Sangam Lit

Nandini Karky
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Reflections on 2000 Year Old Tamil Poetry

  1. MAY 3

    Aganaanooru 250 – The sleepless shore

    In this episode, we listen to a pointed question put forth to subtly persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 250, penned by Selloorkizhaar Maganaar Perumboothankotranaar. The verse is situated amidst the swaying seashore trees of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and recollects an incident and presents its consequences. எவன் கொல்? வாழி, தோழி! மயங்கு பிசிர் மல்கு திரை உழந்த ஒல்கு நிலைப் புன்னை வண்டு இமிர் இணர நுண் தாது வரிப்ப, மணம் கமழ் இள மணல் எக்கர்க் காண்வர, கணம் கொள் ஆயமொடு புணர்ந்து விளையாட, கொடுஞ்சி நெடுந் தேர் இளையரொடு நீக்கி, தாரன், கண்ணியன், சேர வந்து, ஒருவன், வரி மனை புகழ்ந்த கிளவியன், யாவதும் மறு மொழி பெறாஅன் பெயர்ந்தனன்; அதற்கொண்டு அரும் படர் எவ்வமொடு பெருந் தோள் சாஅய், அவ் வலைப் பரதவர் கானல் அம் சிறு குடி வெவ் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் கவ்வையின் கலங்கி, இறை வளை நெகிழ்ந்த நம்மொடு துறையும் துஞ்சாது, கங்குலானே! In this trip to the shore, we perceive scenes of playful fun and more, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, intending to persuade her to further her relationship with the man: “What could be the reason? Long may you live, my friend! Tormented by the muddled spray of the brimming waves, the swaying Laurelwood tree’s bee-buzzing fine pollen scatters down, making the young sand to waft with a fragrance, amidst the picturesque mounds on the shore. Here, when we were playing together with our many mates, asking the helpers on his tall, ornamented chariot to step aside, a man wearing garlands around his neck and head, came close to us, and rendered words praising our lined sand houses. Without receiving words any in response, he parted away from there. From that moment, suffering deeply, which causes thick arms to wane, and troubled by the slander of cruel-mouthed womenfolk in this beautiful, little hamlet of the fisherfolk with exquisite nets, filled with groves by the shore, with bangles slipping away from the forearms, we remain. And so, along with us, the shore too sleeps not, in the middle of the night!” Time to take a walk on that ancient shore and learn more! The confidante starts with a question, pondering on why certain things are happening. Then, she takes us to the seashore and points to how a dancing ‘Punnai tree’, dashed against by the brimming waves, drops its fragrant pollen on the sands, imbuing it with a delicious scent. On such a pretty spread of land, the lady and herself had been playing with many other friends, the confidante recollects. Then she talks about how a man had arrived there, stopped his chariot, asked his helpers to stay a little away, and had come close to them, and praised the sand houses they had been building. Those girls overcome with their sense of shyness, did not reply to him, and he had left quietly, the confidante remembers. Then she talks about how from that moment, there had been significant changes. As we have always seen, the confidante does not separate herself from her friend. So, she says that their arms had been thinning, the womenfolk of the town had been spreading slander, and because of that, their bangles had been slipping away. What the confidante actually means is that these are the changes that are visible in the lady! The confidante concludes by remarking how the shore too does not seem to get a moment of sleep, just like them, even in the dark hour of midnight! That note about the shore sharing the plight of the lady subtly speaks about the sisterhood felt with this element of nature! To us, these words may seem rather cryptic, making us ask, ‘What is the confidante trying to say?’. To understand what she means, we have to know of a protocol that seems to be inherent in these love relationships between the man and the lady. It all starts with the man’s eyes falling on a lady, then he falls in love with her, and wins her affection in return. But the tale does not end there! Apparently, the man has to convince the lady’s confidante about his love for the lady, and if convinced, the confidante will take his message to the lady, and after getting her consent too, will arrange for those trysts, which will deepen the relationship between the man and the lady, and from there, the confidante will go on to nudge the man to marry the lady, as we have seen in songs many. Quite complicated indeed! It makes me smile to think what people in the future will have to say about our so-called ‘simple and seamless’ courting practices of today! Returning to the verse, these words are the confidante’s way of telling the lady, ‘The man seeks your company. I know that you are in love with him too. Shall we take this forward?’. Their innate sense of modesty prevents them from speaking plainly, and that’s the reason for these particular musical words that transport readers across the ages to the past, and spread the delight of the scents and sights of that pristine shore forevermore!

