Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive an exquisite moment of anticipation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 9, penned by Kallaadanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the emotions in coming home to a beloved after a long separation.

கொல் வினைப் பொலிந்த, கூர்ங் குறும் புழுகின்,
வில்லோர் தூணி வீங்கப் பெய்த
அப்பு நுனை ஏய்ப்ப அரும்பிய இருப்பை,
செப்பு அடர் அன்ன செங் குழை அகம்தோறு,
இழுதின் அன்ன தீம் புழல் துய்வாய்
உழுது காண் துளைய ஆகி, ஆர் கழல்பு,
ஆலி வானின் காலொடு பாறி,
துப்பின் அன்ன செங் கோட்டு இயவின்,
நெய்த்தோர் மீமிசை நிணத்தின் பரிக்கும்
அத்தம் நண்ணிய அம் குடிச் சீறூர்
கொடு நுண் ஓதி மகளிர் ஓக்கிய
தொடி மாண் உலக்கைத் தூண்டு உரல் பாணி,
நெடு மால் வரைய குடிஞையோடு இரட்டும்
குன்று பின் ஒழியப் போகி, உரம் துரந்து,
ஞாயிறு படினும், ”ஊர் சேய்த்து” எனாது,
துனை பரி துரக்கும் துஞ்சாச் செலவின்
எம்மினும், விரைந்து வல் எய்தி, பல் மாண்
ஓங்கிய நல் இல் ஒரு சிறை நிலைஇ,
பாங்கர்ப் பல்லி படுதொறும் பரவி,
கன்று புகு மாலை நின்றோள் எய்தி,
கை கவியாச் சென்று, கண் புதையாக் குறுகி,
பிடிக் கை அன்ன பின்னகம் தீண்டி,
தொடிக் கை தைவரத் தோய்ந்தன்றுகொல்லோ
நாணொடு மிடைந்த கற்பின், வாள் நுதல்,
அம் தீம் கிளவிக் குறுமகள்
மென் தோள் பெற நசைஇச் சென்ற என் நெஞ்சே?

Back to the drylands in this verse, and in this instance, in contrast to the usual mood of sorrow in separation, we experience excitement and joy. Here, are the words rendered by a man, returning home from his mission, in the earshot of his charioteer:

“Akin to the sharp and short arrowheads, skilled in their task of killing, standing tall on the edges of arrows, bulging in the quivers of bowmen, buds of the ‘Mahua’ have bloomed. Akin to copper slates, hang the red leaves all around, and within them, extend the flowers’ sweet hollow tubes, akin to butter, and appear with fuzzy holes on the surface. Loosened from their stalks, these fall with the wind, akin to hail from the sky, and land upon the coral-like red mounds of earth, and appear akin to fatty meat atop blood!

In a beautiful, little hamlet within such a drylands, the sounds of maiden with fine, curly hair lifting their well-etched pestles and pounding against the mortar resound in rhythm with the hoot of the owl living in the tall mountain nearby.

Even when the sun has set, disappearing behind that mountain, losing its strength, without thinking, ‘the town is far away’, we journey on ceaselessly, stopping not our speeding horse. Even faster than us, hastening with strength, that heart of mine reaches my fine home, soaring with many glories, where my lady stands still in one spot, listening intently to the sounds of the lizard, in that evening hour, when calves return home from grazing.

Did it go near her with extended hands and close her eyes from behind?
Did it caress her long, thick braided hair, akin to a female elephant’s trunk?
Did it lose itself in those bangled hands?

I wonder what that heart of mine, which desired so much for the soft arms of that young maiden of sweet and beautiful words, with a shining forehead and a flawless chastity fused with modesty, did when it saw her!”

Let’s delve deeper into the verse! The man starts with a description of the drylands, and to do that, he talks about the sharp-edged flowers of the Mahua tree, looking like arrowheads, skilled in the art of killing, and the long hollow tubes of the flower, appearing akin to butter, and the way these flower clusters fall on the red earth beneath, looking like fat on blood. In Freudian style, we can infer from these similes: One, the man is returning from some war mission and two, he’s hungry and eager to savour the feast back home. Returning, the man connects how in these drylands the sounds of women pounding on their stones joins in rhythm with the hoots of owls in the nearby mountains.

After describing the place, now the man turns to talk about the time of the day and says how even though the sun has bid bye to the land and retired beyond yonder mountains, he stops not his horse but speeds on. However he notes that the curious thing here is that even faster than the man and his chariot, the man’s heart has sped on to his home, and found his wife, who was standing still and listening to the good omens from the clicks of the lizards. The man wonders if his heart went on and hid the eyes of his beloved from behind or whether it caressed her long tresses, akin to an elephant’s trunk, or whether it buried its face in her bangled hands? He ends his words in utter amazement, pondering on what his heart might have done, when it reached the arms of his beloved!

In the unique Sangam style, the man separates himself from his heart to express his deep yearning to be with the one he loves. It’s also a hidden nudge to his charioteer to hasten their return home. The verse brought in my mind’s eye the many scenes of reunion I have experienced and witnessed while waiting in airports and train stations. The sparkling eyes, embracing hands and even tears of joy that spill unchecked… All echo aloud the truth that be it in the eyes of this man from two thousand years ago, speeding on his chariot, or an astronaut, zooming back to earth on her space ship, what a delicious human emotion, homecoming is!

In this episode, we perceive the dangers in trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 8, penned by Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set amidst the hills and slopes of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse presents the challenges in the situation and its resolution in a hidden manner.

ஈயல் புற்றத்து ஈர்ம் புறத்து இறுத்த
குரும்பி வல்சிப் பெருங் கை ஏற்றை
தூங்கு தோல் துதிய வள் உகிர் கதுவலின்,
பாம்பு மதன் அழியும் பானாட் கங்குலும்,
அரிய அல்லமன், இகுளை! ”பெரிய
கேழல் அட்ட பேழ்வாய் ஏற்றை
பலா அமல் அடுக்கம் புலாவ ஈர்க்கும்
கழை நரல் சிலம்பின்ஆங்கண், வழையொடு
வாழை ஓங்கிய தாழ் கண் அசும்பில்,
படு கடுங் களிற்றின் வருத்தம் சொலிய,
பிடி படி முறுக்கிய பெரு மரப் பூசல்
விண் தோய் விடரகத்து இயம்பும் அவர் நாட்டு,
எண் அரும் பிறங்கல் மான் அதர் மயங்காது,
மின்னு விடச் சிறிய ஒதுங்கி, மென்மெல,
துளி தலைத் தலைஇய மணி ஏர் ஐம்பால்
சிறுபுறம் புதைய வாரி, குரல் பிழியூஉ,
நெறி கெட விலங்கிய, நீயிர், இச் சுரம்,
அறிதலும் அறிதிரோ?” என்னுநர்ப் பெறினே.

