Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive a subtle message of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 348, penned by Madurai Ilam Paalaasiriyan Chenthan Koothanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing millet fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and details the ingredients and recipe of an ancient fermented beverage.

என் ஆவதுகொல் தானே முன்றில்,
தேன் தேர் சுவைய, திரள் அரை மாஅத்து,
கோடைக்கு ஊழ்த்த, கமழ் நறுந் தீம் கனி,
பயிர்ப்புறப் பலவின் எதிர்ச் சுளை அளைஇ,
இறாலொடு கலந்த, வண்டு மூசு அரியல்
நெடுங் கண் ஆடு அமைப் பழுநி, கடுந் திறல்
பாப்புக் கடுப்பு அன்ன தோப்பி வான் கோட்டுக்
கடவுள் ஓங்கு வரைக்கு ஓக்கி, குறவர்,
முறித் தழை மகளிர் மடுப்ப, மாந்தி,
அடுக்கல் ஏனல் இரும் புனம் மறந்துழி,
‘யானை வவ்வின தினை’ என, நோனாது,
இளையரும் முதியரும் கிளையுடன் குழீஇ,
சிலை ஆய்ந்து திரிதரும் நாடன்
நிலையா நல் மொழி தேறிய நெஞ்சே?

In this short trip to the hills, we get to witness a unique culinary custom, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he’s in earshot:

“Taking the fragrant, sweet fruit, which has ripened in summer, with a honey-like taste, growing on the thick-trunked mango tree in their front yard, and mashing it with the sticky slices of the jackfruit, adding some honeycomb, they prepare a bee-buzzing nectar, pour it into the hollowed-out stems of tall and swaying bamboos and store it for long. That well-aged, sharp toddy turns out with a sharpness, akin to the bite of a snake. After offering a portion of that drink to the god, who resides in the soaring, sky-high peaks, mountain maiden, wearing garments of tender sprouts and leaves, offer to their men, who drink it up, and forget all about guarding their millet fields in the mountain ranges. Then, realising that elephants have raided those millets, unable to accept that, the young and old group together, and then, selecting their bows and weapons, set out and rove around in the country of the lord. What will happen now to that heart of mine, which had trusted in his wavering words?”

Time to explore the highs and lows of this terrain! The lady starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she first zooms on to a mango fruit in the summer, growing on a tree in the front yard of a home. This mango fruit is said to have the sweetness of honey. We see a hand choosing and plucking this mango fruit. Next, some sticky slices of the jackfruit are taken, and both these fruits are mashed well, with a dash of honeycomb too. Beating this mixture well, next they pour the liquid into the hollowed-out bamboo stems, swaying in the wind. Apparently, they leave this bee-buzzing mixture for a while, and then, when they take out the aged, fermented toddy, it has the sharpness of a snake bite, the lady details. Next she talks about how the womenfolk first offer this well-aged toddy to the god in the mountains and then to their men. Those men happily slurp their fruit wine, and lie there, completely sloshed. Consequently, they forget their task of tending to the millet fields, and as can be expected, elephants come to enjoy their bit of delicacy. Hearing about the raid, the men can tolerate no more, and the young and old prepare to go hunt down the elephant, in the man’s country, the lady connects. She concludes by wondering what is going to happen to her, because she had trusted in the man’s words, which did not seem to stand steady and render permanent happiness! 

While that long description of a toddy preparation and millet fields may seem like a mere description of place, within lies a sharp and biting metaphor for how the man too had become drunk with the pleasures of trysting with the lady, and had forgotten to protect her from the gossiping mouths, spreading slander in town, and causing her health and beauty to fade. When the man hears that, he will understand the angst in the lady’s situation and take steps to claim her hand.

In this usual theme of ‘Marry me, marry me’, I was intrigued to learn about this specific way of preparing what seems like a fermented fruit wine, and when searching about the same, I came across this research abstract published in 2025, named ‘Investigation of wine fermentation from dual mango (Mangifera indica) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) mash‘, by a scholar from an University in Vietnam, exploring this very same dual fruit fermentation, mentioned in this Tamil poem from more than two thousand years ago. Made me smile to see how these random connections seem to turn up from nowhere, without any constraints of space and time, echoing again and again the core of our oneness! 

Reference: Nguyen PM. Investigation of wine fermentation from dual mango (Mangifera indica) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) mash. Plant Sci. Today [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 21 [cited 2026 Aug. 28];12(4). Available from: https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/8751

In this episode, we listen to the angst-ridden words of a maiden, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 347, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse interleaves the victory of a Chera King amidst the melancholy of pining.

தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைய, நாளும்
நலம் கவர் பசலை நல்கின்று நலிய,
சால் பெருந் தானைச் சேரலாதன்
மால் கடல் ஓட்டி, கடம்பு அறுத்து இயற்றிய
பண் அமை முரசின் கண் அதிர்ந்தன்ன,
கவ்வை தூற்றும் வெவ் வாய்ச் சேரி
அம்பல் மூதூர் அலர் நமக்கு ஒழிய,
சென்றனர்ஆயினும், செய்வினை அவர்க்கே
வாய்க்கதில் வாழி, தோழி! வாயாது,
மழை கரந்து ஒளித்த கழை திரங்கு அடுக்கத்து,
ஒண் கேழ் வயப் புலி பாய்ந்தென, குவவு அடி
வெண் கோட்டு யானை முழக்கு இசை வெரீஇ,
கன்று ஒழித்து ஓடிய புன் தலை மடப் பிடி
கை தலை வைத்த மையல் விதுப்பொடு,
கெடு மகப் பெண்டிரின் தேரும்
நெடு மர மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே!

In this trip to this challenging domain, in addition to the usual scenes, we take a short historic detour, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man had parted away from her, intending to seek wealth:

“As my arms lose their old beauty, and day after day, the pallor of pining, intent on stealing away my health, torments me without any grace, leaving me with the shame of slander in this uproarious old town, owing to the gossip of hot mouths in the neighbourhood, resounding akin to the vibrating eyes of the well-crafted drum, made by felling the burflower tree of enemies, who were chased into the huge seas, by that Chera King, the leader of an esteemed, huge army, he has left! Long may he live, my friend! Though he has left me so, may he succeed in that mission he intends to accomplish by leaving away to those mountains, which rain clouds have hid away from, filled with dried-up bamboos, wherein as a radiant-hued, strong tiger pounces on it, the thick-footed, white tusked elephant trumpets aloud, and hearing that, frightened, its soft-headed, naive mate, runs away, forgetting its calf, and then, akin to a woman, who has lost her children, hurrying in a confused panic, with her hands on her head, it searches anxiously in those spaces with soaring trees!”

Let’s explore those barren spaces and search for the moisture within! The lady starts by pointing to her current state of her arms thinning away and pallor attacking her ceaselessly. Then from the physical torture, she moves to the mental domain, and mentions how she’s afflicted by a sense of shame, owing to the slander spreading in their ancient town, thanks to the gossiping mouths of the townsfolk. That slander is spreading so thickly tells us the parting between the man and lady has happened prior to their marriage.

Returning, the lady sketches the manner in which slander is thundering in their town, by placing it in parallel to a resonating, victorious war drum, made from a burflower tree. Apparently, this burflower tree was a protected, sacred tree of a Chera King’s enemies, whom the king drove away, chased them even in the seas and after a fierce battle, felled the said tree and made his victory drum. That historic nugget slipped in talks about the exploits of the Chera King, who was known by the name ‘Imayavaramban Cheralathan’, a southern king, who is said to have planted his flag up north in the Himalayas. 

Back from the history lesson, we find the lady has mentioned those elements of physical and mental angst, only to say that was all because the man had left her and gone to the drylands. She goes on to describe the space as a drying mountain region, which the rain clouds have forsaken, and filled with browning bamboo trees and a place where a female elephant, frightened by the roar of its mate, when attacked by a tiger, had run away, leaving its calf, and then comes back in much panic, searching for the little one, exactly like how, a woman who has lost her child, would run around in panic, hands on her head. The lady concludes by saying even though the man had left her in such a state and gone so far away, she wishes that he succeeds in his endeavours! Yet again, it’s a ‘though he left me in pain, may he attain all he seeks’ message, which is wrapped in the layers of history and nature, standing as picture-perfect parallels for the human condition!

In this episode, we perceive a sharp refusal to a request, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 346, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the fertile fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and elaborates on a person’s past activities and the emotions that evokes.

நகை நன்று அம்ம தானே இறை மிசை
மாரிச் சுதையின் ஈர்ம் புறத்து அன்ன
கூரல் கொக்கின் குறும் பறைச் சேவல்,
வெள்ளி வெண் தோடு அன்ன, கயல் குறித்து,
கள் ஆர் உவகைக் கலி மகிழ் உழவர்
காஞ்சி அம் குறுந் தறி குத்தி, தீம் சுவை
மென் கழைக் கரும்பின் நன் பல மிடைந்து,
பெருஞ் செய் நெல்லின் பாசு அவல் பொத்தி,
வருத்திக் கொண்ட வல் வாய்க் கொடுஞ் சிறை
மீது அழி கடு நீர் நோக்கி, பைப்பயப்
பார்வல் இருக்கும் பயம் கேழ் ஊர!

யாம் அது பேணின்றோ இலமே நீ நின்
பண் அமை நல் யாழ்ப் பாணனொடு, விசி பிணி,
மண் ஆர் முழவின் கண் அதிர்ந்து இயம்ப,
மகிழ் துணைச் சுற்றமொடு மட்டு மாந்தி,
எம் மனை வாராயாகி, முன் நாள்,
நும் மனைச் சேர்ந்த ஞான்றை, அம் மனைக்
குறுந் தொடி மடந்தை உவந்தனள் நெடுந் தேர்,
இழை அணி யானைப் பழையன் மாறன்,
மாட மலி மறுகின் கூடல் ஆங்கண்
வெள்ளத் தானையொடு வேறு புலத்து இறுத்த
கிள்ளி வளவன் நல் அமர் சாஅய்,
கடும் பரிப் புரவியொடு களிறு பல வவ்வி,
ஏதில் மன்னர் ஊர் கொள,
கோதை மார்பன் உவகையின் பெரிதே.

