Sangam Lit

Nandini Karky
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Reflections on 2000 Year Old Tamil Poetry

  1. 1d ago

    Aganaanooru 314 – Words of welcome

    In this episode, we perceive words of a warm welcome, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 314, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Ammallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the rain-soaked earth of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays how angst has been routed by a much-awaited arrival. ”நீலத்து அன்ன நீர் பொதி கருவின், மா விசும்பு அதிர முழங்கி, ஆலியின் நிலம் தண்ணென்று கானம் குழைப்ப, இனம் தேர் உழவர் இன் குரல் இயம்ப, மறியுடை மடப் பிணை தழீஇ, புறவின் திரிமருப்பு இரலை பைம் பயிர் உகள, ஆர் பெயல் உதவிய கார் செய் காலை, நூல் நெறி நுணங்கிய கால் நவில் புரவி கல்லெனக் கறங்கு மணி இயம்ப, வல்லோன் வாச் செல வணக்கிய தாப் பரி நெடுந் தேர் ஈர்ம் புறவு இயங்கு வழி அறுப்ப, தீம் தொடைப் பையுள் நல் யாழ் செவ்வழி பிறப்ப, இந் நிலை வாரார்ஆயின், தம் நிலை எவன்கொல்? பாண! உரைத்திசின், சிறிது” என, கடவுட் கற்பின் மடவோள் கூற, செய் வினை அழிந்த மையல் நெஞ்சின் துனி கொள் பருவரல் தீர, வந்தோய்! இனிது செய்தனையால்; வாழ்க, நின் கண்ணி! வேலி சுற்றிய வால் வீ முல்லைப் பெருந் தார் கமழும், விருந்து ஒலி கதுப்பின் இன் நகை இளையோள் கவவ, மன்னுக, பெரும! நின் மலர்ந்த மார்பே! The scenes of the lush forest greet us in this trip, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns home, after having parted with the lady a while ago: “Saying, ’Carrying a womb, brimming with sapphire-like waters, quaking the dark skies with its roar, clouds have poured down rain, cooling the land and making the forest flourish. Sweet voices of farmers calling their kin resounds aloud, and in the forest, a male deer with twisted antlers, after embracing its pregnant, naive mate, leaps about amidst the green bushes. On this day of rains, when the downpour has descended, wielding those perfect horses, which would be placed in parallel to the wind, in the eyes of books, making those tinkling bells echo aloud, as that tall chariot, which leaps with control in the reins of the charioteer, cuts across its path in the moist-backed forest, as the sweet strings of the melancholic lute sends out the ‘Sevvazhi’ tune, if he does not arrive even now, what is to be said about his nature, O bard? Tell me a little!’, that maiden with a god-like chastity suffered greatly, tormented by her helpless, confused heart. Slaying that hateful sorrow, you have arrived here! You have rendered bliss unto her! Long live, your garland! May your embrace of that sweet-smiling young maiden, with thick, luxuriant tresses, wafting with the scent of a huge garland, woven with white, wild jasmine flowers, encircling the fence, last long upon your wide and blooming chest, O lord!” Let’s trot along with the man and bask in that resounding reception! The confidante starts by repeating the words the lady had been saying to a bard. The lady had spoken about the rain clouds, imagining them as a mother carrying the womb of sapphire-hued water, and as the time was up, they had delivered their child of rains, which the hands of the land had received as a blessing from the skies, and then spread the green smiles all around the lush forest. The joy the earth and the trees felt were reflected by the trotting male deer and its delighting mate, pregnant, as well. Is the lady trying to convey some ‘good news’ to the man? Returning, after that rousing rendition of the rains, the lady had asked the bard if the man does not arrive there, wielding his horses, described as the wind in great books, as his charioteer weaved a path through the moist lands, at that evening hour when the ‘Sevvazhi’ tune resounded on the lute, then what only can you say about him. A statement of dejection from the lips of this dame! The confidante after saying that’s how crestfallen the lady had been, turns to the man and celebrates that he has now returned, vanquishing that sorrow and suffering in the lady, and filling her with the sweetness of joy. The confidante concludes by blessing the man’s garland and wishing that he continues to remain in the embrace of his beloved mate for long! A verse which portrays a moment when the pain of the past is driven into disappearance just by a person’s presence! Coming home to a waiting beloved is the stuff of legends many, which do extend a timeless appeal even, and perhaps, especially, in this modern age of hyper-communication!