Fulfilling the promise of 2s and 8s, this verse transports us to the mountains of yore! Here, the words are spoken by the lady to her confidante, at a time when the man arrives to tryst with the lady, as the lady pretends not to notice the man, but ensuring he remains in earshot:

“Desiring the comb of termites’ nests as its food, the huge-handed male bear puts its hand into those termite mounds, made of moist mud. When it does so, the sharp nail attached to its hanging skin hooks on to a snake hiding within and destroys its strength, in the darkness of the midnight hour. Crossing over at even this deadly hour is not hard for us, my friend.

A wide-mouthed male tiger drags a huge male boar, killed by it, in the spaces of those hills abounding with jackfruit trees, with the smell of flesh reeking everywhere in the slopes, resounding with the swaying of bamboos. There, where drylands laurel wood trees soar along with the plantain trees, a strong male elephant slips on the slushy soil and falls into a pit. To resolve its angst, its mate bends a huge tree, and its loud sound resounds all around the ranges with sky-high peaks in the man’s mountain country. Here, without getting confused by the countless paths, where deer tread on, in the glow of the lightning, when we walk slowly, as the drops of rain drench our sapphire-like five-part braids, that has been combed so densely, hiding the small of the back, when we stand there squeezing the water out, crossing over at even that deadly hour of midnight is not hard for us, my friend, if we were to get someone who says these words with concern, “Do you know your way around this thick jungle with confusing paths?’”

Time to track the scents of these many mountain beasts! The lady starts by portraying a scene from the woods, where we see a male bear trotting off in search of food and spotting a termite mound, and then, putting its hand with sagging skin to pull out the comb of those ants’ nests. In the process, a snake hiding within gets hurt and finds its strength ruined. All this happens at the midnight hour, the lady says. So, here’s a reference to the time brought out by the action of this bear. Next, she goes on to describe the place, and to do that, she brings before us two different scenes: One, where we see a male tiger dragging its kill of a male boar, making the smell of flesh waft all around the slopes; And in the next scene, wherein we see how a male elephant has slipped on the slush in a place, dense with plantain and laurel wood trees, and fallen into a low pit. It struggles unable to ascend that slippery spot, and to its aid, the elephant’s mate steps up, and tries to bend the branch of a huge tree and the uproarious sound it makes in the process resounds all over the mountains of the man’s domain, the lady connects. So time done, place done, next the lady talks about how the weather is drenching the lady’s five-part thick braids and she finishes by telling her confidante that this time and place, if at all they had someone who would ask with care and concern, whether they knew where they were going in that spot, filled with confusing paths many, then even crossing over to meet the man, at that time and place, wouldn’t be such a difficult thing!

In essence, the lady is bringing forth all the dangers around trysting while at the same time, echoing her desire to meet up with the man at all odds. When she talks about the bear and the snake inside the termite mound, she expresses a metaphor for how the man has no intention of hurting her, just like the bear had no intention of attacking the snake, but that was the consequence of its action. Likewise, the lady is hurt by the man’s sporadic trysting, she implies. In the scene where the tiger drags its kill and makes its scent reek all over the mountains, the lady places it as a metaphor for how her relationship with the man is spreading slander all over their village. And in the final scene of the female elephant bending a tree to aid its mate out of the pit, the lady places a metaphor wondering what she and her confidante should do to help the man out of his distress of temporary and transient trysting and towards the joy of a permanent union. Fascinating how time and place and the creatures of the mountain turn a friend to the lady, and allow her to express her thoughts and wishes in a subtle but striking manner! Sangam poets yet again demonstrate their extraordinary skill of juxtaposing the mind on the wild!

In this episode, we look into the distraught emotions of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 7, penned by Kayamanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and vividly portrays a scene of separation and seeking.

‘முலை முகம்செய்தன; முள் எயிறு இலங்கின;
தலை முடிசான்ற; தண் தழை உடையை;
அலமரல் ஆயமொடு யாங்கணும் படாஅல்;
மூப்புடை முது பதி தாக்குஅணங்கு உடைய;
காப்பும் பூண்டிசின்; கடையும் போகலை;
பேதை அல்லை மேதைஅம் குறுமகள்!
பெதும்பைப் பருவத்து ஒதுங்கினை, புறத்து” என,
ஒண் சுடர் நல் இல் அருங் கடி நீவி,
தன் சிதைவு அறிதல் அஞ்சி இன் சிலை
ஏறுடை இனத்த, நாறு உயிர் நவ்வி!

வலை காண் பிணையின் போகி, ஈங்கு ஓர்
தொலைவு இல் வெள் வேல் விடலையொடு, என் மகள்
இச் சுரம் படர்தந்தோளே. ஆயிடை,
அத்தக் கள்வர் ஆ தொழு அறுத்தென,
பிற்படு பூசலின் வழிவழி ஓடி,
மெய்த் தலைப்படுதல்செல்லேன்; இத் தலை,
நின்னொடு வினவல் கேளாய்! பொன்னொடு
புலிப் பல் கோத்த புலம்பு மணித் தாலி,
ஒலிக் குழைச் செயலை உடை மாண் அல்குல்,
ஆய் சுளைப் பலவின் மேய் கலை உதிர்த்த
துய்த் தலை வெண் காழ் பெறூஉம்
கல் கெழு சிறுகுடிக் கானவன் மகளே.

Back to the repeating drylands but this time, it’s not a scene involving the parted man and the pining lady. The focus here is the other theme in this landscape, wherein a lady elopes with her beloved, leaving her family at a loss. Here, the lady’s foster mother, says these words, to a doe in the drylands:

“Hearing the words, ‘Your breasts have blossomed; Your sharp teeth have become radiant; Your hair has grown long; You now wear moist-leaved attires; So, do not go wherever you want along with your uproarious playmates, for in this ancient town, there are many spirits that could attack you; Accept the guard around the house and don’t even step into the backyard. You are no longer a naive child but an intelligent maiden, who has come of age, my little daughter!’, fearing that we have learnt of her mistake, her secret relationship, she overcame the strict guard of our fine home with shining lamps, O doe with the fragrant breath, belonging to a herd of sweet-sounding deer!