In this trip to this domain of riches, we get to visit prosperous spaces, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns after courting a courtesan and seeks entry into the lady’s house:

“Hilarious this is! Listen, akin to wet surfaces, atop plastered roofs, in the rainy season, appears the white feathers of the short-winged male stork. This bird aims at a carp fish, appearing akin to a silvery white bloom, amidst gushing waters that pounce on a strong-mouthed, curving dam, raised with much effort by uproarious farmers, who delight in drinking well-filtered toddy, and plant short stems of the portia tree, tying them firmly with soft stalks of sugarcane having a sweet taste. Then, that stork gently takes step after step, intending to nab the fish, in the fertile spaces of your town, O lord!

You, along with your bard, who wields a fine, well-crafted lute, and other delightful companions drank toddy, as well-tied, mud-streaked drums resounded thunderously. After that, instead of coming to our home, on that day, you went to your house, and at that moment, the maiden living there in that beautiful mansion, clad in short bangles, felt so much joy, much greater than that ‘Kothai Marban’ felt, when much to the terror of enemy kings, wielding many speeding horses and attacking elephants, King Killivalavan, who had been attacking with his flood-like army in another battlefield, arrived at the town of Koodal, with soaring mansions, and defeated its ruler, ‘Pazhaiyan Maaran’, who possesses tall chariots and decorated elephants. We don’t care that you went there. But that makes us laugh aloud now!”

Time to listen to the fiery words in this land of plenty! The confidante starts by saying what’s happening is hilarious. Then she goes on to describe the man’s town, and to do that, she paints a portrait of a stork, whose wet, white wings are called in parallel to the white-washed roofs of a house in the rainy season. We find this stork, stalking a fish, which is swimming about in the gushing waters, which dash against a dam, said to be raised by the determined efforts of farmers, who like their drink and who accomplish the work of watering their abundant paddy fields and raise fences of portia stems and sugarcane stalks. The confidante completes this description saying so fertile is the man’s town! Let’s pause for a moment to note this mention of how dams were built by these ancient farmers, which shows their water management and engineering skills. A recent article I read about the discovery of a Sangam-era dam-like structure, emerging from the Kaveri river basin, in a place called Kollidam, comes to my mind. It’s satisfying to see the interplay of vastly different fields such as engineering, agriculture and archaeology in these few lines.

Returning, the confidante then describes how the man had been having fun at the festivities, drinking toddy, and then, after that, instead of returning home to his lady, decided to go to the courtesan’s house, in the company of his bard and other friends. The interesting way the confidante refers to the place the man went is by calling it ‘your house’ to the man. This is one of those rare occasions when the qualifier ‘your’ is used, for in most of Sangam references, we observe the culture of saying ‘our’ house, even when addressing strangers. This particular reference is supposed to underscore the anger in the situation. The confidante then goes on to talk about how when the man went there, the courtesan seemed to be filled with so much joy, even greater than what the Chera King ‘Kothai Marban’ felt when the Chozha king ‘Killivalavan’ defeated the Pandya King ‘Pazhaiyaan’ and seized his town of ‘Koodal’. The confidante concludes by saying that she and the lady did not care about that, but now that the man was standing there, denying all this, and pleading to get inside the lady’s home, was something laughable.

In essence, the confidante is telling the man, ‘You were out with the courtesan. The lady is still angry, and all you can expect from us is a no’! In this usual drama involving domestic conflict, we have that history lesson, in which the joy of that king at the turn of events can only be interpreted as ‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend’! As can be inferred from these lines, the Sangam poets continue their tradition of bringing alive so much of the past, the emotions, the landscapes and the history, in their imaginative works of art!

In this episode, we listen to wishes rendered for another’s welfare, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 345, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the exquisite transformations in nature.

”விசும்பு தளி பொழிந்து, வெம்மை நீங்கி,
தண் பதம் படுதல் செல்க!” எனப் பல் மாண்
நாம் செல விழைந்தனமாக, ”ஓங்கு புகழ்க்
கான் அமர் செல்வி அருளலின், வெண் கால்,
பல் படைப் புரவி எய்திய தொல் இசை
நுணங்கு நுண் பனுவற் புலவன் பாடிய
இன மழை தவழும் ஏழில் குன்றத்துக்
கருங் கால் வேங்கைச் செம் பூம் பிணையல்
ஐது ஏந்து அல்குல் யாம் அணிந்து உவக்கும்
சில் நாள் கழிக!” என்று முன் நாள்
நம்மொடு பொய்த்தனர்ஆயினும், தம்மொடு
திருந்து வேல் இளையர் சுரும்பு உண மலைமார்,
மா முறி ஈன்று மரக் கொம்பு அகைப்ப,
உறை கழிந்து உலந்த பின்றை, பொறைய
சிறு வெள் அருவித் துவலையின் மலர்ந்த
கருங் கால் நுணவின் பெருஞ் சினை வான் பூச்
செம் மணற் சிறு நெறி கம்மென வரிப்ப,
காடு கவின் பெறுக தோழி! ஆடு வளிக்கு
ஒல்கு நிலை இற்றி ஒரு தனி நெடு வீழ்
கல் கண் சீக்கும் அத்தம்,
அல்கு வெயில் நீழல் அசைந்தனர் செலவே!

