Sangam Lit

Nandini Karky
  • 4.7 (18)
  • Books
  • Updated Daily

Reflections on 2000 Year Old Tamil Poetry

  1. 2d ago

    Aganaanooru 300 – A plan for the man

    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!

  2. 3d ago

    Aganaanooru 299 – That unforgettable moment

    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!

  3. 4d ago

    Aganaanooru 298 – Sweet but sweeter…

    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!

  4. 5d ago

    Aganaanooru 297 – A wish to walk together

    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!

  5. 6d ago

    Aganaanooru 296 – The furore of rumours

    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!

  6. Jul 24

    Aganaanooru 295 – Hope and Humanity

    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!

  7. Jul 23

    Aganaanooru 294 – Torment of the northern wind

    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!

  8. Jul 22

    Aganaanooru 293 – The road to desolation

    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!

See All (319)

4.7
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Reflections on 2000 Year Old Tamil Poetry

Information

  • Creator
    Nandini Karky
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    319
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019 Nandini Karky
  • Show Website
    Sangam Lit