Like a deer that fleets away on seeing a net cast out, my daughter has left to the drylands with a young man wielding a victorious white spear. And here, akin to how cattle owners would chase relentlessly behind drylands robbers, who have stolen their cattle, to battle with them, I run behind her, and yet I see no sign of her. Can I ask you something? Please answer! That maiden, who wears a lone necklace, made of gold and tiger teeth, and luxuriant sedalia tree leaves as the attire around her fine waist, is the daughter of a forest dweller, who lives in a hill, filled with the soft-headed, white seeds of jackfruit clusters, relished and discarded by male monkeys! Have you seen her at all?”.

Let’s delve deeper into this tale! The mother starts by reminiscing about the words she spoke to her daughter, asking her not to step out of their house, as she had come of age and was no longer a naive little girl, who could go anywhere and play to her heart’s content. The mother also seems to have spooked the girl talking about spirits and what-not! And so, her girl had gone and done what most teenagers would do, which is the opposite of what’s being asked of them! Remember the mother is speaking to a doe she meets, and she uses a simile the creature would understand, placing in parallel the way a deer would run away, when spotting a net nearby, to how her daughter had escaped from their strict guard and eloped with a young man. Then, the mother comes to her own state and equates it to the relentless pursuit of cattle-owners behind robbers, who have stolen their cattle. But to no avail, she says with a wail to the doe, and ends her words by asking if the doe has seen her girl, who is the daughter of a mountain dweller, whose domain is filled with rocky spaces, where the white seeds of jackfruits, spit out from the mouths of male monkeys, abound!

A question arose in my mind about why this particular scene of a male monkey, spitting out seeds after relishing the jackfruit, to describe the mountain country! Could it be a hidden metaphor for the mother’s worry about that’s how her girl would be abandoned by the man she loves? We cannot say for sure, but the verse is nevertheless filled with elements of angst and anxiety that soars in the heart of someone who has lost something precious!

In this episode, we perceive the ire of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 6, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the lush fields and ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse portrays a strong reaction to an affront.

அரி பெய் சிலம்பின் ஆம்பல் அம் தொடலை,
அரம் போழ் அவ் வளைப் பொலிந்த முன்கை,
இழை அணி பணைத் தோள் ஐயை தந்தை,
மழை வளம் தரூஉம் மா வண் தித்தன்,
பிண்ட நெல்லின் உறந்தை ஆங்கண்
கழை நிலை பெறாஅக் காவிரி நீத்தம்,
குழை மாண் ஒள் இழை நீ வெய்யோளொடு,
வேழ வெண் புணை தழீஇ, பூழியர்
கயம் நாடு யானையின் முகன் அமர்ந்தாஅங்கு,
ஏந்து எழில் ஆகத்துப் பூந் தார் குழைய,
நெருநல் ஆடினை, புனலே; இன்று வந்து,
”ஆக வன முலை அரும்பிய சுணங்கின்,
மாசு இல் கற்பின், புதல்வன் தாய்!” என,
மாயப் பொய்ம்மொழி சாயினை பயிற்றி, எம்
முதுமை எள்ளல்; அஃது அமைகும் தில்ல!
சுடர்ப் பூந் தாமரை நீர் முதிர் பழனத்து,
அம் தூம்பு வள்ளை ஆய் கொடி மயக்கி,
வாளை மேய்ந்த வள் எயிற்று நீர்நாய்,
முள் அரைப் பிரம்பின் மூதரில் செறியும்,
பல் வேல் மத்தி, கழாஅர் அன்ன எம்
இளமை சென்று தவத் தொல்லஃதே;
இனிமை எவன் செய்வது, பொய்ம்மொழி எமக்கே?

We get to traverse ‘Marutham’ landscape for the first time in Aganaanooru, and we receive a promise that every song that ends in 6, will feature these farmlands. In this instance, a man has offended a lady by choosing to be with courtesans, and here, the lady renders these words to him, when he returns to her, seeking her grace:

“Wearing pebble-filled anklets and a garland of pink water-lilies, having forearms, adorned with conch shell bangles, cut with a saw, and bamboo-like arms, shining with ornaments, lives a maiden named ‘Aiyai’, whose father is the immensely generous ‘Thithan’, who renders wealth unto others, akin to a rain shower, in his town of Uranthai, heaped with mounds of paddy! In this town, where River Kaveri gushes with abundant waters, which never lets even the sturdiest of bamboo oars to stay steady, along with your desired one, wearing heaving earrings and shining ornaments, holding on to a white reed raft, crumpling the flower garland that was adorning your handsome chest, with the joy of elephants that take a dip in the ponds of the Poozhiyars, you played in the river stream yesterday;

Today, you come here, and say to me, “You are one with beautiful pallor spots, adorning your handsome breasts; one with flawless chastity; the mother of my son!”. You render these illusory praises as if you are humbled. Don’t you mock at my mature age! I have accepted it for what it is! The beauty of my youth, is akin to the town of Kazhaar, ruled by the many-speared ‘Maththi’, wherein after shaking the beautiful vines of the hollow-tubed ‘Vallai’ creepers, amidst water-filled fields, adorned with flaming lotuses, an otter with sharp teeth, which was preying on scabbard fish, then rests amidst the stalks of the thorny-stemmed cane bushes. I know fully well that this youth of mine has forsaken me long ago! So what good can your falsehood do to me?!”

Time to take a longer walk amidst the fertile vistas of ponds and paddy! The lady in this verse begins her statement by curiously talking about another lady, a princess named ‘Aiyai’, describing her ornaments and garlands. But, the focus quickly shifts to this princess’ father, a ruler named ‘Thithan’, and his immense generosity. This, not being ‘Puranaanooru’, this king too is not of much relevance in this verse, for the spotlight moves again to the town of ‘Uranthai’ that this king rules over. Even ‘Uranthai’, with its mounds of paddy, does not retain our attention for long, and instead the River Kaveri that gushes with much force through this town is brought before our eyes. Is it a song about the beauty of this ancient river? I can listen to that all day long! No, says the lady, and points to a pair playing in the waters, one, a handsome man wearing a garland on his chest, and the other, his desired maiden, adorned with beautiful ornaments. This pair apparently is the man and his courtesan, who were having a romp in the wild waters of the Kaveri, and the lady tastefully places in parallel the image of this duo, with a couple of elephants frolicking in the pond of the Poozhiyars, a clan renowned for the wealth of their white goats that we have seen in Natrinai and Kurunthogai!