In this trip to the drylands, instead of the usual dreary scenes, we are surprised by elements of pleasantness, as we listen to the lady say these words to her friend, at a time when the man had parted away from the lady, so as to seek wealth:

“Even though I tried to go along with him many times saying, “The skies have showered down, the heat has been swept away, and the land has attained a cool quality, so take me along with you!”, he had replied to me, “Owing to the grace of the great goddess of the forest, with a soaring fame, the poet, attained many white-legged horses, fitted with wealthy accessories, for penning intricate verses about the Ezhil mountains, enveloped by rain clouds. Making a garland of red flowers from the black-stemmed Kino tree growing there, let me adorn your beautiful waist, and spend a few more days delighting here’. After saying such lies, he left suddenly without me. So be it, but letting those young helpers of his, carrying well-etched spears, find bee-buzzing garlands, may the branches of the mango tree flourish with tender sprouts. After rain clouds have poured down and parted away, in the spray of the small white mountain cascades, let those white flowers that have bloomed on huge branch of the black-trunked mulberry tree scatter down and draw fragrant patterns on the small path, cutting through the red earth. My friend, may the forest attain all such beauty and delight the journey of my man, who finds shade amidst the scorching heat of the drylands, under a soaring fig tree, which sways its sole, tall aerial root and sweeps the eyes of a boulder nearby!”

Let’s listen to this lady’s bitter-sweet song! The lady starts by recollecting how she had requested the man to take her along in his journey, since the weather was on their side and the rains had poured, and had rendered much coolness to the land. But the man had refused to heed to her request and had instead talked about spending a few days with the lady, adorning her waist with the Kino flowers, from the Ezhil mountains, celebrated by skilled poets, who had the blessing of a forest goddess, whom many interpreters associate with Kottravai, the Goddess of the drylands and one whose blessings were sought on every mission. In essence, the man had said to the lady that he would go later and then after that false promise, took off to the drylands on his own.

Seeing that he had done such a thing, the lady is not furious but instead she decides to bless the trees in the forest so that the man’s helpers may find mango flower garlands, and also, the white mulberry flowers would fall down and paint floral patterns on all the paths her lover treads. The lady concludes saying she wishes only joy for the man, whom she pictures as standing under the shade of a fig tree, amidst the heat of the drylands, as he takes in a sole, hanging aerial root, moved by the winds, wiping the surface of a boulder nearby! 

That image of an aerial root wiping a rock made me see the yearning in the lady’s heart for a hand to wipe away her own tears of pining. Even though so much disappointment and dejection fills her, the lady is able to send out good thoughts the man’s way, telling us in a subtle manner, the only way to fly out out of the pit of sorrow, is to latch on those wings of positivity! 

In this episode, we listen to the eagerness in a man’s voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 344, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents picturesque scenes in the aftermath of the rains.

வள மழை பொழிந்த வால் நிறக் களரி,
உளர்தரு தண் வளி உறுதொறும், நிலவு எனத்
தொகு முகை விரிந்த முடக் காற் பிடவின்,
வை ஏர் வால் எயிற்று, ஒள் நுதல் மகளிர்
கை மாண் தோணி கடுப்ப, பையென,
மயிலினம் பயிலும் மரம் பயில் கானம்
எல் இடை உறாஅ அளவை, வல்லே,
கழல் ஒலி நாவின் தெண் மணி கறங்க,
நிழல் ஒளிப்பன்ன நிமிர் பரிப் புரவி
வயக்கு உறு கொடிஞ்சி பொலிய, வள்பு ஆய்ந்து,
இயக்குமதி வாழியோ, கையுடை வலவ!
பயப்புறு படர் அட வருந்திய
நயப்பு இன் காதலி நகை முகம் பெறவே!

In this little trip to the patient lands, we get to witness the beauty of nature, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, when he is returning home to the lady, after completing his mission:

“The messengers of fertility have showered upon the white-hued, brackish land and a moist wind roves about everywhere. Here, akin to the rays of the moon, bud clusters of the curved-stem ‘Malabar Jasmines’ have bloomed. Akin to the ‘Thoni’, performed with hand movements by maiden, with sharp and shining white teeth and glowing foreheads, gently flocks of peacocks dance away, in the forest, filled densely with trees. To traverse this jungle, even before the day ends in darkness, making clear bells with tongues, having the sound of anklets, resound, making the chariot’s ‘Kodinji’ glow bright, wielding the straight-gaited horses, in the hue of luxuriant light, with the perfect hold on the reins, hasten and ride on, may you live long, O expert charioteer! Speed on, so that I would get to see the smiling face of my adorable beloved, who would be languishing, owing to the siege of pining!”