  2. 2d ago

    Aganaanooru 313 – A message of hope

    In this episode, we listen to words of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 313, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the state of the lady and the land with picture-perfect parallels. ”இனிப் பிறிது உண்டோ? அஞ்சல் ஓம்பு!” என அணிக் கவின் வளர முயங்கி, நெஞ்சம் பிணித்தோர் சென்ற ஆறு நினைந்து, அல்கலும், குளித்துப் பொரு கயலின் கண் பனி மல்க, ஐய ஆக வெய்ய உயிரா, இரவும் எல்லையும் படர் அட வருந்தி, அரவு நுங்கு மதியின் நுதல் ஒளி கரப்ப, தம் அலது இல்லா நம் இவண் ஒழிய, பொருள் புரிந்து அகன்றனர்ஆயினும், அருள் புரிந்து, வருவர் வாழி, தோழி! பெரிய நிதியம் சொரிந்த நீவி போலப் பாம்பு ஊன் தேம்பும் வறம் கூர் கடத்திடை, நீங்கா வம்பலர் கணை இடத் தொலைந்தோர் வசி படு புண்ணின் குருதி மாந்தி, ஒற்றுச் செல் மாக்களின் ஒடுங்கிய குரல, இல் வழிப் படூஉம் காக்கைக் கல் உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to this familiar region, we get to see vivid scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away: “Saying, ‘Is there anything for you to worry about anymore? Let go of your fears’, he had embraced you, making your exquisite beauty flourish, and captured your heart.  Thinking about the path he now treads, all day, akin to fish that dip in water and attack each other, your eyes brim over with tears. Letting out hot sighs gently, day and night, as you worry with deep suffering, the shine of your forehead dims, akin to the moon, swallowed by a snake. Leaving you so, he has parted away, treading those dry and barren spaces where, akin to a cloth bag emptied of its treasures, the skin of snakes sags, bereft of flesh, and where after drinking up blood spilling out of wounds of wayfarers, killed by the arrows of robbers, crows call out in the subdued voices of spies, and then seek out ruined homes to rest in those soaring highlands with peaks. Forsaking you, who has no solace other than him here, even though he has left thither in search of wealth, with grace, he will return, my friend! May you live long!” Time to brave those challenging spaces yet again! The confidante starts by talking about the past when the man had won the lady over with his words, promising that there was nothing more to fear in their life, since they had united as one. In contrast to these predictions and promises, the lady now languishes, the confidante continues, because the man had left her to go in search of wealth. She talks about how the eyes of the lady appear like fighting fish submerged in water, as they brim over and shed copious tears all day. Then she mentions how the lady’s forehead has lost its shine in the manner of the moon, being swallowed by a snake, a reference to the way Sangam folks viewed a lunar eclipse. The confidante then goes on to talk about where the man has left to, describing this as a dry and arid region, where a snake would appear like a bag from which treasures have been emptied, fleshless and sinking. From the snakes, she turns to crows, which, being the omnivores they are, have taken to drinking the blood of the fallen wayfarers, reduced to that fate by the arrows of drylands’ robbers. With much nuance, the confidante describes how these crows then call out not in a bold and loud way, but quite subdued, filled to the full with that sticky food they just had, and she places this particular voice of the crows in parallel to that of spies who rove the land. Let’s return to this simile in a moment. The confidante concludes by declaring though the man had gone far, he would return to the lady soon and shower his grace. In essence, a verse which consoles a friend with a ‘Worry not’ message. Though this is a familiar theme, the similes about that fleshless snake or the voice of crows add so much finesse to these words. Now, going back to the voice of those crows, let’s imagine the character of spy! The person has to be a lizard on the wall, a chameleon in the woods, and if he were to shout about and have a loud character, their days of spying would soon be over indeed! That’s the facet so well captured by comparing their voice to that subdued voice of the crow. Be it in life or through such a body of work, though the path we take may often seem familiar, tiny treasures like this can change the mundane to memorable in a moment!

