here, and so, don’t raise your hopes on that count, they seem to be advising the king.
The king asks these scholars not to be full of doubt and talks about the nature of the poet saying he’s someone who never disrespects; someone who is goodness personified; and honest to such a degree that even if untruths would bring him fame, he would not defer from his righteous path. After narrating the noble virtues of the poet, the king remarks how the poet would say that his name is the same as that of the Chozhan. Such is his innocent and deep affection for me, the king tells the listening scholars. More than anything else, he would not stay away in a time like this when I have chosen to fast unto death, the king declares and concludes with the firm words that the poet would come there anytime now and asks the others to save him a seat.
The interesting thing we learn from this song is how the poet and the king had never met each other and yet had developed such a deep, mutual affection. I think they could be called the ‘pen pals of the Sangam era’. It’s possible many in the current generation do not even know the term ‘pen pal’, for this is a friendship forged through letters in a time long gone. A nostalgic time when the art of letter writing reigned supreme, whereas now even emails come only from advertisers and businesses selling their wares. Returning, we see how the friendship between this monarch and this wordsmith had grown so strong in a time when modes of communication must have been few. Something that tells us that it’s interest and time you need, not technology or resources, to build meaningful bridges between hearts!
In this episode, we perceive trust in friendship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 215, penned about the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar by the Chozha King Koperunchozhan. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Praise’, the verse reveals the deep trust in the heart of this king.
கவைக் கதிர் வரகின் அவைப்புறு வாக்கல்
தாது எரு மறுகின் போதொடு பொதுளிய
வேளை வெண் பூ வெண் தயிர்க் கொளீஇ,
ஆய்மகள் அட்ட அம் புளி மிதவை
அவரை கொய்யுநர் ஆர மாந்தும்
தென்னம் பொருப்பன் நல் நாட்டுள்ளும்
பிசிரோன் என்ப, என் உயிர் ஓம்புநனே;
செல்வக் காலை நிற்பினும்,
அல்லற் காலை நில்லலன்மன்னே.
A tiny verse that contains a mountain-like emotion. We have seen song upon song in which a poet praises a king, and here, the roles are reversed and it’s a king singing the praises of a poet. The Chozha king’s words can be translated as follows:
“On the cooked rice of pounded ‘varagu’ millet, gathered from mature, branching stalks, adding bright ‘velai’ flowers that abound on streets filled with dung dust, and also, white curd, the herder girl serves this delicious sour porridge to those who pluck ‘avarai beans’, who eat it with relish in the fine country of the king, who rules the southern seas. Here, in a town called ‘Pisir’ lives one, who regards my life as his own; When I’m in prosperity, he may abstain, but in such times of adversity, he would never stay away!’
Let’s take a deeper look at these words. The king starts by talking about a meal being prepared. The first ingredient is ‘varagu’ or ‘proso millet’ that has been plucked and pounded and cooked to perfection. Next, a particular flower from the ‘velai’ plant, which is said to grow on roadsides is mentioned. Researching more, found that this ‘velai’ refers to a plant called ‘arrowleaf sida’ and is one used in folk medicine from antiquity. Australian Aborigines, Mexicans and even proponents of Ayurveda are united in using this plant for multiple ailments. Returning, the flower is added to the cooked rice and then white curd is finally mixed. Now, the king reveals who has been doing the cooking and it turns out to be a herder girl, who is serving this food to the labourers out plucking the bean crop. This detailed description has been rendered to give a clear picture of the domain of a Pandya king, described as the king of the southern seas.
Why is this Chozha king taking so much effort to describe the land of his traditional enemy? Only to say that in one town called ‘Pisir’ in that Pandya kingdom, lived a person who was the guardian of this king’s life. Saying that, the king concludes with the words that while it’s possible that this person from Pisir may not visit when all was well, he would never stay away in a time like that, filled with suffering. And now, we come to the question of why it was a time of suffering for this Chozha king. To understand, we need to know that this is happening at a time when the king is heartbroken by his sons, who wanted to wage war on him. So, he decides to give up his life, by sitting facing the north – a custom among Sangam kings to attain an honourable death by fasting. When news of this spreads, poets and well-wishers come to visit the king as he takes upon his fast unto death. Since the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar had not turned up there, other poets raise doubts about whether he would come at all. It’s then this king declares without a shred of doubt in his mind that his friend indeed will come to his side, once the news reaches him in the southern country of the Pandyas. It’s interesting how when describing the Pandya king, this Chozha king does not talk about riches or valour like poets usually do, but instead describes a simple meal at a humble home, thereby upholding the integrity that this is not praise about a king but about a poet who lived in that land. Beyond these subtleties, what shines on timelessly are those words echoing aloud the unshakeable trust in a true friend!
In this episode, we listen to a rousing argument for doing good, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 214, penned by the Chozha King Koperunchozhan. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Common themes’ and puts forth the rationale for living a life of high ideals.
‘செய்குவம்கொல்லோ, நல்வினை?’ எனவே
ஐயம் அறாஅர், கசடு ஈண்டு காட்சி
நீங்கா நெஞ்சத்துத் துணிவு இல்லோரே;
யானை வேட்டுவன் யானையும் பெறுமே;
குறும்பூழ் வேட்டுவன் வறுங் கையும் வருமே:
அதனால், உயர்ந்த வேட்டத்து உயர்ந்திசினோர்க்கு,
செய்வினை மருங்கின் எய்தல் உண்டு எனின்,
தொய்யா உலகத்து நுகர்ச்சியும் கூடும்;
தொய்யா உலகத்து நுகர்ச்சி இல் எனின்,
மாறிப் பிறப்பின் இன்மையும் கூடும்;
மாறிப் பிறவார் ஆயினும், இமயத்துக்
கோடு உயர்ந்தன்ன தம் இசை நட்டு,
தீது இல் யாக்கையொடு மாய்தல் தவத் தலையே.
After listening to poets celebrate this king, we get to hear from the ruler himself. The Chozha king’s words can be translated as follows:
“Those who ask, ‘Should I do good deeds?’ and who are never rid of their doubts, are endlessly looking at the world with a flawed perspective, without strength in their hearts. One hunting for an elephant may win an elephant; Another hunting for a mere quail may returned empty-handed too; And so, if it’s true that the great ones who have high ideals are sure to benefit from the good deeds done, then they may enjoy the pleasures of the endless world; If there’s nothing called the pleasures of the endless world, they may attain the release from another birth; Even if they are to be born again, still it’s a noble thing to part away from a blameless life, after planting one’s fame firmly like a soaring peak of the Himalayas!”
Let’s delve into the nuances of these words. The king gives his opinion of people, who hesitate in life, full of doubts, wondering if they should do good deeds or not. He declares that these people lack a clear view of life and are devoid of inner strength. Then, he goes on to talk about how a person who thinks that he must hunt and bring home an elephant may succeed in doing that. At the same time, another person who thinks all I need is a quail today, may fail in their easy task and come home with nothing in their hands. And so, one should aim high, the king declares.
The king continues by sharing how there’s a belief that those people who aim high would be rewarded for their actions and that reward is a life of joy in the eternal land of the dead. If that’s not true and there is no such thing as a life of joy in eternity, then maybe they will escape being born again in this world. If even that is false and they end up being born again, even so it’s better to part from this world having lived a flawless life and having established one’s fame like a Himalayan peak. In short, the king clearly states that many are the rewards promised in the future for your good deeds but even if none of that happens, it’s better to have lived a life of good in the present.
A verse that informs us about the uncertainties regarding afterlife that was prevalent in Sangam thought. In later centuries, there arose an unshakeable faith in eternal life and concepts of heaven where religion seemed to exert an overt influence on human thinking. Here, there’s contemplation on various possibilities. A philosophy that’s logical and scientific even at the core. There is no fanaticism here, no declaration that this and only this is the right way of seeing the world. Rather, there is intellectual humility on the part of this king, who says all these beliefs may turn out to be totally false. Without resorting to the easy argument of faith, this ruler from two thousand years ago makes a persuasive case for doing good and aspiring high, something relevant and relatable beyond space and time!
In this episode, we listen to arguments put forth against a king's decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 213, penned about the Chozha King Koperunchozhan by the poet Pullaatroor Eyitriyanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse reveals the influence held by poets in setting Sangam rulers on the right path.
In this episode, we hear of the joy and wealth that abounds in a land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 212, penned about the Chozha King Koperunchozhan by the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' and sketches the satisfaction in the hearts of people vividly.
In this episode, we perceive the unyielding attitude of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 211, penned about the Chera King Kudakko Cheral Irumporai by the poet Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse elaborates on the efforts taken to win the grace of this patron.
In this episode, we perceive the pitiable state of a poet's family, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 210, penned about the Chera King Kudakko Cheral Irumporai by the poet Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse echoes the despair felt by the poet.
In this episode, we perceive how a disappointment is handled, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 209, penned about the Velir King Moovan by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and sketches the riches in a king's land.
In this episode, we learn of the precise expectation of a poet from a patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 208, penned to the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Perunchitharanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse reveals nuances in the art of gifting.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a poet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 207, penned to a Velir King’s brother Ilavelimaan by the poet Perunchithiranaar.. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and illustrates aspects of giving without the right spirit.
In this episode, we perceive the proud and upright stance of a poet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 206, penned to the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji, by the famous female poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse records the affront experienced by this poet because of the king's attitude.
In this episode, we learn of the good name earned by a king of a minor region, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 205, penned about the Velir King Kadiya Neduvettuvan by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse defines the nature of this king's generosity.
In this episode, we perceive the subtleties in seeking charity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 204, penned to the Velir King Valvil Ori by the poet Kazhaithin Yaanaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and reveals the unshakeable affection the poet feels for this king.
In this episode, we listen to a plea from a poet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 203, penned to the Chozha King Paamuloor Erintha Neythalankaanal Ilanchetchenni by the poet Oonpothi Pasunkudaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse counsels a king on the importance of giving.
In this episode, we perceive a unique way of expressing disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 202, penned to the Velir King Irungkovel by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and sketches vividly the reaction of a poet to a king's unrelenting attitude.
In this episode, we listen to a request put forth to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 201, penned about the Velir King Irugkovel by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse sketches the greatness of this king and his ancestors.
In this episode, we relish the rich imagery and intricate narration about people and places, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 200, penned to the Velir King Vichiko by the prolific poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse puts forth a unique request to this king.
In this episode, we perceive the nature of supplicants, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 199, penned by the poet Perumpathumanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and speaks about the bond between patrons and those who look up to them.
In this episode, we hear about the wealth and power of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 198, penned about the Pandya King Ilavanthikaippalli Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse reveals the regard the patron holds in the mind of this poet.
In this episode, we perceive what a poet truly expects, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 197, penned about the Chozha King Kuraapalli Thunjiya Perunthirumaavalavan by the poet Konattu Erichaloor Maadalan Madurai Kumaranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and speaks about integrity in the midst of poverty.
In this episode, we listen to an exposition of qualities in a patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 196, penned about the Pandya King Ilavanthikaippalli Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse reveals the dejection and poverty of this poet.
In this episode, we listen to words of advice rendered to the aged, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 195, penned by the poet Nariveruvoo Thalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse talks about the way to be before life ends.
In this episode, we perceive the contrasting elements of this world, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 194, penned by the poet Pakkudukkai Nankaniyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and speaks about the right approach to living.
In this episode, we perceive a stack of similes, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 193, penned by the poet Or Er Uzhavanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse focuses on the dynamics between a man and his family.
In this episode, we perceive a timeless thought about this world and our presence here, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 192, penned by the poet Kaniyan Poonkundranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes' and distills the essence of what life and living is.
In this episode, we relish an insightful perspective on ageing, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 191, penned by the poet Pisiranthaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse puts forth the reasons for the poet's youthful appearance.
In this episode, we perceive an illustration of the right kind of friendship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 190, penned by a Chozha King Nalluthiran. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse presents a comparative study on the efforts of people.
In this episode, we listen to an account of equalising elements, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 189, penned by the poet Madurai Kanakkaayanaar Makanaar Nakkeeranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes' and reveals the purpose of having wealth.
In this episode, we see how children were seen in the ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 188, penned by the Pandya King Arivudai Nambi. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse reveals the Sangam perspective on what gives meaning to a person's life.
In this episode, we hear of the one thing that defines the goodness of a land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 187, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes' and talks about how the type of land in a nation is of no consequence.
In this episode, we perceive the importance of a king to his country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 186, penned by the poet Mosi Keeranaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the verse talks about the true life of a land.
In this episode, we perceive a metaphor for leadership, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 185, penned by a Velir King Thondaimaan Ilanthiraiyan. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common Themes', the king renders his words of wisdom with visual imagery.
In this episode, we receive insights about the right kind of taxation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 184, penned about the Pandya King Arivudai Nambi by the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and renders words of advice to this king.
In this episode, we perceive the importance accorded to education in the ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 183, penned by the Pandya King Aariyappadai Kadantha Nedunchezhiyan. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Common themes', the verse talks about the special privileges of the learned.
In this episode, we encounter a list of celebrated virtues, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 182, penned by the Pandya King Kadalul Maaintha Ilamperuvazhuthi. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'Miscellaneous matters' and reveals the reasons why the world lives on.
In this episode, we learn of the way to a town ruled by a famous patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 181, penned about the Velir King Vallaar Kizhaan Pannan by the poet Sonaattu Mukaiyaloor Sirukarunthumbiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai' or 'Victory', the verse reveals the battle fame of this king in a subtle manner.
In this episode, we learn of the dynamics between courage and compassion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 180, penned about the Velir King Eernthoor Kizhaan Thoyan Maaran by the poet Konattu Erichaloor Maadalan Madurai Kumaranaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai' or 'Victory', the verse relates the response of this king to requests from supplicants.
In this episode, we learn of the generosity of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 179, penned about the Velir King Naalai Kizhavan Naakan by the poet Vadanedunthathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and talks about the name and fame of this ruler.
In this episode, we perceive the compassion and courage of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 178, penned about the Velir King Pandiyan Keeransaathan by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse presents two contrasting traits of this king.
In this episode, we perceive intriguing references to food and drink in the ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 177, penned about the Velir King Malli Kizhaan Kaariyaathi by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and speaks about the hospitality in this king's country.
In this episode, we perceive the joy felt in a king's presence, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 176, penned about the Velir King Nalliyakodan by the poet Purathinai Nannaakanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse renders the natural prosperity of this king's country.
In this episode, we listen to a declaration of reverence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 175, penned about the Velir King Aathanungan by the poet Kallil Aathiraiyanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse sketches the greatness of this ruler.
In this episode, the greatness of a king's ancestor is illustrated, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 174, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Chozhiya Venaathi Thirukkannan by the female poet Maarokaththu Nappasalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and portrays the timely presence of this king in the life of his subjects.
In this episode, we perceive scenes and sounds around a patron's home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 173, penned about a local leader Sirukudi Kizhaan Pannan by the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse details the generosity of this leader.
In this episode, we listen to jubilant words of a supplicant, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 172, penned about the Velir King Pittankotran by the poet Vadama Vannakkan Thamotharanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and reveals the worry-free life that a person who has won the favour of this king can live!
In this episode, we perceive the boundless generosity of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 171, penned about the Velir King Pittankotran by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaari Kannanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse mentions what a boon the king is, to those who come seeking to him.
In this episode, we perceive the contrasting elements in a king's personality, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 170, penned about the Velir King Pittankotran by the poet Uraiyoor Maruthuvan Thaamotharanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse conveys a sharp message to the king's enemies.
In this episode, we learn of the courage of a king in battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 169, penned about the Velir King Pittankotran by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaari Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise' and puts forth a demand to this king.
In this episode, we experience the hospitality of a mountain land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 168, penned about the Velir King Pittankotran by the poet Karuvoor Kathapillai Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'Praise', the verse reveals the widespread renown of this king.
In this episode, we perceive a unique style of praise, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 167, penned about the Velir King Enaathi Thirukkilli by the poet Konattu Erichaloor Maadalan Madurai Kumaranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory' and sketches the personality of this king.
In this episode, we listen to an account of religious rituals, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 166, penned about a priestly man Sonaattu Poonchaatroor Paarpaan Kouniyan Vinnanthaayan by the poet Aavoor Moolankizhar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Victory', the verse talks about the triumph of one belief system over another.
In this episode, we encounter a dramatic event involving a poet and a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 165, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse takes a message of deep significance to the king's brother.
In this episode, we listen to a determined request put forth to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 164, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and reveals the impoverished state of the poet's family.
In this episode, we relish a heartwarming verse on sharing, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 163, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse echoes the words spoken by the poet to his wife on returning home from the king's court.
In this episode, we see the victory and vindication in a poet's stance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 162, penned to a Velir King's brother Ilavelimaan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and illustrates how the poet forgives not a lack of generosity.
In this episode, we perceive deep wishes in a poet's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 161, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse presents a geographic simile to depict the king's nature.
In this episode, we are presented with intricate facets of life from a poet's home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 160, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse reveals the renown of this king.
In this episode, we perceive the food and life of a family in poverty, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 159, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and puts forth a specific request about gifting to this king.
In this episode, we are presented with a list of great kings from ancient Tamil land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 158, penned about the Velir King Kumanan by the poet Perunchithiranaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and talks about the new hope on the poets’ horizon.
முரசு கடிப்பு இகுப்பவும், வால் வளை துவைப்பவும்,
அரசுடன் பொருத அண்ணல் நெடு வரை,
கறங்கு வெள் அருவி கல் அலைத்து ஒழுகும்
பறம்பின் கோமான் பாரியும்; பிறங்கு மிசைக்
கொல்லி ஆண்ட வல் வில் ஓரியும்;
காரி ஊர்ந்து பேர் அமர்க் கடந்த,
மாரி ஈகை, மறப் போர் மலையனும்;
ஊராது ஏந்திய குதிரை, கூர் வேல்,
கூவிளங் கண்ணி, கொடும் பூண், எழினியும்;
ஈர்ந் தண் சிலம்பின் இருள் தூங்கு நளி முழை,
அருந் திறல் கடவுள் காக்கும் உயர் சிமை,
பெருங் கல் நாடன் பேகனும்; திருந்து மொழி
மோசி பாடிய ஆயும்; ஆர்வம் உற்று
உள்ளி வருநர் உலைவு நனி தீர,
தள்ளாது ஈயும் தகைசால் வண்மை,
கொள்ளார் ஓட்டிய, நள்ளியும் என ஆங்கு
எழுவர் மாய்ந்த பின்றை, ‘அழிவரப்
பாடி வருநரும் பிறரும் கூடி
இரந்தோர் அற்றம் தீர்க்கு’ என, விரைந்து, இவண்
உள்ளி வந்தனென், யானே; விசும்புறக்
கழை வளர் சிலம்பின் வழையொடு நீடி,
ஆசினிக் கவினிய பலவின் ஆர்வுற்று,
முள் புற முது கனி பெற்ற கடுவன்
துய்த் தலை மந்தியைக் கையிடூஉப் பயிரும்,
அதிரா யாணர், முதிரத்துக் கிழவ!
இவண் விளங்கு சிறப்பின், இயல் தேர்க் குமண!
இசை மேந்தோன்றிய வண்மையொடு,
பகை மேம்படுக, நீ ஏந்திய வேலே!
A long song that is something of a historical record. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“The ruler of Parambu, King Paari, the respected leader, who, as drums were struck with sticks and white conch shells were blown, battled with the three great kings, and in whose tall mountains resounding white cascades pour down, rolling rocks many; The skilful archer Ori, who ruled over the towering peaks of Kolli; King Malaiyan, who mounted on his horse called Kaari and crossed great battlefields many; Ezhini, who ruled over a horse that doesn’t trot, the mountain of Kuthirai, wielding a sharp spear, and wearing bael flowers and curving ornaments; Bekan, the ruler of the great mountain land with moist and cool slopes filled with many caves, where darkness resides, and the towering peaks of which are guarded by a god of great strength; King Ay, sung about by the man of perfect words Mosi; The famous and strong Nalli, who drove away enemies many and quenched the suffering of those who came with desire and ceaselessly rendered unto them;
After seven such great men passed away, I came here hoping, ‘For those who sing with suffering and others too, who come in supplication, there’s one who will end their yearning’. In the soaring mountains, where bamboos shoot to the skies, a male monkey, wanting to relish a jackfruit, finds a thorny ripe fruit and then calls out to its soft-headed mate with a hand gesture. With such unceasing prosperity is Muthiram, your domain, O lord! Such is your great fame, O Kumanan, the possessor of speedy chariots. Like your renowned generosity, may it reign supreme – that spear you wield over your enemies!”
Let’s take a closer look at the words herein. The poet goes on to some length to describe seven great Velir Kings in the Sangam era. Leading the list is Paari of Parambu, with details about his clash with the Chera, Chozha and Pandya kings. Next is the archer Ori, the ruler of Kolli hills. Following him closely comes Malaiyaman alias Kaari, riding a horse of the same name. The fourth in the list is Ezhini, who is in fact, Athiyaman Neduman Anji, and his domain is said to be ‘Kuthirai’, the Tamil word for ‘horse’ and to differentiate the two, the poet mentions that this ‘Kuthirai’ trots not! Then, comes Bekan, who is supposed to rule over a mountain country that’s protected by a God, and scholars are of the opinion that this refers to God Murugan and one of his seven hills in the Tamil country. Only two more to go and one is King Ay, whose great fame is in being sung about by the poet Mosi. This poet’s words must carry a lot of weightage to be a sign of honour for the king. Final in the list is Nalli known for his courage in the battlefield and compassion to those who sought his grace.
Why has the poet inscribed with his words this list of seven? Only to say that after those seven passed away, there was no one worthy to end the suffering of poets and other supplicants and the only hope was this king Kumanan, who ruled over the fertile peak of Muthiram. To etch this mountain land, the poet talks about the desire of a male monkey to eat a jackfruit and its wish being granted right there in the king’s land. Having found that thorny fruit, the monkey beckons its mate to come and share, the poet sketches. He then ends with a blessing to the king wishing for his generosity and the victory of his spear over enemies to reign supreme always. And thus, we get to meet a king, who is seen as the one come to fill the void left by seven and that’s a huge responsibility indeed!
In this episode, we listen to a glowing tribute to a leader from the mountains, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 157, penned about the local leader Eraikkon by the poet Kuramakal Ilaveyini. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘Leader’s praise’ and speaks about the qualities of the leader and his land.
தமர் தற் தப்பின் அது நோன்றல்லும்,
பிறர் கையறவு தான் நாணுதலும்,
படைப் பழி தாரா மைந்தினன் ஆகலும்,
வேந்துடை அவையத்து ஓங்குபு நடத்தலும்,
நும்மோர்க்குத் தகுவன அல்ல; எம்மோன்,
சிலை செல மலர்ந்த மார்பின், கொலை வேல்,
கோடல் கண்ணி, குறவர் பெருமகன்
ஆடு மழை தவிர்க்கும் பயம் கெழு மீமிசை,
எல் படு பொழுதின், இனம் தலைமயங்கி,
கட்சி காணாக் கடமான் நல் ஏறு
மட மான் நாகு பிணை பயிரின், விடர் முழை
இரும் புலிப் புகர்ப் போத்து ஓர்க்கும்
பெருங் கல் நாடன் எம் ஏறைக்குத் தகுமே.
A unique song that introduces us to a local leader from the ‘Kurinji’ regions or mountain lands. This female poet identifies Erai as the leader of her region. Her words can be translated as follows:
“Being tolerant of the mistakes made by one’s own kin, feeling regretful for the helplessness of others, never being the cause of shame in an army engaged in battle, walking with dignity in the court of great kings – These are attributes that do not fit your leaders, but are meant only for my leader, who has a wide chest, well-suited to wield a mighty bow, bears a killer spear and wears a garland of glory lilies – He, who is the chief of our hill people, the lord of the huge mountains, in whose domain, the towering formidable peaks impede swaying rain clouds, and when the day ends, being lost from its herd, unable to see its home, a handsome male deer calls out to its naive mate, making a huge tiger, lying in a cave in the mountain cleft, prick its ears in response.”
Time to explore the nuances here. The poet starts by listing the characteristics of great men and says these are, not minding the mistakes of those close to us, feeling down about the helplessness of others, being blameless in battle and dignified in the court of kings. Let’s delve in detail into each of these attributes in a short while. Before we do, we’ll understand why the poet has listed the same. We learn that this is to declare to someone that such noble qualities are not fitting for that person’s leader. However, these were perfect for her leader, Erai, the lord of the mountains. From there, she goes on to describe how their chief has a broad chest, perfect for placing a bow and aiming a speeding arrow. Not only that, he holds in his grasp, a powerful spear, and further, his land is identified by the garland of glory lilies he wears. From the physical descriptions of this leader, she moves on to his land and talks about how those peaks stop rain clouds in their track, and gives us a geography lesson on windward side and leeward side of this mountainous region. To talk further about the life in that land, she brings to spotlight a male deer that’s lost from its herd at twilight, calling out to its mate. Hearing this call, a tiger lying in its cave looks up intently, concludes this poet.
The feminine touch of the poet is evident in her rendition of the land of this leader, by sketching the place and time so vividly with elements of wildlife and weather, something that reminds me of the ‘Aham’ verses of Natrinai and Kurunthogai. Moving on to those qualities that are said to be befitting her great leader, we see how the very first one is about being forgiving. If a leader was to hold grudges and feel affronted at everything, he would never have the support of the people, the verse seems to imply. The next is a curious quality of feeling ashamed about the helplessness of others. We have to go deeper into this statement to understand that this sense of shame or sorrow comes from a feeling in the leader that no one he knows should suffer in need because of their poverty, and that’s what impels them to go in search of wealth and give to the needy. To gain that wealth, the leader leaves his lush domain and fights in the battles of greater kings, and here, he’s celebrated for his valour, and finally, that appreciation makes the leader walk with head held high in the court of the greatest rulers of the land. And through this verse, we understand the logic that made leaders of small tribes leave their region and go fight in the battles of kings, who controlled larger domains in ancient Tamil land. More importantly, we perceive the exact qualities that was considered noble about a leader in the eyes of his followers!
In this episode, we hear praises addressed to a leader’s domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 156, penned about the leader Konkaanam Kizhaan by the poet Mosi Keeranaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’, the verse explains the unique greatness of the region.
ஒன்று நன்கு உடைய பிறர் குன்றம்; என்றும்
இரண்டு நன்கு உடைத்தே கொண் பெருங் கானம்;
நச்சிச் சென்ற இரவலர்ச் சுட்டித்
தொடுத்து உணக் கிடப்பினும் கிடக்கும்; அஃதான்று
நிறை அருந் தானை வேந்தரைத்
திறை கொண்டு பெயர்க்கும் செம்மலும் உடைத்தே.
A short song with a crisp message about the local leader of Konkaanam. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“The peaks of others have but one benefit, whereas Konkaanam has two benefits always. For supplicants who go thither with desire, it will always be filled with food and wealth that they point to and claim for themselves; Not only that, it has the pride of seeing kings with abundant and formidable armies render taxes and return!”
Let’s take a closer look at the verse. The poet starts with a generic statement about the peaks of others, and by this, we can understand that leaders and chieftains established their domain around a hilly region and their capital was denoted by the tallest point of these hills. The generic statement the poet makes is that those other peaks would have only one great thing about them but when it comes to Konkaanam, two are its virtues. One is having mounds and mounds of food and wealth such that each supplicant, who comes there could point to what he wants and have it to his heart’s content too, the poet explains. He concludes with the words about the other fame the peak has, talking about how it has the ability to subdue even kings with terrifying armies and make them pay taxes to this leader before they retreat.
In a nutshell, the poet is saying this peak abounds both in wealth and valour, which according to him is a rare occurrence. Although he says this is rare, haven’t we seen in song after song about how kings many are exemplary both in compassion and courage? From the repeated occurrence of these elements, we can conclude that the ancient Tamils thought the two indispensable duties of a leader was to render to those who came seeking to him and to repel those who came opposing him!
In this episode, we perceive a glowing simile for generosity, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 155, penned about the leader Konkaanam Kizhaan by the poet Mosi Keeranaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’, the verse shows a bard the way to end his poverty.
வணர் கோட்டுச் சீறியாழ் வாடுபுடைத் தழீஇ,
‘உணர்வோர் யார், என் இடும்பை தீர்க்க?’ என,
கிளக்கும், பாண! கேள், இனி நயத்தின்,
பாழ் ஊர் நெருஞ்சிப் பசலை வான் பூ
ஏர்தரு சுடரின் எதிர்கொண்டாஅங்கு,
இலம்படு புலவர் மண்டை விளங்கு புகழ்க்
கொண் பெருங் கானத்துக் கிழவன்
தண் தார் அகலம் நோக்கின, மலர்ந்தே.
Another song by this poet in praise of this leader. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“O bard, holding a small lute with a curving stem, with worry, you ask me, ‘Who is there to understand my suffering and end it?’. Listen intently! Akin to how the bright flowers of the ‘nerunji’ shrub in the deserted town blooms when seeing the rising sun, bowls belonging to impoverished poets too bloom, when they see the garland-clad cool chest of the famous leader of Konkaanam!”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet sketches the bard standing before him by talking about the musical instrument, a lute, which he’s carrying, as well as the sorrowful expression on his face. This bard puts forth a question to the poet asking with yearning if there was anyone who could end his hardship. Instead of giving a direct answer saying that so-and-so will get it done for you, in poetic style, the poet talks of a Caltrop plant in a deserted town. Why a deserted town specifically? That’s because this is a thorny flower with burs that brings great discomfort to those walking. Had humans been living there, they would have weeded it out for their comfort, for sure! Returning to the verse, the poet says, every day, when the shrub sees the sun rise, it will spread open the buds of its bright yellow flowers. And just like that, anyone who goes seeking to the leader of Konkaanam will find their bowls blooming with plenty, when they stand facing the garland-clad chest of the leader, the poet concludes!
The assurance the sun gives to a flower is extracted and projected onto the confidence this leader’s generosity inspires in those who come seeking to him. To be seen as unfailing and dependable as the life-giving sun etches the unshakeable trust of those who have sought and won the favour of this leader!
In this episode, we learn of a poet’s regard for a chieftain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 154, penned about a local leader Konkaanam Kizhaan by the poet Mosi Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ and reveals the poet’s present state of mind.
திரை பொரு முந்நீர்க் கரை நணிச் செலினும்,
அறியுநர்க் காணின், வேட்கை நீக்கும்
சில் நீர் வினவுவர், மாந்தர்; அது போல்,
அரசர் உழையராகவும், புரை தபு
வள்ளியோர்ப் படர்குவர், புலவர்: அதனால்,
யானும், ‘பெற்றது ஊதியம்; பேறு யாது?’ என்னேன்;
உற்றனென் ஆதலின் உள்ளி வந்தனனே;
‘ஈ’ என இரத்தலோ அரிதே; நீ அது
நல்கினும், நல்காய் ஆயினும், வெல் போர்
எறி படைக்கு ஓடா ஆண்மை, அறுவைத்
தூ விரி கடுப்பத் துவன்றி மீமிசைத்
தண் பல இழிதரும் அருவி நின்
கொண் பெருங் கானம், பாடல் எனக்கு எளிதே.
So far, we have seen poems about kings and rulers, but now we get to meet a local chieftain of a region called Konkaanam. This poet is known to have found favour with one of the ancient Tamil emperors, the Chera king Irumporai, as we saw in Puranaanooru 50. Seeing this renowned poet in his region, this chieftain is delighted but worries that he has nothing worthy to give to a poet of his stature. Sensing the leader’s worry, the poet says these words:
“Even when people are close to the shore brimming with ocean waves, when they see knowledgeable people, they would ask for the way to find a few drops of water to quench their thirst. Akin to that, even when kings are there, poets seek out impeccable, generous others. And so, I won’t say, ‘This is what I got. What’s the use?’. As I’m impoverished, I came seeking your patronage. I find it hard to demand charity. Whether you render it or not, to sing, of your manliness that does not run away from murderous armies, and of your mountain land of Konkaanam, from where many cool cascades descend as if a pristine white cloth is spread over the land, is easy indeed for me!”
Time to take a deeper look at the poet’s words. He brings before us a relatable simile of how even when people are standing very close to a huge body of water, an ocean, they ask for a way to get a few drops of drinking water to those around. Like that, even though the poet knows of emperors, he has sought out the compassionate among the commoners like this leader, the poet implies. He assures the chieftain that he would never look down upon whatever is given unto him. He then talks about his impoverished state and still, how it’s hard for him to demand anything of his patrons. He concludes by saying whether the leader renders anything to the poet or not, it’s easy for him to sing about the greatness of the chieftain and his lush cascade-flowing region.
Curious contrast in the depiction of what’s hard and easy for the poet- Hard to ask for charity but easy to render praise! An apt simile connecting one’s seeking water amidst an ocean and seeking the good even when knowing the great! Finally, the poet’s statement about not belittling anything he is given holds a timeless lesson for us in savouring, without judgement, the gifts we’ve been given, be it from a person or life itself!