It’s time again to keep in pace with the hoofbeats of horses! The man starts by celebrating the rains as bringers of prosperity. A subtle expression which tells us how much the rains were welcomed by this culture. The man goes on to talk about how the land had been parched and salty, but now it was drinking up that elixir of life, pouring from the skies, even as it was fanned by moist winds. When the land is happy, it would smile indeed, and this smile splashes on the faces of the ‘Pidavam’ flowers or ‘Malabar Jasmines’, whose flower clusters are akin to the moon’s rays, says the man. Then, he refers to ‘Thoni’ or Tholi’, a particular dance of smiling maiden done using their elegant arms, only to say the peacocks are dancing away in that manner. After describing the forest through which they are passing so, the man requests his charioteer, to go full speed, making the bells resound and the horses streak like light. He concludes by praising the skills of his charioteer and requesting that the charioteer rides so fast that the man would get to catch a glimpse of the lady, who would be suffering in sorrow without him, and see the blooming of her smile when he arrives, before the night clothes her in punishing darkness!

At the core, is a simple ‘Rush me to her’ message. A verse which would make anyone anywhere, who has ever been away from a beloved for long, smile in recognition of that timeless tug on the heart!

In this episode, we perceive the dilemma sensed in the middle of a journey, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 343, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the people and spaces of this domain.

வாங்கு அமை புரையும் வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,
சில் சுணங்கு அணிந்த பல் பூண் மென் முலை,
நல் எழில் ஆகம் புல்லுதல் நயந்து,
மரம் கோள் உமண் மகன் பெயரும் பருதிப்
புன் தலை சிதைத்த வன் தலை நடுகல்
கண்ணி வாடிய மண்ணா மருங்குல்,
கூர் உளி குயின்ற கோடு மாய் எழுத்து, அவ்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் வேறு பயம் படுக்கும்
கண் பொரி கவலைய கானத்து ஆங்கண்,
நனந்தலை யாஅத்து அம் தளிர்ப் பெருஞ் சினை,
இல் போல் நீழல் செல் வெயில் ஒழிமார்,
நெடுஞ் செவிக் கழுதைக் குறுங் கால் ஏற்றைப்
புறம் நிறை பண்டத்துப் பொறை அசாஅக் களைந்த
பெயர் படை கொள்ளார்க்கு உயவுத் துணை ஆகி,
உயர்ந்த ஆள்வினை புரிந்தோய்; பெயர்ந்து நின்று
உள்ளினை வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! கள்ளின்
மகிழின் மகிழ்ந்த அரி மதர் மழைக் கண்,
சில் மொழிப் பொலிந்த துவர் வாய்,
பல் மாண் பேதையின் பிரிந்த நீயே.

In this trip to the drylands, we get to see acts of compassion, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, midway in his journey through the drylands, after having parted from the lady to seek wealth:

“Akin to curving bamboo are her thick arms with wide wrists. Her soft bosoms are decked with many ornaments and streaked with a few pallor spots. Wishing to embrace those beautiful bosoms of hers, you are about to part away, from this scorching, parched path in the middle of the scrub jungle, wherein as the wooden carts of salt merchants roll on, and their wheels chip away and ruin the edges of memorial stones etched on strong rocks, words inscribed by sharp chisels fade away, and render strange meanings to those wayfarers, who traverse by. Here, in the wide spaces, under the Yaa tree, with tender sprouts upon its huge branches, standing in its shade, which appears akin to a home, those traversing shake away the heat of their journey and remove the huge sack filled with items many on the back of their short-legged, long-eared male donkey, and render relief to its fatigue. To those who rest there, you intended for me to become a friendly companion and nudged me towards the noble task of seeking wealth. But now, you are thinking of leaving me behind! Long may you live, my heart! Aren’t you the one who dared to part away from that naive maiden, with many estimable qualities, and having red-streaked, rain-like eyes, akin to the intoxication of toddy, and a red mouth, which speaks but words few!”

Time to brave the arid spaces and listen to the man’s heartbeat! The man starts by talking about how his heart intends to go to his beloved, whose beauty he celebrates, reminiscing about her lovely arms and beautiful bosoms. Then, from his heart’s intentions, the man moves to describe the outer world he finds himself in. He sketches the formidable drylands region, where the hero stones installed with much care are now abandoned and how the rolling wheels of salt merchants’ carts have chipped away the edges, causing the letters to become ruined and thus rendering confusing meanings to wayfarers. Then, from that depressing mention of the loss of respect to memory, the man moves on to talk about how in this space, people tend to rest together under the shade of a Yaa tree, which seems to remind them of home, and here, how they would remove the load weighing down on the backs of the donkeys accompanying them. The man says his heart had decided that the man was going to be a companion for such people and had chased him to seek wealth. The man concludes by pointing out to his heart how it dared to leave the lady back then, and now wants to rush back to her, not letting him finish what he set out to do!