  3. 3d ago

    Aganaanooru 312 – The roaring rains are here

    In this episode, we perceive a technique of conveying a timely message, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 312, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and conveys the precariousness of the situation in a subtle manner. நெஞ்சு உடம்படுதலின் ஒன்று புரிந்து அடங்கி, இரவின் வரூஉம் இடும்பை நீங்க, வரையக் கருதும்ஆயின், பெரிது உவந்து, ஓங்கு வரை இழிதரும் வீங்கு பெயல் நீத்தம், காந்தள் அம் சிறுகுடிக் கௌவை பேணாது, அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் சிவப்ப, நாளைப் பெரு மலை நாடன் மார்பு புணை ஆக, ஆடுகம் வம்மோ காதல் அம் தோழி! வேய் பயில் அடுக்கம் புதையக் கால் வீழ்த்து, இன் இசை முரசின் இரங்கி, ஒன்னார் ஓடு புறம் கண்ட, தாள் தோய் தடக் கை, வெல் போர் வழுதி செல் சமத்து உயர்த்த அடு புகழ் எஃகம் போல, கொடி பட மின்னிப் பாயின்றால், மழையே! In this trip to the mountains, we get to witness the dynamic elements of the weather, 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: “Now that your hearts have come together as one and both wish for the same thing in secret, to end the suffering that arrives at night, if only seeking your hand in marriage will be considered, then, with joy brimming over, tomorrow, you can go play in the overflowing flood of the cascade that descends down from the soaring mountains, with the chest of the man from the mountain country, as your raft, reddening those exquisite, rain-like eyes of yours with fine lines, without caring about the slander that spreads in our fine, little hamlet of flame-lilies, O loveable friend! Burying the bamboo-filled mountain ranges, blowing with a strong wind, descending with the sweet music of resounding drums, and akin to that famous killer spear, raised high by the victorious Vazhuthi, the one with strong and long arms touching his knees, in the battlefield, when he sees the retreating backs of his enemies, flashing lightning in perfect form, arrive those rain clouds!” Let’s take that trip to the highlands and learn more! The confidante declares how the hearts of the man and lady are one and both want the same thing, and yet they have to keep that in secret. She says given such a situation, to end that suffering that arrives every night, that yearning to be together, then the man must consider marriage. If he were to do that, then the lady could go happily play with him in the cascades, not caring one bit about the slander spreading through the town. Then she concludes by mentioning how rain clouds had gathered and were approaching their mountains, with gusty winds, drumming thunder, and the flashing of lightning, which she places in parallel to the gleaming spears of the Pandya King Vazhuthi, raised high in the sky, the moment he sees the retreat of his enemies in the battlefield. The simple thought is that the rains are here, and the man’s travel by night to tryst with the lady would be filled with much danger and the only path to a peaceful union was for the man to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. Subtly sneaking in the news that gossip was flying high in their hamlet, the confidante hints that if only the man were to consider seeking marriage even a little, then the lady need not worry about a thing as she plays and delights with him even in broad daylight in the brimming cascades from their mountains. She thus, nudges the man to give up temporary trysting and seek the path to permanent happiness. Yet again, it’s ‘Marry her, marry her’ but we understand the art of layered communication to convey various facets of a situation as a seamless whole and to persuade a change in one’s course of action!