The lady elaborates that the man was in such a joyous state with another woman only yesterday, and today, he has come so humbly praising the lady as one with much beauty, calling her the mother of his son. As if saying ‘Stop right there’, the lady asks the man not to render falsehoods about her beauty and mock at her maturing age. She then goes on to tell him that she has accepted that she has grown old, and her youth which echoed a beauty, akin to the fertile town of ‘Kazhaar’, ruled by Mathi’, had long left her. To talk about this ancient town, she mentions an otter that feeds on scabbard fish in the lush fields by day, and then retires to sleep amidst the cane bushes, in a metaphor for how the man seemed to be enjoying the graces of other women, and then wanting to retire to his own home! After rendering this hidden reprimand, the lady finishes saying to the man that his false words of praise were of no use, because she knows who she is!

Though it’s yet again the tussles of the farmlands filled with quarrels about courtesans, the striking elements here are self-knowledge and self-confidence. In that difficult moment, when the lady has been insulted by the man’s choice of a younger woman, she accepts what time has done to her own youth and beauty, and refuses to be swayed by false praises. Soaring tall before our eyes, the words of this Sangam lady echo a reverberating truth from those ancient skies that the most beautiful thing in a woman is her confidence!

In this episode, we relish the micro-elements of expressed emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 5, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and etches a striking portrait of an anxious heart.

அளி நிலை பொறாஅது அமரிய முகத்தள்,
விளி நிலை கொள்ளாள், தமியள், மென்மெல,
நலம் மிகு சேவடி நிலம் வடுக் கொளாஅ,
குறுக வந்து, தன் கூர் எயிறு தோன்ற
வறிது அகத்து எழுந்த வாய் அல் முறுவலள்,
கண்ணியது உணரா அளவை, ஒண்ணுதல்,
வினை தலைப்படுதல் செல்லா நினைவுடன்

முளிந்த ஓமை முதையல்அம் காட்டு,
பளிங்கத்து அன்ன பல் காய் நெல்லி,
மோட்டு இரும் பாறை, ஈட்டு வட்டு ஏய்ப்ப,
உதிர்வன படூஉம் கதிர் தெறு கவாஅன்,
மாய்த்த போல மழுகு நுனை தோற்றி,
பாத்தியன்ன குடுமிக் கூர்ங் கல்,
விரல் நுதி சிதைக்கும் நிரை நிலை அதர,
பரல் முரம்பு ஆகிய பயம் இல் கானம்
இறப்ப எண்ணுதிர் ஆயின் “அறத்தாறு
அன்று” என மொழிந்த தொன்றுபடு கிளவி
அன்ன ஆக” என்னுநள் போல,
முன்னம் காட்டி, முகத்தின் உரையா,
ஓவச் செய்தியின் ஒன்று நினைந்து ஒற்றி,
பாவை மாய்த்த பனிநீர் நோக்கமொடு,
ஆகத்து ஒடுக்கிய புதல்வன் புன் தலைத்
தூ நீர் பயந்த துணை அமை பிணையல்
மோயினள் உயிர்த்த காலை, மா மலர்
மணி உரு இழந்த அணி அழி தோற்றம்
கண்டே கடிந்தனம், செலவே ஒண்டொடி
உழையம் ஆகவும் இனைவோள்
பிழையலள்மாதோ, பிரிதும் நாம் எனினே!

Back to the drylands again but we get to witness the echoes of beating heart in this poem, vividly sketched by the profilic poet-king, whose verses we have encountered many a time in the other collections. Here are the words rendered by a man to his heart, at a moment when he must decide whether or not to part away from his wife:

“With a distant face that is not receptive to the grace rendered, without heeding my call, feeling isolated, walking so gently so as to leave no imprints of her beautiful feet on the land beneath, coming close by, showing her sharp teeth, she smiled an empty smile, bereft of truthful joy. Even before I realised that I intended to part, the maiden with a shining forehead was already showing how she disagreed with my parting away on a mission.

As if saying to me, “If you want to part away to that ancient forest with dried-up toothbrush trees, where marble-like gooseberry fruits lie scattered on wide, hard rocks, as if those are pawns collected for play; If you want to leave to those wide spaces, where the sun’s rays scorch, and where, as if shaped with a blade, segments of sharp-edged stones appear in rows and tear apart toe-ends of travellers, in those pebble-filled, useless scrub jungle, you are just proving that the age-old saying, ‘Parting away is an act of injustice’, is nothing but empty words, she expressed all this on her face, without words any. Constantly thinking about this one thing, she stood like a painting, with brimming tears, hiding her pupils. As she bent to smell the well-woven garland of waterlilies, plucked from the pure waters, adorning the head of her son, whom she held tightly on her bosom, she let out a sad sigh, and in that moment, those huge flowers lost their sapphire-hues. Seeing the ruined form of those flowers, I decided to put away my parting. For if my maiden wearing shining bangles suffers so much when I’m right next to her, how will she survive if I were to truly part away?”

Let’s go deeper into this scrub jungle of emotions! Taking a different route, the man in this verse starts by talking not about the drylands, where he’s usually expected to go, but instead on the expressions of his beloved. He talks about how distant she seems, how she is so lost that she doesn’t heed the call of her name, and when she comes close to him, walking so softly without any footprints, as if it would hurt the earth otherwise, she would give him a smile that he knows fully well is not her true, joyous smile. The man understands that all these effects are because the lady already senses that the man intends to leave even before the man himself has had that thought. After this, comes a vivid description of the drylands, and we get to see toothbrush trees again, as well as fallen gooseberries, which seem like small marbles or pawns that little children have collected to play with. The other striking element here are the effect of erosion on the rocky paths, that have turned these into sharp edges, waiting to gore the toes of travellers. The man connects these drylands to the thoughts of the lady, who seem to be saying to him, if you want to go there leaving me, you are not heeding the wise words of the ancients, who said ‘parting from a beloved is an act of injustice’.

The man then paints a picture of the lady as one who’s constantly obsessing over the thought that the man would leave, and she stands frozen like a painting, with tears brimming in her eyes. At this time, she bends down to smell the flowers on the head of her son, whom she holds close to her bosom, and as she does so, she lets out a sigh and the sadness of that sigh makes the blue hue of the flowers vanish and wilts them away. Seeing this moment, the man decides that he is not going to part away from the lady for if she suffers so much right when he’s near her, how will she be able to even bear a moment of actual separation!

The verse was a stunning instance of observation of micro-expressions and the inference of the momentous thoughts of the mind. What’s amazing to me is that the ancients seemed to have had so much time to delve so deeply into the nuances of the mind and its expressions! The way we sometimes fake a smile when sadness abounds inside, become unresponsive to the world outside and obsess over some event that is going to transpire, is all reflected so accurately in this verse from two thousand years ago, echoing the timelessness of emotions. A verse which shows us that indeed, true masters of the heart, our Sangam ancestors are!