The man is simply verbalising the torment in the heart when there’s a lull in one’s determination and one part wants to go back and the other wants to push forward! Beyond this repeated theme, one thing in this verse that lingers in my mind is the mention of that tree in the middle of scorching drylands becoming a home to those traversing by, and in the shade of this tree, the kind of thoughtful acts those people seem to do to other lives around them. A subtle capture of the noble qualities that a tree possesses and inspires in this parched world!

In this episode, we listen to a man admonishing his heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 342, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar. The verse is situated amidst the rocky clefts of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and describes the warring nature of the Pandya King.

ஒறுப்ப ஓவலை; நிறுப்ப நில்லலை;
புணர்ந்தோர் போலப் போற்றுமதி! நினக்கு யான்
கிளைஞன் அல்லெனோ? நெஞ்சே! தெனாஅது
வெல் போர்க் கவுரியர் நல் நாட்டு உள்ளதை
மண் கொள் புற்றத்து அருப்பு உழை திறப்பின்
ஆ கொள் மூதூர்க் கள்வர் பெருமகன்,
ஏவல் இளையர் தலைவன், மேவார்
அருங் குறும்பு எறிந்த ஆற்றலொடு, பருந்து படப்
பல் செருக் கடந்த செல் உறழ் தடக் கை,
கெடாஅ நல் இசைத் தென்னன் தொடாஅ
நீர் இழி மருங்கில் கல் அளைக் கரந்த அவ்
வரையரமகளிரின் அரியள்,
அவ் வரி அல்குல் அணையாக்காலே!

In this little trip to the hills, we get a glimpse of history, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he’s unable to meet with the lady, during a planned tryst by night:

“Even when I scold you, you seem to mind it not; Even when I stop you, you seem not to let it go; Please pay heed to my words like one, who loves me; Am I not your kith and kin, O heart? In the south, in the fine country of the victorious Kauriyars, rules the king, who has undying fame and thick long arms. After breaking open jungle forts, akin to termite mud mounds, and stealing cattle, this lord of the bandits, who hails from an ancient town, the leader of many youngsters, seizes formidable forts of his enemies, and crosses many battlefields, where vultures rove the skies. In his domain, are those untouched spaces, filled with waterfalls, where heavenly mountain maiden hide in rock clefts. It’s harder to see my beloved than even those celestial maiden! Without understanding that, O heart, you behave so, when I don’t get to embrace her fine-lined waist!”

Let’s listen in on this intimate conversation and learn more! The man starts by expressing his annoyance at his heart, talking about how his heart does not seem to heed to his instructions, no matter how much he scolds it or asks it to stop. He then pleads to his heart to behave like a good friend, asking his heart to see him as its kith and kin! After that curious opening, the man goes on to talk about the Pandya King and his many exploits such as destroying mud forts as well as the strongly guarded enemy forts, stealing cattle, leading youth, winning many battles and hailing from an ancient town. He also talks about the king’s unceasing fame and his fine long arms. Then, leaving the king’s attributes, the man turns to focus on the king’s country, where there are unexplored spaces, filled with flowing waterfalls and having mountain clefts nearby, where celestial maiden were said to hide. Now, the man connects the rarity of seeing those maiden to the rarity of his meeting his beloved and concludes by talking about how his heart keeps going back to the lady, even though it’s clear it’s impossible to attain her! 

Fascinating the way the man brings out how sometimes our inner selves are at such contradiction to how we want them to behave. Haven’t we all felt at times our heart seems to have a mind of its own? It’s this human attribute the man captures in these words, echoing his valiant attempts to handle his moment of disappointment!

In this episode, we perceive the picturesque beauty of spring, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 341, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse paints the emotions in the heart of a person, parted from their beloved, on encountering a change in the seasons.

உய் தகை இன்றால் தோழி! பைபய,
கோங்கும் கொய் குழை உற்றன; குயிலும்
தேம் பாய் மாஅத்து ஓங்கு சினை விளிக்கும்;
நாடு ஆர் காவிரிக் கோடு தோய் மலிர் நிறைக்
கழை அழி நீத்தம் சாஅய வழி நாள்,
மழை கழிந்தன்ன மாக் கால் மயங்கு அறல்,
பதவு மேயல் அருந்து துளங்கு இமில் நல் ஏறு,
மதவுடை நாக் கொடு அசை வீடப் பருகி,
குறுங் காற் காஞ்சிக் கோதை மெல் இணர்ப்
பொன் தகை நுண் தாது உறைப்ப, தொக்கு உடன்,
குப்பை வார் மணல் எக்கர்த் துஞ்சும்,
யாணர் வேனில்மன் இது
மாண் நலம் நுகரும் துணை உடையோர்க்கே?