  4. 4d ago

    Aganaanooru 311 – The promise of the past

    In this episode, we listen to thoughtful words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 311, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse throws the spotlight on the nature of a tribe in ancient Tamil land. இரும் பிடிப் பரிசிலர் போலக் கடை நின்று, அருங் கடிக் காப்பின் அகல் நகர் ஒரு சிறை, எழுதியன்ன திண் நிலைக் கதவம் கழுது வழங்கு அரை நாள், காவலர் மடிந்தென, திறந்து நப் புணர்ந்து, ”நும்மின் சிறந்தோர் இம்மை உலகத்து இல்” எனப் பல் நாள் பொம்மல் ஓதி நீவிய காதலொடு, பயம் தலைப்பெயர்ந்து மாதிரம் வெம்ப, வருவழி வம்பலர்ப் பேணி, கோவலர் மழ விடைப் பூட்டிய குழாஅய்த் தீம் புளி செவி அடை தீரத் தேக்கிலைப் பகுக்கும் புல்லி நல் நாட்டு உம்பர், செல் அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்து ஏகினும், நீடலர் அருள் மொழித் தேற்றி, நம் அகன்றிசினோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we get to witness heartwarming scenes, 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 before his marriage to the lady: “In the manner of supplicants, who seek to receive huge female elephants, he would stand, waiting on one side of the wide, well-guarded mansion. Biding his time till the guards relaxed their watch, he would open the painting-like, sturdy door, in that midnight hour, when ghosts roam around, and unite with you, saying ‘There’s no one who’s better than you in this whole wide world’, as he caressed your thick tresses with love, on many days. There, where fertility has abandoned the land, and heat pours in from all directions, cowherds would take the sweet tamarind food, stuffed inside bamboo caskets, tied around the necks of young bulls, and spreading it on teak leaves, they would share with wayfarers, who happen to tread those paths, caring for them and ending their hunger that throttles their ears, in the fine country of Pulli. Even if he has journeyed on to those formidable drylands spaces beyond Pulli’s country, the one who spoke gracious words to you and parted away, will not delay his return any further!” A walk through the hot and dry yet again! The confidante starts by reversing to the past, and propelling a flood of memories on the lady. She specifically talks of the time of courtship, when the man used to come tryst with the lady, and he would wait humbly and patiently, as if he was a bard who had come seeking a female elephant. Then, waiting for that time when the guards would be fatigued and yearn for some shut-eye, he would open the strong door of that well-protected mansion, find the lady, unite with her and speak worshipping words, caressing her tresses, declaring there was no one like her in the whole wide world, the confidante recollects! The very words of those madly in love that seem to be timeless indeed! After that flashback, the confidante zooms on to a totally different scene, where there’s not a drop of water anywhere, only punishing heat pouring from all directions. In such a place, cowherds who have brought their cattle for grazing, would take pity on wayfarers, who arrive there, famished and fatigued, with hunger ringing in their ears, and with the newcomers, those cowherds would share the food, prepared with that natural preservative of tamarind that they have brought, so ingeniously packed into bamboo tubes and tied around the necks of young bulls, the confidante details, revealing that such scenes unfold in the fine country ruled by Pulli. She concludes by declaring that even if the man had travelled beyond that country, he would not delay his return to his beloved any more. The best techniques of bringing cheer to a languishing heart is illustrated in this verse, such as talking about the joyous past, reliving the scenes of love and care witnessed then, and ending with the promise that this person, who meant so much then, cannot stay away any longer from his love. Other this masterclass in offering consolation, there is one other facet, which records how even in that terrible land of heat and hunger, the river of kindness flows steadily in the heart of those cowherds, who, humble though their fare maybe, share it with strangers who happen to come there. That’s the beacon of the best of humanity, offering hope across the centuries!