    7 min

  2. MAY 2

    Aganaanooru 249 – The roar of the summer wind

    In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 249, penned by Nakiranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the generosity of a king and the beauty of his domain. அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள் இவ் ஊர் அம்பல் எவனோ? வள் வார் விசி பிணித்து யாத்த அரி கோல் தெண் கிணை இன் குரல் அகவுநர் இரப்பின், நாடொறும் பொன் கோட்டுச் செறித்து, பொலந்தார் பூட்டி, சாந்தம் புதைத்த ஏந்து துளங்கு எழில் இமில் ஏறு முந்துறுத்து, சால் பதம் குவைஇ, நெடுந் தேர் களிற்றொடு சுரக்கும் கொடும் பூண் பல் வேல் முசுண்டை வேம்பி அன்ன என் நல் எழில் இள நலம் தொலையினும், நல்கார் பல் பூங் கானத்து அல்கு நிழல் அசைஇ, தோகைத் தூவித் தொடைத் தார் மழவர் நாகு ஆ வீழ்த்து, திற்றி தின்ற புலவுக் களம் துழைஇய துகள் வாய்க் கோடை நீள் வரைச் சிலம்பின் இரை வேட்டு எழுந்த வாள் வரி வயப் புலி தீண்டிய விளி செத்து, வேறு வேறு கவலைய ஆறு பரிந்து, அலறி, உழை மான் இன நிரை ஓடும் கழை மாய் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we also get to meet a Sangam era king, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man continued to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Listen my friend, may you live long! Why has this town been spreading slander for so many days? Carrying ‘Kinai’ drums with a clear sound, tied together with a firm leather strap and drumming sticks, when those bards with a sweet voice come seeking, day after day, he would assemble before them, bulls, whose horns are covered in gold dust, and whose sandalwood-streaked, upraised, handsome humps are adorned with golden garlands, and then shower mounds of food. In addition, he would render tall chariots and elephants to those who had come seeking. Such is the nature of the many-speared Musundai, clad in curving ornaments, the ruler of Vembi. Akin to this town of Vembi, was my splendid, young beauty. Even though it’s now in ruins, he renders not his grace! Residing in the swaying shade of many-flowered forests, drylands robbers wearing garlands made of peacock feathers, slay a wild cow and feast on it. The open-mouthed summer wind that enters this flesh-reeking arena, then rushes, roaring aloud, making herds of deer scatter upon many different paths, screaming in fear, thinking it’s the sound of an attacking strong tiger with radiant stripes that had risen in the tall mountain slopes, seeking a prey. Such are those soaring mountains, shrouded by bamboos, that he has left me and parted away to!” Let’s march on through those scorching spaces and learn more! The lady starts with an exasperated question about why the townsfolk won’t stop spreading slander. Then, she meanders to talk about the generosity of a king named Musundai, who would give bulls, adorned with gold, lots of food, chariots and elephants to sweet-voice bards with resounding ‘Kinai’ drums. She has mentioned this king to turn our attention to the beauty of his capital town of Vembi. The lady now connects her own beauty to that of this town, and says how the man does not seem to have any compassion even when that beauty is turning to ruins. Now, we can understand why the townsfolk are gossiping. It’s an outcome of their observation of the lady’s ruined health in the man’s absence. This is also an indicator that the parting has happened at a time before the man’s marriage with the lady. Returning, the lady then concludes by painting a picture of the place where the man’s at, those wild spaces, where robbers wearing peacock feather garlands eat the meat of a wild cow, and then the summer wind rushes through that space, picking up that reeking smell of flesh, and roars through, which makes deer scatter away thinking it’s a hungry tiger on the prowl. In essence, it’s a complaint by the lady that the man has left her exposed to the harsh eyes of the town and left in search of wealth. At a time when you cannot make a call, send a message, or write a letter to the parted one, it must have been difficult to bear with parting. All that the lovers had then was the thoughts and feelings that arose, across the miles, and it’s this unseen wave of energy that roars like the summer wind, even across the ages from the pages of the past!