In this trip to this familiar domain, we don’t get to see much of the landscape, and instead witness scenes in nature, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, in response to the confidante’s words of consolation, as the man continues to remain parted away:

“There’s no redemption, my friend! Slowly, the buttercup is sprouting tender clusters, ready to be plucked; Upon the soaring branch of the nectar-filled mango tree, the cuckoo calls out aloud; Akin to River Kaveri, which waters nations many, and brims over with copious floods, burying bamboo oars, and then recedes as rains cease, appears the muddy waters in the canal. The fine bull with a swaying hump grazes upon the grass, and then, along with its gentle-gaited mate, drinks up the muddy water in the canal, till its thirst abates, and then rests under the short-trunked Portia tree. As soft pollen of the tree’s flowers, appearing akin to gold dust, shower on it, it sleeps on the heaps of sand piled together. Such is this fertile season of spring! Alas, it’s a season, which is delightful only for those who have a companion to relish one’s fine beauty!”

Let’s listen to the lady’s song amidst the calls of a cuckoo! The lady starts by saying that there’s no salvation for her. Then without explaining why, she goes on to talk about the changes around her, pointing to the blooming buttercup flowers and the singing cuckoos sitting on the mango trees. Then, leaving these scenes, the lady talks about River Kaveri, at the time the river is in full spate, and then later as the rains recede, how these waters too become scarce and appear muddy. She equates this image to that of the water’s condition in a canal. After munching on newly sprouted grass, a bull arrives to this spot along with its mate and guzzles the water to its heart’s content, and then sleeps under the portia tree, even as the flowers shower their gold dust on the bull and its mate. The lady concludes by saying such is the season of spring, which is a thing of joy and pleasure only for those who have their companions to celebrate their beauty!

The lady implies that as the man is away, and spring was here, it was impossible for her to bear with the situation. Yet again, an intricate lesson on managing one’s emotions by paying attention to the outer world and one’s own inner world. What better cure can there be other than to ‘Observe and Express’, that too to a caring friend! 

In this episode, we perceive a hidden message in words of hospitality, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 340, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the brimming waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and etches the pleasantness of a seaside town.

பல் நாள் எவ்வம் தீர, பகல் வந்து,
புன்னை அம் பொதும்பின் இன் நிழல் கழிப்பி,
மாலை மால் கொள நோக்கி, பண் ஆய்ந்து,
வலவன் வண் தேர் இயக்க, நீயும்
செலவு விருப்புறுதல் ஒழிகதில் அம்ம
”செல்லா நல் இசை, பொலம் பூண் திரையன்
பல் பூங் கானற் பவத்திரி அன்ன இவள்
நல் எழில் இள நலம் தொலைய, ஒல்லென,
கழியே ஓதம் மல்கின்று; வழியே
வள் எயிற்று அரவொடு வய மீன் கொட்கும்;
சென்றோர் மன்ற; மான்றன்று பொழுது” என,
நின் திறத்து அவலம் வீட, இன்று இவண்
சேப்பின் எவனோ பூக் கேழ் புலம்ப!
பசு மீன் நொடுத்த வெண் நெல் மாஅத்
தயிர் மிதி மிதவை ஆர்த்துவம் நினக்கே;
வடவர் தந்த வான் கேழ் வட்டம்
குட புல உறுப்பின் கூட்டுபு நிகழ்த்திய
வண்டு இமிர் நறுஞ் சாந்து அணிகுவம் திண் திமில்
எல்லுத் தொழில் மடுத்த வல் வினைப் பரதவர்
கூர் வளிக் கடு விசை மாட்டலின், பாய்பு உடன்,
கோட் சுறாக் கிழித்த கொடு முடி நெடு வலை
தண் கடல் அசைவளி எறிதொறும், வினை விட்டு,
முன்றில் தாழைத் தூங்கும்
தெண் கடற் பரப்பின், எம் உறைவு இன் ஊர்க்கே?

In this long trip to the shore, we get to see plenty of sights, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, as he prepares to part from the lady, after his tryst by day with her:

“For that suffering of many days to cease, please end your manner of arriving by day, spending the hours in the sweet shade of the laurel wood trees in the grove, looking at the evening take on its shades of confusion, as the charioteer decorates and readies the sturdy chariot, wishing to leave away!

Listen! She has a fine beauty, akin to the town of Pavathiri, filled with many flowering groves, ruled by the gold-clad Thiraiyan, who has gained unending fame. Your beloved maiden says, ‘Causing my health and beauty to cease, as the flood of backwaters rises resoundingly, and even though his path is traversed by sharp-toothed snakes and sturdy fishes, he has left and the day has died’. To be rid of this sorrow that you leave in her heart, why don’t you stay here today, O lord of flower-filled shores?

If you do stay, mixing flour of white paddy, bought by bartering fish, along with curd, we shall render unto you as food; Upon the sky-white plate, rendered by the northerners, concocting a bee-buzzing, fragrant paste of sandalwood that comes from the west, we shall decorate you with it. As sturdy boats of those expert fisherman, who have finished their day’s work, were caught in the speedy gust of sharp winds, and with a pounce, killer sharks have torn apart the well-knotted, wide nets, which are then throw about everywhere by the swaying winds of the moist sea, away from their work, these torn nets rest on the pandanus trees in the front yard of our town. Indeed, it’s a place, so pleasant to stay, amidst the spread of the clear seas!”