  5. Aug 14

    Aganaanooru 310 – The reward for patience

    In this episode, we listen to a message of acceptance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 310, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the roaring waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and reveals the manner in which a man courts a lady in those times. கடுந் தேர் இளையரொடு நீக்கி, நின்ற நெடுந் தகை நீர்மையை அன்றி, நீயும், தொழுதகு மெய்யை, அழிவு முந்துறுத்து, பல் நாள் வந்து, பணி மொழி பயிற்றலின், குவளை உண்கண் கலுழ, நின்மாட்டு இவளும் பெரும் பேதுற்றனள்; ஓரும் தாயுடை நெடு நகர்த் தமர் பாராட்ட, காதலின் வளர்ந்த மாதர்ஆகலின், பெரு மடம் உடையரோ, சிறிதே; அதனால், குன்றின் தோன்றும் குவவு மணற் சேர்ப்ப! இன்று இவண் விரும்பாதீமோ! சென்று, அப் பூ விரி புன்னைமீது தோன்று பெண்ணைக் கூஉம் கண்ணஃதே தெய்ய ஆங்க உப்பு ஒய் உமணர் ஒழுகையொடு வந்த இளைப் படு பேடை இரிய, குரைத்து எழுந்து உரும் இசைப் புணரி உடைதரும் பெருநீர் வேலி எம் சிறு நல் ஊரே. In this trip to the resounding seas, we get to see intricate portraits of the land and the people, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, at a time when he had been seeking to further his relationship with the lady: “Leaving behind your speeding chariot along with your helpers, you always come and stand here, O noble lord. You have a respectable personality and also an admirable appearance. Though you are such a person, nudged by your tormenting emotions, you have come and stood here for many days, speaking humble words. Hearing all this, with her blue-lily-like, kohl-streaked eyes shedding tears, she too is filled with a deep fondness for you. With a caring mother and many brothers raising her with love and praise, like other such maiden, she too will be filled with great naivety, for a short while.  And so, O lord of the shores with heaped sands, which appear akin to peaks, do not seek to see her here today. Why don’t you leave now and come later to our fine, little hamlet, fenced by the great seas, whose thundering, musical waves soar and crash against our shore, and where resting birds are scattered away by caravans of salt merchants, who arrive there. Indeed, it’s just at a shouting distance from that palmyra tree, a little along the way, which soars above the flower-filled laurel-wood trees!” Waves of emotions await us on this shore! The confidante starts by describing how the man would always ask his helpers and his chariot to stay at a distance and would walk further and come stand in a humble manner. Though seemingly a simple act, it shows how the man doesn’t want to display his wealth or power. Next, the confidante talks about how the man has such a noble nature, and at the same time, how he’s good-looking too! While the man has all this going for him, still he would come and beg before the confidante, seeking to win her confidence, and get closer to the lady. The confidante gives the man the good news that the lady was touched by all this and that she has fallen mightily for him. While that may be so, being a girl raised with much pampering in a rich household, the lady could be expected to be quite shy in the initial stages, the confidante explains, and tells the man he cannot expect to see the lady just then. The confidante concludes by inviting the man to come over to their seaside village, visited by salt merchants, and just a stone’s throw from that palmyra tree, soaring above the flowering laurel-woods! It’s only a temporary disappointment, and good things await you, promises this messenger of joy! No doubt the man would be charged up hearing about the lady’s love for him and hope would bloom in his heart about winning her over. The highlight of this verse is the portrayal of the humble way in which even a great lord approaches the person he loves, declaring in a subtle voice how the ancients valued love much above power and wealth!