    6 min

  3. MAY 1

    Aganaanooru 248 – The hunter and the boar

    In this episode, we listen to the narration of a curious incident involving many layers, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 248, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the bustle of hunting in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches a dynamic moment of human-animal interaction. நகை நீ கேளாய் தோழி! அல்கல் வய நாய் எறிந்து, வன் பறழ் தழீஇ, இளையர் எய்துதல் மடக்கி, கிளையொடு நால்முலைப் பிணவல் சொலிய கான் ஒழிந்து, அரும் புழை முடுக்கர் ஆள் குறித்து நின்ற தறுகட் பன்றி நோக்கி, கானவன் குறுகினன் தொடுத்த கூர்வாய்ப் பகழி மடை செலல் முன்பின் தன் படை செலச் செல்லாது, ‘அரு வழி விலக்கும் எம் பெருவிறல் போன்ம்’ என, எய்யாது பெயரும் குன்ற நாடன் செறி அரில் துடக்கலின், பரீஇப் புரி அவிழ்ந்து, ஏந்து குவவு மொய்ம்பின் பூச் சோர் மாலை, ஏற்று இமிற் கயிற்றின், எழில் வந்து துயல்வர, இல் வந்து நின்றோற் கண்டனள், அன்னை; வல்லே என் முகம் நோக்கி, ‘நல்லை மன்!’ என நகூஉப் பெயர்ந்தோளே. Striking scenes await us in this trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, who has arrived for his nightly tryst, but making sure he was in earshot: “Listen to this funny thing that happened last night, my friend! Chasing away strong hunting dogs, embracing its piglets, and blocking hunters from nearing, a female boar with four sagging teats then flees into the forest, along with its family. At this time, in the formidable, narrow mountain path, facing the men ahead, a brave male boar stood there. Seeing it, the leader of the hunters came near it, with his sharp-tipped arrow aimed at it. Then saying, ‘It seems to possess a great courage like me, of standing in the path of enemies and blocking them, without running away, even though the army with immense strength has retreated’, he left without shooting his arrow in the peaks of our lord of the mountains! Tugged by thick bushes, with knots severed and loosened, upon his upraised, strong shoulders, lay a garland, devoid of flowers, appearing akin to the thick rope around the hump of a bull, swaying with beauty. Seeing him come and stand near our home, mother suddenly turned to look at me, and left from there saying with a sarcastic smile, ‘What a good girl you are!’” Time to start on that hunting expedition in this rugged terrain. The confidante starts by calling her friend’s attention to something that had happened the previous night, something that was tickling her. Without saying what that is, she launches into a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she first presents an image of a female boar protecting its piglets from the advancing hunters and escaping into the forest. Then she turns her attention to the mate, the male boar, which was standing in that mountain path, and with a fierce look, facing the hunters ahead. At this time, the head of the hunters comes close, with an arrow ready to be shot, and says, ‘Here’s a creature that’s just like me, refusing to retreat even when the entire army has’. Then, that hunter seems to have lowered his bow and left without harming the boar. After that intense scene from the man’s mountain country, the confidante talks about the man, and his appearance, as he arrived at their home the previous night. She talks about how his garland was tugged by the bushes in his path, and had lost the flowers, and was rather looking like the rope around a bull’s hump. The confidante concludes by saying that when the man had come in this manner, mother had caught a glimpse of him, and at that moment, she had turned to the confidante and remarked with much sarcasm, ‘Aren’t you an innocent, little girl?’.  An anecdote to tell the listening man that mother had an inkling of the man’s relationship with the lady, and soon, the lady may be placed under guard, and so it was best for him to come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. In that scene of the male boar standing boldly in the path of the menacing hunters, the confidante places a metaphor to show the man that he too must face the lady’s kith and kin with courage and claim the lady’s hand. The thing that moved me the most in this verse was that transformative moment when the hunter sees himself in the boar, telling us that there can be no better mirror to our lives than nature!