In this episode, we learn of unintended consequences of charity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 153, penned about the Velir King Valvil Ori by the poet Vanparanar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse speaks about the state of artists, who have witnessed this king’s generosity.
மழை அணி குன்றத்துக் கிழவன், நாளும்,
இழை அணி யானை இரப்போர்க்கு ஈயும்,
சுடர் விடு பசும் பூண், சூர்ப்பு அமை முன் கை,
அடு போர் ஆனா, ஆதன் ஓரி
மாரி வண் கொடை காணிய, நன்றும்
சென்றதுமன், எம் கண்ணுளங் கடும்பே;
பனி நீர்ப் பூவா மணி மிடை குவளை
வால் நார்த் தொடுத்த கண்ணியும், கலனும்,
யானை இனத்தொடு பெற்றனர், நீங்கி,
பசியாராகல் மாறுகொல் விசி பிணிக்
கூடு கொள் இன் இயம் கறங்க,
ஆடலும் ஒல்லார், தம் பாடலும் மறந்தே?
A change of pace from the long song we previously encountered. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Hearing about the lord of the cloud-covered mountains and his everyday charity of granting gold-decked elephants to those who came seeking to him, my troupe of performers went to witness for themselves, the rain-like rich generosity of the esteemed Ori – the one who loves battles, and the one who wears radiant ornaments and a curving armlet on his strong forearms. They returned with a garland stringed together with blue lotuses that bloom not in cool waters, jewels many, and herds of elephants too. Could it be because they seem to have no hunger any more that they have forgotten how to sing and dance to the pleasant sounds of their well-stringed musical instruments?”
Let’s delve into the words here. The poet starts by mentioning how the fame of King Ori had reached the ears of his performing troupe of bards, singers and dancers. They had heard about how he gives away elephants to people who come seeking his patronage, and so, wanting to see that for themselves they headed to meet the man! In line with the review about him, the king seemed to have given them lotuses that don’t bloom in the water, implying that these have bloomed in the goldsmith’s forge. Not only that, numerous jewels and entire herds of elephants were donated by this king, the poet says. He concludes by speculating the reason for these performers not singing, dancing or playing their musical instruments any more and declares it must be because they have forgotten what hunger is!
Yet again, the poet establishes that art prospers only where there’s want! Too much comfort and complacency go not hand in hand with artistic creations seems to be the philosophy then. Turning in another direction, I want to bring your attention to the way the king is addressed in this verse. He’s called ‘Aathan Ori’. This is of special interest because in the Keezhadi excavations, numerous pot shards were found with the inscription ‘Aathan’ in ancient Tamil script. Recently, I learnt from the words of an archaeologist on a podcast that ‘Aathan’ is not a name from the Sangam era but an honorific like the Japanese ‘San’. This Sangam verse shakes hands with that archaeologist’s inference in using that word to address this Velir King with respect and admiration. Fascinating to find these nuanced links between fields in the shards of these words from the past!
In this episode, we are introduced to a new king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 152, penned about the Velir King Valvil Ori by the poet Vanparanar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse narrates the poet’s encounter with this king.
‘வேழம் வீழ்த்த விழுத் தொடைப் பகழி
பேழ் வாய் உழுவையைப் பெரும்பிறிது உறீஇ,
புழல் தலைப் புகர்க் கலை உருட்டி, உரல் தலைக்
கேழற் பன்றி வீழ, அயலது
ஆழல் புற்றத்து உடும்பில் செற்றும்,
வல் வில் வேட்டம் வலம் படுத்து இருந்தோன்,
புகழ்சால் சிறப்பின் அம்பு மிகத் திளைக்கும்
கொலைவன் யார்கொலோ? கொலைவன் மற்று இவன்
விலைவன் போலான்; வெறுக்கை நன்கு உடையன்;
ஆரம் தாழ்ந்த அம் பகட்டு மார்பின்,
சாரல் அருவிப் பய மலைக் கிழவன்,
ஓரி கொலோ? அல்லன்கொல்லோ?
பாடுவல், விறலி! ஓர் வண்ணம்; நீரும்
மண் முழா அமைமின்; பண் யாழ் நிறுமின்;
கண் விடு தூம்பின் களிற்று உயிர் தொடுமின்;
எல்லரி தொடுமின்; ஆகுளி தொடுமின்;
பதலை ஒரு கண் பையென இயக்குமின்;
மதலை மாக் கோல் கைவலம் தமின்’ என்று,
இறைவன் ஆகலின், சொல்லுபு குறுகி,
மூ ஏழ் துறையும் முறையுளிக் கழிப்பி,
‘கோ’ எனப் பெயரிய காலை, ஆங்கு அது
தன் பெயர் ஆகலின் நாணி, மற்று, ‘யாம்
நாட்டிடன் நாட்டிடன் வருதும்; ஈங்கு ஓர்
வேட்டுவர் இல்லை, நின் ஒப்போர்’ என,
வேட்டது மொழியவும் விடாஅன், வேட்டத்தில்
தான் உயிர் செகுத்த மான் நிணப் புழுக்கோடு,
ஆன் உருக்கு அன்ன வேரியை நல்கி,
தன் மலைப் பிறந்த தா இல் நன் பொன்,
பல் மணிக் குவையொடும் விரைஇ, ‘கொண்ம்’ என,
சுரத்திடை நல்கியோனே விடர்ச் சிமை
ஓங்கு இருங் கொல்லிப் பொருநன்,
ஓம்பா ஈகை விறல் வெய்யோனே!
A mighty long verse indeed, which seems to be the defining style of this poet when it comes to introductions. His words can be translated as follows:
“After felling an elephant, that well-shot arrow brought death to a huge-mouthed tiger, made the head of hollow-horned, spotted dear roll, pushed down the mortar-headed boar, and then ended up piercing the skin of the monitor lizard crawling near termite mounds. Who might the one, who wielded from his sturdy bow, this mighty arrow that murders many, be? He doesn’t seem like one who kills to sell; He seems to have wealth in plenty; He who has a broad and handsome chest, streaked with sandalwood, the lord of these lush mountains with abounding cascades in the slopes – Is he or is he not Ori?
Deciding he was the king indeed, I said, ‘I shall sing of one of his qualities, O dancing maiden! As for you, coat the drums with mud; play the strings of your lute; blow on the elephant-trunk-like ‘thoombu’ pipe with holes; thump the ‘ellari’ drum; beat the ‘aakuli’ drum; gently strike the skin of the ‘pathalai’ drum; and that supportive black rod, you handover to me’. Then I approached him and completed singing songs in the twenty one themes in traditional order. The moment I said, ‘O King’, since that was his title, he seemed to become embarrassed, and when I continued saying, ‘We have crossed countries many, many but have never seen a hunter equal to you’, he wouldn’t let me speak further but hastily handed to me, the fatty meat, carved from the deer he had hunted, melting toddy akin to cow’s ghee, flawless gold found in his hill along with heaps of many precious gems, and told me, ‘Take it all!’. The one who so rendered unto me in the drylands path was none other than the lord of the soaring Kolli hills, with peaks and caves many – a brave leader with unceasing charity!”
Let’s explore the details herein. To talk about the skill of this King Ori, the poet tells us the consequences of an arrow shot by this king. In normal circumstances when the arrow is employed for a hunt, you would expect the arrow to hit its target and fell an animal. However, what happens here is that arrow not only kills an elephant, but also a tiger the elephant was watching, a deer the tiger was probably stalking, a boar roaming in the jungle, and also, a monitor lizard, and ends up only when it pierces the thick skin of this lizard. This account made me instantly think of the ‘Yaka arrow’ in the Marvel Movies series of ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy’. Just like our modern writers have imagined the spectacular properties of this arrow that would kill an entire army in its trajectory, perhaps this Sangam poet is exercising his imagination to present this exaggerated version of the king’s no-doubt excellent skill in archery!
Returning to the verse, we see the poet looking at the hunter who wielded the said arrow, and deciding that this person before him is not hunting to sell and gain wealth, for he already appears wealthy. Seeing the person’s handsome looks, the poet wonders whether he could be the king of those mountains, the famous King Ori, that he has heard so much about. Arriving at the conclusion that it should indeed be him, the poet declares that he is going to sing in praise of this king and instructs his accompanying troupe of singing-dancing maiden to prepare the drums, play the lutes and strike the ‘ellari’, ‘aakuli’ and ‘pathalai’ drums. Then he asks her to give him the ‘mathalai’, a black rod used as a supportive device in their music making. Could it be similar to the conducting baton of an orchestra? Anyway, while this symphony rises, the poet completes singing the twenty one themes of songs in perfect order, he says. Probably a classic piece of those times!
After that musical presentation, the poet goes to the hunter and addresses him as ‘king’, which makes the hunter much embarrassed for he realises he has been found out. When the poet starts his praises saying that they had walked through countries many, many but seen no one as skilled as this king, Ori seems to have prevented the poet from going on further by offering the poet and his group, fatty meat, textured toddy, gold and precious gems from his mountains. The one with such an immense generosity was none other than Ori, the poet concludes!
Isn’t it somewhat funny to think that to stop the poet from praising him too much, the king stuffs his mouth with meat and toddy? Humour apart, this account brings out the humble nature of this ancient ruler, who desires not to be praised but instead was focussed only on being attentive and compassionate to those around him!
In this episode, we encounter an interesting situation involving two kings and a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 151, penned on the Velir King Ila Vichiko by the poet Perunthalai Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and relates reasons on why the king is not sung about by poets.
பண்டும் பண்டும் பாடுநர் உவப்ப,
விண் தோய் சிமைய விறல் வரைக் கவாஅன்,
கிழவன் சேட் புலம் படரின், இழை அணிந்து,
புன் தலை மடப் பிடி பரிசிலாக,
பெண்டிரும் தம் பதம் கொடுக்கும் வண் புகழ்க்
கண்டீரக்கோன்ஆகலின், நன்றும்
முயங்கல் ஆன்றிசின், யானே; பொலந் தேர்
நன்னன் மருகன் அன்றியும், நீயும்
முயங்கற்கு ஒத்தனை மன்னே; வயங்கு மொழிப்
பாடுநர்க்கு அடைத்த கதவின், ஆடு மழை
அணங்கு சால் அடுக்கம் பொழியும் நும்
மணம் கமழ் மால் வரை வரைந்தனர், எமரே.
It’s one of those verses where the situation is fascinating. This happens in the court of another king Ilan Kandeerakko, where this king is meeting with his friend and king of another clan Ila Vichiko. Just then, the poet comes to their court and sees them both. He embraces only Ilan Kandeerakko and avoids the other king. So, when this king Ila Vichiko questions the poet frankly about the perceived insult, the poet replies to him with the words that can be translated as follows:
“To the delight of those who sing praises in the long gone past, when the lords of the sky-soaring mountains had parted away to a far-off country, wearing jewels, their women would take their place, and offer soft-haired, naive, female elephants as gifts to poets. Such is the famous clan that Kandeerakko comes from. That’s why I embraced him. You would have been embraced too had you not been born in the clan of Nannan with gold-decked chariots. Not only that, since they shut the gates to those who sing with exquisite words, our people have stopped coming to the fragrant slopes in your fearsome mountain, showered upon by swaying clouds!”
Time to take a deeper look at the thoughts herein. The poet talks about the clan of Ilan Kandeerakko, the king he embraced, and says that is a clan wherein even when the menfolk are away on work to some far-off country, the women would wear jewels so as to render gifts to the poets, who come singing to their mansions. Let’s pause for a moment and understand what this signifies. We have seen in so many recent poems that when a man is away, his woman avoids dressing herself up. But here we see that the women mentioned by this poet break that tradition because they think something else is more important than abstaining from luxuries in their men’s absence, and that is being generous to the poets, who have come to their houses, singing the praises of their husbands. So, a king born in such a noble clan is worthy of my embrace, the poet implies. Next, he turns to the king questioning him and says, ‘Surely I would have embraced you too had you not been in born in the clan of Nannan”. Not just that, your ancestors were known for shutting the gates to singing bards and poets and so my kind have stopped visiting your abode in the mountains, the poet adds and concludes.
Who is this Nannan and why has he invited a dishonour that has far-reaching consequences? To understand, we have to recollect the story of Nannan’s misdeed we heard about in Kurunthogai 292, of how he put to death a young maiden, just because she happened to eat a fruit that was floating in the stream, which had apparently come from this king’s tree, with him refusing even the offer of elephants and gold equal to the weight of the girl, from her family. And that had made Nannan’s name a dishonourable one, so much so that poets continued to pass on that infamy to Nannan’s descendants, long after the one who did the deed was gone. I think this was a way that Tamil poets made their kings to toe the line of justice and compassion then. It’s indeed so easy for a king to become a tyrant when there’s so much power in their hands, as we have witnessed in dynasties across the world. However, this tendency seems to have been kept in check by the watchful poets in ancient Tamil land! Something that goes to show us the truth that we need voices of poets, writers and intellectuals ringing aloud and questioning epicentres of power, for all time and everywhere!
In this episode, we see the nature of a king’s personality come alive, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 150, penned about the Velir King Kandeera Koperum Nalli by the poet Vanparanar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse narrates an incident that happened one day in the life of the poet.
கூதிர்ப் பருந்தின் இருஞ் சிறகு அன்ன
பாறிய சிதாரேன், பலவு முதல் பொருந்தி,
தன்னும் உள்ளேன், பிறிது புலம் படர்ந்த என்
உயங்கு படர் வருத்தமும் உலைவும் நோக்கி,
மான் கணம் தொலைச்சிய குருதி அம் கழல் கால்,
வான் கதிர்த் திரு மணி விளங்கும் சென்னி,
செல்வத் தோன்றல், ஓர் வல் வில் வேட்டுவன்,
தொழுதனென் எழுவேற் கை கவித்து இரீஇ,
இழுதின் அன்ன வால் நிணக் கொழுங் குறை,
கான் அதர் மயங்கிய இளையர் வல்லே
தாம் வந்து எய்தாஅளவை, ஒய்யெனத்
தான் ஞெலி தீயின் விரைவனன் சுட்டு, ‘நின்
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கலொடு தின்ம்’ எனத் தருதலின்,
அமிழ்தின் மிசைந்து, காய்பசி நீங்கி,
நல் மரன் நளிய நறுந் தண் சாரல்,
கல் மிசை அருவி தண்ணெனப் பருகி,
விடுத்தல் தொடங்கினேனாக, வல்லே,
‘பெறுதற்கு அரிய வீறுசால் நன் கலம்
பிறிது ஒன்று இல்லை; காட்டு நாட்டேம்’ என,
மார்பில் பூண்ட வயங்கு காழ் ஆரம்
மடை செறி முன்கைக் கடகமொடு ஈத்தனன்;
‘எந் நாடோ?’ என, நாடும் சொல்லான்;
‘யாரீரோ?’ என, பேரும் சொல்லான்;
பிறர் பிறர் கூற வழிக் கேட்டிசினே
‘இரும்பு புனைந்து இயற்றாப் பெரும் பெயர்த் தோட்டி
அம் மலை காக்கும் அணி நெடுங் குன்றின்,
பளிங்கு வகுத்தன்ன தீம் நீர்,
நளி மலை நாடன் நள்ளி அவன்’ எனவே.
A long verse, no doubt, but one filled to the brim with exquisite treasures. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Wearing a ragged attire, akin to the dark wing of an eagle in the cold season, I was leaning against the trunk of a jackfruit tree, forgetting myself in the exhaustion of roving across lands many. Just then, there came a man with his beautiful, anklet-clad legs streaked with the blood of the deer herd he seemed to have hunted, his handsome head shining radiantly like the bright rays of blue sapphires. He appeared to be a man of riches, this skilled archer-hunter. As I attempted to rise so as to salute him, with his hand, he gestured to me to sit. Before his helpers who were apparently lost in the forest path could find him and arrive there, he took the white-hued fatty meat in the texture of butter and quickly roasted that in the fire that he lit. He then handed the cooked meat to me and said, “Eat along with your huge group of kin”. We ate it, as if it were ambrosia, and found our harsh hunger parting away. And then, we drank the cool waters of the cascade pouring from above the mountains in the cool slopes, filled with many luxuriant trees. As I prepared to leave, he hastily came to me. Saying, ‘We are jungle people and I don’t have a worthy ornament other than this to give you’, he gave me the pearl necklace that he was wearing on his chest and also handed me his forearm armlet with a tight clasp.
‘Which is your country?’, I asked him. He mentioned not his country.
‘Who are you?’, I asked him. He mentioned not his name.
And then, I heard many, many others in my path say, “Do you know that which goes by the great name of Thotti, not made by melting iron, but a huge mountain with tall peaks, with sweet and clear waters, akin to cut marble? He is Nalli, the protector of that huge mountain country!’.”
Wasn’t it like a twist-filled modern short story? That’s how it seemed to me when I understood the meaning and flow of this verse. Let’s delve into the nuances hiding in each detail etched here. The poet starts by sketching his state, and to do that in a visual manner, he calls to his aid, a raptor bird, could be an eagle, falcon or kite from these parts, and points out to the state of its dark wings in the cold and wet season. That image he projects on his own tattered clothes, muddied and torn, after his relentless travels. He describes his state of stupor as he seemed to sit there, leaning against the trunk of a jackfruit tree, forgetting that he even existed, so tired was he.
We have met the narrator of this story and sensed his state. Now, another character enters the scene. Instead of wordy descriptions, the poet points to the blood stains of this character’s anklet-clad feet, and tells us that the man had been hunting deer. The poet comments on the radiant face of this person and concludes that the hunter before him must be a person of wealth. In reverence, when the poet attempts to stand up so as to greet this newcomer with the right respect, seeing the state of the poet, that person raises his hand in a gesture asking the poet to sit and be as he was. A seemingly casual sign but within this, the poet makes the thoughtful and caring nature of this character resound aloud. A moment to meander and tell you how even today, it’s almost a reflex action for many Tamils, to stand up, when an elder approaches. In this poet’s stance, I find the origin for this habit!
Returning to our scene, we see the poet informing us that the person’s helpers must be lost somewhere in the forest path. Why should he specifically tell us about this? Possibly because people of eminence always travelled with a company of helpers, and also, if those helpers had been with the hunter, the poet would have been informed right away who that person was. The poet says before those helpers could catch up and arrive there, the hunter quickly lit a fire and roasted the fatty meat of deer he had with him and offered that to the poet and his group. Don’t we know how delicious something tastes when eaten in a hungry state? The poet conveys the exact same feeling, calling that food ‘ambrosia’. Hunger satiated indeed by fatty meat, but then what to do for the thirst that would rise next? No worries for there it was, a stream gushing from a cascade above, with the sweetest of waters. After drinking to his heart’s content, the poet prepares to take leave, just then, that hunter hastens to the poet and says apologetically that he has nothing else precious to give the poet because they were jungle folk and hands over the pearl necklace he was wearing and his armlet too. A pearl necklace is pretty precious to us in the twenty-first century. Was it not so to these ancients? Maybe because it was ubiquitously found in these Tamil regions, was it considered like the common beads of today? Anyway, in this act, we can sense how the hunter felt that just giving food to the poet was not enough and that he had to give him something more lasting.
After receiving these supposedly ‘not-so-precious’ gifts, the poet questions the hunter about his country and name and receives no reply from him. And then, as he goes on in his path, the poet continues his investigations and learns that the person he had just met was none other than the protector of the lush Thotti mountain, and to differentiate the name of the mountain from its namesake of a goad or hook, the poet in Sangam style, says it’s not made by melting iron. He then concludes by pronouncing the name of that hunter as the mountain monarch Nalli!
In the kindness of the king, who did not even share his name, we can see that his charity was not for praise but to truly to allay the suffering of his fellow human. The ruler did not care if the poet never found out who he was and never shared about the incident to anyone. A true mark of unconditional compassion! And through the many layers of this verse penned in a classic ‘show-don’t-tell’ style, the poet makes the character of King Nalli soar as tall as his mountains!
In this episode, we listen to the consequences of a king’s charity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 149, penned about the Velir King Kandeera Koperum Nalli by the poet Vanparanar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and renders details about the musical scene of those times.
நள்ளி! வாழியோ; நள்ளி! நள்ளென்
மாலை மருதம் பண்ணி, காலை
கைவழி மருங்கின் செவ்வழி பண்ணி,
வரவு எமர் மறந்தனர் அது நீ
புரவுக் கடன் பூண்ட வண்மையானே.
A tiny poem that holds within a quirky thought. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“O Nalli, long may you live, O Nalli! In the darkness of the evening hour, they play the ‘marutham’ melody and in the morning, they play the ‘sevvazhi’ melody on their lutes. Our bards have forgotten the historical method. And that is because of what you consider your duty – that generosity of yours!”
Time to explore the nuances. The poet starts with a blessing to King Nalli, and then describes how the bards in the king’s court have taken to playing the ‘Marutham’ tune in the evening and playing the ‘Sevvazhi’ tune in the morning. This was the opposite of their musical custom, which dictated that ‘Marutham’ be played in the morning and ‘Sevvazhi’ in the evening, the poet adds. He concludes with the words that only the king is to blamed for this, for his vast generosity is what has made those bards forget.
The poet seems to imply that you need a dash of deprivation for art to remain pure. He declares that since the king has been showering the bards with wealth ceaselessly, they seem not to have the discipline to remember the what’s what of their work. Is it true that only suffering makes art sublime? The other interesting detail here, of much relevance to musicians and those interested in music, is how the ancient Tamils had devised certain melodies for certain times of the day. It makes me to wonder about the logic they would have used for such a classification. Were the tunes of the morning energising and those of the evening relaxing? Was one, a call to action, and another, a celebration? Hope one day, we will have answers to many questions like this, about the thoughts and ways of our ancestors!
In this episode, we learn of the vast generosity of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 148, penned about the Velir King Kandeera Koperum Nalli by the poet Vanparanar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse puts forth an argument about why there was no need for the poet to render lies.
கறங்கு மிசை அருவிய பிறங்கு மலை நள்ளி! நின்
அசைவு இல் நோன் தாள் நசை வளன் ஏத்தி,
நாள்தொறும் நன் கலம் களிற்றொடு கொணர்ந்து,
கூடு விளங்கு வியல் நகர், பரிசில் முற்று அளிப்ப;
பீடு இல் மன்னர்ப் புகழ்ச்சி வேண்டி,
செய்யா கூறிக் கிளத்தல்
எய்யாதாகின்று, எம் சிறு செந் நாவே.
After the previous series of songs on a king’s personal matter, we are back to praises. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“O Nalli, whose domain is filled with glistening hills and roaring cascades above, because of the abundant wealth you have earned with your tireless efforts, day after day, you bring fine jewels and elephants to your wide town, radiant with granaries, and shower these upon surrounding supplicants. And so, there is no need for my small and honest tongue to speak of deeds never done so as to render praise to kings with no significance!”
Let’s delve into the details herein. The poet first talks about King Nalli’s land and describes it to be a hilly one with many, many cascades. Then, he talks about Nalli’s efforts that win him great wealth and this makes the king bring ornaments and elephants to his town, which seems to be brimming with granaries, the importance of which we shall discuss shortly. Bringing such huge amounts of wealth, the king doesn’t hoard them but renders unto all the people who come seeking to him. Pointing to this current situation, the poet concludes saying there was no need for his tongue to falsely praise less eminent kings for deeds never done.
Now, the poet is saying to the king that you have showered so much wealth upon me, and so, I don’t have to speak untruths about anyone else. Does this imply if the king hadn’t rendered that wealth, then the poet would have spoken those falsehoods to someone else? This makes me wonder if all these praises of kings must be taken as truth or an instrument of the poets’ livelihood. Whatever the answer to that may be, we can still cherish the gift of intricate details about the life of ancient people within these verses. Even in this one, we see reference to granaries in the king’s town. This is a clear indicator of a settled population with agricultural centres. When granaries are built and food is aplenty, then specialised arts and crafts would have no doubt flourished. Also, another interesting pattern I’m noticing is how so many of these kings are rulers of hilly regions. Most of the Velir Kings we have seen so far are praised for their soaring hills and roaring cascades. Could there be any deeper reason for this pattern? And so, we see how even a mere song of praise for a ruler leaves us pondering about the past!
In this episode, we perceive the same gift being requested of this king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 147, penned about the Velir King Vaiyaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Perunkundroor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Perunthinai’ or ‘Inappropriate love’ and speaks about a lonely lady’s state of suffering.
கல் முழை அருவிப் பல் மலை நீந்தி,
சீறியாழ் செவ்வழி பண்ணி வந்ததை,
கார் வான் இன் உறை தமியள் கேளா,
நெருநல் ஒரு சிறைப் புலம்புகொண்டு உறையும்
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண், அம் மா அரிவை
நெய்யொடு துறந்த மை இருங் கூந்தல்
மண்ணுறு மணியின் மாசு அற மண்ணி,
புது மலர் கஞல, இன்று பெயரின்,
அதுமன், எம் பரிசில், ஆவியர் கோவே!
Yet another poet sings of the exact same thing to this king. His words can be translated as follows:
“When I journeyed, crossing many a cave and cascade in many a hill, playing the ‘Sevvazhi’ melody on a small lute, I chanced upon this solitary woman yesterday, who heard not the pleasantness of the drops from the dark skies. For she was leaning on one side in utter loneliness with her exquisite, rain-like eyes, streaked in red – that beautiful woman. To make her dark tresses that have forgotten the touch of oil, shine like sapphires, by washing it clean and adorning it with flowers, you must part today. And that will be the only gift I seek, O leader of the Aaviyar clan!”
At the core, the message conveyed to the king is the same as the previous few verses. Let’s try and excavate a few finer details. The poet first mentions his journey of walking through rugged mountain paths, crossing cascades and caves on many hills to arrive at the king’s mansion. As seemed to be the custom then, he plays the small lute and sings in the ‘Sevvazhi’ tune, no doubt in praise of the king and his land. At this time, sweet drops of rain fall from the skies, which the poet describes as a pleasant sound but there’s no joy in one lady, who happens to be listening to all this, with much sorrow. Then, the poet declares that lady’s sorry state of having dried-up, oil-less hair must change and that it must be washed and adorned with fresh flower blossoms. For that to happen, the king must leave instantly, and that’s all the gift he seeks from his patron, the poet concludes.
Is the king some kind of hairstylist? Why must he go to make the lady’s tresses clean? We know the answer to these cheeky questions already! As we saw in the previous verse, the lady would sit without dressing up herself if her man was away from her. The interesting detail in this verse is that these ancients seemed to have considered only an oiled hairdo, a symbol of a presentable woman, whereas dry, flowing hair as most women of fashion tend to leave it today, suggested a state of despair and ruin to those ancients. And, the other detail, the poet touches upon is the journey a professional such as him takes to gain the patronage of kings who lived far away. They were no doubt, the original explorers and mappers of domains then! Finally, in the way the poet describes the sweetness of rain drops with relish, we know that feeling extends from across the millennia to the present of this land, especially in the sweltering heat of an Indian summer!
In this episode, we hear yet another poet advise the king on what must be done next, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 146, penned about the Velir King Vaayaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the category of ‘Perunthinai’ or ‘Inappropriate love’, the verse puts forth a special request to the king.
அன்ன ஆக: நின் அருங் கல வெறுக்கை
அவை பெறல் வேண்டேம்; அடு போர்ப் பேக!
சீறியாழ் செவ்வழி பண்ணி, நின் வன் புல
நல் நாடு பாட, என்னை நயந்து
பரிசில் நல்குவைஆயின், குரிசில்! நீ
நல்காமையின் நைவரச் சாஅய்,
அருந் துயர் உழக்கும் நின் திருந்துஇழை அரிவை
கலி மயில் கலாவம் கால் குவித்தன்ன,
ஒலி மென் கூந்தல் கமழ் புகை கொளீஇ,
தண் கமழ் கோதை புனைய,
வண் பரி நெடுந் தேர் பூண்க, நின் மாவே!
In this poem, we listen to a new poet talking about the same theme of a lady’s distress to this king. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Let them remain as they are! I wish not to receive precious ornaments and hard-to-attain wealth from you, O battle-strong Bekan! To the sweet melody of ‘Sevvazhi’ from a small lute, when I sing about your prosperous and vast country, if you wish to render a gift unto me, O king, I seek but one thing: As you have not rendered your grace, making others pity, she is wasting away in a deep sorrow – your woman wearing well-crafted jewels. So that her luxuriant, soft tresses, akin to a bunching of peacock’s feathers by the breeze, is caressed by fragrant smoke, and adorned with moist and scented garlands, tie your horses to your speeding, tall chariots right now!”
Let’s explore to see if any new messages are revealed herein. The poet declares like the poet before him that he desires no jewels and wealth from this king, although precious and impossible to attain. But if the king were to insist on giving some reward for the moving song about the king’s domain sung about by this poet to the ‘Sevvazhi’ melody on a small lute, then there’s one thing the poet desires. And that is, for the king to rush immediately to that lady, who was wallowing in misery to the pity of every one around because the king had failed to grace her. To convey this in an elegant manner, the poet talks about the rich tresses of the lady, looking as if the wind had bunched the feathers of a peacock together. He concludes with the words that to make those tresses dry in the scent of cleansing smoke and be adorned with flowers, the king must tie his horses to his fast chariots and go thither right away!
The subtle nuance here is that when a man had forsaken his married woman, ancient custom seems to have forbidden her from dressing herself up. Apparently, she was expected to not wash or use perfumed products or wear flowers on her tresses. In other verses, we have seen how the hair of a woman seemed to be considered a property of the man she marries. This same thought you will see echoed in various ancient religions and cultures – In the use of veils, shawls, saree borders and purdahs to cover the tresses of a married woman. Could this ancient verse be relating to us, an early origin of this thought? The other thing to ponder upon is that it must have been a matter of quite some importance if so many songs are devoted to reforming a king and making him return to his wife!
In this episode, we listen to a striking request from a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 145, penned about the Velir King Vaiyaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of 'Perunthinai' or 'Inappropriate love', the verse stresses on the rightful course of action by this king.
In this episode, we gather further details about the situation involving a crying lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 144, penned about the Velir King Vaayaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Perunthinai' or 'Inappropriate love' and relates the words of a distressed woman.
In this episode, we encounter rare elements of inner life involving a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 143, penned about the Velir King Vaiyaavi Koperum Bekan by the prolific poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Perunthinai' or 'Inappropriate love', the verse narrates the sadness of a forsaken person.
In this episode, we listen to a nuanced differentiation in a king's approach, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 142, penned about the Velir King Vaiyaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Paranar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and responds to a criticism about the king.
In this episode, we perceive the nuances in charity rendered unto others, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 141, penned about the Velir King Vaiyaavi Koperum Bekan by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse directs a fellow bard to a king’s court.
‘பாணன் சூடிய பசும் பொன் தாமரை
மாண் இழை விறலி மாலையொடு விளங்க,
கடும் பரி நெடுந் தேர் பூட்டு விட்டு அசைஇ,
ஊரீர் போலச் சுரத்திடை இருந்தனிர்!
யாரீரோ?’ என, வினவல் ஆனா,
காரென் ஒக்கல், கடும் பசி, இரவல!
வென் வேல் அண்ணல் காணா ஊங்கே,
நின்னினும் புல்லியேம் மன்னே; இனியே,
இன்னேம் ஆயினேம் மன்னே; என்றும்
உடாஅ, போரா ஆகுதல் அறிந்தும்,
படாஅம் மஞ்ஞைக்கு ஈத்த எம் கோ,
கடாஅ யானைக் கலி மான் பேகன்,
‘எத் துணை ஆயினும் ஈத்தல் நன்று’ என,
மறுமை நோக்கின்றோ அன்றே,
பிறர், வறுமை நோக்கின்று, அவன் கை வண்மையே.
We get to meet a new king in our Puranaanooru travel and the introduction is being done by none than than the celebrated historian-poet of Sangam times, Paranar. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“You say to me, ‘Along with bards, whose heads are crowned by golden lotuses, and dancing maiden with well-etched ornaments, who glow with garlands, you appear here. You have freed the speeding horses from your tall chariot to let them roam free in these drylands, and you appear at ease as if you were at your town. Who can you be?’! You ask me so, O supplicant with dreadful hunger and downtrodden kin. Before I saw the esteemed leader, renowned for his indefeasible spear, I was in a worse state than you. But now, I have attained this state.
Knowing fully well that it would never wear it, my lord granted unto that beautiful peacock, his own shawl. He is known as ‘Bekan’ – the one who possesses raging elephants and racing horses. He does not think of the afterlife and say ‘It’s good for me to render charity endlessly’ but rather acts with a thoughtful generosity when seeing the poverty of those before him.”