In this episode, we perceive the blooming beauty of a forest in the rains, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 4, penned by Kurungudi Maruthanaar. Set amidst the blooms of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’, the verse conveys a message of hope.

முல்லை வைந் நுனை தோன்ற, இல்லமொடு
பைங் காற் கொன்றை மென் பிணி அவிழ,
இரும்பு திரித்தன்ன மா இரு மருப்பின்,
பரல் அவல் அடைய, இரலை தெறிப்ப,
மலர்ந்த ஞாலம் புலம்பு புறக்கொடுப்ப,
கருவி வானம் கதழ் உறை சிதறி,
கார் செய்தன்றே, கவின் பெறு கானம்.
குரங்கு உளைப் பொலிந்த கொய்சுவற் புரவி,
நரம்பு ஆர்த்தன்ன, வாங்கு வள்பு அரிய,
பூத்த பொங்கர்த் துணையொடு வதிந்த
தாது உண் பறவை பேதுறல் அஞ்சி,
மணி நா ஆர்த்த மாண் வினைத் தேரன்,
கறங்கு இசை விழவின் உறந்தைக் குணாது,
நெடும் பெருங் குன்றத்து அமன்ற காந்தட்
போது அவிழ் அலரின் நாறும்
ஆய் தொடி அரிவை! நின் மாண் நலம் படர்ந்தே.

And now, we encounter our first song in the ‘Mullai’ landscape and we receive the promise that every verse ending with the number 4, totalling 40, is going to take us on a forest trail. As we have seen in many other collections, this landscape dwells on the theme of patient waiting and in this instance, the confidante can be heard rendering these words to the lady, who is pining away, parted from her beloved:

“The wild jasmine blooms with sharp-tipped buds; Along with the clearing nut tree, the green-trunked golden shower opens out its delicate buds; A stag with dark antlers, akin to twisted iron, arrives at the pebble-filled puddles and then leaps about; The blooming land turns its back on its listless loneliness; All because the elements of the sky come together and scatter drops uproariously, and adorn the forests with the exquisite beauty of the rains. 

As he pulls the harness around his speeding horses with a curving mane to hasten them, thinking that it might disturb the honeybees, resting with their mates in the blooming flower orchards, he silences the tongues of bells in his well-etched chariot! He will, for sure, recollect the esteemed beauty of yours, akin to the fragrance of a flame-lily, opening its buds in the tall and huge hill to the east of Uranthai, a city roaring with the sounds of festivity, O maiden wearing fine ornaments, and come to you!”

Time to travel deeper into the woods! The confidante begins by etching the picturesque changes that happen in the forest, such as the blooming of jasmines, blossoming of the golden-shower tree, the leaping about of stags around water-filled puddles, echoing the joy of the earth at having been blessed with the showers of the sky. In short, it’s the onset of the rainy season, which no doubt is also the promised season of the man’s return.

After this alluring narration of the seasonal changes in nature, the confidante turns to present a slice of the man’s nature, saying he’s someone who would silence his chariot bells, thinking that it might disturb the bees resting with their mates in the flower orchards. Now the confidante turns the spotlight on the lady’s beauty and to do that, she talks about the fragrance of flame-lilies blooming in a hill to the east of ‘Uranthai’, the renowned capital of the Cholas, which is also decked in the uproarious sounds of festivities, no doubt celebrating the many victories of its rulers. A moment to pause and wonder if the hill being referred here to the east of Uranthai is the region currently known as ‘Malaikottai’ in the Tiruchirapalli district. Granted the vegetation is sparse and there’s no chance of a flame-lily blooming here now, but it’s quite possible two thousand years ago, this hill was covered with thick vegetation! Returning from our meanderings, we understand that the glimpse of this city and the hill to its east has been given, only to connect the lady’s beauty to the blooming flame-lilies there, and the confidante finishes her statement saying that the man will surely remember his lady and hasten his return to her!

In this verse, the confidante relays a message of consolation in an intricate way. She talks about the outer changes in the world, a harbinger of how the lady’s world too is going to bloom with the man’s arrival so, and then she talks about the considerate and compassionate nature of the man, who has concern even for the tiny bees, and as if asking how can such a person forget you and your yearning, the confidante consoles the lady with the promise of his return. And yet again, a Sangam verse leaves us in awe when we contemplate the way it employs the understanding of human nature and the power of words to bring hope and positivity to a saddened heart!

In this episode, we perceive the striking shades of inner conflict , as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 3, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches a man’s dilemma in his quest for wealth.

இருங் கழி முதலை மேஎந்தோல் அன்ன
கருங் கால் ஓமைக் காண்பு இன் பெருஞ் சினைக்
கடியுடை நனந்தலை, ஈன்று இளைப்பட்ட,
கொடு வாய்ப் பேடைக்கு அல்குஇரை தரீஇய,
மான்று வேட்டு எழுந்த செஞ் செவி எருவை
வான் தோய் சிமைய விறல் வரைக் கவாஅன்,
துளங்கு நடை மரையா வலம் படத் தொலைச்சி,
ஒண் செங் குருதி உவற்றி உண்டு அருந்துபு,
புலவுப் புலி துறந்த கலவுக் கழி கடு முடை,
கொள்ளை மாந்தரின் ஆனாது கவரும்
புல் இலை மராஅத்த அகன் சேண் அத்தம்,
கலம் தரல் உள்ளமொடு கழியக் காட்டி,
பின் நின்று துரக்கும் நெஞ்சம்! நின் வாய்
வாய்போல் பொய்ம்மொழி எவ்வம் என் களைமா
கவிர் இதழ் அன்ன காண்பு இன் செவ் வாய்,
அம் தீம் கிளவி, ஆய் இழை, மடந்தை
கொடுங் குழைக்கு அமர்த்த நோக்கம்
நெடுஞ் சேண் ஆர் இடை விலங்கும் ஞான்றே?

As promised, every other song, the odd numbered ones, are taking us to the drylands and in this particular song, the descriptions are so vivid, and seem like a nature documentary is playing out on paper. Here are the words spoken by the man to his heart, at the juncture when his heart pushes him to part away so as to seek wealth:

“Akin to the scaly skin of a crocodile in the salty backwaters, spreads the huge branch of the alluring, dark-trunked toothbrush tree. Upon this branch in that fearsome, wide space, rests a female bird with a curved beak, exhausted after giving birth. So as to bring good food for this young mother, its mate, the red-headed male vulture, which had been lying down in confusion, stands up and soars towards the sky-high peaks of the mountain ranges. In the slopes, it spots a mountain goat with a swaying gait, which has been attacked and killed by a tiger, which has then drunk up the radiant, red blood of the mountain goat with relish. The male vulture then ceaselessly steals the smelling flesh of this carcass, abandoned by the flesh-reeking tiger, akin to highway robbers, in that wide and faraway drylands, filled with dull-leaved burflower trees!