    6 min

  4. APR 30

    Aganaanooru 247 – The falling teardrops

    In this episode, we perceive a lady’s anguish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 247, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Maganaar Perunkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays the dangers of traversing this domain. மண்ணா முத்தம் ஒழுக்கிய வன முலை நல் மாண் ஆகம் புலம்பத் துறந்தோர் அருள் இலர் வாழி, தோழி! பொருள் புரிந்து, இருங் கிளை எண்கின் அழல் வாய் ஏற்றை, கருங் கோட்டு இருப்பை வெண் பூ முனையின், பெருஞ் செம் புற்றின் இருந் தலை இடக்கும் அரிய கானம் என்னார், பகை பட முனை பாழ்பட்ட ஆங்கண், ஆள் பார்த்துக் கொலை வல் யானை சுரம் கடி கொள்ளும் ஊறு படு கவலைய ஆறு பல நீந்தி, படு முடை நசைஇய பறை நெடுங் கழுத்தின் பாறு கிளை சேக்கும் சேண் சிமைக் கோடு உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we take in many sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man remains parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Making those unwashed pearls drop down on the beautiful bosoms, leaving this fine and noble chest in loneliness, he has parted away. He lacks kindness, my friend! May you live long! In those spaces, a male bear, with a fuming, fire-like mouth, having many kin, after having its fill of the white flowers of the dark-trunked Mahua tree, dislikes any more, and moves to break open the top of a huge termite mound. Not considering that this is a formidable space, which has been ruined in a battle, and where a murderous elephant stands guarding the drylands, looking out for wayfarers, he has crossed these troublesome paths many, where wishing to feed on the reeking flesh, vultures with long necks fly about and return to perch on the branches in the tall peaks of the faraway mountains, and has left thither with a desire for wealth!” Let’s brave the dreariness of this domain and learn more! The lady starts by talking about her tears and she compares these to unwashed pearls. A unique simile indeed! She then talks about how those drops fall down on her bosom and all this is because the man had left her in loneliness and parted away. She declares that the man seems to have no compassion for her. Then she goes on to describe the place he has left to, and brings in the image of a male sloth bear, which after filling its tummy with the white Mahua flowers, did not seem to want anymore of that, and had turned its attention to breaking a termite mound, looking for something else to feed on. Then, she talks about how these spaces are ruined as a result of some battle some time, and it’s wild and isolated, where killer elephants seem to be on the lookout to attack any wandering humans. The final creature the lady zooms on to happens to be a roving vulture with a long neck, characterising it for its desire to feed on flesh. After painting vivid portraits of these rugged beings, the lady concludes by talking about how the man, without worrying that this is such a dangerous place, had left wishing only to embrace wealth!  In the scene of the male bear having had its fill of the Mahua flowers and seeking termite mud, the lady places a metaphor for how the man had feasted on her beauty to his content and now had abandoned her, in his quest of something else. The theme seems to remain the same, ‘He’s gone leaving me in pain’. Wonder if these verses are simply telling us to express our pain to let the rain of calm fall on the dreary drylands of anxiety!

    5 min

  5. APR 29

    Aganaanooru 246 – The soaring uproar

    In this episode, we listen to words of refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 246, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and describes a famous battle from this era. பிணர் மோட்டு நந்தின் பேழ் வாய் ஏற்றை கதிர் மூக்கு ஆரல் களவன் ஆக, நெடு நீர்ப் பொய்கைத் துணையொடு புணரும் மலி நீர் அகல் வயல் யாணர் ஊர! போது ஆர் கூந்தல் நீ வெய்யோளொடு தாது ஆர் காஞ்சித் தண் பொழில் அகல் யாறு ஆடினை என்ப, நெருநை; அலரே காய் சின மொய்ம்பின் பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால் ஆர்கலி நறவின் வெண்ணிவாயில், சீர் கெழு மன்னர் மறலிய ஞாட்பின் இமிழ் இசை முரசம் பொரு களத்து ஒழிய, பதினொரு வேளிரொடு வேந்தர் சாய, மொய் வலி அறுத்த ஞான்றை, தொய்யா அழுந்தூர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே. In this trip to the fields, in addition to taking in sights of the domain, we go on a detour to an ancient battlefield, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he seeks entry into the lady’s house, after having left to be in the company of a courtesan: “The male snail with a split mouth and a coarse-skinned belly, unites with its mate, living in the deep waters of the pond, where the sharp-nosed sand-eel stands as its witness, in the brimming waters of the wide fields in your prosperous town, O lord! They say that yesterday, with the woman you desire, the one having tresses adorned with flowers, you played together in the wide river, by the cool orchards, filled with the pollen of Portia trees. The slander that soars now is louder than the unceasing uproar that arose in Azhunthoor, when King Karikalan of great renown, filled with immense prowess and fury, destroyed the strength of those famous kings – the eleven Velir kings and the other two southern emperors – and made their resounding drums to be lost in the battlefield, when they rose against him with enmity at Venni Vayil, renowned for its festivities and its toddy!” Time to listen to the tale unfolding amidst the plenty! The confidante starts with a description of a male snail uniting with its mate, in the presence of a sand-eel, amidst the overflowing waters of the fields in the lord’s town. Then she reveals how people were talking about the fact that the man had been romping around with a courtesan and playing in the river, by the shade of the Portia trees, the previous day. The confidante concludes by saying that this slander was louder and even more ceaseless than the din that arose in the town of Azhunthoor, when King Karikaalan defeated not one, not two, but eleven Velir Kings and the Chera and Pandya kings as well, when they had risen against him at Venni Vayil. In essence, this is a refusal by the confidante to allow the man to enter the lady’s house, citing his association with a courtesan. A subtle reference to the firm power a Sangam woman seems to have had in such circumstances, of preventing her husband from entering their home, even if he happened to be the wealthy lord of the prosperous town!