Time to delve into the nuances of these words to a colleague! The poet starts with the words of another. This other person is first describing the people who are accompanying the poet. There are bards, who seem to be wearing lotuses, glinting in the sun, for they are made of gold. And we remember how this was the object considered as a bard’s crowning glory. Then, from the male members, the person turns to women wearing well-crafted ornaments and adorned with garlands. They are the ‘Viraliyar’ or the singing-dancing maiden, who accompany bards and poets to the king’s court. Not only are the humans around this poet in such a radiant state, even the horses that have been let out of rein from a tall chariot, are comfortably grazing. After registering the rich and relaxed state of this poet, the questioner wonders out aloud who such a well-to-do personality, who appears much at ease in those dreary drylands as if it were his own town, could be!
Now, the poet reveals who that other person is, by addressing him as a poor bard, whose hunger and presence of impoverished kith and kin is very much evident. He adds that he may now be seen in such a glowing state, overflowing with wealth, but before, he too was like that hungry bard, why in fact, in an even worse state. All this changed after he met the great Bekan, the poet tells the bard and narrates a story which seems to be of common knowledge then. One, wherein seeing a peacock spread out its feathers and dance, either astonished by its beauty or thinking that it’s shivering, this king seems to have taken the shawl around his shoulders and offered to that peacock, knowing fully well that it will not cover itself with it. And so, narrating this defining story, the poet nudges the bard to go to that king’s court and concludes with the words that the king renders charity not because he thinks that it will be good for him in the afterlife but because he truly sees the poverty of those who come seeking to him!
The highlight of this verse is in how kings had the power to change the state and fate of anyone they encountered. You go a beggar and return a prince, the poet seems to say to that other bard! In that anecdote about the king rendering his shawl to a peacock, there’s a hidden message that the king will give unto a supplicant, things that they never even expected. And finally, there seems to be a distinction between someone, who gives charity selfishly thinking of his own afterlife, and one, who was focussed on the people of the present and their circumstances. Not a calculated act, but something from the heart, seems to the choice praise accorded to patrons of that era. Words that nudge us towards a selfless generosity that seeks no benefit for oneself, in this life or any after it!
In this episode, we observe a curious technique of rendering praise, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 140, penned about the Velir King Naanjil Valluvan by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and sketches the story of what was sought and what was got.
தடவு நிலைப் பலவின் நாஞ்சில் பொருநன்
மடவன், மன்ற; செந் நாப் புலவீர்!
வளைக் கை விறலியர் படப்பைக் கொய்த
அடகின் கண்ணுறைஆக யாம் சில
அரிசி வேண்டினேமாக, தான் பிற
வரிசை அறிதலின், தன்னும் தூக்கி,
இருங் கடறு வளைஇய குன்றத்து அன்னது ஓர்
பெருங் களிறு நல்கியோனே; அன்னது ஓர்
தேற்றா ஈகையும் உளதுகொல்?
போற்றார் அம்ம, பெரியோர் தம் கடனே?
Again, we get to meet with that fascinating female poet from Sangam times, Avvaiyaar. This poet’s words about the king can be translated as follows:
“The lord of Naanjil, a mountain country filled with curving jackfruits, must be foolish indeed, O virtuous poets! I sought few grains of rice to be used as relish when cooking the greens that were plucked by bangle-clad dancing maiden in the village. But using a different scale for his patronage, to uphold his name, he rendered unto me a huge elephant, akin to a hill filled with long and winding mountain paths! Could there ever be such a disproportionate generosity? Aren’t the great supposed to know what’s to be done and what’s not, as they exercise their duty?”
Time to delve into the nuances. The poet starts with a crisp description of the king’s mountain country – Naanjil, talking about how sweet jackfruits abound on the curving branches of many a tree. Then, she makes a surprising declaration that the king must be a fool, saying this to a group of assembled renowned poets. As we are wondering about this striking statement, she goes on to explain the reason why, saying she had gone to the king seeking a few grains of rice to be used as relish when cooking green leaves plucked from the village fields. When she asked him for this, instead of giving that, the king seems to have given her, a mound-like elephant. She concludes with seemingly biting questions about whether there could ever be such a thoughtless act of generosity, and also, shouldn’t people who are referred to as great know what’s the right thing to do!
While at first glance, it seems as if the poet is bashing the patron for giving her an elephant instead of grains of rice, actually it’s an indirect praise for the enormous act of charity by this king. Probably those good poets around there sat around talking of how King Naanjil had given them this and that and praised him to the skies. This female poet decides to do one better than all of them. Using a stunning modern screenplay technique, she portrays the hero as negative but makes the audience wow at his positive qualities through that portrayal. This reminds me of another Puranaanooru poem where the poet praises a king’s bravery in the battlefield by talking disparagingly of his broken weapons lying in the blacksmith’s shed. Through this ancient verse, delighted to have grasped a unique stroke of this master poet from Sangam times in the way she etches a personality by saying the unexpected!
In this episode, we perceive the urgency in a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 139, penned about the Velir King Naanjil Valluvan by the poet Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’, the verse sketches those accompanying this poet and their demand to the king.
சுவல் அழுந்தப் பல காய
சில் ஓதிப் பல் இளைஞருமே,
அடி வருந்த நெடிது ஏறிய
கொடி மருங்குல் விறலியருமே,
வாழ்தல் வேண்டிப்
பொய் கூறேன்; மெய் கூறுவல்;
ஓடாப் பூட்கை உரவோர் மருக!
உயர் சிமைய உழாஅ நாஞ்சில் பொருந!
மாயா உள்ளமொடு பரிசில் துன்னி,
கனி பதம் பார்க்கும் காலை அன்றே;
ஈதல் ஆனான், வேந்தே; வேந்தற்குச்
சாதல் அஞ்சாய், நீயே; ஆயிடை,
இரு நிலம் மிளிர்ந்திசினாஅங்கு, ஒரு நாள்,
அருஞ் சமம் வருகுவதுஆயின்,
வருந்தலும் உண்டு, என் பைதல் அம் கடும்பே.
Another song of supplication by this poet to this king of a smaller domain. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“With wounds caused by straps pressing against their shoulders, are these short-haired youth. With them are dancing maiden with waists akin to vines and aching feet, after their climb of your tall hill. For the sake of these lives, I shall not lie but speak only the truth, O scion of brave ancestors who never shirked the battlefield, O lord of the high country of Naanjil that cannot be used to plough!
This is not the time for me to wait patiently with a hoping heart, desiring for the gifts you would render; The king whom you support showers his generosity on you, and for this king, you would never fear to give even your life; And so, splitting the land into two, one day, if a terrible battle were to come upon us, then my woe-filled kin are sure to suffer!”
Time to take a closer look. The poet details the state of the people who have come with him, seeking this king’s favour. They are young men with short hair, possibly attendants and they are seen carrying heavy musical instruments. The weight of the instrument and the distance journeyed can be vividly sensed in the scars made by the leather straps on their shoulders. Next, the poet turns to talk about the singing-dancing women called ‘Viraliyar’, who are said to have waists as thin as vines, and who are now exhausted after the long climb to this king’s country. Now, the poet declares that even though the happy lives of all these people depend on his words, he’s not going to lie but speak the truth and nothing but the truth. He then addresses the king with two epithets – one as the heir of ancestors who have never run away from the battlefield. Must be high praise in those times, for we repeatedly see this reference in many a Puranaanooru poem. The other address is that the king is the lord of Naanjil, which cannot be used to plough. While this line looks confusing, the meaning can be inferred from the knowledge that the word ‘Naanjil’, which is the name of this king’s town, was also how a plough was referred to, in Sangam times. Only to differentiate the two, the poet uses this marker.
Then, the poet outlines why it is imperative that he ask the king for his gifts immediately with no delay whatsoever. He details how the Chera King, a great friend of this Naanjil Valluvan, would never refuse him anything and King Naanjil too would give his very life for this Chera king. Such is the bond between the two, and if tomorrow, a deadly war were to erupt, then King Naanjil would be gone and there would not be a single person to slay the suffering of all his kith and kin, the poet concludes.
Isn’t it curious how this poet is saying to this king, ‘You are going to leave to the battlefield anytime your superior king summons you. Who knows what may happen then? So, better give me my goods right now!’? While it looks harsh and unfeeling when seen from this angle, the poet is perhaps revealing that no other king can allay the suffering of his kin and save these lives other than this Naanjil Valluvan, and also, the historical fact about the support and bond shared between the Chera king and this ruler of a small country. A verse that seems to tells us that sometimes we shouldn’t wait and delay but seize the moment and ask what we need then and there!
In this episode, we listen to words of positivity rendered to a hopeful heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 138, penned about the Velir King Naanjil Valluvan by the poet Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and promises good things to come in the life of another.
ஆனினம் கலித்த அதர் பல கடந்து,
மானினம் கலித்த மலை பின் ஒழிய,
மீனினம் கலித்த துறை பல நீந்தி,
உள்ளி வந்த, வள் உயிர்ச் சீறியாழ்,
சிதாஅர் உடுக்கை, முதாஅரிப் பாண!
நீயே, பேர் எண்ணலையே; நின் இறை,
‘மாறி வா’ என மொழியலன் மாதோ;
ஒலி இருங் கதுப்பின் ஆயிழை கணவன்
கிளி மரீஇய வியன் புனத்து
மரன் அணி பெருங் குரல் அனையன் ஆதலின்,
நின்னை வருதல் அறிந்தனர் யாரே?
A different poet sings the praise of this Velir King. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Crossing many roads packed with cattle herds, leaving behind many hills packed with deer herds, and swimming to many shores through streams packed with fish schools, with strong intentions, you arrived, O elder bard, having a resounding small lute, wearing torn and patched-up clothes! You seem to hope for great things. Your lord indeed is one who shall never say, ‘Come another day’. He’s the husband of that bedecked maiden with thick, dark tresses, and someone, who’s like a huge stalk of grain, taken from the vast millet field and saved in a tree hole by a parrot. When you return, who can even identify you?”
Let’s delve into the nuances here. The poet talks about how a certain person has crossed not just roads, where cattle jostled him for space, but also hills filled with frolicking deer and many rivers and seas densely packed with fish. An indication that particular person has crossed the different landscapes of ‘Mullai’, ‘Kurinji’ and ‘Neythal’ to come here to see this king. We learn that this person is an aged bard, who holds in his grasp, a small but powerful lute, capable of creating loud sounds, and is someone in an impoverished state, wearing torn clothes.
The poet tells the bard that true to the hopes the bard holds, the king will never send him empty-handed, asking him to come later. He then celebrates the king as being the husband of a bejewelled maiden with thick tresses and then brings in an intricate simile to describe the nature of this king. We have read in many Sangam verses from the ‘Kurinji’ or mountainous regions, about wide-spreading millet fields, which attract parrots many. But destroying the hopes of the parrot, Kurinji maiden wait to scare them away with their rattle devices. So, it’s really a rare thing for a parrot to find a stalk of grain. In such a situation, the poet imagines that the parrot has stolen away a huge stalk of grain from the field and stored it inside a tree hole. How precious would that millet stalk be to that parrot, that is the exact nature of the king, the poet implies. He concludes with the declaration that no one will be able to identify this impoverished and sad bard after he has met with the king for so changed will he be in his countenance and possessions! This reminds me of a quote attributed to Mother Theresa: “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” While we cannot give away wealth and gifts like this Sangam king to make this a reality in our lives, perhaps a smile from the heart is all it takes!
In this episode, we perceive the greatness of a king and the riches of his country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 137, penned about the Velir King Naanjil Valluvan by the poet Oru Sirai Periyanaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’, the verse reveals the loyalty and respect the poet feels towards this king.
இரங்கு முரசின், இனம்சால் யானை,
முந்நீர் ஏணி விறல் கெழு மூவரை
இன்னும் ஓர் யான் அவா அறியேனே;
நீயே, முன் யான் அறியுமோனே துவன்றிய
கயத்து இட்ட வித்து வறத்தின் சாவாது,
கழைக் கரும்பின் ஒலிக்குந்து,
கொண்டல் கொண்ட நீர் கோடை காயினும்,
கண் அன்ன மலர் பூக்குந்து,
கருங் கால் வேங்கை மலரின், நாளும்
பொன் அன்ன வீ சுமந்து,
மணி அன்ன நீர் கடல் படரும்;
செவ் வரைப் படப்பை நாஞ்சில் பொருந!
சிறு வெள் அருவிப் பெருங் கல் நாடனை!
நீ வாழியர்! நின் தந்தை
தாய் வாழியர், நிற் பயந்திசினோரே!
After many songs on Aay Andiran, we turn to different king, who ruled over a smaller region, Naanjil Valluvan, who was known to share friendship with the Chera King of his times. The words of this poet can be translated as follows:
“The strong three, who have resounding drums, herds of elephants, and three seas as borders, I no longer have the desire to sing about! As for you, you have remained as I saw you then. In your country, seeds sown in watery fields never die but rise as luxuriant stalks of sugarcane; Even if rains brought down by clouds dry up in summer, like eyes, flowers keep blooming there; Day after day, golden flowers of the dark-stemmed ‘vengai’ tree are carried to the sapphire-hued waters of the sea; Such is your fertile country, where small white cascades abound in your huge hills, O lord Naanjil; May you live long! And, may your father and mother live long too, for having borne you!”
Let’s take a closer look at the words herein. The poet starts not by talking about this king, but the other three prominent rulers of the Tamil nation – the Chera, Chozha and Pandya kings, who own striking war drums, entire elephant herds and rule over great regions that extend between the three seas, which we call as Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal today. Although their fame and strength is so celebrated, this poet declares he doesn’t want to sing about them but only about this king and his land.
After that declaration, the poet takes us on a tour of this king’s country, talking about how fertile the land is, such that there is no question of crops withering away for they all grow into lush stalks of sugarcane. Next, he mentions how the flowers which look like women’s eyes, no doubt referring to blue lilies, seem to bloom no matter whether it’s the rainy season or the scorching summer. This is followed by mention of the Indian Kino tree’s yellow flowers, floating akin to gold particles all the way to the sapphire-hued sea; Describing such is the natural wealth and beauty of this king’s country, the poet concludes with a blessing, first unto the king, and then, his parents, for having borne this gem of a person!
Two things stand out in this verse – One, the poet elevating this lord of a smaller domain much higher than the three great kings of the south. Imagine the nature of this king to have evoked such love and loyalty! The other thing is the concluding blessing to the king’s parents, for having brought such a son to this world. How much love you need to have for a person to go beyond what they do and say and delight in their very existence!
In this episode, we perceive the poverty of poets, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 136, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Thuraiyoor Odai Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ and narrates the elements that cause suffering in the life of these supplicants and their only salvation.
யாழ்ப் பத்தர்ப் புறம் கடுப்ப
இழை வலந்த பல் துன்னத்து
இடைப் புரை பற்றி, பிணி விடாஅ
ஈர்க் குழாத்தோடு இறை கூர்ந்த
பேஎன் பகை என ஒன்று என்கோ?
உண்ணாமையின் ஊன் வாடி,
தெண் நீரின் கண் மல்கி,
கசிவுற்ற என் பல் கிளையொடு
பசி அலைக்கும் பகை ஒன்று என்கோ?
அன்ன தன்மையும் அறிந்து ஈயார்,
‘நின்னது தா’ என, நிலை தளர,
மரம் பிறங்கிய நளிச் சிலம்பில்,
குரங்கு அன்ன புன் குறுங் கூளியர்
பரந்து அலைக்கும் பகை ஒன்று என்கோ?
‘ஆஅங்கு, எனைப் பகையும் அறியுநன் ஆய்’
எனக் கருதி, பெயர் ஏத்தி,
வாய் ஆர நின் இசை நம்பி,
சுடர் சுட்ட சுரத்து ஏறி,
இவண் வந்த பெரு நசையேம்;
‘எமக்கு ஈவோர் பிறர்க்கு ஈவோர்;
பிறர்க்கு ஈவோர் தமக்கு ஈப’ என,
அனைத்து உரைத்தனன் யான் ஆக,
நினக்கு ஒத்தது நீ நாடி,
நல்கினை விடுமதி, பரிசில்! அல்கலும்,
தண் புனல் வாயில் துறையூர் முன்துறை
நுண் பல மணலினும் ஏத்தி,
உண்குவம், பெரும! நீ நல்கிய வளனே.
It’s the same king being celebrated but by a different poet from the region of Thuraiyoor, a town in the delta of River Cauvery. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to the underside of a lute, with many threads hanging loose are my clothes. Hanging on to the stitches in between, without letting go, with plentiful little eggs, live lice herein. Am I to call these lice my enemy?
Without eating, letting their flesh fade, with clear tears welling in their eyes, are my worn-out kin. Am to call that tormenting hunger my enemy?
Not knowing this state of mine, they demand ‘give all that you have’ – Those bandits who hide, akin to monkeys, in the dense trees of cool mountain slopes! Am I to call these bandits, who bring suffering and ruin, as my enemy?
Saying ,’The only one who truly knows all our enemies is Aay’, praising your name, believing in the fame of yours, heard by word of mouth, climbing in the drylands burnt by heat, I arrived here, with much desire.
I say unto you, ‘Those who give unto us give unto others; Those who give unto others give unto themselves’. Whatever you think is right, render unto me. Every day, praising you much more than the fine sands in the cool river mouth of Thuraiyoor harbour, I shall relish the wealth you grant me!”
Let us delve into the words of the verse. The poet starts by zooming on to the little beings living in the stitches of his well-worn and patched-up clothes, the lice, to bring to fore, the impoverished state of his existence. He wonders if this should be called his enemy. He then moves on to the emaciated state of his kith and kin, without food, suffering with sunken eyes and wonders if hunger, the cause of all this, is his actual enemy? As if this were not enough, not even understanding how downtrodden they were, the robbers hiding on trees like monkeys demand anything and everything he has, the poet adds and wonders if these robbers were his true enemy. Then deciding the only one who would understand their state and the trauma caused by these many enemies was King Aay, hearing about his generosity, he has come there, the poet details. He then mentions some pithy lines about how giving unto the poor like him, is giving unto others, which in truth is giving unto oneself, for the positive benefits it showers upon the one who endows. The poet says that he has said what he wanted to, and it was up to the king to grant what was needed to slay these enemies of his life. And when the king does indeed shower that wealth, he would be praised more than the sands at the river mouths of their town, the poet concludes! On one side of this verse, is a portrait of immense suffering and in spite of such negative events, the poet has great faith in the generosity of the king to end that very suffering. Despair and trust echo aloud in equal measure in this verse!
In this episode, we perceive the regard that a poet has in his heart for this patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 135, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse describes the journey of this poet and the reason he has arrived at this king’s court.
கொடுவரி வழங்கும் கோடு உயர் நெடு வரை,
அரு விடர்ச் சிறு நெறி ஏறலின், வருந்தி,
தடவரல் கொண்ட தகை மெல் ஒதுக்கின்,
வளைக் கை விறலி என் பின்னள் ஆக,
பொன் வார்ந்தன்ன புரி அடங்கு நரம்பின்
வரி நவில் பனுவல் புலம் பெயர்ந்து இசைப்ப,
படுமலை நின்ற பயம் கெழு சீறியாழ்
ஒல்கல் உள்ளமொடு ஒரு புடைத் தழீஇ,
புகழ்சால் சிறப்பின் நின் நல் இசை உள்ளி,
வந்தனென் எந்தை! யானே: என்றும்,
மன்று படு பரிசிலர்க் காணின், கன்றொடு
கறை அடி யானை இரியல் போக்கும்
மலை கெழு நாடன்! மா வேள் ஆஅய்!
களிறும் அன்றே; மாவும் அன்றே;
ஒளிறு படைப் புரவிய தேரும் அன்றே;
பாணர், பாடுநர், பரிசிலர், ஆங்கு அவர்,
தமது எனத் தொடுக்குவராயின், ‘எமது’ எனப்
பற்றல் தேற்றாப் பயங் கெழு தாயமொடு,
அன்ன ஆக, நின் ஊழி; நின்னைக்
காண்டல் வேண்டிய அளவை வேண்டார்
உறு முரண் கடந்த ஆற்றல்
பொது மீக்கூற்றத்து நாடு கிழவோயே!
A long song from the heart about King Aay. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“In the mountain ranges with soaring peaks, where the striped tiger roams around, after climbing the inaccessible small path in the cleft, with tiredness, I walked slowly with the bangle-clad singer-dancer with a curving form.
As if gold was poured as thin streaks, appear the well-tied strings in this useful, small lute that accompany lyrics of many lines resounding all across the land, and on which I play the ‘padumalai’ tune. With a fatigued heart, embracing my instrument on one side, thinking of your much praised renowned fame, I came here, my lord!
Day after day, when you see supplicants in your court, you grant them elephants with thick legs, along with their calves too, O king of the mountains, the heir of a great dynasty Aay! I come here seeking not an elephant or a horse, or a glowing chariot.
When bards, singers, supplicants and many others claim something as theirs, you would never take it back from them by declaring, ‘It’s mine’. May your days remain so! I came here only because I wanted to see you, O warrior with the strength and ability to rout your enemies, O leader of a nation that is celebrated far and wide!”
Time to explore the details herein. The poet begins by narrating how he came to be where he was at the moment. He talks about what sounds like a dangerous domain in the mountains, where tigers are prowling around. Here, with much difficulty, he and his companion, a female singer-dancer, seem to have climbed a hard-to-reach cleft and found a narrow mountain path that led them there. This rendition is in a tone reminiscent of the manner in which the protagonist of ‘Aham’ poems comes to meet his lady love in the middle of the night.
Returning, we see how the poet after talking about the ‘where’, now turns to what he’s carrying in his hands. It’s a small lute, whose strings appear as if gold has been poured in thin lines. He details how this is the preferred accompaniment of lyrics in those times and how he in particular favours the ‘padumalai’ tune. After this account of the musical instrument, as if saying ‘Enough about me’, the poet turns to describe the king and his habit of giving not only elephants but their calves as well to people who came seeking to him in his court. With a ‘however’, the poet makes it clear that is however not his intention in coming there, declaring it’s not an elephant or a horse or chariot that he thought of, when he set out on this journey.
Instead of directly saying what is that he wants, the poet continues to talk about the king saying the ruler is not one to take away what supplicants claim as theirs, saying ‘No, no, I can’t give you that. That’s mine’. Such a thought would be unthinkable in the king’s mind and anyone just has to ask, for him to give away, the poet implies. Another record of the limitless generosity of this king. Finally, the poet concludes with the words that the reason he came before this famous king, known for his strength in the battlefield and for his praiseworthy country is only because he wanted to see the king!
‘I need no gifts, no gold, nothing from you, my lord. A sight of you is all I seek’, declares this ancient poet. His deep love and respect for this ruler is etched in this thought that rises high above the materialistic pursuits of getting something from someone and instead just wishing for their presence. I’m reminded of how when friends who come from overseas ask, ‘What do you want from here?’, and I answer, ‘Nothing at all. Just want to see you and spend time with you.’ A verse that makes me want to declare, ‘No gift can be more precious than the time and attention given by one human to another!’.
In this episode, we perceive an intriguing discussion on intentions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 134, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and informs us about the ethical source of this king’s generosity.
‘இம்மைச் செய்தது மறுமைக்கு ஆம்’ எனும்
அற விலை வணிகன் ஆஅய் அல்லன்;
பிறரும் சான்றோர் சென்ற நெறி என,
ஆங்குப் பட்டன்று, அவன் கைவண்மையே.
A tiny song delving into a deep thought. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Aay is not a tradesman of virtues who thinks, ‘What I do now will gain me a better afterlife’. Only because he sees that this is the right path taken by the wise before him, he follows in their footsteps with his immense charity.”
Time to take a closer look at the words herein. The poet declares that Aay does not think that he should be generous in this life because this is going to serve him after his death. He is not such a trader who wishes to buy a peaceful afterlife with the price of his generosity in this life. In actuality, King Aay looks at how the great and wise before him have lived their lives and has decided this is the right thing to do and that is the only basis for his boundless generosity, the poet concludes.
This verse seems to be in response to the questions of others, who could have wondered, ‘Why does this king give so much? Over and beyond what he can and should? What hidden stake does he have in this?’. As if reading the heart and mind of the king, the poet says with conviction, it’s not a trade that Aay is performing but an unconditional generosity, based on his belief that this is the right thing to do in life, inspired by those before him. The poet seems to be saying it’s not for the future but because of the past. A subtle thought in this ancient verse that has a timeless relevance is that an act of charity done today should be bereft of any expectations of benefit any day tomorrow!
In this episode, we listen to guidance being passed on to a co-worker, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 133, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse reveals a patron’s immense generosity.
மெல் இயல் விறலி! நீ நல் இசை செவியின்
கேட்பின் அல்லது, காண்பு அறியலையே;
காண்டல் வேண்டினைஆயின் மாண்ட நின்
விரை வளர் கூந்தல் வரை வளி உளர,
கலவ மஞ்ஞையின் காண்வர இயலி,
மாரி அன்ன வண்மைத்
தேர் வேள் ஆயைக் காணிய சென்மே!
A song that is addressed to a female singer-dancer, who worked along with bards, and penned and performed verses before patrons. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“O gentle-natured dancer, you have only heard about his good fame but have not seen him yet; If you wish to see him, with your excellent, thick and fragrant tresses swaying in the mountain breeze, akin to a peacock with bright plumes, walk on and go thither to see Ay, who owns chariots many, and who renders unto others with a generosity like that of a rain cloud!”
Let’s delve into the words of this verse. The poet tells the female dancer that she has probably heard so much about King Aay but not seen him in person. If she so wanted to, then walking with her thick hair swaying in the breeze, akin to peacock dancing with its radiant feathers out, this fine lady must head towards the rain cloud of generosity that King Aay is.
The picturesque imagery of a peacock spreading its feathers upon seeing a rain cloud is captured and projected on to the walk of this female dancer and the endless charity of this king. Yet another verse that shows the skill of Sangam poets in threading echoes of nature onto human life!
In this episode, we listen to the regret of a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 132, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse touches on the spread of the land to illustrate an emotion.
முன் உள்ளுவோனைப் பின் உள்ளினேனே!
ஆழ்க, என் உள்ளம்! போழ்க, என் நாவே!
பாழ் ஊர்க் கிணற்றின் தூர்க, என் செவியே!
நரந்தை நறும் புல் மேய்ந்த கவரி
குவளைப் பைஞ் சுனை பருகி, அயல
தகரத் தண் நிழல் பிணையொடு வதியும்
வட திசையதுவே வான் தோய் இமயம்,
தென் திசை ஆஅய் குடி இன்றாயின்,
பிறழ்வது மன்னோ, இம் மலர் தலை உலகே.
Another song extolling the greatness of King Aay by this poet. His words can be translated as follows:
“The one, whom I should have thought of before, I thought of later. For this, may my heart drown, may my tongue tear into two and may my ears be covered with moss, akin to a ruined well; If the abode of the yak, which grazes on fragrant lemongrass, drinks fresh waters of springs filled with blue-lilies, and lives with its mate in the cool shade of the crape jasmine tree nearby – the sky-soaring Himalayas were not in the north, and if the land of Aay was not in the south, this wide world would be upside down!”
Let’s delve into the words of this verse. The poet starts by relating how he has done something he feels bad about now. When we enquire what that might be, he says with sorrow about how he has praised others before he praised King Aay. For this self-proclaimed mistake, the poet curses his heart, tongue and ears to be doomed. From within, he switches to the world outside and travels far to the north of current day India, the Himalayas, and brings this land before our eyes by talking about a yak feeding on lemon grass growing there in the grasslands on high, and drinking from the sweet waters of the springs therein. He mentions how this yak lives in the shade of a crape jasmine tree, native to these parts, along with its mate. He declares if this Himalayan range was not in the north and if the great country of Aay was not in the south, the whole world would be considered topsy-turvy. He implies that just like how these two places should remain where they are, he should also have sung about Aay before he sang the praise of other kings!
Yet again, I’m impressed by these poets, who lived in the southern regions of this subcontinent, seeing their knowledge about the land, the kind of animals and plants that lived there in the north, at a distance of more than 3000 km from their homeland. Even those who live in this modern age would find it difficult to tell for sure, which animals and plants are prominently found even in a neighbouring state. Next, is the interesting way the poet talks about the permanence of places and their position in the ancient concept of land. His loyalty and utter devotion to this king is revealed in his words of sorrow. But isn’t a little too much to wish so much harm upon oneself for what seems so harmless from the eyes of the present? – After all, he’s singing about one king instead of another. But different times, different priorities!
In this episode, we listen to a curious question about a forest, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 131, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse echoes the generosity of this king.
மழைக் கணம் சேக்கும் மா மலைக் கிழவன்,
வழைப் பூங் கண்ணி வாய் வாள் அண்டிரன்,
குன்றம் பாடினகொல்லோ
களிறு மிக உடைய இக் கவின் பெறு காடே?
A tiny song with an interesting core. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Did this picturesque forest sing the praises of the lord of the huge hills, where rain clouds reside; He, who wears a garland of ‘vazhai’ flowers; The one with an unconquerable sword – King Andiran? For they seem to be teeming with elephants many!”
Let’s take a deeper look at the words here. The poet seems to have walked into a lush forest and seen many, many elephants roaming thither. Looking at this, he recollects another scene he has oftened encountered in King Andiran’s court. That is when the king is seen giving away elephant after elephant to bards, who have penned in praise of this king and his country. So, he turns to the landscape before him and asks whether this forest too sang the praises of the king, which would explain the numerous elephants found there!
Looking back with the eyes of the twenty-first century, we know that elephants are not possessions to be given away as one pleased. They are the treasures of the wild and should remain where they belong. However, this ancient poet would have never realised that something he’s celebrating about the king would, later in time, turn out to be a thing that the world disapproves. The truth to understand though is that writers are victims of their times. They can only report what they see as it was seen then. There is this recent trend of going back and changing the writings of authors, whose words seem jarring to the current generation. This is whitewashing of the past. Instead, it would be best to accept that history is not perfect and there is no need to change it to suit the sensibilities of the present. At the same time, we should accept with humility that some act of ours that we celebrate as noble today may make the future turn back in disbelief and say, “How could they?”
In this episode, we perceive the king’s vast generosity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 130, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse employs the emotion of awe to portray the nature of this king.
விளங்கு மணிக் கொடும் பூண் ஆஅய்! நின் நாட்டு
இளம் பிடி ஒரு சூல் பத்து ஈனும்மோ?
நின்னும் நின்மலையும் பாடி வருநர்க்கு,
இன் முகம் கரவாது, உவந்து நீ அளித்த
அண்ணல் யானை எண்ணின், கொங்கர்க்
குட கடல் ஓட்டிய ஞான்றைத்
தலைப்பெயர்த்திட்ட வேலினும் பலவே!
Another song that sketches the duality in the king’s nature. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“O King Aay, adorned with curving ornaments glowing with sapphires! Does the young female elephant in your country give birth to ten calves in one pregnancy? To those who sing of you and your hills, without turning away your pleasant face, with affection, you render esteemed elephants many. If one were to count that, it would be more than the spears thrown away by those scattering Kongars, when you routed them in war and chased them to the western sea!”
Let’s delve deeper into the verse! The poet starts by mentioning the rich ornaments around King Aay’s neck. He then puts an amazed question to the king asking if miraculously in this country, the elephants had the habit of giving birth to ten calves in one go. The reason for this amazement is because the poet has witnessed this ruler, giving away a huge number of elephants to supplicants. He adds that these elephants are so many in number that they are surely more than the spears abandoned by enemy Kongar soldiers, who were driven towards the western sea!
Yet again, the poet has employed his favourite themes of counting, comparing and presenting both compassion and courage as a package! An interesting fact about elephant birth is that rarely do elephants have more than one calf. Statistics say less than 1% have twins and even these young ones do not survive for more than a few weeks. Consider the plight of the female elephant that has the longest pregnancy in the animal kingdom of 22 months. Even imagining what the poet asks the king is mind-boggling from the perspective of this gentle giant. As all Sangam poets seem to be, no doubt this poet knew very well about the nature of elephants to have one calf only. But his surprise at the number of elephants being donated away is brought out in this exaggerated question. Similar to the poet’s emotion, I too am amazed at the number of creative ways have invented, all just to praise a patron!
In this episode, we perceive the lifestyle of people in this ruler’s domain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 129, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and highlights the generosity of this king.
குறி இறைக் குரம்பைக் குறவர் மாக்கள்
வாங்கு அமைப் பழுனிய தேறல் மகிழ்ந்து,
வேங்கை முன்றில் குரவை அயரும்,
தீம் சுளைப் பலவின், மா மலைக் கிழவன்
ஆஅய் அண்டிரன், அடு போர் அண்ணல்
இரவலர்க்கு ஈத்த யானையின், கரவு இன்று,
வானம் மீன் பல பூப்பின், ஆனாது
ஒரு வழிக் கரு வழி இன்றிப்
பெரு வெள்ளென்னின், பிழையாது மன்னே.