O heart, you stand behind me and nudge me, pointing to those drylands, asking me to travel thither and bring back wealth! How will these truth-like falsehoods from your mouth save me from my suffering, at that moment, when the beautiful eyes, set in perfect proportion to the heavy earrings, belonging to my naive maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments, and having red lips, akin to coral tree petals that render beautiful and sweet words, appear before me and block me in that long and winding, formidable path in the drylands?”

Time to delve into the nuances. The man starts with an intricate description of the drylands. First, we get to see the skin of a saltwater crocodile in the backwaters. Wait a minute, isn’t this the drylands? Why are we talking about the backwaters that are out of place here? Only to bring that striking image from another landscape as a parallel to the bark on the branch of a toothbrush tree that stands in these very drylands. A moment to reflect on the crocodiles referred! I learnt that though saltwater crocodiles were present in huge numbers in both Tamilnadu and Kerala. They were hunted to extinction around the 1930s and now all we have are the mugger or marsh freshwater crocodiles in these regions. By comparing the skin of a crocodile and the bark of a toothbrush tree, the Sangam poets bring flora and fauna together, representing the oneness of life. Moving on, the toothbrush tree has been brought to our attention to spotlight a tired mother vulture that has just given birth. Next to it, we see its mate, a male vulture with red ears. It has been lying there, not knowing what to do. It decides it must do something for its mate and so it stands up and soars in search of food. Roving the skies, on the mountain slopes, the keen-eyed vulture spots a mountain goat being felled by a tiger. The tiger then drinks up the blood and leaves the spoils behind, upon which our vulture scavenges and takes back the loot, like the thieving denizens of that drylands, the man describes. 

The man now turns to his heart and says that it has been pestering him to go to these drylands and beyond to bring back wealth. However, his past experiences make him turn to his heart and ask how can it even help him when the beautiful eyes of his lady appear in the middle of his journey and torment him! Saying so, the man decides not to venture forth, parting with the lady. In the description of the female vulture and its caring mate, the man places a metaphor for his own intention of providing for his lady and bringing back wealth for their happy life. At the same time, he’s conflicted because the pain of parting with her was too much for him to bear on a prior journey and he knows the same will follow him this time too. We have seen countless songs wherein the Sangam woman laments that the man has left her behind and parted away. To some extent, balance is restored by verses like this one, wherein men too feel the pain in parting and express to the world that love is not just a one-way path through those dreary but dramatic drylands!

In this episode, we delve into the art of conveying a nuanced message, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 2, penned by Kabilar. Set among the rocks and boulders of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse reveals the sensory delights of this land.

கோழிலை வாழைக் கோள் முதிர் பெருங் குலை
ஊழுறு தீம் கனி, உண்ணுநர்த் தடுத்த
சாரற் பலவின் சுளையொடு, ஊழ் படு
பாறை நெடுஞ் சுனை, விளைந்த தேறல்
அறியாது உண்ட கடுவன் அயலது
கறி வளர் சாந்தம் ஏறல்செல்லாது,
நறு வீ அடுக்கத்து மகிழ்ந்து கண்படுக்கும்
குறியா இன்பம், எளிதின், நின் மலைப்
பல் வேறு விலங்கும் எய்தும் நாட!

குறித்த இன்பம் நினக்கு எவன் அரிய?
வெறுத்த ஏஎர், வேய் புரை பணைத் தோள்,
நிறுப்ப நில்லா நெஞ்சமொடு நின்மாட்டு,
இவளும், இனையள்ஆயின், தந்தை
அருங் கடிக் காவலர் சோர் பதன் ஒற்றி,
கங்குல் வருதலும் உரியை; பைம் புதல்
வேங்கையும் ஒள் இணர் விரிந்தன;
நெடு வெண் திங்களும் ஊர்கொண்டன்றே.

Now, it’s the turn of the mountains to feature in Aganaanooru and I learnt that we can expect every poem ending in 2 or 8, totalling 80 poems, to transport us to the lush mountains of ancient Tamil land. Evidence of the mathematical rigour in the arrangement of these verses, I spoke about earlier! Here are the words that are rendered by the lady’s confidante to the man, when he comes to tryst with the lady:

“Huge fruit clusters in the luxuriant-leaved plantain, which have reached their natural destiny of ripeness, along with slices of jackfruit growing on the slopes, which satiate those who savour them because of their extreme sweetness, fall on age-old rocks and fuse with the wide springs. Such a delicate nectar is relished unknowingly by a male monkey, which then intoxicated, climbs not the sandalwood tree covered in pepper vines nearby, but instead sleeps with content, on the slopes filled with fragrant flowers. Such pleasures unsought for, are available so effortlessly to the many animals in your land, O lord!

If that is so, how will a pleasure that you seek be hard to attain for you? She, the one with overflowing beauty and bamboo-like, thick arms, has a heart that refuses to heed any obstacle and rushes to you. Such is her love for you! However, you need to watch out for those moments of fatigue in her father’s stern guards to come meet her at night; For now, amidst the green leaves of the Kino tree, bright flowers have bloomed, and the full, white moon too is out on the prowl!”

Let’s delve into the details. The confidante starts by talking about the man’s land, and to do that, she brings before our eyes, the image of the lush fruits, not only from a mountain plantain, but also the slices of a jackfruit that people fear because of their extreme sweetness. Imagine those delectable flavours! The pulp and nectar of both these fruits fall and dash against some rocks that have been standing there for eternity and then find their way to the springs and streams gushing nearby. A male monkey arrives near the stream and drinks up the water unknowingly and becomes so intoxicated by the sweetness that it doesn’t want to climb the sandalwood tree with pepper vines. But instead, it curls up for a good sleep amidst the flowers of the valley. The confidante has brought forth such a delicate narration to simply say such unimagined and unexpected pleasures are so easily to be found by even the animals of the man’s domain. She wonders when this is true, how will the lord of this domain, the man, be thwarted from a pleasure he seeks willingly! As if answering her rhetorical question, the confidante talks about how the lady reciprocates the man’s love steadfastly and that the lady’s heart heeds no one in its journey to be by the man’s side. While all may seem so gung-ho, the confidante introduces a thorn in her narrative, saying while these things seemed to be in the man’s favour, the man will still have to bide his time and wait for that rare moment when the guards that the lady’s father had assembled around their house, felt fatigue. The confidante ends her words by stating how the full moon was out in the blue skies, and the Kino trees were in full bloom, shedding the glow of their bright flowers, as well!