    4 min

  6. APR 28

    Aganaanooru 245 – The man and his mind

    In this episode, we perceive a moment of clarity at the end of a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 245, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents surprising details about a particular animal in this domain. ‘உயிரினும் சிறந்த ஒண் பொருள் தருமார் நன்று புரி காட்சியர் சென்றனர், அவர்’ என மனை வலித்து ஒழியும் மதுகையள் ஆதல் நீ நற்கு அறிந்தனைஆயின், நீங்கி, மழை பெயல் மறந்த கழை திரங்கு இயவில், செல் சாத்து எறியும் பண்பு இல் வாழ்க்கை வல் வில் இளையர் தலைவர், எல் உற, வரி கிளர் பணைத் தோள், வயிறு அணி திதலை, அரியலாட்டியர் அல்கு மனை வரைப்பில், மகிழ் நொடை பெறாஅராகி, நனை கவுள் கான யானை வெண் கோடு சுட்டி, மன்று ஓடு புதல்வன் புன் தலை நீவும் அரு முனைப் பாக்கத்து அல்கி, வைகுற, நிழல் படக் கவின்ற நீள்அரை இலவத்து அழல் அகைந்தன்ன அலங்குசினை ஒண் பூக் குழல் இசைத் தும்பி ஆர்க்கும் ஆங்கண், குறும் பொறை உணங்கும் ததர் வெள் என்பு கடுங் கால் ஒட்டகத்து அல்கு பசி தீர்க்கும் கல் நெடுங் கவலைய கானம் நீந்தி, அம் மா அரிவை ஒழிய, சென்மோ நெஞ்சம்! வாரலென் யானே. In this trip to this harsh domain, we get to glimpse at many unique sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart: “If you know very well that she has the strength to say, ‘Wishing to bring back that radiant thing, which has more worth than life, having the wisdom to do the right things, he has left’, and remain at home, then, parting away, you may go, O heart, to those spaces, which the rains have forsaken and where dried bamboos abound. And here, attacking merchants, who tread these paths, those men with sturdy bows live a life lacking culture. When night falls, their leader reaches the gates of homes, which belong to maiden, with thick bamboo-like arms having radiant lines, and bellies with beauty spots many, who sell filtered toddy. Not finding that drink of ecstasy, he would return home, and pointing to the white tusk, which had come from a wild elephant with moistened cheeks, he would caress the coarse-haired head of his son, playing around the house. In such a wild community, stay the night, and leave by morning, to those places, where upon the swaying branches of the silk-cotton tree, with a thick trunk, one which renders an exquisite shade, radiant flowers bloom, akin to flames fluttering, and bees buzz around like flutes. Nearby upon a short boulder, lies drying white bones, which satisfies the deep hunger of camels with fast legs. Traversing these stony, long paths in the scrub jungle, leaving that beautiful, dark-skinned maiden here, you may go, O heart! I shan’t come!” Let’s walk on and explore those barren spaces! The man starts with an ‘if clause’ to his heart. He tells his heart, ‘If you know one thing for sure, you may leave, and that is if you know the lady has the ability to remain at home and understand the logic and importance of the journey to be taken in search of wealth’. Then, he launches into a description of the place where he is asking his heart to leave, and to do that, he focuses on the denizens of the said place. First, we catch a glimpse of merchants walking here and then robbers attacking them. The man decides to zoom on the leader of this rowdy gang and follows him as he walks in the late evening hour, towards the home of toddy sellers, who happen to be women with bamboo-like arms and beautiful bellies. Here’s a subtle indicator that women had a hand in handling trade in those times.  Returning, we learn that all that toddy is sold out and the man returns home, and he points to the white tusk, which he had taken for the barter, which had come from an elephant in musth, and caresses the head of his young son, as a way of inspiring the lad to aim for great things in life, like hunting down an elephant. Leaving aside the animal rights implications, let’s just appreciate this moment of bonding between a robber father and his son. The man had been telling this story only to predict that the heart would end up staying in such a community, and then in the morning, it would leave to a place, where silk-cotton trees were in full bloom, and their flowers would appear like spots of flames atop the branches. When we are delighting, ‘Oh! What a pretty sight!’, the man turns our attention to some white bones lying scattered on nearby rocks. Remember how some merchants got attacked in the beginning of this tale? Perhaps all the scavengers have had their fill and only the drying, white bones of those dead merchants are left. Now the man talks about something fascinating. He says a camel would come that way and feed on those bones to allay its burning hunger. Here lies not one but two things that stunned me no end! My first question was, ‘What is a camel doing in South India?’. Next question, okay maybe there’s some reason that there are camels, but aren’t they herbivores and why is this verse saying they are eating bones? Surely the Sangam folk must have got their animals mixed up! Turns out they have not! Though it’s true that camels are not native to Tamil land, it shows evidence of trade with other regions, and it seems like a sound idea of those merchants to bring this animal with steady legs for their journeys through the drylands. Next, coming to the bones, I learnt that camels do eat bones and assorted other things like leather and skin, whenever their calcium and phosphorus levels dip down. Apparently, it’s a phenomenon called ‘osteophagia’. As it is these animals are wandering about desert landscapes and guess it makes sense that these animals have to make do with what they get and not be strict about their vegan diets!  Back from our consorting with camels, we see that the man has been talking to his heart, asking it to leave to such arid landscapes, leaving the lady, and concluding that he was not planning on accompanying his heart. In essence, a clear decision in favour of staying at home, against the nudge of his heart, which was pushing him to part with the lady. This is yet another case of the man separating his heart from himself! What is the heart if not a part in the man’s mind, which was provoking him to choose a different path? This demarcation of the man and his heart in two thousand year old poem makes me connect the same principle to modern psychological techniques like ‘Internal Family Systems’, which ask the ‘Self’ in the mind to separate from the emotional parts to truly understand what’s going on in the psyche! A valuable lesson in dealing with dilemmas, as sensed intuitively by our ancestors with their deep understanding of the human mind!