An expressive song that presents scenes of life in King Aay’s country. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Mountain dwellers, who reside in huts with narrow eaves, savour mature toddy poured into curving bamboo cups and relax by dancing ‘Kuravai’ in their front yard, fenced by ‘vengai’ trees. Such are the huge hills, adorned with sweet-fruited jackfruit trees, in the domain of King Aay Andiran. Consider the number of stars that bloom on a cloudless night, covering the sky entire with a flood of light, such that there is not a single spot of darkness. The number of elephants granted to supplicants by this respected warrior is no less than that!”
Let’s take a closer look at this verse. The poet brings before our eyes an evening in the life of mountain dwellers referred by the term ‘Kuravar’. We see these people holding curving bamboo cups in their hand, brimming with the finest toddy. After savouring their drink, they all get together and do the ‘Kuravai’ dance, which is an ancient dance form wherein the dancers hold on to each other’s hands and sway in a circle. The poet tells us that this dance happens in the courtyard surrounded by Indian Kino trees. Shifting from this small village, the poet gives us a bird’s eye view of Aay Andiran’s domain, which consists of rolling hills, decked with jackfruit trees, renowned for the sweetness of their fruit. Turning from looking at the land to the sky, and that too, a night sky, the poet imagines a cloudless night, when all the stars are shining so bright that there’s not even a single spot of black in the sky. Even so, the number of elephants that Aay has rendered unto his supplicants will match that number of shining stars, the poet concludes.
Remember that this is not a sky like ours where even the brightest eyes need to do a lot of peering to make out the shine of stars. It was a pollution-free time and the skies are sure to have been crystal clear. When the poet compares such a number of stars to the number of elephants given by the king, no doubt there’s the poetic license of hyperbole. We can only infer that it was quite an impressive number! Apart from this frequent praise that we keep hearing in Puranaanooru verses about elephants and chariots being given away, there’s another true kind of richness this verse depicts, and that is delighting us with the life and leisure of the common people, those ancient mountain dwellers. Perhaps, the poet only wanted to provide a setting to get to his core message of praise but two thousand years later, that’s what charms us. And, likewise, isn’t it possible that some part of our work that we may consider trivial today will turn out to be the thing that keeps our future descendants entranced! For instance, could it be the subtle background noises more than the words of this podcast?
In this episode, we take in scenes in nature involving wild life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 128, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse relates the inaccessibility of the king to his foes.
மன்றப் பலவின் மாச் சினை மந்தி
இரவலர் நாற்றிய விசி கூடு முழவின்
பாடு இன் தெண் கண், கனி செத்து, அடிப்பின்,
அன்னச் சேவல் மாறு எழுந்து ஆலும்,
கழல் தொடி ஆஅய் மழை தவழ் பொதியில்
ஆடுமகள் குறுகின் அல்லது,
பீடு கெழு மன்னர் குறுகலோ அரிதே.
A short song that reminds one of the vivid nature descriptions in ‘Aham’ poems. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“A female monkey on the dark branch of a jackfruit tree in the town centre, seeing a tightly tied drum, hung by supplicants, thinks that it’s a fruit and strikes against its musical head, which makes a male swan rise up and call out aloud in the rain-cloud enveloped Pothiyil hills, ruled over by the anklet-clad Aay. Easy for dancing maiden to go near his abode but indeed, impossible for proud and arrogant kings!”
Let’s take a closer look at the words here. The poet starts by bringing before our eyes a female monkey in a moment of confusion. It’s glancing at a tightly-tied drum hanging from a tree at the town’s centre. It has been left there by bards who have come seeking the favour of this patron. Thinking it’s a fruit, the monkey taps on this, the poet says. When I first read it, I too was confused like the monkey about how can a drum be mistaken for a fruit. On fully grasping the fact that this particular tree was a jackfruit tree, and then recollecting the curving cylindrical shape of these ancient drums, was I able to see what the monkey was seeing. When the monkey taps on the head of this drum, there comes another response from the wild – a male swan calling out, perhaps thinking that it’s the call of a female. This entire narration is done to detail the Pothiyil mountains, where Aay lives, and the poet concludes with the words that the king could be easily reached by artists such as the dancing maiden and bards, who come seeking the ruler’s favour, but rare for other rulers to reach this king and wage war against him.
In one shot, the poet illustrates both the generosity and strength of this king. Returning to the depiction of the monkey’s confusion leading to the action of tapping a musical instrument, which in turn causes confusion in a swan, we see the chain of reactions in nature caused by human intervention. Here, the consequences are harmless, leading only to momentary bewilderment in these animals but it’s a small window to reflect upon the other dangerous ways in which we are disturbing the balance in the wild because of our presence in this planet!
In this episode, we perceive a striking simile and a unique technique of praise, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 127, penned about the Velir King Aay Andiran by the poet Uraiyoor Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and brings out the not-so-obvious greatness of King Aay.
‘களங்கனி அன்ன கருங் கோட்டுச் சீறியாழ்ப்
பாடு இன் பனுவல் பாணர் உய்த்தென,
களிறு இலவாகிய புல் அரை நெடு வெளில்,
கான மஞ்ஞை கணனொடு சேப்ப,
ஈகை அரிய இழை அணி மகளிரொடு
சாயின்று’ என்ப, ஆஅய் கோயில்;
சுவைக்கு இனிது ஆகிய குய்யுடை அடிசில்
பிறர்க்கு ஈவு இன்றித் தம் வயிறு அருத்தி,
உரைசால் ஓங்கு புகழ் ஒரீஇய
முரைசு கெழு செல்வர் நகர் போலாதே.
A new king and a new poet make their appearance in our Puranaanooru journey. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“They say, ‘As bards well-trained in music, bearing black-stemmed small lutes, akin to Indian black-currant fruits, took them away as gifts, in the barren spaces with tall posts, bereft of elephants, a muster of wild peacocks reside. With women wearing only those jewels that cannot be given away, it’s a total ruin!’, talking about King Aaay’s house. There are wealthy kings, who fill their stomachs with plenty of spiced rice, pleasing to the taste buds, without the thought of giving charity to others. The great mansions of these rulers, who have no great fame to be sung about, pale in comparison to the abode of Aay!”
Let’s delve deeper into the verse. The poet starts by talking about a fruit that is called ‘Karonda’ in English, and ‘Kilakkai’ in contemporary Tamil. He refers to this fruit only to stand in parallel as a simile to a dark-stemmed small lute. Please do take a moment to look up a lute. The Met Museum of Art has a beautiful page dedicated to this instrument from ancient times. Now, turn your attention to the image of a cut ‘karonda’ fruit and you will come away stunned by how similar these two things look. We are guided by the words of this verse to see and relish this connection but who guided those ancient poets? Was it their powers of observation? Some training they undertook? Or the distraction-free times they lived in? Whatever be the answer, yet again, the Sangam poets charm us with their ability to see the oneness in disparate elements.
Returning to the verse, the poet talks about how those lutes are held in the hands of musically adept bards, and thanks to their skill, they have been gifted with elephants by the King Aay. Now that the elephants are gone, the tall posts to which they were tied lies barren and a flock of peacocks roam about hither and thither. Not only this, the women in that palace seem to have a bare minimum of ornaments, only those that are forbidden to be given away, the poet details. He talks about how looking at all this, people tend to declare King Aay to be ruined. Now, the poet turns away from the state of this king and contrasts it with others, who have well-filled tummies and huge mansions, but they never have a thought about rendering unto others. He concludes with the words no matter how huge the mansion of these kings, they cannot be deemed equal to the barren spaces of King Aay’s palace. A clear message from this ancient verse seems to be that true greatness lies not in how much one has but how much one can give!
In this episode, we hear of the glory of a king and his land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 126, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the female poet Maarokkathu Nappasalaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse relates the immense power of this patron in pulling poets to sing of his fame.
ஒன்னார் யானை ஓடைப் பொன் கொண்டு,
பாணர் சென்னி பொலியத் தைஇ,
வாடாத் தாமரை சூட்டிய விழுச் சீர்
ஓடாப் பூட்கை உரவோன் மருக!
வல்லேம் அல்லேம் ஆயினும், வல்லே
நின்வயின் கிளக்குவமாயின், கங்குல்
துயில் மடிந்தன்ன தூங்கு இருள் இறும்பின்,
பறை இசை அருவி, முள்ளூர்ப் பொருந!
தெறல் அரு மரபின் நின் கிளையொடும் பொலிய,
நிலமிசைப் பரந்த மக்கட்கு எல்லாம்
புலன் அழுக்கு அற்ற அந்தணாளன்,
இரந்து செல் மாக்கட்கு இனி இடன் இன்றி,
பரந்து இசை நிற்கப் பாடினன்; அதற்கொண்டு
சினம் மிகு தானை வானவன் குட கடல்,
பொலம் தரு நாவாய் ஓட்டிய அவ் வழி,
பிற கலம் செல்கலாது அனையேம் அத்தை,
இன்மை துரப்ப, இசை தர வந்து, நின்
வண்மையின் தொடுத்தனம், யாமே முள் எயிற்று
அரவு எறி உருமின் முரசு எழுந்து இயம்ப,
அண்ணல் யானையொடு வேந்து களத்து ஒழிய,
அருஞ் சமம் ததையத் தாக்கி, நன்றும்
நண்ணாத் தெவ்வர்த் தாங்கும்
பெண்ணை அம் படப்பை நாடு கிழவோயே!
An interesting verse that not only brings out the greatness of this king but in a tangent, also that of a poet who has previously sung about this ruler. This poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Taking gold from the ornaments of enemy elephants, making heads of poets glow, you crowned them with unfading lotuses, O great leader, the heir of ancestors, who never shirked the battlefield!
Even though I lack the skill, I speedily arrived to sing of your praises, O lord of Mulloor, where cascades roar like drums, amidst jungles where darkness hangs like the sleep of midnight;
‘In the tradition of indestructibility, may you flourish with your kith and kin’ sang that respected poet, who has the most flawless skill amidst all people of the land, making your fame spread and sustain, giving no room for other supplicants. This is akin to how, in the western seas, when Cheran with raging armies, had sent his ships that bring gold, other ships dare not ply.
However, as poverty goads us, and your fame pulls us, we too sing seeking your generosity, O great lord, who, as drums roar aloud like thunder that kills snakes with sharp teeth, ruins kings with esteemed war elephants, attacks and destroys in the battlefield, and blocks enemies far off -The ruler of the beautiful country, where the River Pennai flows!”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet starts by depicting something this king does, which is to take the gold from the ornaments on defeated enemy elephants and turn them into golden lotuses to be rendered unto the poets, who come seeking his favour, and she describes how although she does not think of herself capable enough, she has come to sing his praises and describes his land as one where cascades resound aloud like drums in the midst of the pitch dark jungles.
How humble of the poet to call herself as someone lacking in skill! She further details the reason for her lack of confidence saying about how Kabilar has sung about the fame of this great king, so exquisitely that there’s no space for others to add anything. To etch this thought, she brings in the greatness of the Chera king, whose gold-bearing ships dominate in the western seas, making ships of others fear to tread those waters. This highlights the maritime trade and power of the Chera kings, who controlled those ancient ports in the region called as Kerala today and exchanged their riches with the nations in Africa, Middle-East and even Greece and Italy of ancient times.
Although Kabilar’s greatness is indeed formidable, still driven by the forces of poverty that oppress and attracted by the renowned generosity of the king, the poet says she too has come to sing of the praises of this great lord. To portray his greatness, she talks of how his war drums roar like thunder. Do you recollect how she described a few words ago how the cascades in this country roar like drums? From cascades to drums to thunder, the poet extends her ripples of similes! Returning, we see when those drums roar like thunder, the king destroys his enemy kings and their towering elephants. And thus, protects his magnificent country made fertile by the River Pennai, the poet concludes.
River Pennai called as ‘Then Pennai’ in contemporary Tamil starts in Karnataka and flows through the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Cuddalore of Tamilnadu and ends in the Bay of Bengal. This river is crucial to the agriculture, irrigation and bio-diversity of this region. Returning to the poet’s hesitation in singing about this king, we can infer that she considered Kabilar and his works as creations par excellence and that she herself was no match for him. In another similar instance, we saw how the female poet Avvaiyaar sings of the greatness of another male poet Paranar in one of her verses. I wonder if any male poet has sung likewise of the greatness of a female poet from this time. Even if they haven’t, I’m content to think that these women, no matter how self-deprecating, had a voice, making their words echo, if not like the resounding drums of the men’s voices, like the gentle but unforgettable strings of a lute!
In this episode, we hear the perspectives of two rulers about this patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 125, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the poet Vadama Vannakkan Perunchathanaar. Set in the category of ‘Vaagai Thinai’ or ‘King’s victory’, the verse illustrates the consequences of this king’s presence in the battlefield.
பருத்திப் பெண்டின் பனுவல் அன்ன,
நெருப்புச் சினம் தணிந்த நிணம் தயங்கு கொழுங் குறை,
பரூஉக் கள் மண்டையொடு, ஊழ் மாறு பெயர
உண்கும், எந்தை! நிற் காண்கு வந்திசினே,
நள்ளாதார் மிடல் சாய்த்த
வல்லாள! நின் மகிழ் இருக்கையே.
உழுத நோன் பகடு அழி தின்றாங்கு
நல் அமிழ்து ஆக, நீ நயந்து உண்ணும் நறவே;
குன்றத்து அன்ன களிறு பெயர,
கடந்து அட்டு வென்றோனும், நிற் கூறும்மே;
‘வெலீஇயோன் இவன்’ என,
‘கழல் அணிப் பொலிந்த சேவடி நிலம் கவர்பு
விரைந்து வந்து, சமம் தாங்கிய,
வல் வேல் மலையன் அல்லன் ஆயின்,
நல் அமர் கடத்தல் எளிதுமன், நமக்கு’ எனத்
தோற்றோன்தானும், நிற் கூறும்மே,
‘தொலைஇயோன் இவன்’ என,
ஒரு நீ ஆயினை பெரும! பெரு மழைக்கு
இருக்கை சான்ற உயர் மலைத்
திருத் தகு சேஎய்! நிற் பெற்றிசினோர்க்கே.
A new poet has something different to say about King Kaari. This song is sung after the outcome of the war between two great rulers of ancient Tamil land, the Chera and Chozha kings, when Kaari had rendered his support to the Chozha king. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to cotton spun by women, are these chunks of flesh, coated with fat, cooked by the raging fire. We get to eat this along with toddy poured into our huge empty vessels again and again, when we come to see you at your joyous court, O lord, who slays the strength of opponents! Like the sturdy ox that ploughs the land and then eats hay, may what you eat and relish become an everlasting elixir to you.
The one who battled and won, killing elephants towering like hills, describes you as ‘He, who made me win’. The one who lost the battle says about you, ‘If only the sharp-speared Malaiyan, whose fine feet, adorned with etched anklets, which speed upon the land and face the fury of the battle, was not there, it would have been easy for us to defeat our enemy’, and describes you as ‘He, who made me lose’. And so, you seem the same to both of them, O lord! You appear like God Seyai, who resides in high hills, enveloped by huge rain clouds, to those who have gained your support!”
Let’s take a closer look at the details herein. The poet starts by informing us about an activity of women then, that of spinning cotton. He compares that spun cotton to the fat covered, cooked chunks of meat that he and other supplicants at the king’s court get to eat along with jars of toddy. A remark to talk about the feast the king serves, an echo of his immense generosity. Comparing this king to an ox that works the field and helps rear paddy and then eats hay as food, the poet praises this attitude of the king to give away all he has to others and relish whatever food left. He adds a blessing to that food to become the king’s life-giving elixir.
Moving on to the events in the battlefield, the poet talks about how the victor, who obtained his victory by making tall elephants kneel before him, calls Kaari, the reason for his conquest. Then, turning to the loser, the poet describes his words saying, ‘If only Kaari was not there on the other side, winning that enemy would have been so easy for me’ and hears this loser call Kaari, the reason for his defeat. And so both the winner and the vanquished see Kaari as the sole contributor for their state, the poet adds ,and concludes by saying that Kaari is like the God, who resides on raincloud-shrouded hills, to those who trust in him.
An expressive verse with fascinating details about women’s occupation, presence of cotton and food served in royal courts. Striking is the portrait of this king, sketched in the words of the one soaring in victory and the one wallowing in defeat, who both equally celebrate his power and strength. This ancient verse seems to say that the marker of true greatness is in the equal respect and admiration in both friends and foes!
In this episode, we hear about the assurance rendered to supplicants, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 124, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and talks about the infinite generosity of this ruler.
நாள் அன்று போகி, புள் இடை தட்ப,
பதன் அன்று புக்கு, திறன் அன்று மொழியினும்,
வறிது பெயர்குநர்அல்லர் நெறி கொளப்
பாடு ஆன்று இரங்கும் அருவிப்
பீடு கெழு மலையன் பாடியோரே.
Another way to praise the king’s renowned charity. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Even if they go on a day that’s inauspicious, even if the bird omens forbid them to, even if it isn’t the right time to meet the king, even if there’s no talent in their words, they shall never part away empty-handed – they, who sing praises of Malaiyan, the lord of the proud hills, where cascades flow down evenly, roaring aloud!”
Let’s explore the details here. The poet starts by talking about people, who are setting out from their homes on what’s considered an inauspicious day. Next, he talks about the situation wherein bird omens are all wrong and promise no success in the venture of the one starting out. Not only that, he then considers the situation, where the king has so many things on his mind and is not in the right frame of mind to meet anyone. Even after all this, if a supplicant comes to the king, and even without any special prowess, sings the praises of the king, that person is sure to part away with a lot of riches and gifts from the hands of this ruler, the poet concludes.
All it takes for a person to receive gifts from the king is to stand before him and seek, seems like! Reversing back to all the negative conditions, those words give us a hint of the beliefs Sangam people had. One, they seemed to have expected skill in the words of poets. Next is the common sense understanding that there’s a time to approach a patron if one wanted something. Even now, ‘Is it a good time for you?’ is the first question we put to someone before asking them anything. Following these expectations we have even today, there seems to be some superstitious beliefs in bird omens and the day’s auspiciousness before setting out on a task. The core thought here is that while the asker thinks of so many things before seeking, this giver gives no thought and discriminates no one but pours down evenly like the cascades in his lush country. In a nutshell, the poet seems to be telling those supplicants, ‘Don’t think too much. Just show up!’ Could be good advice for life’s many moments too!
In this episode, we hear of the impeccable generosity of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 123, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse reveals the nature of this ruler.
நாள் கள் உண்டு, நாள் மகிழ் மகிழின்,
யார்க்கும் எளிதே, தேர் ஈதல்லே;
தொலையா நல் இசை விளங்கு மலையன்
மகிழாது ஈத்த இழை அணி நெடுந் தேர்
பயன் கெழு முள்ளூர் மீமிசைப்
பட்ட மாரி உறையினும் பலவே.
A song in praise of this king’s charity. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“If one were to drink toddy during the day and be in an intoxicated state in the day court, it’s easy for him to render chariots to supplicants; But the illustrious Malaiyan, whose fame shall never fade, without even being intoxicated, has rendered ornamented tall chariots, so many that they are more in number than the raindrops that reside in the clouds above prosperous Mulloor!”
Time to delve into the nuances here. The poet starts by talking about a generic ruler who drinks toddy early in the morning and is in an inebriated state. For this person, who is not fully in his senses, it’s rather easy to give away chariots to supplicants because he isn’t thinking clearly, the poet implies. That sort of giving away, the poet contrasts with the charity of Malaiyan Kaari, who is never drunk in this fashion. He concludes with the thought that even so, the number of chariots the king gives away is more than the raindrops in the clouds above Kaari’s capital of Mulloor.
Perhaps you have often heard this question asked in disbelief in many a movie and in real life too – ‘Already drunk in the morning?’. Here too, in this ancient verse, there seems to be a subtle hint that drink and relaxation was not something that was done in the morning and if at all it was done, those people are sure to be mindless pleasure-seekers. This aspect is brought to highlight the clear thinking nature of this king. And not only that, by comparing the number of chariots the ruler gives away to supplicants to the raindrops above his domain, the poet also brings out what a fertile land that was, being blessed by the skies so. The only question I have is what would ordinary supplicants do with these chariots? It’s like the situation today when a person comes seeking food and alms and a patron gives them luxury cars instead. Also, would all these numerous chariots taken away by the supplicants cause a traffic jam of sorts in those ancient roads? Curious questions to ponder upon, wondering about what part of these verses is poetic license and what is truth and nothing but the truth!
In this episode, we hear of an ironic life situation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 122, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and brings out the riches of the land and the respect the king commanded.
கடல் கொளப்படாஅது, உடலுநர் ஊக்கார்,
கழல் புனை திருந்து அடிக் காரி! நின் நாடே;
அழல் புறந்தரூஉம் அந்தணரதுவே;
வீயாத் திருவின் விறல் கெழு தானை
மூவருள் ஒருவன், ‘துப்பு ஆகியர்’ என,
ஏத்தினர் தரூஉம் கூழே, நும் குடி
வாழ்த்தினர் வரூஉம் இரவலரதுவே;
வடமீன் புரையும் கற்பின், மட மொழி,
அரிவை தோள் அளவு அல்லதை,
நினது என இலை நீ பெருமிதத்தையே.
A different technique of praising the king in this one! The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“The sea cannot carry it away; Enemies will not think to covet it; O Kaari, wearing well-crafted warrior anklets on your fine feet, your country belongs to those priests, who tend to sacrificial fires; Each of those three great kings with unending wealth and brave armies, wanting your support, send emissaries with precious gifts, and these in turn, belong to those supplicants in your land, who come singing your praises. Akin to the unswerving north star is the chastity of your woman with innocent words, and other than her arms, there’s nothing that you can call yours, and feel proud about.”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet starts by talking about the formidable defences around the country, protecting it both from nature and man, and declares the land cannot be taken away by the rising sea or by enemy armies. While that is so, the land entire still belongs to priests, who take care of the sacrificial fires, the poet informs us. The significance of this line, we’ll explore in a short while. Next, the poet talks about how the three great kings, Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers keep sending their messengers to King Kaari’s court with plentiful gifts, hoping to earn his support. Even though endless gifts keep pouring this way, they all actually belong to poets and performers, who arrive at the king’s court, singing his praises. The only thing that belongs to this king seems to be the shoulders of his queen, the chaste and innocent one, the poet concludes.
I wish to zoom on to two important details in this song. One is, the habit of kings to glorify priests and how they shower a lot of wealth and importance to them. In this case, the king seems to have endowed his entire country to these priests. However, this is no rare event in the ancient world. We see the same happening in the civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia as well. All this arises with human beings, turning to agriculture, which results in accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few. And, towards them, gravitate others such as the priests, who provide further means of strengthening the artificial construct of one man’s superiority over the masses. The other detail evident in this verse is how the woman is considered as a possession of the man. Scholars from previous centuries interpret it as how the king’s consort is not one of those things that he can give away and talk of it as a positive thing but there is injustice here, in that a woman is considered not a person of her own but another’s belonging. I read that in early hunter-gatherer societies, there’s evidence of gender equality and true egalitarianism. Amazing how the advent of agriculture, which no doubt is at the base of all human progress, has led to these unsavoury by-products. Perhaps, people of the future will find a way to enjoy the boon of progress while removing these banes of division and inequality.
In this episode, we listen to words of advice rendered unto a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 121, penned about the Velir King Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Miscellaneous matters’, the verse brings out the generosity and impartiality of this ruler.
ஒரு திசை ஒருவனை உள்ளி, நால் திசைப்
பலரும் வருவர், பரிசில் மாக்கள்;
வரிசை அறிதலோ அரிதே; பெரிதும்
ஈதல் எளிதே; மா வண் தோன்றல்!
அது நற்கு அறிந்தனைஆயின்,
பொது நோக்கு ஒழிமதி, புலவர் மாட்டே!
After having seen many songs on King Paari, we turn to yet another Velir King Kaari. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Thinking of one man who lives in one direction, come many supplicants from all four directions; It’s hard to know their calibre indeed; But easy for you, to render charity unto them, O ruler, known for your immense generosity. Know this well and avoid looking at all poets as if they are the same!”
Time to delve into these words. The poet talks about how crowds of people from all four directions converge at the gates of this great ruler, seeking his gifts and patronage. Now, the poet accepts when so many come in this fashion, it’s going to be hard to gauge who stands where in their ability, and also, it’s rather easy for the king, who has so much wealth, to just render charity to all of them equally. Placing a ‘however’ in these words, the poet concludes with an advice to the king, asking him not to consider all poets as the same.
It is evident that the poet wants a differentiation among poets based on their skill. Discern among those who come to you and do not disregard quality, the poet seems to request the king. Here, the thing I would like to highlight is the way the poet brings out how somethings are indeed easy to do and some are hard to do, but that does not mean one has to choose the easy alternative. No matter how hard, do the right thing, the poet seems to tell this ancient king, and also, to us, his descendants in this century.
In this episode, we listen to a detailed account of the agricultural wealth of a country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 120, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Miscellaneous matters’ and details the lifestyle of the people in the king’s land.
வெப்புள் விளைந்த வேங்கைச் செஞ் சுவல்
கார்ப் பெயல் கலித்த பெரும் பாட்டு ஈரத்து,
பூழி மயங்கப் பல உழுது, வித்தி,
பல்லி ஆடிய பல் கிளைச் செவ்விக்
களை கால் கழாலின், தோடு ஒலிபு நந்தி,
மென் மயில் புனிற்றுப் பெடை கடுப்ப நீடி,
கருந் தாள் போகி, ஒருங்கு பீள் விரிந்து,
கீழும் மேலும் எஞ்சாமைப் பல காய்த்து,
வாலிதின் விளைந்த புது வரகு அரிய,
தினை கொய்ய, கவ்வை கறுப்ப, அவரைக்
கொழுங் கொடி விளர்க் காய் கோட் பதம் ஆக,
நிலம் புதைப் பழுனிய மட்டின் தேறல்
புல் வேய்க் குரம்பைக் குடிதொறும் பகர்ந்து,
நறு நெய்க் கடலை விசைப்ப, சோறு அட்டு,
பெருந்தோள் தாலம் பூசல் மேவர,
வருந்தா யாணர்த்து; நந்தும்கொல்லோ
இரும் பல் கூந்தல் மடந்தையர் தந்தை
ஆடு கழை நரலும் சேட் சிமை, புலவர்
பாடி ஆனாப் பண்பின் பகைவர்
ஓடு கழல் கம்பலை கண்ட
செரு வெஞ் சேஎய் பெரு விறல் நாடே!
A long song in the theme of immense wealth in Paari’s country and its changing fate. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“The red soil, on which the ‘vengai’ tree soars amidst the searing heat, is moistened by the widespread rains of the monsoon. This fertile mud is mixed well and ploughed upon, and then, seeds are sown. When stalks with many branches shoot up, ‘palli’ weeds grow along and these are weeded out to make grains grow luxuriantly. They appear in the shade of a delicate peahen that has laid eggs recently. These dark stalks stand tall, and mature together uniformly, without any differences, and burst into grains at the top and bottom, growing in abundance. The people there harvest such stacks of ‘varagu’ millets, gather ‘thinai’ millets, collect sesame seeds, and pluck from the fleshy vines of ‘avarai’ beans, seeing that these have fruited in the right proportion. Then, bringing out the aged toddy that has been buried under the ground, they share that liquor with people in all the grass-thatched huts around, along with lentils fried in fragrant oil, and cooked rice. Women with fleshy arms wash huge plates of food. Such painless and plentiful prosperity, this land was filled with. All that is about to end in this country belonging to the father of these maiden with thick and luxuriant hair. Alas! This is the fate of this land, where swaying bamboos resound in distant peaks, and poets sing ceaselessly of the king’s good nature – The one, who always hears the lamenting sound of enemy anklets running away from his battlefield; The lord, who desires and wins over battles in this land of victory!”
Let’s take a deeper dive into this verse! First of all, the poet points to an ‘Indian Kino Tree’ standing tall and he tells us about how it has taken in the heat of summer and soared high. From the tree, he turns his attention to the soil and talks about how the changing season of monsoon brings down heavy rains and makes the land fertile. On this moistened land, farmers plough and sow many seeds. When they sprout into stalks, weeds grow along with that and these are quickly taken care of, by the farmers to ensure a rich harvest of multitude of crops such as kodo millet, foxtail millet, sesame seeds and broad beans as well. Once the harvest of these crops is done, after their hard work, these ancestors liked to party with the aged toddy buried under the ground, sharing it with all their neighbours, and also savouring fried grams as snack and cooked rice, perhaps following the truth that alcohol does no good to an empty stomach. And, many plates of such relished food would be washed by maiden in the house, the poet adds. This long list of details, the poet mentions to talk about the wealth of King Paari’s country, and adds how poets sing endlessly about him and how in his land of victory, the king is used only to hearing the sound of enemy anklets running away in defeat. He concludes with his lament that all this is about to end now that the king is gone.
The thing about Sangam Literature is that they find so many different ways of conveying the same core message, be it in ‘Aham’ or ‘Puram’ verses. In poem after poem, we have seen how the poet references to different aspects of the king’s land only to feel sad that it’s now gone. Although repetitive, perhaps this style talks about the creativity of the poets, and also, their belief that somethings should be visited again and again, before the mind can find its resolution. And taking that leaf of thought from this verse, if we too can accept that our minds sometimes keep making the same mistakes, we can lead our lives with more patience and perseverance.
In this episode, we get a glimpse of a fertile land and its foods, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 119, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Miscellaneous matters’, the verse vividly illustrates the generosity of this king.
கார்ப் பெயல் தலைஇய காண்பு இன் காலை,
களிற்று முக வரியின் தெறுழ் வீ பூப்ப,
செம் புற்று ஈயலின் இன் அளைப் புளித்து;
மென் தினை யாணர்த்து; நந்தும் கொல்லோ
நிழல் இல் நீள் இடைத் தனி மரம் போல,
பணை கெழு வேந்தரை இறந்தும்
இரவலர்க்கு ஈயும் வள்ளியோன் நாடே!
Etched with rich and intricate details is this song in this series on King Paari’s rule. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“On a picturesque morning, pleasing to the eyes, a day after monsoon rains have poured, akin to spots on an elephant’s face, jungle vines burst into bloom. At this time, a cooked mixture of tasty termites from red mounds and tamarind, would be gifted along with soft millets. This, the generous king would render unto supplicants, standing like a single tree in a shadeless, long desert path, giving much more than what even rich kings with war drums do. Alas! Such unceasing prosperity is now doomed to end in this land!”
Time to explore the treasures within. The poet starts by bringing before our eyes, a beautiful, rain-soaked monsoon morning, pointing to the lush mountain jungle, where vines are covered with tiny white flowers, appearing like the spots on an elephant’s face. After establishing the setting, the poet turns to talk about some food items, one being, termites from red mounds, cooked and mixed with tamarind, and the other, being rich and soft millets. He has mentioned this seemingly exotic combination of foods to say that’s what King Paari would render to all those, who come seeking his grace, giving unto them much more than even great kings with resounding war drums ever did. To imprint this image of this king, the poet conjures a lonely tree in a wide-spreading drylands region without a drop of shade anywhere else. He concludes with a lament that now that the king’s gone, all that is about to end in that land!
After empathising with the emotions of this lamenting poet, let’s turn our attention to the foods he describes. Termites – What an odd thing to be considered a delicacy and celebrated so, you may think! But there is a rich wealth of researched evidence that termites is a preferred food in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, considered to be the origin of the human race. In a scientific book on ‘Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection’, there’s an interesting link with this song in the description of how these termites are collected only in the rainy season, the very thought poet Kabilar begins this verse with. In this scientific book, it’s also mentioned that these termites are known to be a rich source of protein, fats and key vitamins, and are described as one of the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable foods for humans. Something that our ancestors seemed to have known instinctively!
Not only in the continent of Africa, even closer home in the Indian subcontinent, indigenous tribals and people in rural areas even today enjoy eating termites. A blog article mentions this food item being referred to as ‘Usillu’ in Telangana and narrates the fond memories of how it was lovingly prepared by the writer’s grandfather. Also, in my search, I found this heartwarming Youtube video, from the ‘Village Cooking Channel’, telling the story of how these termites, known as ‘eesal’, the contemporary Tamil name for these winged insects, are caught and cooked by villagers in Tamilnadu, who sit down after a hard day’s work to enjoy this nutritious delicacy, the same food which poet Kabilar employs to praise the generosity of a king, who lived more than two thousand years ago. And yet again, I’m stunned by how I begin my journey in an ancient verse, and then, find the wings to fly far and near, and the eyes to see the oneness of the human spirit!
In this episode, we perceive the angst in a poet’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 118, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Miscellaneous matters’ and talks about the ruin that has come to the king’s country after his demise.
அறையும் பொறையும் மணந்த தலைய,
எண் நாள் திங்கள் அனைய கொடுங் கரைத்
தெள் நீர்ச் சிறு குளம் கீள்வது மாதோ
கூர் வேல் குவைஇய மொய்ம்பின்
தேர் வண் பாரி தண் பறம்பு நாடே!
