In this episode, we perceive the wonder in a mother’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 207, penned by Madurai Ezhuthaalan Senthampoothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the formidable nature of this domain.

அணங்குடை முந்நீர் பரந்த செறுவின்
உணங்கு திறம் பெயர்ந்த வெண் கல் அமிழ்தம்
குட புல மருங்கின் உய்ம்மார், புள் ஓர்த்துப்
படை அமைத்து எழுந்த பெருஞ் செய் ஆடவர்
நிரைப் பரப் பொறைய நரைப் புறக் கழுதைக்
குறைக் குளம்பு உதைத்த கல் பிறழ் இயவின்,
வெஞ் சுரம் போழ்ந்த, அஞ்சுவரு கவலை,
மிஞிறு ஆர் கடாஅம் கரந்து விடு கவுள,
வெயில் தின வருந்திய, நீடு மருப்பு ஒருத்தல்
பிணர் அழி பெருங் கை புரண்ட கூவல்
தெண் கண் உவரிக் குறைக் குட முகவை,
அறனிலாளன் தோண்ட, வெய்து உயிர்த்து,
பிறைநுதல் வியர்ப்ப, உண்டனள்கொல்லோ
தேம் கலந்து அளைஇய தீம் பால் ஏந்திக்
கூழை உளர்ந்து மோழைமை கூறவும்,
மறுத்த சொல்லள் ஆகி,
வெறுத்த உள்ளமொடு உண்ணாதோளே?

In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear mother say these words, at a time when her daughter had eloped away with the man:

“In fields that spread near divine seas, flourishes that elixir of white salt with a well-dried texture. Gathering these and intending to take it to regions in the west, biding their time for the right bird omens, organising into groups, men of efficient action traverse along with their donkeys, laden with sacks of salt on the beasts’ white backs, and tread along the stony paths, with pebbles scattered by worn-out hooves of these beasts. Through the same formidable paths in the scorching drylands, treads a male elephant, with long tusks and musth-flowing cheeks, swarming with bees, distressed by the heat, and searches for water, amidst a pit with its long and coarse trunk. From this very pit, digging up brackish water that fills only half a cup, that graceless man, renders unto her. Letting out a hot sigh, as her crescent-moon-like forehead sweats, did she drink that up? When I used to offer honey-infused sweet milk, caressing her tresses and speaking sweet words, she would say ‘no’ and with dislike in her heart, would never drink that up. How could she do this now?”

Let’s brave those scorching spaces once again and know more! Mother starts by describing salt fields near the shore, talking about how people there harvest this much sought-after elixir. Then, she describes these harvesters of salt are not content in keeping their produce for themselves, and wish to take it to regions in the west… this line tells us the salt-making is happening on the eastern coast of present-day South India, near the Bay of Bengal. The vehicles these men use for their journey are donkeys and the backs of these donkeys are heavily laden with sacks of salt, mother describes, and she zooms on to the worn-out hooves of these beasts of burden, and the pebbles they scatter on the stony paths. Mother ends this scene here and after an interval of time, on that same pebble-scattered, stony path, we see heavy footprints of an elephant in musth, running crazily in search of water, roving here and there, and locating a pit, it tries to gather the salty water from there. Once more, this scene with the elephant goes curtain down, and after some time, we see the man digging up the same pit to find some water for his beloved. Now mother concludes by asking how the lady was able to drink this foul liquid, adding that this girl was someone, who would refuse to drink even a portion of honeyed milk, offered with tender care and sweet words by her! 

Yet again, it’s that awe that strikes many a mother, when their children seem to grow up and do never-before things independently, why because, a part of their mind will always be etched with the memory of that helpless being they held so protectively in their arms, a while ago!