    9 min

  7. APR 27

    Aganaanooru 244 – Rush back to the lonely one

    In this episode, we listen to an excited request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 244, penned by Madurai Mallanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays the pleasantness of the rainy season. ”’பசை படு பச்சை நெய் தோய்த்தன்ன சேய் உயர் சினைய மாச் சிறைப் பறவை பகல் உறை முது மரம் புலம்பப் போகி, முகை வாய் திறந்த நகை வாய் முல்லை கடிமகள் கதுப்பின் நாறி, கொடிமிசை வண்டினம் தவிர்க்கும் தண் பதக் காலை வரினும், வாரார்ஆயினும், ஆண்டு அவர்க்கு இனிதுகொல், வாழி தோழி?” என, தன் பல் இதழ் மழைக் கண் நல்லகம் சிவப்ப, அருந் துயர் உடையள் இவள்’ என விரும்பிப் பாணன் வந்தனன், தூதே; நீயும் புல் ஆர் புரவி, வல் விரைந்து, பூட்டி, நெடுந் தேர் ஊர்மதி, வலவ! முடிந்தன்று அம்ம, நாம் முன்னிய வினையே! In this trip to the woodlands, we take in picturesque sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer: “A bat, having dark wings, which appear as if dipped in thick, fresh ghee, rises from the topmost branch of an ancient tree, and leaving it in loneliness, flies away, in this moist and cool time, when wild jasmine bushes have opened their buds and appear, akin to smiling teeth, having the fragrance of a new bride, as it prevents buzzing bees atop vines from fluttering away. Saying, ‘At this time, I wonder if he will return or if he won’t! Maybe only the yonder place he’s at is pleasant to him!’, as her many-petalled, rain-like eyes reddened her fine bosoms, she suffers deep sorrow. Thus said the messenger-bard who had come with intent.  So, yoke the fine horses, which are grazing on grass, with much haste, and speed on the tall chariot, O charioteer, for the task we had set out to do is all done!” Time to listen to the twin beats of the hooves and the hearts! The man starts by describing the wings of a bat and mentioning how it appears as if dipped in ghee. When I took a look at an image of the bat’s wings and read about how it’s criss-crossed with many blood vessels, the simile made perfect sense. The said bat leaves its perch on a tall, ancient tree, and flies away, leaving the tree to lament in loneliness, the man says. Then he moves on to the wild jasmines that have bloomed on the bushes and compares it to two different elements, the sight of these white buds to smiling teeth and the scent of the same to the tresses of a new bride. All this he mentions only to say, it’s the cool and moist time of rains. Now he repeats the words of the lady as conveyed to him by a messenger bard. The lady seemed to be wondering whether the man would return or not, and feeling dejected and tearful about the fact that he seemed to prefer the place he’s at to his home. So, nudged by the bard’s message, the man wishes to propel his charioteer into action and concludes by asking the worthy helper to yoke the grazing horses and speed on the chariot homeward, for the work they had come to do, was done. The image of the bat leaving the tree alone is a subtext for the lady’s loneliness in the man’s absence. In these few words, we can observe the signs of the changing season, and catch the pulse of the man as he yearns to be back with his beloved. The thing that struck me in this verse is the reimagining of a bird’s wings and a bush’s blossoms by this Sangam poet, something which speaks to us of their enviable skills of observation and connection!