A short song continuing in the theme of the distress experienced by Paari’s land. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Surrounded by rocks and boulders, the small pond once having a sturdy bank, akin to an eight-day moon, and filled with clear water, is in ruins, without those to protect. Alas! So is the cool ‘Parambu’ country, ruled by Paari – the one, who wields sharp spears with the power of his rounded shoulders, and the one, who grants chariots many!”
Let’s delve into the nuances here. The poet has been talking about different elements to highlight the changing fate of the Parambu country. In this verse, his attention falls on a feature of the land – a small pond amidst the rocks and small hills of the land having crystal clear water. He describes how it had a sturdy boundary around it in the shape of an eight day crescent moon, almost a semicircle. But, now because it has no one to take care of its banks, it’s in a ruined state, the poet tells us. A moment to appreciate the water management of the ancient Tamils here. Not only did they build ponds along their terrain to quench the searing thirst of travellers in summer, but they seem to have also ensured to maintain and protect it. But when fates change and people leave, the pond is left in ruins and so is the entire Parambu land of Paari, the strong and generous one, after he is no more, the poet concludes.
An observation about a simple feature! There is neither grandeur or expansive emotions here. All the poet wants to highlight is the devastation of the land after the king’s demise and projects his own desperation at losing his friend on an element of the land. And, this brings me to the question, should works of art be only about grand and profound things? Or can they be about something simple and relatable? As for me, I think embracing art as it is, without expectations of what it should be, is the way to be!
In this episode, we perceive the past prosperity of the king’s land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 117, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘Miscellaneous matters’, the verse details the unceasing natural wealth of the king’s country during his reign.
மைம்மீன் புகையினும், தூமம் தோன்றினும்,
தென் திசை மருங்கின் வெள்ளி ஓடினும்,
வயலகம் நிறைய, புதல் பூ மலர,
மனைத்தலை மகவை ஈன்ற அமர்க் கண்
ஆமா நெடு நிரை நன் புல் ஆர,
கோஒல் செம்மையின் சான்றோர் பல்கி,
பெயல் பிழைப்பு அறியாப் புன்புலத்ததுவே
பிள்ளை வெருகின் முள் எயிறு புரையப்
பாசிலை முல்லை முகைக்கும்
ஆய் தொடி அரிவையர் தந்தை நாடே.
Continuing in this series of songs contrasting the past and present, we hear of the lush spread of King Paari’s land in this one. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Even if Saturn seemed smoky, even if a comet appeared, even if Venus ran away in the southern direction, his fertile sceptre would fill fields, make flowers bloom on bushes, and let huge-eyed cows that gave birth to calves at home, graze on fine grass in the land; Wise and knowledgeable people would be many in this land, which knew not what it was to have the rains fail. Such a land has now fallen to a barren state – That country, where wild jasmine flowers used to bloom, akin to the teeth of young wild cats, belonging to the father of these maiden wearing well crafted bangles!”
Let’s explore the nuances here. The poet starts by talking about some rare astronomical phenomenon such as the Saturn planet having a smoky look, or when a comet star would appear on the skies, or the case when the bright Venus would run away to the South. Other than the image of a comet in the sky, I could not connect to the other instances mentioned as I’m not an acute watcher of the skies. Even if I were, in the polluted cities of the now, not only Saturn, all celestial objects are sure to look smoky. But I understand that this was unusual in the skies of this poet’s time. He talks about these phenomenon only to say that even if such unfavourable events happened in the night sky, even then nothing would change in Paari’s land. Fields would continue to bloom bright, bushes would be filled with flowers, and cows that had just given birth would be grazing to their heart’s content on the fine grass of this prosperous land. And, why is it prosperous? Only because of the king’s unerring rule over the domain. Also, good and wise people would fill the land and such a land never knew what it was to be without rains.
That was in the past, the poet says, talking about how the country, where wild jasmines bloom, akin to the teeth of wild cats – the one belonging to the father of these bangle-clad maiden had now turned barren without his presence. A song which connects the goodness of a ruler to the wealth of his nation. This ancient verse reminds me of a strong belief in Tamil culture even today that the rains will fall on the land only when good people live there, something that crops up in conversations among people, especially those in the rural areas. Fascinating how a core thought survives in spirit in a place in spite of the melting crucible of time and change!
In this episode, we listen to an account of how life has changed after a momentous event, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 116, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘miscellaneous matters’ and talks about the past and present in the life of the king’s daughters.
தீம் நீர்ப் பெருங் குண்டு சுனைப் பூத்த குவளைக்
கூம்பு அவிழ் முழுநெறி புரள்வரும் அல்குல்,
ஏந்து எழில் மழைக் கண், இன் நகை, மகளிர்
புல் மூசு கவலைய முள் மிடை வேலி,
பஞ்சி முன்றில், சிற்றில் ஆங்கண்,
பீரை நாறிய சுரை இவர் மருங்கின்,
ஈத்து இலைக் குப்பை ஏறி, உமணர்
உப்பு ஒய் ஒழுகை எண்ணுப மாதோ;
நோகோ யானே; தேய்கமா, காலை!
பயில் பூஞ் சோலை மயில் எழுந்து ஆலவும்,
பயில் இருஞ் சிலம்பில் கலை பாய்ந்து உகளவும்,
கலையும் கொள்ளாவாக, பலவும்
காலம் அன்றியும் மரம் பயம் பகரும்
யாணர் அறாஅ வியல் மலை அற்றே
அண்ணல் நெடு வரை ஏறி, தந்தை
பெரிய நறவின், கூர் வேல் பாரியது
அருமை அறியார், போர் எதிர்ந்து வந்த
வலம் படு தானை வேந்தர்
பொலம் படைக் கலி மா எண்ணுவோரே.
A long song with intricate details about Paari’s land. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Fully blossomed flowers of the fragrant water lily that blooms in deep springs with sweet waters sway on the waists of maiden with pleasant smiles and upraised beautiful rain-like eyes. To look at the path ahead filled with grass, near their huts fenced with thorns, with cotton falling on their courtyard, and where ridge gourd and bottle gourd spreads, climbing atop fallen palmyra leaves, they now count carts of salt merchants! Seeing this, I suffer so. May the days of my life fade away!
In the forests, densely filled with flowers, peacocks rise and dance, and in the dense and dark mountain slopes, male monkeys pounce and dash about. More than what these male monkeys can eat, and unseasonably too, the trees bear so much fruit in those wide mountains with endless prosperity. Here, climbing atop the esteemed hill, back then, they used to count the proud saddled horses, belonging to the armies of kings, who came to wage war, not knowing the greatness of their father Paari, the one with sharp spears and flowing toddy!”
Time to explore the nuances here. The poet starts by talking about the attire of young maiden, who seem to have winning smiles and to use this poet’s favourite expression for feminine beauty – rain-like eyes. This attire is a string of bud-open, huge water-lilies around the waist of these maiden. After describing their appearance and attire, the poet moves on to their abode. This is a humble hut, fenced with thorns, near a grass-covered path that trails off to a great distance ahead. In the front yard of this hut, cotton floats around, perhaps from the silk-cotton tree nearby, and in the backyard, ridge gourd and bottle gourd vines spread all around. Now, the poet comes to what these maiden are engaged in. They have climbed on top of a heap of palmyra leaves and are now engaged in counting the carts of salt merchants traversing on that path, near their hut.
Seeing this scene, the poet is in so much suffering that he wishes for his life to end. When we investigate why this is so, we find out it’s because he compares the state of these women to how they were before. Once again, he turns to detailing the surroundings of dense forests where peacocks and monkeys abound and the trees in this forest bearing so much fruit, not minding if it’s the season or not, so much so that those hungry monkeys cannot finish them all. Such is the seemingly ceaseless prosperity of that land. Here, those same maiden used to climb on a high hill, and count the horses of enemy kings, who came to attack their father, Paari, not realising that he was indefeasible!
And thus, by detailing what these maiden, the king’s daughters were counting before and after his passing away, the poet shows to us, the changing story of their lives. One was filled with fertility and security and the other was filled with poverty and uncertainty. This changed state of the king’s daughters is what fills the poet’s heart with so much pain. I was intrigued to note that comment about fruits blooming out of season. It’s as if the king’s presence makes the trees think, ‘Never mind if it’s not the time, in this good country, we always need to bear fruit’. An interesting ‘before and after’ account of the lives of princesses, bridged by the simple thought of what was being counted!
In this episode, we listen to the nostalgic words of a person parting away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 115, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘miscellaneous matters’, the verse talks about the riches of the king’s land.
ஒரு சார் அருவி ஆர்ப்ப, ஒரு சார்
பாணர் மண்டை நிறையப் பெய்ம்மார்,
வாக்க உக்க தேக் கள் தேறல்
கல் அலைத்து ஒழுகும்மன்னே! பல் வேல்,
அண்ணல் யானை, வேந்தர்க்கு
இன்னான் ஆகிய இனியோன் குன்றே.
Another song talking about the then of Paari’s domain. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“On one side, cascades would resound; On another side, filtered, clear, sweet toddy that was poured to fill empty bowls of bards would brim over and flow, scattering stones in its path! Such was the peak of the sweet one, so pleasant to us, but formidable to kings with mighty elephants and many spears!”
Let’s delve into the details herein. The poet brings before our eyes how a cascade would roar aloud on one side, and if you turned in the other direction, there, sweet toddy would overflow from the vessels of supplicants and rush like a wild river, sweeping away stones in its path. Such was the state of the peak ruled over by this king, so friendly to people like him but so fearsome to others like kings, who sought to attack the land with their elephants and spears, the poet concludes.
A song symbolising dualities! In one direction, there’s flowing waters of a cascade signifying the natural fertility of the land, and from another direction, flowing toddy granted to supplicants indicating the wealth of the king. The poet also mentions how the king was so agreeable to them but so terrifying to enemy kings. That image of a drink flowing with such volume and intensity that it sweeps away stones in its path, made me think of the phrase ‘the land where milk and honey flowed’, a statement to talk about the wealth of a place. Here, this is literally pictured in these words of the poet. Curious how what meant prosperity then seems to be an offer of food and drink without bounds to those who came seeking!
In this episode, we perceive the past fame of Parambu peak, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 114, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘miscellaneous matters’ and renders a subtle message about a place bereft of its ruler.
ஈண்டு நின்றோர்க்கும் தோன்றும்; சிறு வரை
சென்று நின்றோர்க்கும் தோன்றும், மன்ற
களிறு மென்று இட்ட கவளம் போல,
நறவுப் பிழிந்து இட்ட கோதுடைச் சிதறல்
வார் அசும்பு ஒழுகும் முன்றில்,
தேர் வீசு இருக்கை, நெடியோன் குன்றே.
A short song talking about the renown of Paari’s peak in the past. The poet is said to have said these words as he is walking away from the Parambu land with the king’s daughters, after the king’s death. His words can be translated as follows:
“His peak would appear to those who stand here; Even if they walk further to the limits and stand, it would still appear to them; Akin to the ball of food that was chewed and spit out by the elephant in the town centre, are fibres from which nectar has been squeezed out, and from these dregs, juice scatters and fuses with the mud in the courtyard, where the great lord used to grant chariots many!”
Time to delve into the nuances. The poet talks about how Paari’s peak would be visible not only from a short distance but even when when people stood at the limits of the region. But this was when the king ruled from there, and from his courtyard, showered chariots on supplicants many! To bring alive this courtyard, the poet talks about how sweet juices flow and fuse with the mud therein, these sweet juices scattering from the fibres that have been squeezed tight, akin to the ball of food that an elephant eats and spits out, the poet details!
In that image of the juice-squeezed-out mass of dregs, the poet places a metaphor for how the Parambu peak has become a mere pile of rocks without their great ruler to reign over it. ‘Without its people, a place is nothing but a mushy mass bereft of its essence’ seems to be the core thought in this verse!
In this episode, we listen to words expressing grief, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 113, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘miscellaneous matters’, the verse talks about the past prosperity of the land.
மட்டு வாய் திறப்பவும், மை விடை வீழ்ப்பவும்,
அட்டு ஆன்று ஆனாக் கொழுந் துவை ஊன் சோறும்
பெட்டாங்கு ஈயும் பெரு வளம் பழுனி,
நட்டனை மன்னோ, முன்னே; இனியே,
பாரி மாய்ந்தென, கலங்கிக் கையற்று,
நீர் வார் கண்ணேம் தொழுது நிற் பழிச்சிச்
சேறும் வாழியோ பெரும் பெயர்ப் பறம்பே!
கோல் திரள் முன் கைக் குறுந் தொடி மகளிர்
நாறு இருங் கூந்தல் கிழவரைப் படர்ந்தே.
Continuing in this series of songs on Vel Paari, we arrive in the presence of Kabilar’s sorrow in this one. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Wine jars were opened; Sheep were slaughtered, and even as these were cooked, the volume reduced not and such fleshy meat rice was generously given, backed by immense wealth. You were such a friend to me back then; But now, since Paari has perished, confused and forsaken, with tears pouring down from the eyes, I bow before you, and singing your praises, I part away, O renowned Parambu! May you live long! I leave in search of husbands for these maiden, wearing small bangles on their forearms, and having thick, rounded shoulders and fragrant, dark tresses!”
Let’s explore the nuances herein. The poet starts by reminiscing about a time when there was copious shower of food and drink from the Parambu land. At this time, jars of toddy were opened and goats were cooked so as to render unto a huge crowd, meat and rice. Such was the wealth of that region, and such was the particular affection the region had for this poet. But now that the ruler of that land was dead, the poet could do nothing but shed copious tears, sing praises of that land, and part away. All his focus was now on finding the right husbands for Paari’s beautiful daughters, he concludes.
A verse that shows how this poet, a close friend of the king, was distraught after his loss, and yet, he saw what he must do, which was to take the king’s daughters to safety and then marry them to the right suitors. In short, he steps into the role of a father to these young girls, even while in the throes of grief over the loss of his friend. Insights about the need to focus on what needs to be done, no matter the pain in the heart, is illustrated in this expressive song!
In this episode, we listen to a lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 112, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the king’s daughters. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Pothuviyal Thinai’ or ‘miscellaneous matters’ and details the changes in the lives of these maiden.
அற்றைத் திங்கள் அவ் வெண் நிலவின்,
எந்தையும் உடையேம்; எம் குன்றும் பிறர் கொளார்;
இற்றைத் திங்கள் இவ் வெண் நிலவின்,
வென்று எறி முரசின் வேந்தர் எம்
குன்றும் கொண்டார்; யாம் எந்தையும் இலமே!
A simple and direct song expressing a deep emotion. The words of these royals can be translated as follows:
“In the past month, when the white moon blazed away, our father was with us and our peak was not seized by others; In this month, when the white moon blazes away, with drums proclaiming their so-called victory, those kings have seized our peak; And, our father is no longer with us too!”
Let’s delve into the thought expressed here. King Paari’s daughters reflect back on the full moon night a month ago, when their father was with them and they mention how their land was theirs. Now, within a period of one month, everything had changed in their lives, for those three kings had claimed their peak and their father was no longer with them too, they conclude.
Between two moons, these women seem to have lost their land and their father. A terrible loss brought about by the treachery of those three kings, no doubt! This we know, because we saw in song after song the truth about how no one could claim Paari’s peak so easily. So, it had to be by some devious means that those three kings won their victory. Scholars indicate that Poet Kabilar had taken Paari’s girls to safety when Parambu fell. It’s when these girls look at the same moon from a different place that their sense of loss comes back to them so strongly. That piercing agony of the loss of a parent is etched in the quiet words of this verse!
In this episode, we perceive an ironic situation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 111, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Nochchi Thinai’ or ‘King’s defence from within’, the verse talks about who can attain the peak of Parambu with ease.
அளிதோ தானே, பேர் இருங் குன்றே!
வேலின் வேறல் வேந்தர்க்கோ அரிதே;
நீலத்து இணை மலர் புரையும் உண்கண்
கிணை மகட்கு எளிதால், பாடினள் வரினே.
A short verse detailing a surprising fact about the king’s land. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“It is astonishing – the fate of this great and dark peak! It’s hard for kings to attain with the strength of their spears, but so easy for a drummer maiden, with kohl-streaked eyes akin to blue lotus flowers, when she comes singing!”
Time to take another glance at the thought herein. The poet turns and looks at the huge peak of Parambu and is amazed by the fact how it can never be conquered by the spears of kings but how easily it can be won over by a drum that is played on, by a woman singer!
In one shot, the poet showcases both the strength as well as the generosity of the king. Strength showcased in the fact that no one can conquer an inch of the king’s land by force and generosity in that he would give away everything for the sake of art and those who come seeking his compassion. A verse that highlights a curious case wherein a musical instrument triumphs over a weapon of war in the mission of conquering!
In this episode, we perceive the poet’s bond with the king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 110, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari and sung to the three great rulers by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Nochchi Thinai’ or ‘King’s defence from within’ and reiterates the pointlessness of a war with the king.
கடந்து அடு தானை மூவிரும் கூடி
உடன்றனிர் ஆயினும், பறம்பு கொளற்கு அரிதே;
முந்நூறு ஊர்த்தே தண் பறம்பு நல் நாடு;
முந்நூறு ஊரும் பரிசிலர் பெற்றனர்;
யாமும் பாரியும் உளமே;
குன்றும் உண்டு நீர் பாடினிர் செலினே.
A song that sounds like an echo of the previous one. The poet’s words to three great rulers – Chera, Chozha and Pandya kings, when they had laid siege to Paari’s Parambu region, can be translated as follows:
“Even if all three of you come there and attack with your formidable armies, it would be hard to conquer Parambu. This fine country of Parambu has three hundred towns. All those three hundred towns have been gifted away to supplicants. Paari and I remain; Also, there’s the peak for you, if you go to him, singing!”
Let’s take another look at the details herein. The poet declares that even if all three kings attack with the combined strength of all their armies, Parambu is never going to fall. Then, he talks about how this domain of Parambu ruled by Paari had three hundred towns and how all three hundred of the same have been granted as gifts to supplicants. At the end of all this giving away, only he and Paari are left, the poet tells the three kings, and adds, there’s the mountain peak too, if those three kings decided to take the role of supplicants and went singing to the court of Paari.
In many ways, this verse repeats the thoughts we have encountered previously. One extra detail we get is about the three hundred towns belonging to the Parambu region, ruled over by Paari. In the poet’s words that only Paari and he were left to be given away, we can infer how the poet considered himself as belonging to Paari, thereby declaring his deep allegiance to this king. Heartening to see nuanced emotions of loyalty amidst these accounts of war and conflict.
In this episode, we learn of the impenetrable nature of the king’s domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 109, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Nochchi Thinai’ or ‘King’s defence from within’, the verse elaborates on why the efforts of attacking kings was futile.
அளிதோதானே! பாரியது பறம்பே
நளி கொள் முரசின் மூவிரும் முற்றினும்,
உழவர் உழாதன நான்கு பயன் உடைத்தே:
ஒன்றே, சிறியிலை வெதிரின் நெல் விளையும்மே;
இரண்டே, தீம் சுளைப் பலவின் பழம் ஊழ்க்கும்மே;
மூன்றே, கொழுங் கொடி வள்ளிக் கிழங்கு வீழ்க்கும்மே;
நான்கே, அணி நிற ஓரி பாய்தலின், மீது அழிந்து,
திணி நெடுங் குன்றம் தேன் சொரியும்மே.
வான் கண் அற்று, அவன் மலையே; வானத்து,
மீன் கண் அற்று, அதன் சுனையே; ஆங்கு,
மரம்தொறும் பிணித்த களிற்றினிர் ஆயினும்,
புலம்தொறும் பரப்பிய தேரினிர் ஆயினும்,
தாளின் கொள்ளலிர்; வாளின் தாரலன்;
யான் அறிகுவென், அது கொள்ளும் ஆறே:
சுகிர் புரி நரம்பின் சீறியாழ் பண்ணி,
விரை ஒலி கூந்தல் நும் விறலியர் பின் வர,
ஆடினிர் பாடினிர் செலினே,
நாடும் குன்றும் ஒருங்கு ஈயும்மே.
The situation behind this rich song filled with many fascinating facts about Paari’s land unfolds when the three great rulers of the Tamil land – the Chera, Chozha and Pandya kings had sought Paari’s daughters in marriage and they were refused. At this time, these rulers come together to lay siege on King Paari’s country. The poet sings these words to those attacking kings. His words can be translated as follows:
“Your situation is to be pitied! For even if all three kings with your honourable, fine war drums lay a siege around Paari’s Parambu, this mountain land has four ways of yielding food, not sown by farmers.
One, from small-leaved bamboos, rice sprouts;
Two, sweet slices of the jackfruit ripen;
Three, beneath fleshy vines of the ‘fiveleaf yam’ plant, tubers flourish;
Four, brimming with the nectar of ‘Ori’ flowers in exquisite purple hues, hives break, and all over the dense, tall mountains, honey drips;
Akin to the sky, is his mountain; Akin to the stars in the sky, are this mountain’s springs; And so, even if you have elephants to tie to every single tree and even if you have chariots to spread on every bit of space in your land, you cannot win it with your efforts; He shall never give it on account of swords; I know the only way you can attain it!
Playing on the long, entwined strings of small lutes, as your dancing maiden with fragrant and luxuriant hair follow, if you would go to him, singing and dancing, he would render unto you, his land and peak too!”
Let’s delve into the treasure trove of details herein. The poet begins his words by telling the kings that if they thought that Paari’s Parambu country would be taught a lesson because of the siege around it by their combined forces, then they were very much mistaken. To categorically explain why is this is so, the poet refers to the expectation of these attacking kings that once they cut off the hill country from the farmlands in the plains around, the people in Paari’s Parambu would starve, and so, the king would surrender. Shattering the possibility of this hope, the poet talks about how there are four ways Paari’s hill country renders food that has no need to be reared by farmers in the plains.
One by one, the poet lists the abundant food growing in this terrain. First, it’s the bamboo rice, the last offering from the wild bamboo plant, so rich in its medicinal benefits and nutritional value, and used by tribals in the Wayanad Sanctuary of Kerala even today. Second, the poet turns his attention to the luscious clusters of jackfruit that grow in abundance here. Third, it’s the turn of tubers growing from the ‘fiveleaf yam’ or ‘purple yam’ plant found in plenty in the hilly corners of the Parambu region. Fourth and finally, the poet talks about how purple lines spread across bee hives and these drip with honey. Purple honey, so rare in the world, is said to be from the nectar of elderberries or Kudzu vines. Returning to the four items on the menu, we know that it’s not mere food but a feast in itself that nature provides to Paari’s country, with no effort on the part of humans at all!
Then, the poet compares Paari’s mountain to the sky and points out to how, akin to countless stars in the sky, there are countless springs in this mountain, thus underscoring the innate fertility of the land. Food and water, all taken care of, and so, no matter if have so many elephants to tie to every tree in your domain or chariots to occupy every inch of space, all your efforts are useless for Paari is not one to surrender to the force of a sword, the poet tells the kings.
Adding there is only one way for the kings to win Paari’s land, and that is, if the kings come singing and dancing, in the company of their women performers known as ‘Viraliyar’, playing on their small musical lutes. If the three great kings come in such a state to Paari, the charitable one would offer all his land and mountain peak too, the poet concludes. In essence, the poet declares that you can never win Paari by force but only by appealing to his generosity.
In another tangent, isn’t it thought-provoking to see how we have moved so far away from such a bounty that nature gives us, in various forms of its wild-grown foods such as the bamboo rice, fruits, tubers and honey mentioned in this poem, to our processed and packaged food of today? If we were to return to such natural food to nourish our bodies, like the wise tribals, who live in the fringes of our society, still do, then, just like how Paari’s Parambu hills could bear the assault of any siege, so can we, against the attacking modern enemies of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and more!
In this episode, we are transported to a rich mountain land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 108, penned about the Velir king Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and talks about the limitless generosity of this king.
குறத்தி மாட்டிய வறல் கடைக் கொள்ளி
ஆரம் ஆதலின், அம் புகை அயலது
சாரல் வேங்கைப் பூஞ் சினைத் தவழும்
பறம்பு பாடினரதுவே; அறம் பூண்டு,
பாரியும், பரிசிலர் இரப்பின்,
‘வாரேன்’ என்னான், அவர் வரையன்னே.
Another song of praise about King Paari from the perspective of his domain. Some scholars believe this was written after Paari’s death. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“As the dried twigs that the mountain girl set on fire was from a sandalwood tree, the pleasant smoke that arose toddles upon the flower-filled branches of the ‘vengai’ tree in the mountain slopes of ‘Parambu’. Since they sang its praises, it was given away to those poets; Such is his nature that when supplicants ask for ‘Paari’, on account of his sense of justice, he will never say ‘I shall not come’, but instead will honour their request!”
Time to delve into the details. The poet brings before our eyes a mountain girl at the moment when she’s adding some dried up branches to a fire there. Then, from the sense of sight, the poet beckons our sense of smell, talking about how a fragrant smoke is rising from that fire. Fragrant because those twigs are from the sandalwood tree. Reverting back to the sense of sight, the poet points out how that smoke is spreading gently over the flowers of the Indian Kino tree, which we have heard about a lot in ‘Aham’ poems. The entire narration is to say that this treat for the senses is being enacted in the hilly region that belongs to Paari, called as ‘Parambu’. The poet continues by saying Paari gave away that entire mountain, piece by piece, to all the poets, who came singing its praises. Such is his generosity that if those seeking gifts from him ask for the king himself, he would never hesitate to fulfil their wish, the poet concludes.
A king who is so generous that he would give away himself, if asked, the poet implies! No doubt it’s the poetic device of hyperbole at play here. From the king’s nature, let’s turn to that lush land described. Paari’s ‘Parambu’ has been identified as ‘Piraan malai’ in Sivagangai district of Tamilnadu, which happens to be the same district where Keezhadi excavations are being carried out. This famous place has been in the news for being under siege by illegal sand mining groups. Hope the relevant authorities wake up to the importance of this place in Tamil history, and declare it a heritage site, so that generations that come after can perceive the cultural depth and savour the natural beauty of this place, penned so elegantly in this ancient verse!
In this episode, we delve into an intricate and eloquent thought about a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 107, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse brings out the greatness of the monarch in a unique manner.
‘பாரி பாரி’ என்று பல ஏத்தி,
ஒருவற் புகழ்வர், செந் நாப் புலவர்;
பாரி ஒருவனும் அல்லன்;
மாரியும் உண்டு, ஈண்டு உலகு புரப்பதுவே.
A tiny song with a surprising twist. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“‘Paari, Paari’, they sing praises of one man – those articulate poets!
Paari is not the only one;
There’s another too, to protect this world – The rain!”
Let’s delve into the nuances of this delightful little poem. The poet talks about how many, many poets, fluent with their words, keep praising King Paari to the skies. Then, he stuns the audience by declaring, Paari is not the only great one. When everyone around would fume wondering, ‘Is he going to talk about another great king?’, ‘What does he mean?’, ‘How dare he say that?’, the poet calmly ends with a reply, ‘Have you forgotten that the rain too exists to nurture and protect this world?’
With a few words, by first seemingly putting down the king and then twisting the story, the poet ends up conferring the greatest praise on the king by elevating him to be equal in nature to that life-sustaining element on earth. A verse that inspires me to conclude with the words:
In a line
of an ancient Tamil poem,
a Japanese haiku waits!
In this episode, we learn of a king’s impartial generosity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 106, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and places a virtue of the king in parallel to God.
நல்லவும் தீயவும் அல்ல குவி இணர்ப்
புல் இலை எருக்கம் ஆயினும், உடையவை
கடவுள் பேணேம் என்னா; ஆங்கு,
மடவர் மெல்லியர் செல்லினும்,
கடவன், பாரி கை வண்மையே.
A short song that adds another shade to the portrait of this king. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Even if it’s only bunched-up clusters of that dull-leaved milkweed flower, which is neither good nor bad, that one has to offer, God will not refuse that; Akin to that, even if the foolish or the weak go to him, Paari will deem it his responsibility to render his generosity unto them.”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet first talks about the common milk weed flowers and describes them as neither good nor bad. From ‘Aham’ poems in Natrinai and Kurunthogai, we know that these ‘erukkam’ or milk weed flowers were only worn by men, who undertook the ritual of ‘madal eruthal’ to declare their unrequited love to the town entire – something looked upon as a thing of shame for the man and the lady. So, we know these flowers were not preferred to be worn by Sangam people. Now, the poet says even if a worshipper has only these least favoured milkweed flowers to offer to Gods, they would not say ‘no’ to that. Turning from God to the king, the poet projects the same quality on the latter and says this leader does not differentiate among those who come seeking his patronage, whoever they may be. The poet concludes that the king will be equally generous to the foolish and weak supplicants!
Can we infer a note of disdain in the poet’s voice for the king’s reward even for the undeserving? While that may be one way of looking at it, what is clearly evident is the unbiased generosity of the king who sees all who come to his gates as one. The poet nails this truth when he equates the impartial nature of the king with the notion of a God who does not vary his favour depending on what is offered. You don’t need to shower diamonds and gold in the name of God but even a string of milkweed flowers will do, if offered with true devotion, the poet seems to tell us, from beyond the ages!
In this episode, we learn of the nature of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 105, penned about the Velir King Vel Paari by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse hints about the natural wealth and beauty of the king’s land.
சேயிழை பெறுகுவை வாள் நுதல் விறலி!
தடவு வாய்க் கலித்த மா இதழ்க் குவளை
வண்டு படு புது மலர்த் தண் சிதர் கலாவப்
பெய்யினும், பெய்யாது ஆயினும், அருவி
கொள் உழு வியன் புலத்துழை கால் ஆக,
மால்புடை நெடு வரைக் கோடுதோறு இழிதரும்
நீரினும் இனிய சாயல்
பாரி வேள்பால் பாடினை செலினே.
Following our encounter with the Velir king Athiyamaan through the words of Avvaiyaar, now we turn to a series of songs on another renowned Velir King Paari by the prolific Sangam poet Kabilar. His words can be translated as follows:
“O singer with a shining forehead! The new flowers of the fragrant, dark-petalled, bee-buzzing water-lily, flourishing in wide springs, blend with cool water sprays of the cascade, which whether it rains or it rains not, flow as streams through the wide fields, sown with horse gram, falling down from the many peaks of the mountains with towering bamboos. Sweeter than the water from these cascades is the nature of ‘Paari’. If you go thither and sing his praises, well-crafted ornaments you shall get!”
Let’s explore the details herein. In this song, the poet is addressing a female singer called as ‘Virali’ in Sangam times. He then talks about a lush place, where a lily is blooming bright with its dark blue petals, bees are buzzing around it, and the nectar from this flower is fusing with the water droplets spraying from cascades nearby. Then, the poet talks about how whether it rains or not, those cascades always continue to pour down from the mountains and water the agricultural lands planted with horse-gram crops. Imagine the sweetness of those perennial waters from the fertile mountains, he tells the lady, and then declares King Paari’s personality is sweeter than those waters. He concludes by bidding her to sing his praises and earn her living.
A poet who we know is adept at portraits of nature, is bringing alive that lush land, fragrances of flowers, moisture in the air and fertility of the fields in this compact song, and as the highlight, he places the king’s nature in parallel to the waters of a cascade. In one shot, the poet entices our senses with the glimpse of that lush land and intrigues our minds with this introduction to a Tamil king from two thousand years ago, whose name lives on, even today!
In this episode, we perceive the disillusionment that awaits those who seek to attack the king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 104, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Vaagai Thinai’ or ‘King’s victory’ and hints about the valorous way in which the king defended his domain.
போற்றுமின், மறவீர்! சாற்றுதும், நும்மை:
ஊர்க் குறுமாக்கள் ஆடக் கலங்கும்
தாள் படு சில் நீர்க் களிறு அட்டு வீழ்க்கும்
ஈர்ப்புடைக் கராஅத்து அன்ன என்னை
நுண் பல் கருமம் நினையாது,
‘இளையன்’ என்று இகழின், பெறல் அரிது, ஆடே.
A short song with rich imagery. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“Guard yourselves, O soldiers! I declare unto you: Even a huge elephant can be pulled in and felled by a crocodile living in a shallow pond – one which becomes muddy when village children play in it. Akin to that crocodile is my lord! Without considering the impact of his many intricate actions, if you look down upon him, thinking he is but a youngster, then, attaining victory is something impossible for you!”
Let’s explore the details herein. The poet starts with a message of warning to enemy soldiers. She then brings before our eyes, a rather shallow pond- one that gets muddied when the village children play in it. If it was deep and flowing water, it will be crystal clear, wouldn’t it? Then, she says even though the pond is shallow, a huge elephant that comes to rest in it can be finished in a moment by a crocodile living therein. Explaining why she has detailed this scene, the poet says her king Athiyamaan is like that crocodile. She concludes with the statement that those enemies shouldn’t think low of Athiyamaan and see him as a newbie youngster in the game of war for he’s a man who has many intricate stratagems up his sleeve, and if they do look down upon him, then they are sure to fail!