Through that finishing note, the confidante stresses how the man will be easily discovered in the light of the full moon, by the watchful guards around the lady’s home, thereby dissuading the man’s hidden hope of trysting by night. In her reference to the blooming Kino flowers, the confidante mentions that it’s the harvest season, and also, the season of marriages in their culture. Further, in that exquisite description of the sleeping monkey, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man seemed only intent on relishing the pleasures with the lady and it was now time to put some effort in climbing the sandalwood tree of a married union. Thus, in exquisite Sangam style, elements of nature are woven together intricately with the dynamics of relationship and responsibility and presented as a timeless treasure for our senses to savour!

I’m delighted to begin our exploration of Aganaanooru, a collection of four hundred verses of poetry, arranged with precision, to echo the inner life of ancient Tamils. In this episode, we perceive the emotions of a lady, parted away from her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 1, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands’ landscape, the verse depicts intricate elements of land and love with equal finesse. 

”வண்டு படத் ததைந்த கண்ணி, ஒண் கழல்,
உருவக் குதிரை மழவர் ஓட்டிய
முருகன் நற் போர் நெடு வேள் ஆவி,
அறுகோட்டு யானைப் பொதினி ஆங்கண்,
சிறு காரோடன் பயினொடு சேர்த்திய
கல் போல் பிரியலம்” என்ற சொல்தாம்
மறந்தனர்கொல்லோ தோழி! சிறந்த
வேய் மருள் பணைத் தோள் நெகிழ, சேய் நாட்டுப்
பொலங்கல வெறுக்கை தருமார் நிலம் பக,
அழல் போல் வெங்கதிர் பைது அறத் தெறுதலின்,
நிழல் தேய்ந்து உலறிய மரத்த; அறை காய்பு,
அறுநீர்ப் பைஞ் சுனை ஆம் அறப் புலர்தலின்,
உகு நெல் பொரியும் வெம்மைய; யாவரும்
வழங்குநர் இன்மையின், வௌவுநர் மடிய,
சுரம் புல்லென்ற ஆற்ற; அலங்கு சினை
நார் இல் முருங்கை நவிரல் வான் பூச்
சூரல்அம் கடு வளி எடுப்ப, ஆருற்று,
உடை திரைப் பிதிர்வின் பொங்கி, முன்
கடல் போல் தோன்றல காடு இறந்தோரே?

At the word go, the thing that struck me about this collection of verses was its perfect organisation. The poems in specific landscapes have been placed in specific positions with mathematic rigour. For instance, the first song we are exploring is a song from the ‘Paalai’ landscape, and I learnt that every odd-numbered song in this collection, totalling 200, is going to be from the same drylands domain. What about the other landscapes? That we’ll explore as we encounter each one! Here’s a translation of the first poem in this long series of drylands songs, wherein a lady speaks her heart to her confidante, saying:

“‘Renowned for the head garland, swarming with bees, and radiant anklets, which he wears, and the ‘Mazhavars’, with their handsome horses, whom he routed, is the God-Murugan-like, battle-worthy, tall-speared ‘Aavi’, the ruler of ‘Pothini’, a land known for its battle elephants with neatly shaped tusks. Akin to a whetstone assembled together with a strong glue by a young stone-worker in this land, we shan’t part’, he said! Has he forgotten that, my friend? 

Making my fine, thick, bamboo-like arms to wither away, so as to return with an abundance of gold ornaments from a faraway country, he left to that place, where splitting the earth beneath, fire-like hot rays of the sun clear the land of anything green, leaving trees with fading shadows, rocks that scorch, fresh springs with sweet waters to dry up without any respite, and the paddy falling down from the stalks to become fried and turn into puffed rice. Seeing no travellers around, even the waylaying robbers feel deprived in this listless-looking drylands path. From the swaying branches of the fibre-less drumstick tree, the withering, white flowers, severed by the hot and harsh winds, spread around and resound, akin to the spray of the breaking waves in the ocean’s front. Such is the drylands jungle, where he parted away to!”

Time to delve deeper into the nuances. The lady segments her words into three different sections. She first brings forth the promise made by the man and rather than simply saying he said that he would never ever part from me, she goes on to talk about a leader named ‘Aavi’ who was the ruler of ‘Pothini’, which some scholars say refer to the contemporary ‘Pazhani Hills’ of Tamil Nadu. This ruler is portrayed as a fine warrior, who has worn over the Mazhavars, owners of sturdy horses. But it’s not the leader the lady wants to focus on and rather turns her attention to the land he rules over, and here too, she zooms on to a particular professional, a stone-worker, and further, on an efficient whetstone that this person assembles using a stone base, a strong glue and possibly a sturdy handle. Why the lady talks about this object of industry is to bring in parallel the inseparability of the glued-together stone and handle to the promise of the man, who said they would be together so, never separating! 

After rendering the promise made by the man, the lady shifts to talk about the reason why he broke that promise and parted away, and that’s simply because the man wants to return with great wealth from a faraway land, and in this process, he makes the lady’s health fade. After this, the lady comes to the third and final part of her rendition, and brings before our eyes, the place where the man has left to. This is a place where the scorching rays of the sun vanquish anything green, and thereby, make the trees to lose the luxury of their thick shadows. Further, the rocks are burning away, springs are drying away and the paddy that’s falling down instantly becomes puffed rice! This reference reminded me of a video I recently saw, of a woman opening her window and extending a frying pan with a raw egg, and in minutes, that raw egg turns into an omelette, saying that’s how the weather’s now, in the Middle East. Not sure if that’s an exaggeration, or a true thing, but in any case, we have often talked about how we can make fried eggs on car bonnets in the summer, so hot that it is! The voice of this lady from our ancient past echoes the same thought, talking about how any wild paddy would become so fried that it would turn into puffed rice, like corn becoming popcorn! 

Returning from our food tour, we find the lady turning her attention to the pitiable state of the fearsome highway robbers, who have no one to rob in that dull and abandoned drylands. Next, she talks about the white flowers of a drumstick tree that have fallen down in hordes, pushed by a hot, harsh wind. The image of these fallen flowers, the lady compares to the foam of waves on an ocean shore, thereby transporting us to an entirely different domain, before bringing us back, and ending with the words that such is the severe nature of the place her man has parted away to! And thus, in this simple song talking about the promise of togetherness, we are left with little treasures like the existence of a whetstone industry, and the effect of the scorching sun on the land in that ancient place and time – Elements that we can identify with, even today!