    5 min

  8. APR 26

    Aganaanooru 243 – The mind of the northern wind

    In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 243, penned by Kodiyoor Kizhaar Maganaar Neythal Thathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the attitude of the northern wind. அவரை ஆய் மலர் உதிர, துவரின வாங்கு துளைத் துகிரின் ஈங்கை பூப்ப, இறங்கு போது அவிழ்ந்த ஈர்ம் புதல் பகன்றைக் கறங்கு நுண் துவலையின் ஊருழை அணிய, பெயல் நீர் புது வரல் தவிர, சினை நேர்பு பீள் விரிந்து இறைஞ்சிய பிறங்கு கதிர்க் கழனி நெல் ஒலி பாசவல் துழைஇ, கல்லெனக் கடிது வந்து இறுத்த கண் இல் வாடை! ‘நெடிது வந்தனை’ என நில்லாது ஏங்கிப் பல புலந்து உறையும் துணை இல் வாழ்க்கை நம்வலத்து அன்மை கூறி, அவர் நிலை அறியுநம் ஆயின், நன்றுமன் தில்ல; பனி வார் கண்ணேம் ஆகி, இனி அது நமக்கே எவ்வம் ஆகின்று; அனைத்தால் தோழி! நம் தொல் வினைப் பயனே! In this trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an aspect of weather rather than the region, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Exquisite flowers of the bean drop down, coral-like touch-me-not flowers with curving, red holes blossom, and the rattlepod flowers bloom on moist bushes during sun down, in the fine drizzle, and adorn the town entire. At this time when new rains pour no more, branched stalks sprouting out of seeds, now bend and sway in the paddy fields. Entering these fields, with a resounding roar, it then comes and swirls around me, this unseeing northern wind! If at all the northern wind would go to him, learn of his state, and say, ‘You have come afar’, and then speak of my state, that of living without my mate, with ceaseless yearning, filled with sorrow and suffering, that would be good. However, as I stand here with tear-filled eyes, all the wind wants to do is bring torment to me! And so it is, my friend, owing to nothing but the fruit of my past deeds!” Let’s follow in the trail of the northern winds in this verse! The lady starts by listing all the flowers that have been blooming, much to the beauty of the town, and she mentions the bean flowers, the red touch-me-not flowers as well as the rattle-pod flowers. She talks about how there’s only a slight drizzle and no heavy rains seem to be pouring, indicating it’s the beginning of the cold season after the rains, a time long after the promised season of return. Then she moves on to characterise the northern winds, as it comes rushing through the paddy fields and envelopes her. She wishes the winds would go to the man, tell him that he has come too far, and talk about how the lady was languishing without his presence. But the northern wind seemed to have no mind to do any such thing and wants only to torture her, the lady says, and concludes by declaring with a helpless sigh that all this must be because she had done something wrong in the past. Herein, lies a subtle reference to the Indian concept of ‘Karma’, of attributing the misfortune of the present to some action in the past. Hope the good the lady has done brings back the man to her soon, so that they both can delight together in the blooming buds and the blowing breeze!

    4 min
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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