Sangam Lit

Nandini Karky
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Reflections on 2000 Year Old Tamil Poetry

  1. 17h 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!

  2. 1d 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!

  3. 4d ago

    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!

  4. 5d ago

    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!

  5. 6d ago

    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!

  6. Jul 21

    Aganaanooru 292 – The trail of a mountain missile

    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!

  7. Jul 20

    Aganaanooru 291 – A heart that forgets not

    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!

  8. Jul 17

    Aganaanooru 290 – A sapphire turning gold

    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!

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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