In this episode, we listen to the consoling words of the confidante, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 150, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and portrays trust in the goodness and compassion of a person.

அயம் திகழ் நறுங் கொன்றை அலங்கல் அம் தெரியலான்
இயங்கு எயில் எயப் பிறந்த எரி போல, எவ்வாயும்,
கனை கதிர் தெறுதலின், கடுத்து எழுந்த காம்புத் தீ
மலை பரந்து தலைக் கொண்டு முழங்கிய முழங்கு அழல்
மயங்கு அதர் மறுகலின், மலை தலைக் கொண்டென,
விசும்பு உற நிவந்து அழலும், விலங்கு அரு, வெஞ் சுரம்

இறந்து தாம் எண்ணிய எய்துதல் வேட்கையால்,
அறம் துறந்து ஆயிழாய்! ஆக்கத்தில் பிரிந்தவர்
பிறங்கு நீர் சடைக் கரந்தான் அணி அன்ன நின் நிறம்
பசந்து, நீ இனையையாய், நீத்தலும் நீப்பவோ?

கரி காய்ந்த கவலைத்தாய், கல் காய்ந்த காட்டகம்,
‘வெரு வந்த ஆறு’ என்னார், விழுப் பொருட்கு அகன்றவர்,
உருவ ஏற்று ஊர்தியான் ஒள் அணி நக்கன்ன, நின்
உரு இழந்து இனையையாய், உள்ளலும் உள்ளுபவோ?

கொதித்து உராய்க் குன்று இவர்ந்து, கொடிக் கொண்ட கோடையால்,
‘ஒதுக்கு அரிய நெறி’ என்னார், ஒண் பொருட்கு அகன்றவர்,
புதுத் திங்கட் கண்ணியான் பொன் பூண் ஞான்று அன்ன, நின்
கதுப்பு உலறும் கவினையாய், காண்டலும் காண்பவோ?

ஆங்கு
அரும் பெறல் ஆதிரையான் அணி பெற மலர்ந்த
பெருந் தண் சண்பகம் போல, ஒருங்கு அவர்
பொய்யார் ஆகுதல் தெளிந்தனம்
மை ஈர் ஓதி மட மொழியோயே!

It’s the confidante’s voice we hear again, but this time, she works her charm on the lady. The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to the flame that was shot to burn the hanging forts by the One, wearing a beautiful garland, woven with the flowers of the golden shower, blooming near the waters, as the thick rays of the sun tormented all the time, a wild fire shot up with fury in the bamboos, and spread across the mountains. The roaring heat in the bewildering jungle paths, rose from the mountains and soared till the skies, scattering the animals in that harsh and scorching drylands!

Leaving thither with the desire of attaining what he wanted, he seems to have let go of righteousness, O maiden wearing well-etched jewels, so as to go in search of wealth. But would he want to forsake you utterly, making you suffer and causing pallor to spread on your radiant hue, akin to the One, who holds the abundant river in the locks of his hair?

In those burnt and scorched forking paths amidst the dry jungles in the mountain, without considering ‘This is a fearsome path’, he parted away to gain wealth. But would he want to think that you would suffer so much, losing your form, in the glowing complexion of the One, who rides a handsome bull?

To those peaks, where the scorching summer sun has planted its flag, without considering, ‘This is a path to be avoided’, he parted away to earn wealth. But would he want to see the withering of your lush, dark tresses, hanging low, akin to the golden ornaments worn by the One, who wears a head garland of the crescent moon?

And so, akin to how the huge and cool golden champak flowers, which adorn the First One, who rules over the precious Aathirai star, blooms without fail in the right time, he too would never fail in his words. Know this and be at peace, O maiden with thick, moist tresses and naive, sweet words!”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage, to seek wealth. Here, the confidante comforts her friend, as the lady wallows because of the separation. Curiously, the confidante begins her words not by describing the man’s domain by the sea or even the time of the day, as has been the custom in these past songs, but instead focuses on the place, to which the man has left, which is the drylands. She sketches the scorching heat of this region, where bamboos burst aflame and wild fires spread throughout, dispersing animals and confusing the wayfarers. To etch the heat of this land, the confidante presents the mythological reference of a God, who aims a flaming arrow at the hanging forts of the demons. Looking back to the very first Kalithogai verse, after the God’s praise, Kalithogai 2, we would find the same reference to God Siva, burning the three forts of the demons. 

Returning back to the reality of the drylands, the confidante connects how the man had left to such a place, seemingly without a sense of justice, just following his own ambition, without thinking how fearsome those scorched paths would be, without deciding to avoid those paths where the burning summer sun reigned with terror, all because the man wanted to earn wealth. At the same time, the confidante asks her friend whether the lady thought the man would utterly abandon her, making pallor spread on her form, lose her health and glow and wither her thick tresses. In each of these sentences, the confidante elevates the beauty of the lady by comparing it with references to God Siva, placing in parallel with the lady’s qualities, his radiant hue, his glowing complexion and the golden ornaments that hang low on his chest. Although the God is not named as such, interpreters have identified this God, owing to the references of holding a river in the locks of his hair, riding a bull and wearing a crescent moon on his head. 

After that divine tribute to the beauty of the lady, the confidante now points to the golden champak flowers, referring to how these flowers always bloom without fail. The flowers are once again connected to God Siva, said to bloom, so as to adorn this god, who is also described as On,e ruling over the Orion star. The unfailing flowering of those champak flowers, the confidante connects back to the man’s nature of upholding his promises, and concludes asking her friend, the maiden with beautiful tresses and soft words, to see this truth about her beloved and find peace. 

Although most of the elements of this verse point in the direction of the drylands or ‘Paalai’ region, perhaps because it has the quality of a lady’s lament, this verse has been added to the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’. With this verse, we come to the end of this domain, which seemed to predominantly focus on the pain of a lady separated from her beloved and a few instances of the ‘Madal eruthal’ or ‘Riding a palm horse’ strategy employed by a man to win over his maiden. This is not only the last verse of the ‘Neythal ‘domain but also the last verse of this Kalithogai anthology of poems. Interesting how the stanzas of this verse make a reference to god to talk about the beauty of a woman or the promise of a man. This to me, echoes the profound truth that if we want to see god, we can see it in the best of what makes us, and to do that, all we need are the eyes of love!