The highlight of this verse is in how the king is compared to a crocodile in a positive connotation. In contemporary Tamil, this never happens. No one is praised as being a crocodile but they may be spoken so in a disparaging tone. It’s interesting how perception of animals has changed over the centuries with some animals being considered as better than others. Refreshing to see that in these Sangam verses, it does not matter whether a crocodile is compared to a king or a tiger. All that matters to them seems to be the strength and aptness of the simile in the scene portrayed!
In this episode, we listen to the guidance offered to a peer professional, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 103, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’, the verse sketches a portrait of a female singer and the path to her salvation from poverty.
ஒரு தலைப் பதலை தூங்க, ஒரு தலைத்
தூம்பு அகச் சிறு முழாத் தூங்கத் தூக்கி,
‘கவிழ்ந்த மண்டை மலர்க்குநர் யார்?’ எனச்
சுரன்முதல் இருந்த சில் வளை விறலி!
செல்வைஆயின், சேணோன் அல்லன்;
முனை சுட எழுந்த மங்குல் மாப் புகை
மலை சூழ் மஞ்சின், மழ களிறு அணியும்
பகைப் புலத்தோனே, பல் வேல் அஞ்சி;
பொழுது இடைப்படாஅப் புலரா மண்டை
மெழுகு மெல் அடையின் கொழு நிணம் பெருப்ப,
அலத்தற் காலை ஆயினும்,
புரத்தல் வல்லன்; வாழ்க, அவன் தாளே!
Returning to the praise of King Athiyamaan, the poet places many interesting details in this song. Her words can be translated as follows:
“With a ‘pathalai’ drum hanging on one side and a small ‘muzha’ drum with a hole, hanging in balance on the other side, standing in this drylands path, you ask me, ‘Who is that person who can turn this face-down food bowl the right way up?’, O singer wearing few bangles! If you travel thither, he is not far away. From the raging battlefield, black smoke rises and surrounds the huge battle elephants, akin to clouds that shroud the mountains. He is there in that enemy country, Anji, the bearer of many spears. Making sure food bowls never dry up in the time in between, akin to the texture of beeswax, fat-filled food, he shall offer you, even when there’s poverty around. Long may his feet live!”
Time to delve deeper into this verse! The poet begins by bringing before our eyes, the possessions of the female singer called as ‘Virali’ in Tamil, the person whom she is talking to. Note how in another poem this poet was addressed by the same term and so we can understand that this is a conversation between two professionals from the same field. Returning to the objects the singer is carrying, we hear the poet describe one as a drum called as ‘pathalai’ in Sangam times and another smaller drum called as ‘Muzha’ on the other side. But that’s not all! From the singer’s question to this poet, asking who is going to fill her empty food bowl, we know that’s the third object that this singer holds. Now, the poet reveals the location from where the singer is asking her this question and that is the drylands path. To finish up the portrait of this female singer, the poet adds that she’s wearing but a few bangles, apparently a picture of poverty for these Sangam people!
Next, the poet offers the path to the singer’s salvation saying if she continues walking, a certain person is not too far away. This person is none other than King Athiyamaan, the possessor of many spears, who, at the moment, is creating havoc at an enemy’s land, as can be witnessed by the smoke rising from the battlefield that surrounds elephants, making them look as if they were hills enveloped by rain clouds. Then, the poet talks about how this king will offer such delicious and rich food, which according to them is meat, flowing with fat in the texture of beeswax, so much that the food bowl will never dry up even when there happens to be poverty all around. The poet renders her customary blessing of wishing the feet of the said king with a long life!
There are so many aspects that this song is kindling in my mind that I don’t even know where to begin. Let me start with the remuneration expected by these singers from their patrons for their work. This is revealed in the question the singer asks. She wonders who is going to turn her food bowl face up. We can understand from this intricate question that they are not looking for precious jewels or money. All they seem to want is food! It talks about a time when these professionals had to look up to a patron even to satisfy their basic need of hunger.
Next, let’s move on to the musical instruments that the female singer is said to be carrying. One is the ‘pathalai’ drum. It is today that I read in an article on the ‘Tamil Virtual University’ website that this ‘pathalai’ drum is the equivalent of the tabla instrument used in Hindustani music. The logic of these scholars is that the word ‘tabla’ pronounced as ‘tha-ba-la’ is a transformation of the word indicating this singer’s instrument – ‘pa-tha-lai’ or ‘pa-tha-la’. I leave it to etymologists and historians to ascertain the truth of this claim!
Returning to the singer carrying two different drums on her, this image brought to my mind a ‘Sufi music’ concert called ‘Ruhaniyat’ that I recently attended. In the series of performances in this programme, one featured a female singer from the ‘Baul’ tradition. She had long, flowing locks of hair and had tied two drums on her body. She sang and danced about her search for the divine. The Bauls are incidentally nomadic singers with an oral tradition documented from the 15th century in regions around West Bengal in India and follow both the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism and Sufi sect of Islam. Could there be any connection between the tradition of ‘Paanars'(male singers) and ‘Viralis’ from ancient Tamilakam and that of these singers from the ‘Baul tradition’ of Bengal?
Moving away from these musings on music, we come to the core of the song, which is about one female singer guiding another towards a better future. In that, shines the noble role of a mentor, who shows the way to another young professional. A verse from two thousand years ago, so rich in its content that it makes us reflect on aspects as diverse as the expected income for services, trajectory of musical instruments, origins of an oral tradition and human relations at work!
In this episode, we perceive an intriguing simile about occupational events, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 102, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji’s son Pokuttu Ezhini by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Paadaan Thinai’ or ‘King’s praise’ and talks about the royal’s support to the king’s rule.
எருதே இளைய; நுகம் உணராவே;
சகடம் பண்டம் பெரிது பெய்தன்றே;
அவல் இழியினும், மிசை ஏறினும்,
அவணது அறியுநர் யார்?’ என, உமணர்
கீழ் மரத்து யாத்த சேம அச்சு அன்ன,
இசை விளங்கு கவி கை நெடியோய்! திங்கள்
நாள் நிறை மதியத்து அனையை; இருள்
யாவணதோ, நின் நிழல் வாழ்வோர்க்கே?
A crisp verse in praise of this prince. The poet’s words can be translated as follows:
“The bulls are young; They may not understand the working of the yoke; The things loaded on to the cart are numerous and heavy; When they climb down pits and climb up mounds, who knows what might happen there? Thinking so, salt merchants tie a spare axle on the underside of the wooden beams. Akin to that, you are, O famous leader with generous hands! You are like the glow of the full moon; How can there be any darkness in the lives of those who live in your shade?”
Time to explore the nuances here. The poet starts not by describing the prince’s virtue or skill but talking about young bulls, immature at the intricacies of bearing the yoke through challenging situations. Then, from the bull, the poet turns her attention to the cart and describes how brimming with goods this cart is. Talking about how the cart may have to traverse the ruts and bumps on the road, the poet elaborates what would go on in the mind of the owner of this bullock cart. This person is one among the salt merchants we have often encountered in Sangam verses, who carry the salt from the coastal regions and barter with people living in the other regions. The salt merchants worrying whether the bulls are up to the task, make sure to tie an extra axle to the bullock cart. The poet now comes to the crux of the matter and says that the prince is like that protective axle. Describing him as being like the full moon, the poet ends with the question, how can there ever be darkness for those who look up to the king as their ruler!
The core message of this verse was that King Athiyamaan, even when active on the throne had groomed the young prince as a worthy heir and that indeed, the prince was already assuming duties of governance and taking care of the people well. Through the words of this verse, we can perceive the admiration and trust the people of his domain had in him, and also, the affection of this poet towards him. Most of all, it’s the intricate thought process and priorities in the life of salt merchants in the Sangam era that shines the brightest in this verse!
In this episode, we perceive the trust in the king's generosity, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 101, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse illustrates the feeling of assurance in the minds of those who sought the king's patronage.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a king's fury, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 100, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji, by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse brings alive a momentous day in the life of this king.
In this episode, we perceive the greatness of this king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 99, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse describes the accolades received by the king.
In this episode, we perceive the mindset of enemy kings, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 98, penned about the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and narrates the consequences of the king's decision to battle.
In this episode, we listen to a message of warning, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 97, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse paints a vivid picture of the prowess of this king in a battlefield.
In this episode, we meet a dashing prince, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 96, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji's son Pokuttu Ezhini by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and talks about the dangers in this young man's life.
In this episode, we observe an ingenious technique to prevent a war, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 95, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse talks about how a messenger rendered the perfect words poised to change an enemy king's heart.
In this episode, we perceive contrasting imagery, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 94, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and vividly sketches the personality of this king.
In this episode, we learn of courage and death in an ancient battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 93, penned about the Velir King Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji, by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse sketches the honourable conquest of this king at war.
In this episode, we relish an intriguing comparison, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 92, penned about the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and echoes a deep truth about reality and perception.
In this episode, we perceive an act of benevolence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 91, penned about the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the renowned poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse celebrates a thoughtful gesture by this king.
In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement rendered unto a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 90, penned on the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and demonstrates how victory is sure to favour the king.
In this episode, we perceive a region's readiness to battle, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 89, penned on the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse responds to an arrogant question from an enemy king.
In this episode, we listen to a glowing depiction of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 88, penned on the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings' and renders a message of warning to enemy kings.
In this episode, we perceive a striking simile to sketch a portrait of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 87, penned on the Velir king Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji by the illustrious poet from Sangam times, Avvaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'Battle of two kings', the verse talks about the strength and skill of this Sangam ruler.
In this episode, we perceive the bond of a mother with her son, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 86, penned by the poet, Kaavarpendu. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'Battle victory' and renders the whereabouts of a person.
In this episode, we perceive the conclusion of a fight, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 85, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Nakkannaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Kaikilai' or 'Inappropriate love', the verse highlights two different stances of the townsfolk regarding the king.
In this episode, we perceive the distress of unrequited feelings, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 84, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Nakkannaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Kaikilai' or 'Inappropriate love' and talks about the state of soldiers who dare to oppose the king in battle.
In this episode, we perceive passion in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 83, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Nakkannaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Kaikilai' or 'Inappropriate love', the verse intrigues us with its hues of inner life.
In this episode, we perceive the brevity of a battle with a striking simile, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 82, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Saathanthaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and describes how soon a fierce fight ended.
In this episode, we perceive the fierceness of a king's army, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 81, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Saathanthaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse talks about the king's generosity and courage.
In this episode, we hear of the power and skill of a royal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 80, penned about the Chozha King Poravai Kopperunarkilli by the poet Saathanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of ‘Thumbai Thinai’ or ‘battle of two kings’ and talks about the impressive victory of this king in hand to hand combat.
In this episode, we perceive the majestic stride of a king into a battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 79, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Idaikundroor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse mulls over the fate of enemy soldiers.
In this episode, we hear of the fall of the enemy's ego and the rise of a king's might, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 78, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Idaikundroor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and talks about the disastrous defeat of enemy kings.
In this episode, we are given strong hints about the age of a warrior king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 77, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Idaikundroor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse talks about the attitude of this king on the battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive a significant event in the battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 76, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Idaikundroor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and describes the unparalleled achievement of this ruler.
In this episode, we perceive a king's view on who a great king is, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 75, penned by the Chozha king Nalankilli. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters', the verse contrasts the attributes of two types of rulers.
In this episode, we perceive the suffering in a king's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 74, penned by the Chera King Kanaikkaal Irumporai. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters' and talks about honour in the birth and life of rulers.
In this episode, we listen to furious words uttered by a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 73, penned by the Chozha king Nalankilli. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'King's oath', the verse highlights a surprising priority in this king's life.
In this episode, we learn of the duties of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 72, penned by a Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan. The verse is situated in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'King's oath' and expresses the rage in the king's mind about the attitude of attacking kings.
In this episode, we perceive priorities in life from a king's perspective, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 71, penned by a poet-king from the Pandya dynasty, Ollaiyoor Thantha Bootha Pandiyan. Set in the category of 'Kaanji Thinai' or 'King's oath', the verse sketches the emotions of this king on hearing about the decision of enemy kings to attack his land.
In this episode, we relish a series of striking similes, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 70, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and talks about the wealth and generosity of this king.
In this episode, we listen to the valour and generosity of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 69, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Aalathoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse promises good tidings to a poor bard, who has nowhere to turn.
In this episode, we listen to an account of wealth and courage in the king's country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 68, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and directs an impoverished bard to the court of the said king.
In this episode, we listen to words rendered unto a migratory bird, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 67, penned about the Chozha king Koperunchozhan by the poet Pisiraanthaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse illustrates a poet's perspective of the regard his patron had for him.
In this episode, we listen to a bold statement of comparison, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 66, penned about the Chozha King Karikaalan by the poet Venni Kuyathiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory' and talks about how this king's opponent seems to have claimed a greater victory.
In this episode, we perceive the sense of honour in a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 65, penned about the Chera King Peruncheralathan by the poet Kazhaathalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters', the verse talks about the despair of a nation because of a king's fateful decision.
In this episode, we learn of the impoverished life of a poet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 64, penned about the Pandya King Palyaakasalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi by the poet Nedumpalliyathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and directs a dancing maiden to avail the generosity of this Pandya king.
In this episode, we hear of all that's ruined on a battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 63, penned about the Chera King Kudakko Neduncheralathan and Chozha king Verpahradakkai Peruviral Killi by the poet Paranar. Set in the category of ‘Thumbai Thinai’ or ‘battle of two kings’, the verse details the state of the animals, objects and people at the end of a tragic war.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from a tragic battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 62, penned about the Chera King Kudakko Neduncheralathan and Chozha king Verpahradakkai Peruviral Killi by the poet Kazhaathalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Thumbai Thinai' or 'battle of two kings' and relates scenes of pain and loss in a battlefield.
In this episode, we perceive the riches in a king's country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 61, penned about the Chozha King Ilavanthikaippalli Thunjiya Nalankilli Chetchenni by the poet Erichaloor Maadalan Madurai Kumaranaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse describes the state of the king's enemies and proteges.
In this episode, we relish a stack of similes that celebrate a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 60, penned about the Chozha King Kuraapalli Thunjiya Perunthirumaavalavan by the poet Uraiyur Maruthuvan Thaamotharanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and talks in a symbolic manner about the reign of this ruler.
In this episode, we listen to a tribute paid to a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 59, penned about the Pandya King Chithiramaadathu Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Madurai Koolavaanikan Seethalai Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'king's praise', the verse compares the ruler's nature to celestial objects.
In this episode, we encounter not one but two kings of that ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 58, penned about the Chozha King Kuraapalli Thunjiya Perunthirumaavalavan and the Pandya King Velliampalathu Thunjiya Peruvazhuthi by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaari Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and delights in the together stand of these two rulers.
In this episode, we encounter not one but two kings of that ancient era, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 58, penned about the Chozha King Kuraapalli Thunjiya Perunthirumaavalavan and the Pandya King Velliampalathu Thunjiya Peruvazhuthi by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaari Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and delights in the together stand of these two rulers.
In this episode, we hear a plea to a warring king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 57, penned about the Pandya King Ilavanthikaipalli Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaarikannanaar. Set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'King's prowess', the verse focuses on the acts of a king in the middle of a siege.
In this episode, we perceive the comparison of a pantheon of gods to a patron, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 56, penned about the Pandya King Ilavanthikaipalli Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Madurai Kanakkaayanaar Makanaar Nakkeeranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and celebrates the virtues of this king.
In this episode, we listen to a tribute paid to a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 55, penned about the Pandya King Ilavanthikaipalli Thunjiya Nanmaaran by the poet Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse renders words of advice to the ruler.
In this episode, we perceive the contrasting perspectives that a ruler presents, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 54, penned about the Chera King Kuttuvan Kothai by the poet Konaattu Erichaloor Maadalan Madurai Kumaranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory' and talks about the compassion and strength of this Chera king.
In this episode, we perceive the respect Sangam poets had for their predecessors, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 53, penned about the Chera King Maantharancheral Irumporai by the poet Porunthil Ilankeeranaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse mentions about the poet's attempts to capture the essence of the king's war exploits.
In this episode, we perceive the changing nature of a nation caught in a war, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 52, penned about the Pandya King Koodakaarathu Thunjiya Maaran Vazhuthi by the poet Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory' and talks about the past and future of enemy lands.
In this episode, we perceive the fury of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 51, penned about the Pandya King Koodakaarathu Thunjiya Maaran Vazhuthi by the poet Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse speaks about the state of those who oppose this Pandya king.
In this episode, we perceive the noble act of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 50, penned about the Chera King Thakadur Erintha Peruncheral Irumporai, by the poet Mosi Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'King's praise' and depicts the tolerance and compassion of this Chera king.
In this episode, we learn of the geographic extent of a king's domain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Purananooru 49, penned about the Chera king Kokothai Maarban by the poet Poikaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'King's praise', the verse celebrates the wealth in the land of the Chera King.
In this episode, we perceive a tribute paid to a Chera king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 48, penned about the Chera king Kokothai Maarban by the poet Poikaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and aims to direct another poet to the court of this king.
In this episode, we perceive a poet's strong support for those of his kind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 47, sung to the Chozha King Nedunkilli by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'king's prowess', the verse sketches the life and values of a Sangam poet.
In this episode, we witness a rendition of heart-rending words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 46, sung to the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'king's prowess in the battlefield' and argues against an atrocious act about to be committed.
In this episode, we listen to piercing words of advice rendered unto two warring kings, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 45, sung to the Chozha kings Nalankilli and Nedunkilli. Set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'king's prowess in the battlefield', the verse remarks on the futility of war under a given circumstance.
In this episode, we observe the influence of poets in a king's court, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 44, sung to the Chozha king Nedunkilli by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory' and advises the king on the course of action in the midst of a siege.
In this episode, we perceive the changing thoughts in a person's mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 43, penned about Maavalathaan, the younger brother of Chozha king Nalankilli, by the poet Thaamarpal Kannanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory', the verse illustrates how this royal personality won the heart of an angered poet.
In this episode, we perceive the wealth and satisfaction in a land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 42, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory' and talks about the many ways the king's rule brings joy to the people of his land.
In this episode, we perceive the fury of a king in a battle, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 41, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'King's prowess in the battlefield', the verse elaborates on the state of people in enemy nations.
In this episode, we perceive a symbolic transformation of power, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 40, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise', the verse renders words of advice to bring forever fame to the name of this Chozha king.
In this episode, we perceive an indirect technique of rendering laurels unto a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 39, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Maarokkathu Nappasalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise', the verse describes the glories of this Chozha king and his ancestors.
In this episode, we listen to a glowing tribute to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 38, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Avoor Moolankizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and speaks about power of the Chozha king and the prosperity in his domain.
In this episode, we perceive the intrepid nature of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 37, penned about the Chozha King Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Maarokkathu Nappasalaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory', the verse renders indirect praise by depicting the strength of an enemy king.
In this episode, we listen to an argument for defending honour in the battlefield, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 36, penned about the Chozha king Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Aalathoor Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'king's prowess in the battlefield' and renders a pointed message about an enemy ruler to the Chozha king.
In this episode, we listen to thoughtful words of advice rendered to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 35, penned about the Chozha king Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Vellaikudi Naakanaar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise', the verse focuses on the importance of rendering justice to the farming subjects in a reign.
In this episode, we perceive the respect and gratitude that a king inspires, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 34, penned about the Chozha king Kulamutrathu Thunjiya Killivalavan by the poet Aalathoor Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and speaks of the benevolence of this Chozha ruler.
In this episode, we learn of a king's victorious exploits in an enemy land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 33, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli, by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory', the verse speaks about the luminous presence of a king at the scene of war.
In this episode, we listen to a glowing tribute to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 32, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli, by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and speaks about the wealth and generosity of an ancient monarch.
In this episode, we perceive a king's capabilities in the battlefield as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 31, penned about the Chozha King Nalankilli, by the poet Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse speaks about the consequences of the king's prowess in war.
In this episode, we perceive the trade and prosperity of an ancient nation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 30, penned about the Chozha king Nalankilli by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'king's praise' and talks about the nature of this Chozha king.
In this episode, we listen to words of advice rendered to a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 29, penned about the Chozha king Nalankilli by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters', the verse visualises the life this Chozha king shall lead.
In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a king's land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 28, penned about the Chozha king Nalankilli by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters' and renders words of advice to this Chozha king on living a worthy life.
In this episode, we perceive stunning similes regarding life and death, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 27, penned about the Chozha king Nalankilli by the poet Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothiviyial Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters', the verse renders words of advice to this Chozha king.
In this episode, we listen to an account of a war ritual, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 26, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Mangudi Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory' and speaks of the king's enemies and their curious claim to fame.
In this episode, we perceive ancient customs during and after a battle, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 25, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Kallaadanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'King's victory', the verse talks about the events and consequences of the battle at Thalaiyaalankaanam.
In this episode, we relish joyous moments from the lives of common people in ancient times, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 24, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Mangudi Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Pothiviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters' and renders thoughts on living a good life unto this Pandya king.
In this episode, we perceive scenes of destruction in war, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 23, penned about the Pandya King Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Kallaadanaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'a king's victory', the verse presents the elements of ruin in the king's enemy nations.
In this episode, we perceive the portrait of a king's land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 22, penned about the Chera King Yaanaikatchey Maantharancheral Irumporai, by the poet Kurunkozhiyoor Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'a king's victory' and speaks of protection and peace in this king's domain.
In this episode, we learn of the design of an ancient fort, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 21, penned about the Pandya King Kaanapereyil Kadantha Ukkira Peruvazhuthi by the poet Aiyoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'king's victory', the verse celebrates the capture of a famous fort in Sangam times.
In this episode, we relish a heartwarming portrayal of a king's rule, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 20, penned about the Chera King Yaanaikatchey Maantharancheral Irumporai, by the poet Kurunkozhiyoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'a king's victory' and elaborates on the elements in this king's just and victorious reign.
In this episode, we listen to the exploits of a king on a battlefield, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 19, penned about the Pandya king Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Kudapulaviyanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'a king's victory' and speaks of how the king won over seven rival rulers at a famous battle in Tamil history.
In this episode, we listen to sound advice rendered to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 18, penned about the Pandya king Thalaiyaalankaanathu Cheruvendra Nedunchezhiyan by the poet Kudapulaviyanaar. Set in the category of 'Pothuviyal Thinai' or 'miscellaneous matters', the verse renders insight on the priorities of ancient nations.
In this episode, we perceive the courage and determination of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 17, penned for the Chera King Yaanaikatchey Maantharancheral Irumporai, by the poet Kurunkozhiyoor Kizhaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vaagai Thinai' or 'celebration of a king's victory' and talks about the past and present of this charismatic king.
In this episode, we perceive a king's actions in a war, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 16, penned about the Chozha King Raasasooyam Vetta Perunarkilli by the poet Paandarankannanaar. Set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'a king's prowess in the battlefield', the verse talks about the ruin brought about on enemy lands.
In this episode, we perceive two dimensions of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 15, penned about the Pandya King Palyaakasaalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi by the poet Nettimaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'praise of a king' and speaks of the post-war actions of a king in an enemy land.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a king through the dynamic depiction of his hands, as illustrated in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 14, penned about the Chera King Kadunko Vaazhiyaathan by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'praise of a king', the verse brings in a nuanced contrast in its depiction of a physical feature.
In this episode, we listen to a description of a king's land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 13, penned about the Chozha King Mudithalai Koperunarkilli, by the poet Uraiyur Enicheri Mudamosiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'praise of a king' and wishes safety for the king, who finds himself in a precarious situation.
In this episode, we perceive an interesting technique of celebrating a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 12, penned about the Pandya King Palyaakasaalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi by the poet Nettimaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'praise of a king', the verse brings out the duality in a king's personality.
In this episode, we perceive the courage, fame and generosity of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 11, penned for the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko, by the poet Peymakal Ilaveyiniyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'praise of a king' and elaborates the joyous elements in the king's town and the specifics of his rewards to performers.
In this episode, we learn of the fairness and fame of a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 10, penned about the Chozha King Neythalankaanal Ilanchetchenni by the poet Oonpothi Pasunkudaiyaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'praise of a king', the verse describes the qualities of justice, hospitality and courage in this king.
In this episode, we listen to words about a king's nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 9, penned about the Pandya King Palyaakasaalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi by the poet Nettimaiyaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai' or 'praise of a king' and demonstrates acutely the kind of person the ruler is.
In this episode, we perceive a comparison between the sun and a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 8, about the Chera King Kadunko Vaazhiyaathan, sung by the poet Kabilar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'praise of a king', the verse describes a ruler by outlining his motivations and qualities and placing him in parallel to a celestial object.
In this episode, we perceive the pitiable state of a king's enemies, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 7, penned for the Chozha king Karikaalan by the poet Karunkuzhal Aathanaar. The verse is situated in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'a king's prowess in the battlefield', and depicts the past and present of an enemy nation.
In this episode, we perceive the fame and glory of a ruler, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 6, penned for the Pandya king Palyaakasaalai Muthukudumi Peruvazhuthi, by the poet Kaari Kizhaar. Set in the category of 'Paadan Thinai' or 'praise of a king', the verse etches a detailed portrait of a monarch and renders blessings unto him.
In this episode, we listen to words of advice rendered to a king, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 5, penned for the Chera king Karuvooreriya Olvaal Koperuncheral, by poet Nariveroouthalaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Padaan Thinai', praising a king and showing him the way forward.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from war, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 4, sung about the Chozha king Uruvappahrer Ilanchetchenni by the poet Paranar. The verse is set in the category of 'Vanji Thinai' or 'a portrait of a warrior king', elaborating the state of the said king's enemies.
In this episode, we listen to a tribute sung to a Pandya king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 3, penned for the king Karunkai Olvaal Perumpeyar Vazhuthi by the poet Irumpidarthalaiyaar. The verse is set in the category of 'Paadaan Thinai', celebrating the qualities of this Pandiya king, said to be the maternal uncle of the renowned 'Karikaala Chozhan' of the Sangam era.
In this episode, we listen to words of praise rendered unto a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 2, sung to the Chera ruler 'Perunchotru Uthiyan Cheralathan' by the poet 'Muranjiyur Mudinaakanaar.' The verse is grouped under the category of 'Paadan Thinai', which is a 'paean' listing the laudable qualities of a person.
In this episode, we perceive praises to a God, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Puranaanooru 1, penned by Baaratham Paadiya Perunthevanaar. Puranaanooru, which we begin to explore today, is about the outer life of Sangam people, presenting information about historical events and social dynamics of this era. This particular song is an invocation to God Shiva, added as part of the collection by this poet, who is believed to have been from a later period.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's perception of her changing circumstances, as portrayed in the last of the 'Kurunthogai' verses, Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 401, penned by Ammovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to herself, expressing her thoughts on her confinement at home.
In this episode, we listen to words of heartfelt gratitude, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 400, penned by Peyanaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, on returning home after his long journey away from the lady.
In this episode, we relish an apt simile that acutely depicts a lady's situation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 399, penned by Paranar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man delays seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we listen to a sharp response to words of advice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 398, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perungkadungko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive a thoughtful farewell message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 397, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he prepares to part away in search of wealth.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's shocked words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 396, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady's mother, on learning that her daughter had eloped with the man.
In this episode, we perceive the helplessness in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 395, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, reflecting on her suffering-filled situation, as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the aptness of a simile from nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 394, penned by Kuriyiraiyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, speaking of the man in a disparaging tone, as he remains parted away.
In this episode, we learn of historical incidents in a song on relationships, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 393, penned by Paranar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a unique technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 392, penned by Thumbiser Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to a bee, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the effect of rains on land and life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 391, penned by Pon Maniyaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, relating the tormenting elements in her surroundings, as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we learn about a specific danger in travelling at night, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 390, penned by Uraiyoor Mudhukottranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of a wayfarer to the man, offering words of timely advice.
In this episode, we perceive the jubilation on hearing a good news, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 389, penned by Vettakannanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, revealing positive developments with respect to the lady's marriage.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque simile that sketches perfect belief in another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 388, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, insisting that the lady could bear the journey through the drylands in the company of the man.
In this episode, we listen to the distress of a lady as she contemplates an evening and night ahead of her, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 387, penned by Kangul Vellathaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words that the lady must bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive how the time of the day changes its nature in the mind of a maiden, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 386, penned by Velliveethiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's words that the lady must bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish scenes from the wild in a mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 385, penned by Kabilar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, subtly requesting the friend to reveal the lady's relationship to her kith and kin.
In this episode, we listen to a strong refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 384, penned by Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, denying him entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we listen to a person's angst arising out of the indecision of another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 383, penned by Padumarathu Mosi Keeranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, explaining her difficult situation relating to the lady's elopement with the man.
In this episode, we observe the changing seasons and their consequences, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 382, penned by Kurunkeeranaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying the lady's worry that the man remains parted away even after the promised season of return had arrived.
In this episode, we observe a counter-intuitive method of offering consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 381, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, speaking in a disparaging tone about the lady's relationship with the man.
In this episode, we observe an intriguing technique of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 380, penned by Karuvoor Kathapillai. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, relating how the man continues to remain parted away.
In this episode, we perceive a unique method of making an announcement, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 379, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a pointed message to the lady's kith and kin, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to a mother's wishes for the well-being of her daughter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 378, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady's mother, on hearing that her daughter had eloped away with the man.
In this episode, we observe the discovery of solace in the midst of discomfort, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 377, penned by Mosi Kotranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's worry that the lady is not bearing well with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish picturesque descriptions of a lady's qualities, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 376, penned by Padumarathu Mosikotranaar. Set in the coasts of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing why he is unable to part with the lady to go in search of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive a curious way of persuading another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 375, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, while passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish a unique simile involving a bird's actions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 374, penned by Uraiyoor Palkaayanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, explaining how the events unfolding in the lady's life came about.
In this episode, we listen to words depicting deep trust, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 373, penned by Madurai Kollam Pullanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, asking the lady not to heed the slander in town about the lady's relationship with the man.
In this episode, we perceive a visually compelling technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 372, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the portrayal of love as an affliction, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 371, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukootranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, explaining why she is unable to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to defensive words to clarify a situation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 370, penned by Villakaviralinaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the courtesan, in response to disparaging words spoken by the lady, as the lady's friends listen nearby.
In this episode, we listen to a decisive plan of action as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 369, penned by Kudavaayil Keerathanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing the need for the lady to elope away with the man.
In this episode, we observe the joyous anticipation of the future, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 368, penned by Nakirar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, on hearing that the man has arrived to claim her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive a thoughtful way of communicating something, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 367, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanakanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, showing her the way to carry on.
In this episode, we listen to wise words about the inevitability of an event, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 366, penned by Peri Saathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady's mother, revealing the lady's relationship with the man.
In this episode, we observe the acute effects of pining in a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 365, penned by Madurai Nalvelliyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, explaining the lady's inability to bear with his parting.
In this episode, we perceive envy and quarrel over a man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 364, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of a courtesan, passing on a pointed message to the friends of another courtesan.
In this episode, we perceive a nuanced approach to dissuading someone, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 363, penned by Selloor Kotranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, when he tells her of his intention to part away from the lady to go in search of wealth.
In this episode, we observe the courage of a person in questioning false beliefs, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 362, penned by Vempatroor Kannan Koothanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the priest Velan, passing on a clear message about the lady's relationship with the man to the listening kith and kin.
In this episode, we perceive how solace can come from unexpected corners, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 361, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to that friend's appreciation that the lady had bore well with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the intricate thought process of a Sangam lady in a critical situation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 360, penned by Madurai Eelathu Poothanthevanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a happy moment of reconciliation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 359, penned by Peyanaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the bard, relating how the man has managed to allay the anger of his wife and reunite with her.
In this episode, we listen to consoling words rendered to an anxious heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 358, penned by Kotranaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we gaze at soaring mountains and falling stars, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 357, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive shock and disbelief in the voice of a mother, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 356, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady's mother, on hearing about the lady's elopement with the man.
In this episode, we observe an ancient mountain village at a particular time of the day, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 355, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he arrives at the lady's house for his nightly tryst.
In this episode, we listen to philosophical words rendered in a moment of angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 354, penned by Kayathoor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing him entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we perceive contrasting scenes and emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 353, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukootranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish a striking plant-animal simile, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 352, penned by Kadiyaloor Uruthirankannanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her distress as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the perfect fusion of elements in nature and emotions in human nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 351, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a happy news to her friend.
In this episode, we perceive a technique to effect acceptance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 350, penned by Aalathoor Kizhaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of confidante to the lady, asking her to bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we reflect on honour in charity, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 349, penned by Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the projection of an emotion on an element in nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 348, penned by Maavalathanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante rendering the lady, an assurance that the man will not part away from her.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque comparison between plant and animal life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 347, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Chentham Kannanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing his inability to part with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive how a person reads the heart of another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 346, penned by Vaayil Ilankannanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, subtly persuading her to tryst with the man by night.