  6. Aug 13

    Aganaanooru 309 – Dreaming of a journey

    In this episode, we perceive the helplessness in a lady’s voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 309, penned by Karuvoor Kanthapillai Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse details the activities of a tribe of robbers in the drylands. வய வாள் எறிந்து, வில்லின் நீக்கி, பயம் நிரை தழீஇய கடுங்கண் மழவர், அம்பு சேண் படுத்து வன்புலத்து உய்த்தென, தெய்வம் சேர்ந்த பராரை வேம்பில் கொழுப்பு ஆ எறிந்து, குருதி தூஉய், புலவுப் புழுக்கு உண்ட வான் கண் அகல் அறை, களிறு புறம் உரிஞ்சிய கருங் கால் இலவத்து அரலை வெண் காழ் ஆலியின் தாஅம் காடு மிக நெடிய என்னார், கோடியர் பெரும் படைக் குதிரை, நல் போர் வானவன் திருந்து கழற் சேவடி நசைஇப் படர்ந்தாங்கு, நாம் செலின், எவனோ தோழி! காம்பின் வனை கழை உடைந்த கவண் விசைக் கடி இடிக் கனை சுடர் அமையத்து வழங்கல் செல்லாது, இரவுப் புனம் மேய்ந்த உரவுச் சின வேழம் தண் பெரு படாஅர் வெரூஉம் குன்று விலங்கு இயவின், அவர் சென்ற நாட்டே? In this trip to the drylands, we take two different paths and encounter vivid scenes, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante expresses worry about the lady’s state, as the man continues to remain parted away: “Killing with their sturdy swords, deflecting with their bows, those harsh-eyed robbers capture herds of cattle, and after showering their arrows to keep away those who might follow, they traverse to the harsh drylands. There, standing in the shade of the rough-trunked Neem tree, where their god resides, they kill a fatty cow, and shower its blood as their offering. Afterwards, they spread and eat its cooked flesh on a high and wide boulder, upon which a dark-stemmed silk-cotton tree, on which a male elephant has rubbed its back, showers its white seed pods, akin to hailstones. Without thinking that such a jungle is faraway, those performers travel, desiring the flawless feet of the battle-worthy King Vaanavan, who wields a huge army of horses. Why don’t I too go in that manner, my friend, to that country, through those paths that wind through the peaks, where without moving during the time when the scorching sun blazes and when the bamboo’s fine shoots are shattered by stones speeding from slingshots, a raging elephant chooses to go by night to graze in the millet fields, fearing the moist and high fences therein!” Yet again, a trip through this challenging landscape! The lady starts by describing the drylands domain, and to do that, she focuses on its denizens, namely the robbers, who wield swords, bows and arrows, and successfully steal a huge herd of cattle. Then driving these animals to their hideout in the drylands, they first offer a sacrifice of a fat cow to their god, who is said to reside in a Neem tree. Some interpreters have identified this god to be ‘Kottravai’, the goddess of war, worshipped by people in these parts. After showering the cow’s blood, then they go on to cook its meat and eat, spreading it on the plate of a huge boulder. Later, because an elephant came and rubbed its back and shook it, a silk cotton tree sheds its white seeds on that boulder, appearing like a shower of hailstones. After this scene by scene narrative, the lady reveals she has talked about these drylands, not the one to which her beloved has gone, but the region that performers worry not about, when they go seeking the patronage of that generous Chera King, Vanavan. The lady then turns to her friend and concludes by asking whether she too should leave like those performers, not minding the dangers of the drylands, and seek out her beloved, who walks through paths, where even elephants fear to traverse in daylight, fearing the slingshots, and come by night to graze in the millet fields. The simple thought is ‘Isn’t it better to brave whatever dangers may come my way, and go in search of my man, rather than languish here?’. Sadly, that time and culture forbade the lady to undertake such travels, and all she could do was to fantasise about some way of being near her beloved! Reflectively, I wish to take a moment of gratitude for living in this place and time that lets a woman go where she wants and do what she dreams!