Time to sail along in those speeding boats and the plumb the depths of those relationships! The confidante starts by describing the man’s usual way of arriving in the morning, spending the day with the lady in the shade of laurel wood trees and then, the moment the sky starts painting itself in the vivid hues of twilight, as his charioteer prepares his horses and the man taking off to his town. She asks him to give up this way of doing things, so as to end the lady’s pain. Then the confidante describes the lady as someone, who can be placed in parallel with the exquisite town of Pavathiri, ruled by the famous king Thiraiyan. Yet another celebration of a Sangam era town, for what greater glory can there be, other than being compared with that epitome of beauty, a Sangam era maiden!

Returning, the confidante talks about how the lady worries and laments about the man’s dangerous path to his home every night and languishes in much pain, as the day ends. The confidante puts forth a question to the man, asking him why he doesn’t stay over there! She talks about how if he stays with them, they would render delicious food made by fusing curd and rice flour. If you are wondering how there’s rice in this seaside town, she has an answer, for she mentions that has been obtained by bartering the fresh fish caught. The confidante also talks about rendering him sandalwood paste that has been brought from the western mountains, and that too handing it to him, on a plate brought from the north. These subtle points highlight how there was robust trade between the different regions of ancient India. 

After those welcoming words, the confidante goes on to describe how the nets of fishermen that fight the gusty winds and face the attack of sharks are thrown about everywhere, and end up on the pandanus trees in their front yard, resting after their jobs, implying that the menfolk of the town are at home. A hidden warning! The good friend concludes by saying so pleasant is their town that the man should surely stay there!

In essence, it’s a ‘Come-home-but-you-can’t’ message in that invitation. The man would decode the same and know that it was time to give up his temporary trysting with the lady, and instead, make preparations to claim the lady’s hand. At the core of this ‘Marry her, Marry her’ message, we got to know of a beautiful ancient town, and learnt of the ways a guest was honoured in a seaside Sangam home!

In this episode, we perceive the torment in a person’s heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 339, penned by ‘Narai Mudi Nettaiyaar’. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse depicts a dilemma in a tangible manner.

வீங்கு விசை பிணித்த விரை பரி நெடுந் தேர்
நோன் கதிர் சுமந்த ஆழி ஆழ் மருங்கில்,
பாம்பு என முடுகுநீர் ஓட, கூம்பிப்
பற்று விடு விரலின் பயறு காய் ஊழ்ப்ப,
அற்சிரம் நின்றன்றால், பொழுதே; முற்பட
ஆள்வினைக்கு எழுந்த அசைவு இல் உள்ளத்து
ஆண்மை வாங்க, காமம் தட்ப,
கவை படு நெஞ்சம்! கண்கண் அகைய,
இரு தலைக் கொள்ளி இடை நின்று வருந்தி,
ஒரு தலைப் படாஅ உறவி போன்றனம்;
நோம்கொல்? அளியள் தானே யாக்கைக்கு
உயிர் இயைந்தன்ன நட்பின், அவ் உயிர்
வாழ்தல் அன்ன காதல்,
சாதல் அன்ன பிரிவு அரியோளே!

In this trip to this much-frequented domain, we hardly get to see any scenes there but get to do a deep dive into the man’s mind, as we listen to him say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey, after having parted from the lady, to go on and complete a mission:

“In the deep imprints of sturdy-spoked wheels of the tall chariot, yoked with speeding horses, made when rushing past, akin to snakes, water slithers by, and in these spaces, akin to stretched-out fingers, bean pods sprout, at this time, when the cold season is ending. The untiring mind that rises to complete this mission is pulled in front by my sense of duty, and is pulled behind by my feeling of passion. In this way, my heart that is split into two, becomes an ant, caught in the centre of a twig that is burning on both ends at the nodes, unable to move either side. Won’t she be suffering? That precious maiden, has become bonded with me, akin to life that is fused in a body, and has made it so, such that loving her is like living life and parting from her is suffering death!”

Let’s listen with empathy to this emotional outpouring! The man starts by talking about the time of the year, one wherein the cold season is on its way out, and bean pods seem to be branching out like stretched fingers, and everywhere, water seems to be slithering like snakes in the wheel imprints of his tall, speeding chariot. From the outer world, the man turns the light on his heart and mentions how it’s pulled on one side by his sense of responsibility to complete the work expected of him, and on the other side, by his passion for his beloved. He etches in an exquisite manner the way his heart is languishing exactly like an ant that is caught in the middle of stick that’s burning on both sides, not finding a way to move forward or backward. Then, from his own state, the man turns to wonder about the suffering of the lady and concludes by declaring that she has fused as one with him, like life in a form, and that only being next to her was living, whereas parting away from her was death, so precious she was to him!

Passion and yearning sparkles in every line of this little verse, portraying that impossible battle in the life of a man from the Sangam era, caught between the burning flames of moving towards work and staying behind with love!