In this episode, we listen to words inviting a person to stay, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 345, penned by Andar Makan Kuruvaluthiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, requesting him to tryst with the lady by night.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's angst as evening descends, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 344, penned by Kurungudi Maruthanaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man continues to be parted away, in his quest for wealth.
In this episode, we perceive an expression of deep confidence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 343, penned by Eelathu Poothanthevanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, requesting the lady to consider eloping with the man.
In this episode, we observe how a relationship crisis is projected on elements of nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 342, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Kantharathanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the changes spring brings to a grove and a lady in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 341, penned by Milaikizhaar Nalvettanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's question about how the lady would bear with the man's parting, as the promised season of return arrives.
In this episode, we perceive the changing stance of a heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 340, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, when the confidante conveys the man's request to tryst with the lady by night.
In this episode, we observe a unique way of cheering someone, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 339, penned by Peyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, stressing the need to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish a serene scene in the wild, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 338, penned by Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, assuring her of the man's return.
In this episode, we perceive markers of a woman's maturity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 337, penned by Pothukkayathu Keeranthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, in response to the confidante's refusal for the man's request to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we listen to an instance of tactful refusal and skilful persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 336, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, questioning his intention to tryst with the lady by night, in a thoughtful way.
In this episode, we relish a scene involving wildlife in the mountains, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 335, penned by Irunthaiyoor Kotran Pulavanaar. Set in the hills of Kurinji, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing him his request of nightly tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we learn of the precarious situation a lady finds herself in, and of her subtle note of hope, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 334, penned by Ilampoothanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's question as to whether the lady could bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to a solution suggested for a sensitive situation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 333, penned by Uzhunthinaim Pulavanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing her idea to reveal the lady's relationship with the man to her kith and kin.
In this episode, we relish an apt metaphor for marital bliss, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 332, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Makanaar Ilampothanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to assuring words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 331, penned by Vaadaa Prapanthanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing that the man will not part away.
In this episode, we relish intricate similes involving an age-old occupation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 330, penned by Kazhaarkeeran Eyitriyanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, asking a question about the man, as he remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the struggle in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 329, penned by Othalaanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words that the lady must bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we see how a scene of war depicts a situation in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 328, penned by the historian poet, Paranar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her in the man's absence and assuring her that the rumours that spread will act only for the lady's good.
In this episode, we relish a unique way of scolding a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 327, penned by Amoovanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to a river, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive an intricate technique of persuasion as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 326, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe the sorrow afflicting a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 325, penned by Nannaakaiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's worry about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the state of mind of three different people acutely, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 324, penned by Kavai Maganaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, subtly persuading him to choose the path of permanent union with the lady.
In this episode, we listen with a smile to the urgency in the man's voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 323, penned by Pathadi Vaigalaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, urging him to hasten the journey homeward.
In this episode, we observe the determination in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 322, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words of displeasure at the man, as he listens nearby.
In this episode, we understand the dangers of nightly travel in the past, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 321, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing the need to reveal the lady's relationship to her kith and kin.
In this episode, we breathe in the scents on an ancient shore, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 320, penned by Thumbiser Keeranaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the rising angst in a lady's heart as the season changes, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 319, penned by Thaayankannanaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words asking the lady to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a deep truth about realisations, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 318, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish picturesque references to wildlife depicting the love life of the protagonists, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 317, penned by Madurai Kandarathathanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling the lady that the man would return soon from his travels.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's distress and her hidden hope, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 316, penned by Thumpiser Keeranaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words asking her to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish picturesque similes, which convey conviction in the heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 315, penned by Madurai Velaathathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's question as to whether the lady could bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we understand the angst in a lady's heart as the seasons change, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 314, penned by Peri Saathanaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words that the lady must bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the trust of a lady in her relationship with the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 313, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, refusing to accept the confidante's disparaging words about the man, as he listens, nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the reflections in a man's mind about his lady's changing demeanour, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 312, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to himself, as he makes an important decision regarding his love life.
In this episode, we observe a lady's anxiety about her reputation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 311, penned by Chenthan Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a subtle message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's immense loneliness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 310, penned by Perunkannanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words that the lady should bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish an apt and picturesque simile that etches a feeling in the mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 309, penned by Uraiyoor Challiyan Kumaaranaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, allowing him entry into the lady's house.
In this episode, we learn of intriguing facets of an elephant in musth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 308, penned by Perunthot Kurunchaathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, indicating why the lady shouldn't worry about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the projection of human emotions on wild life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 307, penned by Kadampanoor Saandiliyanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words, chiding the lady to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish a relatable experience in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 306, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her heart, expressing the state of confusion she finds herself in.
In this episode, we relish a unique simile that etches the lady's state, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 305, penned by Kuppai Kozhiyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady, passing on a pointed message to the confidante listening nearby.
In this episode, we learn of an ancient fishing method, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 304, penned by Kanakkaayar Thathanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's worry about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we study the threads of thought connecting wildlife and human life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 303, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying the delicate situation of the lady, and bidding him, in a hidden manner, to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, parted away from her beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 302, penned by Maangudi Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, when the confidante worries about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive an instance of hallucination in the midst of a separation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 301, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's question as to how the lady would bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the commitment of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 300, penned by Sirakudi Aanthaiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the lady, assuring her that he is hers, forever.
In this episode, we listen to the wondering words of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 299, penned by Venmanipoothiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a curious simile to reveal a person's mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 298, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, describing the man's delicate situation.
In this episode, we perceive the inevitability of a difficult decision, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 297, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Kaarikkannanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, bidding the lady to elope away with the man.
In this episode, we perceive an intricate method of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 296, penned by Perumpaakkanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the changes that has unfolded in a man's life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 295, penned by Thoongaloriyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in response to his request at reconciliation with the lady.
In this episode, we learn of the day-to-day activities of a girl living by the sea, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 294, penned by Anjil Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's worry about the future, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 293, penned by Kallil Aathiraiyanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, refusing the man's request for reconciliation.
In this episode, we hear of a king's cruel act placed as a unique simile, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 292, penned by Paranar, a historian poet. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a lady, placed against her picturesque surroundings, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 291, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, describing the beauty and nature of his lady love.
In this episode, we delight in a subtle simile that speaks a thousand words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 290, penned by Kalporu Sirunuraiyaar. Set in the costal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words asking the lady to bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we learn of aspects that disturb the lady in the man's absence, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 289, penned by Perunkannanaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's worry that the man had not returned in the promised season.
In this episode, we listen to words of trust and positivity, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 288, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, refusing to accept the confidante's words of rebuke about the man.
In this episode, we relish an intriguing comparison between weather and human life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 287, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, assuring her friend of the man's return.
In this episode, we perceive a picturesque portrait of a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 286, penned by Eyitriyanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, in response to the confidante's refusal for his request to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady parted from her beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 285, penned by Poothan Thevanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words bidding her to bear better with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish alluring imagery from the natural world, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 284, penned by Milaivel Thithanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, in response to the lady's worry about the slander that would spread in the village after the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to profound observations about wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 283, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's worry that the lady would not be able to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive intricate knowledge about seasons and plant life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 282, penned by Naagam Bothanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, assuring her that the man would return soon.
In this episode, we perceive references to trees in two different geographical regions, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 281, penned by Kudavaayil Keerathanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to the ecstatic declaration of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 280, penned by Nakirar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's admonishment about the man's changed behaviour.
In this episode, we relish how an element of the land is etched in words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 279, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words asking the lady to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to words of disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 278, penned by Peri Sathanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her angst at the man's lack of care as he remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the lifestyle of a person from a blessing rendered, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 277, penned by Oril Pichaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to a sage, putting forth a question close to her heart.
In this episode, we learn of curious customs in courtship, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 276, penned by Kozhi Kotranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to himself, passing on a pointed message to the confidante, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive anticipation and excitement at the impending arrival of the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 275, penned by Okkoor Maasathiyaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, cheering the lady up with the prospect of the man's homecoming.
In this episode, we perceive the hard life in an ancient region, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 274, penned by Uruthiranaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, when contemplating a journey to gather wealth.
In this episode, we hear reassuring words rendered in a moment of another's anxiety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 273, penned by Siraikudi Aanthaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, when the lady was worried that the man would part away from her.
In this episode, we perceive layers of intricate details woven into a single scene, as sketched by Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 272, penned by Oru Sirai Periyanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's words of admonishment about the man's behaviour.
In this episode, we listen to a person's reaction to a bitter truth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 271, penned by Azhisi Nachaathanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the man's request for reconciliation.
In this episode, we listen to the ecstatic words of a returning man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 270, penned by Paandiyan Pannaadu Thanthaan. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the rainclouds, conveying his contentment at being back in the company of the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the lifestyle of a family living by the sea, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 269, penned by Kaladanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to the conflict raging in a lady's heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 268, penned by Karuvoor Cheramaan Sathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the final decision of a scale shifting between youth and wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 267, penned by Kaleri Kadigaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in response to its insistence that he part away to gather wealth.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's anguish on not hearing from her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 266, penned by Nakirar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, after the man had parted away without seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the power of similes and metaphors in describing a personality, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 265, penned by Karuvoor Kathapillai. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying the lady's worry that the man parted away without seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque scene from a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 264, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, assuring her friend that she would bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive curious customs of curing a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 263, penned by Perunchaathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we take in the power of visualisation in conveying a decision, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 262, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, insisting that the lady elope away with the man.
In this episode, we perceive how scenes on a rainy night express the storm in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 261, penned by Kazhaarkeeran Eyitriyaar. Set in mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive ancient beliefs about good omens, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 260, penned by Kalladanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing her confidence in the man's return.
In this episode, we listen to a thoughtful explanation about an action taken, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 259, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, narrating the reason why she revealed the lady's relationship with the man to the lady's mother.
In this episode, we perceive the refusal to accept a returning man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 258, penned by Paranar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, when he returns from visiting a courtesan.
In this episode, we relish picturesque references to a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 257, penned by Uraiyoor Sirukanthanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, on hearing the news that the man has sought the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we relish the sacrifice of the pursuit of wealth for a noble reason, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 256, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man, expressing why he was unable to proceed on his mission to gather wealth.
In this episode, we perceive the hidden lessons in nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 255, penned by Kaduku Perunthevanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, assuring the lady that the man would not return halfway in his mission to gather wealth.
In this episode, we relish the intimate web between flowers, seasons and emotions, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 254, penned by Paarkaappaanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's consolation that the man would return as promised.
In this episode, we observe the tussle between a lady's pining and a man's search for wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 253, penned by Poonkannanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive acceptance in the midst of conflict, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 252, penned by Kidangil Kulapathi Nakkannanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to a question about the lady's welcome on the man's return.
In this episode, we relish a thoughtful technique of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 251, penned by Idaikaadanaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, assuring her that the season of rains had not yet arrived.
In this episode, we relish how scenes in nature propel a man towards his beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 250, penned by Naamalaar Makanaar Ilankannanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, urging him to rush homeward.
In this episode, we perceive a technique to bear with parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 249, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the question as to how the lady would handle the man's separation.
In this episode, we listen to words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 248, penned by Ulochanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying the lady's worries about the delay in her marriage to the man.
In this episode, we perceive positive feelings about a relationship, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 247, penned by Senthampoothanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the man's promise to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we observe a curious technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 246, penned by Kabilar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe the protectiveness of a lady towards her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 245, penned by Maalaimaaranaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words asking the lady to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we observe the plight of a lady at a midnight hour, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 244, penned by Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, passing on a hidden message asking him to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive an intricate response to words of advice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 243, penned by Nambi Kuttuvanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, replying to the confidante's words that the lady must bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish the joy of a mother in seeing her daughter happily married, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 242, penned by Kulatrathanaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady's foster mother to the lady's birth mother, on returning after a visit to the lady's marital home.
In this episode, we perceive the nature of grief, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 241, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying how she seems to have no control over the expression of her emotion.
In this episode, we relish picturesque similes that detail the flora and fauna of the past, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 240, penned by Kollan Azhisiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying the angst in her heart as evening arrives.
In this episode, we relish intricate meanings weaved into elements of nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 239, penned by Aasiriyar Perunkannanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe the ire of a woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 238, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing to accept his words of reconciliation.
In this episode, we listen to the worry in a man's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 237, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, as he contemplates the distance between himself and his beloved.
In this episode, we perceive the crisis in a man's parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 236, penned by Nariveroothalaiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, when he requests her to take care of the lady as he parts on a journey to gather wealth.
In this episode, we relish picturesque references to a lady's hamlet, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 235, penned by Maayendanaar. Set in the 'drylands' of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the northern wind, concealing a hidden message to his charioteer, urging him to rush to the village of the man's lady love.
In this episode, we listen to an expression of desolation about time, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 234, penned by Milaiperunkanthanaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the wealth of a home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 233, penned by Peyanaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, on his return from a mission to gather wealth for his wedding with the lady.
In this episode, we relish scenes in nature and the stories they tell, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 232, penned by Oon Pithaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her friend as the man remained parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady at being ignored by her husband, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 231, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkandunko. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, refusing to entertain the message of reconciliation from the man.
In this episode, we perceive a nuanced technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 230, penned by Pandiyan Arivudai Nambi. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message about the man's request to tryst.
In this episode, we listen to an amused expression of wonder, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 229, penned by Modhaasanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of wayfarers amongst themselves, on observing the man and lady, eloping together.
In this episode, we delight in an expression about love that transcends space, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 228, penned by Seythi Valluvar Perunchaathanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's appreciation about the lady bearing well with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish the science of deduction at play, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 227, penned by Othagnaaniyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a picturesque portrait of an ancient shore, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 226, penned by Madurai Ezhuthaalan Senthampoothanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's worry about the lady, as the man remained parted away.
In this episode, we perceive an intricate technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 225, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, pressing him to return without undue delay from his journey to gather wealth.
In this episode, we perceive how humaneness soars even in the midst of suffering, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 224, penned by Koovan Mainthanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to herself, passing on a message to the confidante, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a retrospective look at the past in response to a difficult situation in the present, as portrayed by Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 223, penned by Madurai Kadaiyathaar Makanaar Vennaakanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words that the lady must bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a curious way of ascertaining closeness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 222, penned by Siraikudi Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, after locating the lady's confidante among her playmates.
In this episode, we perceive references to the lives of ancient goatherds, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 221, penned by Uraiyoor Mudhukotranaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying her angst as the man is delayed beyond his promised season of return.
In this episode, we listen to a lady in angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 220, penned by Okoor Maasathiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her sorrow as the man continued to stay away.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 219, penned by Velloor Kizhaar Makanaar Venpoothiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive an angry sort of determination, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 218, penned by Kotranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's concern about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to the rationalisation behind a difficult decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 217, penned by Thangaal Mudakkollanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, persuading the lady to follow the man's proposed solution to their problem.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a parted lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 216, penned by Kachipettu Kanchi Kotranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's words of concern about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to comforting words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 215, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaalar Makanaar Mallanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, promising the lady that her man would return soon.
In this episode, we perceive curious events around courtship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 214, penned by Koodaloor Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady's kith and kin, in response to arrangements for a ritual.
In this episode, we relish an alluring scene in nature as an instance of a person's determination, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 213, penned by Kachipettu Kaanji Kotranaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, in response to the lady's worry that the man would return halfway from his mission.
In this episode, we listen to persuasive words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 212, penned by Neythal Kaarkiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, bringing a request to tryst from the man.
In this episode, we listen to words allaying anxiety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 211, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, in response to the lady's words of worry about the man, who had parted away.
In this episode, we learn of offerings made to birds and the significance of bird calls, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 210, penned by Kaakkai Paadiniyaar Nachellaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in response to his praise about the friend's comforting presence to the lady in the man's absence.
In this episode, we observe how a man expresses his affection after a long separation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 209, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, passing on a message to the lady listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's state of mind in a moment of domestic crisis, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 208, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's words that the lady must bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive an interesting reaction to a message conveyed, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 207, penned by Uraiyanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the confidante's news that the man has parted away.
In this episode, we listen to a person's perception about the paradox of love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 206, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's words of chiding about the man's changed state.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque comparison, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 205, penned by Ulochanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words of concern as to how the lady would bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a realistic portrait of the abstract emotion of love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 204, penned by Milaiperunkanthanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man's friend to the man, in response to the man's recent changed state.
In this episode, we perceive the clarity in a lady's mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 203, penned by Nedumpalliyathanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her inability to accept the man's request at reconciliation.
In this episode, we perceive the angst in a lady's heart about her beloved's changed state, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 202, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, refusing the man, entry to their home.
In this episode, we perceive the recollection of a past kindness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 201, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's words when she visits the lady's marital home.
In this episode, we relish references to the rain, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 200, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the friend's words of consolation that the promised season of the man's return had not yet arrived.
In this episode, we perceive the depth of a man's love for his lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 199, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in response to the confidante's message that the lady has been confined to her house.
In this episode, we perceive a stack of similes that illustrate elements of life in ancient Tamil country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 198, penned by Kabilar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, requesting him to change the spot where he trysts with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the form a season takes in the mind of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 197, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying her torment as the man continues to be parted away.
In this episode, we listen to an inference about the changing nature of a person's love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 196, penned by Milai Kanthanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing his request to reconcile with the lady.
In this episode, we observe a lady's state of mind as evening approaches, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 195, penned by Theratharanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her angst as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the precise reasons for a lady's angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 194, penned by Kovarthanaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man is delayed beyond his promised season of return.
In this episode, we perceive the contentment in a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 193, penned by Arisil Kizhaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's comment, when she visited the lady in her marital home.
In this episode, we relish a striking connection between an element of nature and a jeweller's object, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 192, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's response to the man's absence, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 191, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, as the friend expressed worry about the lady's ability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's wondering question about the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 190, penned by Poothampullanaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of lady to her confidante, expressing her state of mind as she's parted away from the man.
In this episode, we observe a man's masterplan to hurry home to his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 189, penned by Madurai Eelathu Poothanthevanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, passing on a subtle message to his wife, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's angst as the season changes, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 188, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaalar Makanaar Mallanaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the man is delayed beyond his promised season of return.
In this episode, we observe the unshakeable trust in a beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 187, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the confidante's words berating the parted man for the delay in returning to the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a lady's state of mind impacted by the changing seasons, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 186, penned by Okkoor Maasaathiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing how she feels, as the man is delayed beyond his promised season of return.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 185, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the confidante's question about the lady's changed state, even as the man was trysting with her.
In this episode, we understand a man's perception about a lady he met recently, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 184, penned by Arya Arasan Yaazh Piramathathan, a king said to be from northern India. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's words scolding him for his changed behaviour.
In this episode, we observe the effect of the changing season on nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 183, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's worry about the ability of the lady to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a young man's desperation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 182, penned by Madal Paadiya Maathankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, passing on a pointed message to the lady's confidante, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the conviction in a married lady about the way to be, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 181, penned by Killimangalam Kizhaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the confidante's words of rebuke about the man.
In this episode, we perceive a thoughtful consolation as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 180, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing the man's difficult path in his quest for wealth and concealing an assurance within.
In this episode, we perceive an intriguing technique in persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 179, penned by Kuttuvan Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, concealing a hidden message in her words to him.
In this episode, we perceive two precise similes to portray a person's state of mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 178, penned by Nedumpalliyathaiyaar. Set in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, when visiting the man and lady at their home after their wedding.
In this episode, we hear words of reassurance, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 177, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, on observing the man's arrival to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a unique technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 176, penned by Varumulaiyaarithiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the worry in her heart and concealing a hidden message about the lady's path forward.
In this episode, we perceive the bold attitude of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 175, penned by Ulochanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's words of reproach that the lady must bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we observe the struggle between seeking wealth and showing kindness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 174, penned by Venpoothiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her anguish on hearing about the man's intention to part away.
In this episode, we observe curious customs in courtship, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 173, penned by Madurai Kanji Pulavanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, when she refuses to accept his request to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the anguish of a lady separated from her beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 172, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend's words of worry about the lady bearing with the man's parting.
In this episode, we observe significant events in ancient matrimony, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 171, penned by Poonganuthiraiyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, as the friend worries about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we listen to the echo of total trust in a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 170, penned by Karuvoor Kizhaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, who was worried that the lady would be unable to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to words of anger expressing discontent within, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 169, penned by Velli Veethiyaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the man, as he tries to allay her ire about his parting away with a courtesan.
In this episode, we relish a sensory experience involving flowers in the rain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 168, penned by Siraikudi Aanthaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in response to its insistence that he part away from the lady in search of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive a quaint scene of domestic bliss, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 167, penned by Koodalur Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady's foster-mother to the birth-mother, narrating events that transpired in the lady's marital home.
In this episode, we observe how a city transforms in the view of a beholder, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 166, penned by Koodaloor Kizhar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the lady's state as she's confined to the house.
In this episode, we observe the frenzied state of a heart in the first rush of love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 165, penned by Paranar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, after the lady's confidante refuses his request to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we observe negative emotions between two women, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 164, penned by Mangudi Maruthanaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the courtesan to her friend, while passing on a pointed message to the lady's friends, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive how a lady projects her feelings on an element of land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 163, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the sea, lamenting about her state, as she remains parted away from the man.
In this episode, we listen to how a man's words to a flower echoes his deep feelings, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 162, penned by Karuvoor Pavuthiranaar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the man to a wild jasmine, as he returns homeward after completing his mission.
In this episode, we observe a domestic scene and understand its hidden implications, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 161, penned by Nakirar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, passing on a message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish references to a bird that lived in ancient India, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 160, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's consolation that the man would soon return.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 159, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Perisaathanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen in to a conversation with a rain cloud, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 158, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the rain, while passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive fear in the heart of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 157, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural lands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the lady, conveying the thoughts in her heart, at the prospect of parting with her beloved.
In this episode, we learn of the customs of a particular sect of people in ancient times, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 156, penned by Pandiyan Enaathi Nedunkannanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's words of chiding about the man's changed behaviour.
In this episode, we relish references to intriguing objects used in ancient times, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 155, penned by Urodakathu Kantharathanaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her angst at not hearing news of the man's return.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from nature echoing the lady's emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 154, penned by Madurai Seethalathai Saathanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we listen to the changes in a lady's perception, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 153, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, explaining the reason the confidante must present to the man to persuade him to seek her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive intriguing references to tortoise eggs, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 152, penned by Killimangalam Kizhaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's frustration that the lady was not bearing well with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the struggles in a man's mind as he decides between love and wealth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 151, penned by Thoongaloriyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, conveying his decision concerning parting with the lady to go in search of wealth.
In this episode, we observe the puzzled wonderment in a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 150, penned by Maadaloor Kizhaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, when her friend approaches her about a tryst by night, with the man.
In this episode, we perceive the importance accorded to a woman's shyness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 149, penned by Velli Veethiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, on hearing that the lady had to elope away with the man.
In this episode, we relish stacked similes that tell us a tale of parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 148, penned by Ilankeeranthaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's consolation about the man's return.
In this episode, we relish the magical feelings evoked by a dream, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 147, penned by Koperunchozhan. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to a dream, conveying his bittersweet emotions, as he remains parted away from the lady.
In this episode, we listen to tidings of joy, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 146, penned by Velliveethiyaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, in response to the lady's worry that her kith and kin would reject the offer of marriage put forth by the man's family.
In this episode, we perceive the indignation in a lady about how the world around receives her sorrow, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 145, penned by Kollan Azhisiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, one night, when the man is away, seeking wealth to win her hand.
In this episode, we perceive the change in circumstances in the life of a young girl, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 144, penned by Madurai Aasiriyar Kodan Kotranaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the foster-mother, agonising over her daughter's elopement.
In this episode, we listen to an effective consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 143, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar Makanaar Nakkeeranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying words of positivity about the man's return.
In this episode, we perceive the poignant feelings in a man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 142, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing his angst in parting with his lady after their union.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from the mountain country echoing fears within, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 141, penned by Madurai Perunkollanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a distinctive technique of registering dissent, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 140, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to her friend's comment about bearing with the man's separation.
In this episode, we perceive the projection of human concerns on other life around, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 139, penned by Okkoor Maasaathiyaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing him entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we relish references to nature stitched seamlessly into this song on relationships, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 138, penned by Kollan Azhisi. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a unique way of allaying anxiety about separation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 137, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the man to the lady, in response to her fears about his parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the natural correlation between animal and human life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 136, penned by Milai Perunkanthanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, detailing the misunderstood nature of love.
In this episode, we perceive the priorities in the life of men and women, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 135, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, in response to the lady's fear that the man was preparing to part away.
In this episode, we look at the spread of the land in a mountain country and see the lady's emotions there, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 134, penned by Kovengai Perunkathavanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her yearning for the man's return.
In this episode, we observe how a mountain farmer's field speaks the hope in a lady's heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 133, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukannan Saathanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, as the man delays seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we listen to a description of a beloved in the words of a heart in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 132, penned by Sirakudi Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's words chiding the man for his unstable behaviour after falling in love.
In this episode, we perceive how a simile from a farming field prints tracks of the heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 131, penned by Or Er Uzhavanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, as his mission ends and his promised season of return approaches.
In this episode, we perceive a persuasive argument to pacify an anxious heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 130, penned by Velli Veethiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying her anxiety about the man, who had parted away.
In this episode, we listen to the beat of a passionate heart, as echoed by Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 129, penned by Koperunchozhan, a poet-king. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, explaining the reason for the recent changes in him.
In this episode, we relish a precise simile from the natural world that pinpoints to the emotions within, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 128, penned by Paranar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing his dejection at being unable to meet his lady at the trysting spot.
In this episode, we take in a scene from the fields of a farming town and perceive the consequences of a lie, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 127, penned by Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in response to the words of the singer, sent as a messenger by the man to allay the anger of his lady.
In this episode, we observe the projection of inner angst on the outer world, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 126, penned by Okkoor Maasaathiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her pain as the man remains parted away.
In this episode, we hear the echo of the heart in an image from nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 125, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the sound reasoning in a pertinent question, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 124, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he prepares to part away from the lady.
In this episode, we observe the ingenuity of a person in conveying urgency, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 123, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to a lady's lament about the imminent evening, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 122, penned by Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady, illustrating the effect of an evening on her mind.
In this episode, we perceive a case of mistakes and their consequences, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 121, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying how she had been disappointed once before, mistaking sounds around for the man's call to tryst.
In this episode, we listen to abstract notions about wealth and joy, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 120, penned by Paranar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in a message of consolation when being unable to meet with the lady at their trysting spot.
In this episode, we listen to a man echo his inner emotions by narrating a scene in the wild, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 119, penned by Sathinaathanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, expressing the reason for the recent change in his composure.
In this episode, we learn of an ancient custom set in the midst of a lady's anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 118, penned by Nannaakaiyaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, lamenting about how the man had not returned to tryst with her.
In this episode, we hear the beat of life in nature and perceive the heart of a lady in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 117, penned by Kundriyanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the passionate recollection of a past joy, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 116, penned by Ilangkeeranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, delighting in the memory of his lady's tresses.
In this episode, we listen to a heartfelt request to ensure the welfare of a friend, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 115, penned by Kabilar. Situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he prepares to elope away with the lady.
In this episode, we observe how inanimate objects echo the inner landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 114, penned by Ponnaakanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying news about his trysting with the lady.
In this episode, we gather fascinating facets about the lifestyle of ancients, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 113, penned by Maathirathanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying that he should tryst with the lady at an alternative spot.
In this episode, we perceive the angst of a torn heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 112, penned by Aalathoor Kilaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying her feelings as the man continues to delay seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we relish the ingenuity of the confidante in her indirect persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 111, penned by Theenmathi Naakanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the effect of seasonal winds, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 110, penned by Killimangalam Kilaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, echoing her extreme dejection at the man's continued absence.
In this episode, we observe a technique of subtle persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Kurunthogai 109, penned by Nambi Kuttuvanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the beauty of changing seasons, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 108, penned by Vaayilaan Thevanaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting any longer.
In this episode, we perceive the fury of a person, woken up from sweet slumber, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 107, penned by Madurai Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the lady to a rooster, conveying her ire at the bird's crowing in the morning.
In this episode, we perceive the acceptance of a man's request for reconciliation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 106, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying that she is appeased by the man's message.
In this episode, we perceive agricultural customs in a mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 105, penned by Nakirar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, relaying her frustration at the man's delay in seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the fierce attack of pining in winter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 104, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing how difficult it is for her, to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the changing seasons and its impact on a lady's thoughts, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 103, penned by Vaayilaan Thevanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her emotions as the man is delayed beyond his promised season of return.
In this episode, we perceive the torment in a lady's heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 102, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, explaining her state of mind, as the man continues to stay away.
In this episode, we perceive the high esteem a man holds for his marital life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 101, penned by Paroovu Movaai Pathumanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in response to its insistence that he part with the lady to go in search of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive facets of mountain farming, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 100, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, describing the land of the lady who had won his heart.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque parallel to the feeling of love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 99, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, in response to her question asking whether he thought of the lady when he was away on his mission.
In this episode, we listen to a heartfelt wish for a messenger, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 98, penned by Kokulamutranaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, revealing her angst as the man continues to stay away even after the promised season of return.
In this episode, we hear the lament of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 97, penned by Venboothi. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her angst at the man's delay in seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we infer a lady's trust in her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 96, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurunji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, responding with anger to her friend's words of complaint about the man's delay in seeking the lady's hand.
In this episode, we relish an exquisite interaction between the elements, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 95, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, explaining the reason for his troubled state.
In this episode, we observe a lady's conviction as well as her concern for her beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 94, penned by Kathakannan. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, allaying the friend's worry that the lady would not be able to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive a philosophical interpretation for the presence of anger, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 93, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, refusing her friend's request to reconcile her with the man.
In this episode, we observe the projection of one's emotions on elements in nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 92, penned by Thamodharanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady, one evening, when the man, who had parted with her, continued to stay away.
In this episode, we perceive plant and animal life in a farmland as well as the generous and war-seeking nature of a king, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 91, penned by the famous Sangam-age female poet, Avvaiyaar. Set in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her heart, reprimanding it as it rushes towards the man, returning from the company of courtesans.
In this episode, we relish scenes from a rain-soaked mountain landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 90, penned by Madurai Eluthaalan Senthampoothanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we learn of a unique song, sung by women as they hull grain in a mortar, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 89, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to herself, while conveying a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from a mountain country, echoing the love life of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 88, penned by Madurai Kathakkannanaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the man's intention to tryst with the lady by night.
In this episode, we observe how a lady tries to placate god's fury, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 87, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to a god, explaining how the man is not to be blamed for her state of mind.
In this episode, we perceive the loneliness of a lovelorn lady on a winter's night, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 86, penned by Vennkotranaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurunji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her feelings as the man continues to stay away.
In this episode, we relish a blissful scene from a house sparrow's life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 85, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Thamotharanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the singer, who has been sent as a messenger by the man to plead his cause at the lady's house.
In this episode, we perceive the moment of revelation about a subtle event in the past, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 84, penned by Mosi Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the foster-mother, on learning that the lady has eloped with the man.
In this episode, we relish the jubilation of hearing a much-awaited news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 83, penned by Vennpoothanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante, celebrating the foster-mother's words and conveying a significant message to the lady.
In this episode, we see how the changing seasons affect the growing crops and the pining lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 82, penned by Kaduvan Mallanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante's consolation that the man will return soon.
In this episode, we perceive the way a person is guided towards the right path, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 81, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Perisaathanaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, reminding him of his obligations to the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the outcome of negative feelings, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 80, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the courtesan, passing on a pointed message to the lady's friends, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to the sorrowful words of a pining lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 79, penned by Kudavaayil Keeranakkanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her anxiety about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive an interesting perspective on love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 78, penned by Nakirar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of a friend to the man, chiding the man for the state he finds himself in.
In this episode, we hear the justification of a lady's anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 77, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her concerns about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the effect of the man's plans to part away on the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 76, penned by Killimangalam Kilaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying that she was already aware of the man's intention to part away.
In this episode, we perceive the excitement in receiving a much-expected news, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 75, penned by Padumaraththu Mosi Keeranaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the singer-messenger, in response to his words about the man's arrival.
In this episode, we relish similes from the natural world that reflect the inner landscape, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 74, penned by Vitta Kuthiraiyaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, subtly persuading her to accept the man's request to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a historical event interwoven with a confidante's cunning, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 73, penned by Paranar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, explaining the reasons for her recent refusals to the man's requests to tryst with the lady.
In this episode, we observe the effect of seeing a lady's eyes on a young man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 72, penned by Mallanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, responding to his query about the reason for the changes in the man.
In this episode, we observe a struggle in a man's mind and its resolution, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 71, penned by Karuvoor Othagnaaniyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, in response to its persuasion that he part away in search of wealth.
In this episode, we observe a young man expressing his jubilant state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 70, penned by Orampokiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, attempting to describe the lady's nature, after his union with her.
In this episode, we explore the echo of human emotions in animals, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 69, penned by Kadunthotkara Veeranaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, subtly refusing his request for a nightly tryst.