  7. Aug 12

    Aganaanooru 308 – Seeking a change in another

    In this episode, we listen to a nuanced attempt to change a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 308, penned by Pisiranthaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and etches the domain in picturesque detail. உழுவையொடு உழந்த உயங்கு நடை ஒருத்தல் நெடு வகிர் விழுப் புண் கழாஅ, கங்குல் ஆலி அழி துளி பொழிந்த வைகறை, வால் வெள் அருவிப் புனல் மலிந்து ஒழுகலின், இலங்கு மலை புதைய வெண் மழை கவைஇ, கலம் சுடு புகையின் தோன்றும் நாட! இரவின் வருதல் எவனோ? பகல் வரின், தொலையா வேலின் வண் மகிழ் எந்தை களிறு அணந்து எய்தாக் கல் முகை இதணத்து, சிறு தினைப் படு கிளி எம்மொடு ஓப்பி, மல்லல் அறைய மலிர் சுனைக் குவளைத் தேம் பாய் ஒண் பூ நறும் பல அடைச்சிய கூந்தல் மெல் அணைத் துஞ்சி, பொழுது பட, காவலர்க் கரந்து, கடி புனம் துழைஇய பெருங் களிற்று ஒருத்தலின் பெயர்குவை, கருங் கோற் குறிஞ்சி நும் உறைவு இன் ஊர்க்கே. In this trip to the highlands, we encounter characteristic scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives for his nightly tryst with the lady: “After fighting with a tiger, a male elephant with a fatigued gait, finds its wounds of war, carved by those sharp claws, washed in the midnight downpour of rain and hailstones. Owing to this shower, the bright, white cascade brims over with a new flood and gushes down in those radiant mountains, buried by white clouds, which appear akin to smoke that rises when pots are burnt in a kiln. Such is your mountain country, O lord! Why do you come by night? If you were to come by day, resting upon the platform in the mountain cleft, unreachable by elephants, built by our father, who delights in charity and wields an unerring spear, along with her, you can chase away parrots that come to raid the little millets. And then, treating her tresses, filled with many honey-flowing, shining, fragrant flowers of the blue-lily that blooms in the lush waters of springs near prosperous rocks, as your soft pillow, you may sleep. Then, when the day ends, akin to a huge male elephant that has grazed in a well-protected field, avoiding the guards, you may part away to your pleasant town, where the black-stemmed Kurinji blooms aplenty!” Let’s get going on that trek to the hills! The confidante starts by describing the man’s mountain country and to do that, she brings forth the image of an elephant, whose battle wounds, caused by a tiff with a tiger, is washed away by the shower of raindrops and hailstones in those cloud-covered hills. The extent to which pottery was ingrained in this culture is evident from that matter-of-fact simile, comparing the fog around those mountains to the smoke that rises when pots are browned in a kiln. Next the confidante comes to the point and asks the man why he choses to come by night to tryst with the lady. Then she goes on to give an alternative proposal wherein he could come by day, and chase parrots with the lady, sitting atop a tall loft, built by the lady’s father, known for his generosity and his unfailing spear. Carrying on with the proposal, the confidante adds the man could then sleep on the pillow of lady’s blue-lily adorned tresses and leave in the evening, walking majestically like an elephant that has escaped the eyes of the fearsome guards, and retire to his pleasant town, where Kurinji flowers bloom! To the inexperienced eye, it may appear as if the confidante is simply proposing a change in the time of tryst. ‘Don’t come now, come then’ it seems like! However, there’s more! First in the image of the lady’s father as a man, who has built a loft that cannot be reached by elephants, and one who has a victorious spear, the confidante portrays the formidable man that the lady’s father is! Next, in that comparison of a huge elephant, grazing in the millet fields, and then escaping without inviting the attention of guards in a well-protected field, implies the impossibility of such a thing happening. A huge elephant cannot walk away after raiding such a field, and likewise the man too cannot relish that tryst by day with the lady. In short, the only course of action for the man was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. That note about the lady’s father being a generous person should fill the man with hope about the success of his venture. What a thoughtful way of persuading a person by directing them to come to those conclusions about the only viable path! Yet again, a lesson in negotiation from the pages of the past!

  8. Aug 11

    Aganaanooru 307 – Part not leaving her

    In this episode, we perceive persuasive words to change a person’s path, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 307, penned by Madurai Eezhathu Poothan Thevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches the consequences of the man’s parting away. ”சிறு நுதல் பசந்து, பெருந் தோள் சாஅய், அகல் எழில் அல்குல் அவ் வரி வாட, பகலும் கங்குலும் மயங்கி, பையென, பெயல் உறு மலரின் கண் பனி வார, ஈங்கு இவள் உழக்கும்” என்னாது, வினை நயந்து, நீங்கல் ஒல்லுமோ ஐய! வேங்கை அடு முரண் தொலைத்த நெடு நல் யானை மையல் அம் கடாஅம் செருக்கி, மதம் சிறந்து, இயங்குநர்ச் செகுக்கும் எய் படு நனந்தலை, பெருங் கை எண்கினம் குரும்பி தேரும் புற்றுடைச் சுவர புதல் இவர் பொதியில், கடவுள் போகிய கருந் தாட் கந்தத்து உடன் உறை பழமையின் துறத்தல்செல்லாது, இரும் புறாப் பெடையொடு பயிரும் பெருங் கல் வைப்பின் மலைமுதல் ஆறே? We encounter a lot of wildlife in this trip through the drylands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he conveys his decision to part with the lady and go in search of wealth: “Without considering that her little forehead will be coated in pallor, her thick arms will waste away, the beautiful lines on her wide and beautiful loins will fade, she will be in utter confusion, knowing not if it’s day or night, and akin to a flower in a rain shower, her eyes will shed the dew of tears, as she suffers with angst here, you wish to part away, desiring wealth, O lord! Do you think this is right? After vanquishing an attacking tiger with strength, the tall and handsome elephant, blinded by its maddening musth, attacks those who traverse those weary spaces, where long-armed bears in search of termite combs, dig up tall mounds, amidst overgrown bushes, in what was once a town centre, where the residing god had parted away from the sturdy, black pillar, and where owing to the habit of living there for long, without forsaking the space, a huge pigeon coos along with its mate. Such are those rocky spaces amidst the hills, where the path you wish to tread winds through!” Time to tread these familiar but fearsome spaces! The confidante starts by accusing the man that he doesn’t seem to care about what would happen to the lady when he parts away. She elaborates that pallor will come to coat her friend’s forehead, the lady’s arms would thin away, her health and beauty would fade, and all day, all night, the lady would be languishing, with her eyes shedding tears like a bloom in the rain. The confidante asks the man if what he intends to do is right and goes on to describe where he would be travelling. First she brings in the image of a mad elephant in musth that has just killed a tiger and with its rage still not diminished, it comes to attack wayfarers who dare to walk that path. Next, from the elephants, the confidante turns to portrays bears on the prowl, looking out for termite combs and topping ant hills to find their tasty meal. She explains that this space has not always been a scrub jungle but was once a town centre, and people worshipped a god, who was said to live in a huge pillar, constructed therein. Intricately, she mentions how that god had left the premises and all that remained were overgrown bushes, and yet because they had lived for long in those spaces, a pigeon and its mate did not want to give up their residence there and continued to make their calls resound in those uninhabited spaces. The confidante concludes by telling the man that his path through the hills would take him faraway to such spaces and asks him whether it was right on his part to let the lady suffer and take on that tiresome journey himself! Though it’s the usual message of ‘Don’t go there, leaving her here’, what flashed so brightly in the lines was that statement about how God had left the pillar when the people no longer worshipped there, but the pigeons and other wild life continue to remain. What flows is a tangential reading indeed, but to me, it appears as if God vanishes when the people do, but nature, which was there before people, continues to be there, an entity of permanence. As these lines say if God were to leave, when people don’t pray anymore, was God truly there? Are people following God or is the God following the people and their prayers? These are the questions that this particular journey through the drylands have brought forth in my mind!

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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