In this episode, we learn of how the changing season sings a song of yearning, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 68, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we relish a precious simile, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 67, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her angst at the man's delay in returning.
In this episode, we observe a unique way of consoling an anxious heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 66, penned by Kovarthanaar. Set in the forests of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying her worry about the man's absence, even after the promised season of return.
In this episode, we observe how the changing season torments a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 65, penned by Kovoor Kilaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing the angst in her heart during the man's parting away.
In this episode, we empathise with a feeling of anxious anticipation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 64, penned by Karuvoor Kathapillai. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's words of consolation about the man's return.
In this episode, we perceive the tussle between being with a beloved and parting away to earn wealth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 63, penned by Ugaaikudi Kilaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing how impossible it is, to execute what it desires.
In this episode, we observe the delight of a young man, at the prospect of meeting his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 62, penned by Siraikudi Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, expressing his exuberance, when recollecting his prior union with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a unique way of rendering a refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 61, penned by Thumbiser Keeranaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the messengers, declining the man's request seeking entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we sense the emotions within through a striking simile, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 60, penned by Paranar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, depicting her angst-filled state after the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the art of allaying anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 59, penned by Mosikeeranaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her friend as she worries about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we empathise with an emotion, expressed with an arresting image, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 58, penned by Velliveethiyaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend's rebuke about the man's behaviour.
In this episode, we perceive the depth of bonding between the man and the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 57, penned by Siraikudi Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her angst at being placed under guard at home and prevented from trysting with the man.
In this episode, we perceive the hardships in travelling, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 56, penned by Siraikkudi Aanthaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, mid-way in his journey through the drylands.
In this episode, we observe a technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 55, penned by Neythal Kaarkiyaar, a female poet from the Sangam age, whose name, which means 'rain cloud', left me with a smile. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we see the dynamism of emotions reflected in elements of nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 54, penned by Meeneri Thoondilaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying her angst at the man's delay in formalising their union.
In this episode, we perceive picturesque similes to describe the elements on land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 53, penned by Koperuncholan, a poet-king from the Early Chola dynasty. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, pressing him to seek the lady's hand without further delay.
In this episode, we listen to an explanation about the turn of events, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 52, penned by Panampaaranaar. The verse is situated in mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the reason why preparations were ongoing for the lady's marriage with the man.
In this episode, we hear of events that bring good news to the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 51, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of confidante to the lady, allaying the lady's anxiety about the delay in the man's return to seek her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the consequence of loneliness in a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 50, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the messengers, sent by the man, conveying her angst when they come seeking entry to her house.
In this episode, we perceive an act of forgiveness, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 49, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the man, conveying her acceptance of him, when he returns to her after being with the courtesan.
In this episode, we perceive the yearning to allay a friend's suffering, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 48, penned by Poonganuthiraiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante, expressing her angst about the lady's state of mind.
In this episode, we relish a delightful conversation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 47, penned by Neduvennilavinaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the moon, passing on an indirect message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe a day in the life of a house sparrow, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 46, penned by Maamalaadanaar. Set in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, allaying her friend's worry that she would not be able to bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we perceive the muddle in the mind of a lady, as captured in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 45, penned by Aalangudi Vanganaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man's messengers, listening nearby.
In this episode, we listen to a person's fatigue in a quest, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 44, penned by Velli Veethiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady's foster mother, expressing her frustration at not seeing the man and lady she set out to find.
In this episode, we perceive the nuanced expression about one's state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 43, penned by Avvaiyaar. Situated in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying her feelings about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the art of subtlety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 42, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing in a hidden manner, to accept his request to tryst with the lady by night.
In this episode, we relish a striking simile that reveals the lady's state of mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 41, penned by Anilaadu Mundrilaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing the feelings within during the man's parting away.
In this episode, we relish an unforgettable imagery for the magic that is love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 40, penned by Sempulapeyaneeraar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the lady, allaying her fears that he would part away from her.
In this episode, we perceive a deep concern for another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 39, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is set in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing what makes her worried about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the pain in parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 38, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man's parting away.
In this episode, we relish an act of love in nature, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 37, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perungkadungko. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her saying that the man has every reason to return soon to her.
In this episode, we hear the echo of a promise from a picturesque scene in nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 36, penned by Paranar. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, consoling her friend, who seem worried about how the lady would bear with the man's parting.
In this episode, we hear the voice of seasons in the changing scenes in nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 35, penned by Kalaarkeeran Eyitriyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying the reason for her misery.
In this episode, we see the confluence of nature and history on a lady's forehead, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 34, penned by Kolli Kannanaar. The verse is situated in the farmlands of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a jubilant news to her.
In this episode, we perceive a portrait of a travelling musician, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 33, penned by Padumarathu Mosikeeranaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying that the singer, who has been sent as a messenger by the man, finds favour in her eyes.
In this episode, we perceive how love distorts time, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 32, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, seeking her help to further his relationship with the lady.
In this episode, we perceive a curious way of how the lady reveals her love relationship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 31, penned by Aathimanthiyaar. Set in the farmlands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, passing on a hidden message about the man.
In this episode, we reflect on a well-known aspect of our lives, hearing another's experience, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 30, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's question about the reason for her distress.
In this episode, we relish a picturesque scene from a mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 29, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, after being refused a tryst by night with the lady.
In this episode, we observe the helplessness of a lady, as portrayed by Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 28, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her angst as the man is delayed in his return.
In this episode, we perceive how a well-chosen simile explains the lady's state, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 27, penned by Velli Veethiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend's worry as to how the lady would bear with the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive a picturesque scene, revealing hidden secrets, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 26, penned by Kollan Alisi. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady's kith and kin, after hearing the fortune-teller's divination about the lady's ill-health.
In this episode, we perceive the soaring worry in a lady about the man's commitment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 25, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing the helplessness of her situation, as the man continues to delay seeking her hand.
In this episode, we perceive how elements in nature paint the angst in a heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 24, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the forest regions of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, as the man's promised season of return arrives.
In this episode, we perceive a subtle way of revealing a secret, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 23, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to a fortune-teller, passing on a hidden message about the lady's relationship with the man.
In this episode, we observe a convincing technique of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 22, penned by Cheramaan Enthai. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying her fears about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the expression of an unshakeable faith in a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 21, penned by Othalaanthaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of 'Mullai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her state of mind about the man's delayed return.
In this episode, we perceive abstractions around the theme of gathering wealth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 20, penned by Koperuncholan, a poet-king, belonging to the Early Chola dynasty during the Sangam period. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, on hearing the news that the man had parted away to gather wealth.
In this episode, we glean facts about history and a household, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 19, penned by Paranar. Set in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, lamenting about the lack of forgiveness from the lady.
In this episode, we relish references to a delicious fruit, native to South India, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 18, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, persuading him to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we learn of the details in a curious custom of courting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 17, penned by Pereyil Muruvalaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of 'Kurunji' and speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, conveying the probable consequence of her refusal to heed to his requests towards furthering his relationship with the lady.
In this episode, we relish a unique simile and the hope it evokes, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 16, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadungko. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a positive thought to alleviate the lady's suffering about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we observe the acceptance of an unexpected event, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 15, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady's foster mother to the birth mother, announcing the truth about the lady's relationship.
In this episode, we perceive a social custom and its implications, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 14, penned by Thol Kabilar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the confidante, in a subtle threat about his course of action, after her rejection of his request.
In this episode, we bask in the beauty of the mountain country, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 13, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, explaining the reasons for her ill-health, after the man had parted away.
In this episode, we get a glimpse of the dangers in ancient travel, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 12, penned by Othalaanthaiyaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady, perceiving the worry in her confidante about her state, after the man had parted away.
In this episode, we perceive the angst in a lady, propelling her on an unthinkable path, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 11, penned by Mamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her heart, as her confidante listens nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the magnanimity of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 10, penned by Orambokiyar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, allowing him entry into the lady's house.
In this episode, we observe how a forgiving nature blooms like a blue lotus, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 9, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, allowing him entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we perceive some mind games in action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 8, penned by Aalangudi Vanganaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of the courtesan, passing on a hidden message to the lady's friends, listening nearby.
In this episode, we glimpse at both nature and culture through the lens of relationship, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 7, penned by Perumpathumanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of wayfarers, who happen to come across a couple in their journey.
In this episode, we perceive the loneliness in a lady at a dark hour, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 6, penned by Pathumanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing the angst in her heart at the man's parting away.
In this episode, we pay a visit to a seashore and perceive the symptoms of an age-old disease, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 5, penned by Nariveruthalaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, pondering on her state, after the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the angst in a lady's heart, parted from her beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 4, penned by Kaamancher Kulathaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the words of the lady to her confidante, expressing the anguish within.
In this episode, we travel to a lush mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 3, penned by Thevakulathaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, rejecting her friend's rebuke of the man, as he listens nearby.
In this episode, we relish the expressed ecstasy of being in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 2, penned by Iraiyanaar. The verse is situated in the mountain country of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of a man to a bee, raising a question and revealing his passion.
I'm excited to explore the world of Kurunthogai along with you. Kurunthogai, in a nutshell, can be called ancient Tamil haikus, verses that power-pack love and nature in capsule-sized doses! In this episode, we are welcomed by the glowing red of Murugan's mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Kurunthogai 1, penned by Thippu Tholaar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing to accept his gift of flowers for the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the fertility of a farming village and the fortitude in a loyal heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 400, penned by Alangudi Vanganaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of a courtesan to the man, expressing how indispensable he is to her life.
In this episode, we delight in the lush scenes of a mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 399, penned by Thol Kabilar. Set in the hills of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe scenes at sunset on a seashore, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 398, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, about the lady's state of mind on a prior evening.
In this episode, we perceive abstract observations on love and death, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 397, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing in a unique manner how she will bear with the man's separation.
In this episode, we relish picturesque scenes from a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 396, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is situated in the hills of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, persuading him to seek the lady's hand, without further delay.
In this episode, we observe an assertive technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 395, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, pressing him in a hidden manner, to seek the lady's hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the joy in a man's homecoming, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 394, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the forests of 'Mullai' and speaks in the voice of wayfarers, seeing the man returning homeward from a mission.
In this episode, we perceive a joyous celebration, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 393, penned by Kovoor Kizhaar. Set in the mountains of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the news of the man's arrival to the lady's house.
In this episode, we perceive the comfort in alternatives, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 392, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, seeking her consent for the nightly tryst, as the man, listens nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a moment when consolation is rendered to a worried heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 391, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perungkadungko. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying the anxiety in her friend's heart about the man's parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the emotion of possessiveness, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 390, penned by Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the agricultural regions of 'Marutham' and speaks in the voice of a courtesan to her friend, passing on a hidden message to the friends of another courtesan.
In this episode, we relish the richness of poetic imagery that paints for us the world then, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 280, penned by Paranar. Set in the agricultural lands of 'Marutham', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to the straying man's message, seeking entry to the lady's house.
In this episode, we relish a poetic feast, filled with elements from nature and culture, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 279, penned by Kayamanaar. The verse is set in the drylands of 'Paalai' landscape and speaks in the voice of the mother, on hearing that her daughter has parted away with the man.
In this episode, we relish nuanced descriptions of a seashore tree, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 278, penned by Ulochanaar. Set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying jubilant news of the man's return to claim the lady's hand.
In this episode, we perceive a unique way of expressing inner suffering, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 277, penned by Thumbi Ser Keeranaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of 'Paalai' and speaks in the voice of a lady to a bee, expressing her anguish at the bee's seeming indifference to her plight.
In this episode, we gather nuanced notions about the life of two different cultures that co-existed in an ancient mountain country, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 276, penned by Thol Kabilar. Set in the hill landscape of 'Kurinji', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he prepares to leave after his tryst-by-day with the lady.
In this episode, we relish the storytelling power of a metaphor, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 275, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of 'Neythal' and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her confidante's words of consolation, as the man listens by.
In this episode, we relish words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 274, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the drylands of 'Paalai', the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, offering words of comfort to allay the lady's worry about the man's travels through the drylands.
In this episode, we perceive intriguing methods of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 273, penned by Madurai Ilambaalaasiriyan Senthan Koothanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we take a walk on an ancient shore and perceive the story of longing and love in store, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 272, penned by Mukkal Aasaan Nalvellaiyaar. Set in the coastal landscape of 'Neythal', the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive notions of death from this heartrending song of a mother, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 271, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the despairing voice of a mother, on hearing that her daughter has parted from her, in the company of a man.
In this episode, we delve into a historic event and the implications of war and hair that hides within, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 270, penned by Paranar. Set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in a hidden bid to rouse the listening lady to welcome him back into her house.
In this episode, we relish a scene in an ancient Tamil household, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 269, penned by Eyinanthai Magan Ilankeeranaar. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in an attempt to dissuade him from parting with the lady.
In this episode, we relish references to a rare flower in the mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 268, penned by Veripaadiya Kaamakkanniyaar, a female poet from the Sangam era. Set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we travel to a seashore grove and learn about the pangs of love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 267, penned by Kabilar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive a moment of acceptance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 266, penned by Kachipettu Ilanthachanaar. Set in the forest regions of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, agreeing to his decision to part away on a mission.
In this episode, we bask in an abundance of similes that turns out to be a history lesson, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 265, penned by Paranar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, passing on a subtle message to the lady’s confidante, listening nearby.
In this episode, we understand the nuances of man-woman communication in ancient Tamil land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 263, penned by Ilaveyinanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe a man’s mind mulling over love and wealth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 262, penned by Perunthalai Saathanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the man, as he reflects on what his parting away will do to the lady’s health and beauty.
In this episode, we perceive the dangers of traversing a mountain path at night, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 261, penned by Senthan Poothanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we follow the movements of a buffalo to learn the reason for a lady’s anger, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 260, penned by Paranar. Set in the agricultural regions of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the man, conveying that she’s still vexed with him, unable to forget his recent behaviour.
In this episode, we delight in scenes of togetherness in the mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 259, penned by Kotrankotranaar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we travel to an ancient seaport and explore life and love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 258, penned by Nakkirar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, relaying to him the news of the lady’s confinement.
In this episode, we observe the lay of a mountain country and perceive the inner landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 257, penned by Vannakkan Sorumarunkumaranaar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him subtly to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the vivid way a lady’s fears about her man’s parting are allayed, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 256, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the comforting voice of the man to his lady, promising not to part away from her.
In this episode, we partake in an action-packed midnight adventure in a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 255, penned by Aalamperi Saathanaar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, looking with fear at the jungle path the man traverses to meet her.
In this episode, we travel to a salty shore and listen to a sweet conversation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 254, penned by Ulochanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying excessive words of reassurance as the man prepares to part away, dejected at the lack of response.
In this episode, we glimpse at aspects of history and sociology in an ancient land, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 253, penned by Kabilar. The verse is set in the mountain country of 'Kurinji' and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, subtly persuading him to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive rich similes and metaphors painting the inner landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 252, penned by Ammeyyan Naakanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, intending to calm the lady, who is worried by the man’s intention to part away.
In this episode, we listen to a curious conversation with millets, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 251, penned by Madurai Perumaruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to millets growing in the field, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the novel techniques employed by an estranged man to allay the ire of his lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 250, penned by Madurai Olaikadaiyathaar Nalvellaiyaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the singer-messenger, in a bid to make the lady, who is listening, welcome him back to the house.
In this episode, we relish the rich natural imagery that reflects inner landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 249, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the lady, expressing her angst as the man has not returned from his mission to gather wealth.
In this episode, we relish a unique way of dissuading despair, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 248, penned by Kaasiban Keeranaar. Set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to a cloud, in a bid to comfort the lady, who is disheartened by the arrival of the rains.
In this episode, we perceive a unique way of changing the heart of another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 247, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying a subtle message as he prepares to part away on a mission.
In this episode, we observe how events in nature become tools of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 246, penned by Kaappiyan Chenthanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, relaying a heartening message about the man’s arrival.
In this episode, we relish references to myth and music, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 244, penned by Kootrankumaranaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, subtly expressing her approval for the confidante’s intent to reveal the lady’s heart to her mother.
In this episode, we listen to life advice from a pair of birds in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 243, penned by Kaamakkani Pasalaiyaar, a female poet from Sangam times. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the lady, expressing her anguish at the man’s parting away in search of wealth.
In this episode, we see the blooming of flowers on a rainy morning and listen to the beating heart of a man rushing home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 242, penned by Vilikatpethai Perunkannanaar. Set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, bidding him to rush homeward!
In this episode, we observe the angst that parting away leaves behind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 241, penned by Madurai Perumaruthanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape of drylands and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, refusing to accept the words of consolation, as she is afflicted by the pain of parting.
In this episode, we look into the heart of a man, who has parted away from his love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 240, penned by Nappaalathanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to his heart, as he languishes with the pain of parting.
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s anguish, as she admonishes a raincloud, as illustrated in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 238, penned by Kantharathanaar. Set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the raincloud, scolding it for arriving there without the company of the man, who has parted away from her.
In this episode, we perceive the message in a rain cloud, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 237, penned by Kaarikkannanaar. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, surprised at the lady’s equanimity as the man continues to stay away on his mission.
In this episode, we listen to a song of angst depicting a lady’s suffering, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 236, penned by Nambi Kuttuvanaar. Set in the mountain country of Kurinji, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish how metaphors paint a vision of joy, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 235, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying the jubilant news of the man’s arrival to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we learn about ancient social customs and cultural festivals, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 234, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady’s mother to the lady’s father, when the man arrives to seek the lady’s hand in marriage accompanied by elders and family.
In this episode, we perceive unique ways of conveying intention, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 233, penned by Anjil Aanthaiyaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive issues in inner life reflected in scenes of wildlife, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 232, penned by Mudhuvenkannanaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him to stay the night at the lady’s house, as he prepares to leave after his tryst by day.
In this episode, we marvel at the rich imagery that brings out life in ancient times, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 231, penned by Ilanaakanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive scenic descriptions depicting social dynamics, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 230, penned by Alangudi Vanganaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of Marutham, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing him entry into the lady’s house.
In this episode, we observe the conflict around separation from a beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 229, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in response to his news about parting away from the lady on a mission.
In this episode, we perceive the power of metaphors in conveying intention intricately, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 228, penned by Mudathirumaaranaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish images from an ancient city and the poetic imagery it evokes, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 227, penned by Thevanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape by the shore, and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, urging him to seek the lady’s hand without further delay.
In this episode, we reflect upon philosophical truths portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 226, penned by Kaniyan Poongundranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape of drylands, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her grief over the man’s parting away in search of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive images from the mountain country portraying the intricacies of inner life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 225, penned by Kabilar. The verse is set in ‘Kurinji’ or the mountainous regions and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, refusing to be consoled as the man is delayed in his return to her.
In this episode, we perceive how the changing seasons affect inner life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 224, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, on being informed about the man’s parting away on a mission.
In this episode, we appreciate the intelligent way of communicating a refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 223, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape or coastal regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him to give up his tryst by day and concealing a hidden message within.
In this episode, we perceive the art of gentle persuasion in influencing another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 222, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we delight in the anticipated joy, glowing in the heart of a man returning home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 221, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his charioteer, bidding him to hasten homeward.
In this episode, we learn about social dynamics and cultural practices, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 220, penned by Kundukat Paaliyaathanaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to himself, conveying a sharp message to the confidante, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the unshakeable faith glowing within a lady in love, as portrayed by Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 219, penned by Thaayankannanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape or coastal regions and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, expressing her belief in the man’s promise to her.
In this episode, we perceive the atmosphere of an ancient village at dusk and the mood this evokes within, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 218, penned by Kidangil Kaavithi Keerankannanaar. Set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, rejecting the confidante’s words of consolation and expressing the angst in her heart, as the man delays seeking her hand in marriage.
In this episode, we relish the intricate use of poetic imagery, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 217, penned by Kabilar. Although the verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, it revolves around the theme of a love-quarrel, a theme more commonly found in the agricultural landscape. The poem speaks in the words of the lady to her confidante, conveying a refusal to the man’s request to seek entry to their house.
In this episode, we hear the laments and lore around a woman jilted in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 216, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the courtesan to her friends, so as to convey a message to the lady through the lady’s friends, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive gender differences with regard to life priorities, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 214, penned by Karuvoor Kosanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying the pain of separation, as the man has not returned home in the promised time.
In this episode, we observe the rich poetry in the art of small talk, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 213, written by Kachippettu Perunthachanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to the lady and her confidante, intending to seek the confidante’s help in securing the affections of the lady.
In this episode, we perceive the joy in a man’s return to his home, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 212, penned by Kudavaayil Keerathanaar. Set in the drylands of the ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, on hearing about the man returning homeward from his long journey.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from the shore reflecting the inner life of the lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 211, penned by Kottiyoor Nallanthaiyaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to herself, while conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we gather an ageless perspective about wealth, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 210, penned by Milai Kilaar Nalvettanaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, chiding him subtly for causing misery to the lady.
In this episode, we relish the richness of expression, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 209, penned by Nochi Niyamkilaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, intending it to be overheard by the lady’s confidante.
In this episode, we perceive the fine art of consoling a friend in anguish, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 208, penned by Nochi Niyamankilaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape of drylands, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, allaying the agony that fills the lady’s heart when she hears news about the man’s parting away.
In this episode, we visit a seaside hamlet and perceive scenes from inner and outer life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 207, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the foster-mother, declaring the truth of the lady’s relationship with the man, as the danger of marriage to a stranger looms ahead.
In this episode, we perceive the cultural significance of natural elements, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 206, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the battle between love and duty, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 205, penned by Ilanakanaar. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ region and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, highlighting the consequences of the man’s decision to part away in search of wealth.
In this episode, we perceive the passion throbbing in the heart of a mountain youth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 204, penned by Mallanaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the anguished voice of the man to his heart, while intending the message to be overhead by the lady’s confidante.
In this episode, we inhale the fragrance of life in an ancient seashore village, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 203, written by Ulochanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we unearth fascinating facts about nature and culture, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 202, penned by Perungkadungo. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to the lady, motivating her with a promise, as they elope from the lady’s village.
In this episode, we relish the natural beauty of a hill country and the deep meaning that the image of a statue imparts, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 201, penned by Paranar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to that friend’s advice about forgetting the lady, who has won the man's heart.
In this episode, we learn of a festival custom in a farming town, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 200, penned by Koodaloor Palkannanaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the potter, rejecting the request of the singer-messenger to seek entry for the man into the lady’s house.
In this episode, we perceive intricate elements from the seashore revealing the inner world, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 199, penned by Peri Sathanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, refusing to accept words of consolation and expressing the angst in her heart.
In this episode, we perceive the anguish in a mother missing her daughter, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 198, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of a foster mother to a couple she meets on the way, as she searches for her daughter, who has eloped away.
In this episode, we experience the meaning that dark clouds impart to a pining lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 197, penned by Nakirar. The verse is set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ and speaks in the consoling voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a positive message to the lady’s pining heart.
In this episode, we listen to a curious conversation with the moon, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 196, penned by Vellaikudi Nakanaar. Set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the moon, attempting to make it reveal the path where the man, who has parted away, traverses.
In this episode, we explore life and wildlife in the mountain country, depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 194, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the mountain landscape of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish scenes from a mountain jungle, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 192, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to a lady, as she refuses to accept a tryst with him at night, fearing for his safety.
In this episode, we perceive a picturesque scene from the life of a seaside hamlet, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 191, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we delight in the description of an ancient city, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 190, written by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape of mountain country, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to his heart, urging the confidante, listening nearby, to help him win the affection of the lady.
In this episode, we receive a lesson in the art of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 189, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape or the drylands and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying words of solace to her pining heart.
In this episode, we learn an intricate technique to convey intention and the philosophical truth ingrained within, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 188, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying a subtle but strong reprimand about his delay in seeking the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we take up a sensory travel to a sunset moment, as sketched by Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 187, penned by the Sangam-age namesake of an adored female poet, Avvaiyaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape or coastal regions and speaks in the voice of the lady, as she mulls over the parting of the man, at the end of his tryst by day.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from nature throwing light on an attitude of acceptance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 186, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands region of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the confident voice of the lady, relieving fears in the confidante’s mind about the consequences of the man’s departure.
In this episode, we learn fascinating facts about an ancient hill country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 185, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the mountainous landscape of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, seeking his help to win the affection of the lady in his heart.
In this episode, we perceive the poignant emotions of a mother missing her daughter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 184, written by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of the ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the mother, expressing her inconsolable sadness after her daughter’s departure.
In this episode, we understand the thread that ties economics and emotions, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 183, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, expressing the pain the lady would feel at his parting away.
In this episode, we perceive the intricate way of conveying intention by concealing it in an image from nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 182, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape of mountain country, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish the intricate tapestry of imagery interwoven with the history and life of the land, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 180, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the agricultural region of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante, in a complaining tone about the ceaseless love-quarrel between the man and the lady.
In this episode, we listen to a surprised mother’s reminiscences about her daughter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 179, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of a mother, expressing disbelief when she discovers that her daughter has eloped with a man.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from the coast reflecting emotions within, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 178, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the coastal region of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, intending to convey a hidden message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish the rich imagery from the fragrant hills of ancient times, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 176, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ the verse speaks in the voice of a courtesan to her friend, the dancer, passing on a hidden message of warning to the friends of the lady’s confidante, who are listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive scenes from a coastal land that sketch for us, the intricacies of inner life, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 175, written by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, nudging the man listening nearby, to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the emotions of a lady in distress, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 174, written by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the poem speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, responding to the question about her inexplicable sadness.
In this episode, we learn about cultural and religious notions, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 173, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hidden message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we dwell on the exquisite feeling of kinship extended to a tree, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 172, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, refusing him a tryst by day with the lady and nudging him to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we marvel at the nuanced instances from life used to portray the pain in parting, as depicted in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 171, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape of drylands and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying to her the message about the man’s parting away.
In this episode, we learn about a moment in history through the poetic device of a simile, as depicted in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 170, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in ‘Marutham’ or the agricultural lands, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to her friends, refusing entry to a danseuse to a festival being held at home.
In this episode, we perceive the yearning in the heart of a man returning home, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 169, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, on completing a far-away mission, as his thoughts turn homeward.
In this episode, we relish the sensuous details of life in the mountains, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 168, written by an anonymous poet. Set in the lush hill country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, chiding him subtly for not seeking a formal union with the lady.
In this episode, we marvel at the importance accorded to love and family, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 166, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his lady, allaying fears of his parting away in her heart.
In this episode, we appreciate the foresight of the confidante in predicting the man’s safe return, as depicted in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 164, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying in a subtle manner, good tidings about the man’s arrival.
In this episode, we sense the feeling of relief on hearing good tidings, as depicted in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 163, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a happy news concerning the man.
In this episode, we understand perceptions about women taking up travel, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 162, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or drylands region, the verse speaks in the voice of the man to his lady, as he sets out on a journey.
In this episode, we relish the thoughts expressed by a man returning home, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 161, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’ region and speaks in the voice of a man to his charioteer, as he talks about the journey back home.
In this episode, we understand the effects of falling in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 160, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to his friend, in response to that friend’s angry words about the man’s changed behaviour.
In this episode, we relish scenes from an ancient shore and a subtle message that lies in store, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 159, penned by Kannam Pullanaar. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him in a hidden message, to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
In this episode, we perceive the subtle ways of communicating intention, as portrayed in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 158, penned by Vellaikkudi Naakanaar. Set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape of mountain country, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we smile at the exuberant expression of love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 155, penned by Paraayanaar. The poem is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape of coastal regions and speaks in the elated voice of the man, revealing his emotions on meeting with the lady for the second time.
In this episode, we picture scenes from a jungle on a dark night, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 154, penned by Nallaavoor Kizhaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish the expanse of the inner world illustrated with elements of nature and culture, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 153, penned by Thanimaganaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ landscape or drylands and speaks in the voice of the lady, relating her pained state after the parting away of her man.
In this episode, we listen to an insightful conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 150, penned by Kaduvan Ilamallanaar. Set in the ‘Marutham’ landscape of agricultural lands, the verse speaks in the voice of a courtesan to a singer-messenger, revealing her feelings about the errant man.
In this episode, we understand the impact of societal pressures on inner life, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 149, penned by Ulochanaar. The poem is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, bidding her to elope with the man, considering the troublesome situation in the town.
In this episode, we perceive danger and determination in a drylands path, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 148, penned by Kallampaalanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the confident voice of the confidante to the lady, about the man’s harsh journey in search of wealth.
In this episode, we relish a comical scene in a millet field, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 147, written by Kollampakkanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, relaying a curious incident involving the lady and her mother, to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we observe inner and outer life by the seas, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 145, penned by Nambi Kuttuvan. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the dangers of a hill country at night, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 144, written by Kachippettu Perunthachanaar. Set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ landscape, the verse speaks in the worried voice of the lady to her confidante, as the man listens nearby.
In this episode, we observe a mother’s state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 143, written by Kannakaaran Kotranaar. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape or ‘drylands’ and speaks in the lamenting voice of a mother, after her daughter elopes with the man.
In this episode, we relish the novel similes that paint the inner and outer world, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 141, written by Salliyankumaranaar. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ region or the drylands and speaks in the voice of a man to his heart, expressing his inability to part from the lady and go in search of wealth.
In this episode, we appreciate the nuanced details about a mountain girl’s life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 140, penned by Poothan Kannanaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to his heart, bidding it to be patient, as he tries to secure the affection of the lady.
In this episode, we rejoice in the grace of a rain shower, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 139, penned by Perungkousikanaar. The verse is set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’ and speaks in the voice of a man to the rain, extolling it for the help it has extended to him.
In this episode, we gather some fascinating facets about flora and fauna, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 137, written by Perungkannanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape or drylands and speaks in the voice of the man to his heart, as he responds to its urging to part away from the lady, in search of wealth.
In this episode, we relish the rich expressions, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 136, penned by Natrangkotranaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ lands, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing a nuanced message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we perceive the intricate ways of conveying information, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 135, written by Kathapillaiyaar. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
In this episode, we celebrate the happy tidings, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 134, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape of mountainous regions, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, laying to dust, the lady's fears about being unable to meet with her man.
In this episode, we relish the rich imagery in revealing the inner world, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 133, written by Natramanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to her words of consolation.
In this episode, we appreciate the capture of life in a seaside mansion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 132, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape of coastal regions, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, highlighting the difficult situation to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we travel to an ancient town by the sea and witness a scene of parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 130, penned by Neythal Thathanaar. Set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing the inconsolable sadness in her heart.
In this episode, we perceive a novel way of sharing disconcerting news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 129, written by the Sangam-age Avvaiyaar, a prolific female poet who has penned more than 50 Sangam poems. Though the name is the same, Avvaiyaar of ‘Aathichoodi’ fame, belonged to the later medieval period. The poem is set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape or mountain country and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a hard-to-accept message in a subtle manner.
In this episode, we relish the scenes from a seaside village, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 127, penned by Seethalai Saathanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape of coastal regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the singer-messenger, refusing him entry to the lady’s house.
In this episode, we appreciate the richness of metaphor and imagery in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 125, penned by an anonymous poet. The poem is set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape or mountain country and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling and advising her with regard to the man’s delay in seeking a formal union.
In this episode, we relish the rich visuals depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 124, written by Mosi Kannathanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him to give up his plans of parting from the lady.
In this episode, we unearth intricate details about a living culture, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 120, written by Maankudi Kilaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the poem speaks in the voice of the man to himself, as he hatches a plan to win back the affection of his enraged lady.
In this episode, we marvel at the natural world depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 102, written by Sembiyanaar, this being his only Sangam poem. Set in the lush mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to a parrot, nudging it to carry a message to her man.
In this episode, we relish the scenes from the wild that unfold in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 92, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of the ‘Paalai’ landscape, the poem speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, talking about the man who has parted away.
In this episode, we realise the impact of weather on inner life, portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 89, written by Ilampulloor Kaavithi. The poem is set in the ‘Mullai’ region or the ‘forest lands’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message regarding the man’s arrival.
In this episode, we relish the ingenuity in expressing intent, depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 85, written by Nalvilakkanaar, this being his only Sangam poem. The verse is set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape or the mountain country and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man listening nearby.
In this episode, we relish the rich imagery depicted in Sangam literary work, Natrinai 73, written by Moolangkeeranaar. Set in the drylands of the ‘Paalai’ landscape, the poem revolves around the theme of separation. Speaking in the voice of the lady to her confidante, the verse expresses the lady’s anguish on hearing that her man intends to part away.
In this episode, we bask in the dusk depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 69, written by Sekampoothanaar. Set in the forest regions of the ‘Mullai’ landscape, the poem speaks in the voice of the lady, expressing the yearning in her heart.
In this episode, we perceive the shades in a mother-daughter relationship depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 66, written by Inisantha Naakanaar. The poem is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape or the drylands and speaks in the voice of the mother, reflecting on the state of her daughter, who has eloped with the man she loves.