Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive the lady’s persuasive words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 20, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and etches the value of togetherness.

பல் வளம் பகர்பு ஊட்டும் பயன் நிலம் பைது அற,
செல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு செயிர் சினம் சொரிதலின்,
தணிவு இல் வெங் கோடைக்குத் தண் நயந்து அணி கொள்ளும்
பிணி தெறல் உயக்கத்த பெருங் களிற்றினம் தாங்கும்
மணி திகழ் விறல் மலை வெம்ப, மண் பக,
துணி கயம் துகள் பட்ட தூங்கு அழல் வெஞ் சுரம்

‘கிளி புரை கிளவியாய்! நின் அடிக்கு எளியவோ,
தளி உறுபு அறியாவே, காடு?’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
வளியினும் வரை நில்லா வாழு நாள், நும் ஆகத்து
அளி என, உடையேன் யான்; அவலம் கொண்டு அழிவலோ?

‘ஊறு நீர் அமிழ்து ஏய்க்கும் எயிற்றாய்! நீ உணல் வேட்பின்,
ஆறு நீர் இல’ என, அறன் நோக்கிக் கூறுவீர்!
யாறு நீர் கழிந்தன்ன இளமை, நும் நெஞ்சு என்னும்
தேறு நீர், உடையேன் யான்; தெருமந்து ஈங்கு ஒழிவலோ?

‘மாண் எழில் வேய் வென்ற தோளாய்! நீ வரின், தாங்கும்
மாண் நிழல் இல, ஆண்டை மரம்’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
நீள் நிழல் தளிர் போல நிறன் ஊழ்த்தல் அறிவேன்; நும்
தாள் நிழல் கைவிட்டு யான் தவிர்தலைச் சூழ்வலோ?

என ஆங்கு,
‘அணை அரும் வெம்மைய காடு’ எனக் கூறுவீர்!
கணை கழிகல்லாத கல் பிறங்கு ஆர் இடை,
பணை எருத்து எழில் ஏற்றின் பின்னர்ப்
பிணையும் காணிரோ? பிரியுமோ, அவையே?

The lady takes the spotlight in this verse. The words can be translated as follows:

“Drying up the productive land with much prosperity that fed many, the hastening rays of the sun scatter seething rage. In this hot summer lacking compassion, desiring coolness, wanting to overcome the deep affliction that surrounds, herds of elephants ascend the sapphire-hued, strong mountains but even those mountains swelter in the heat. The earth is parched, dust covers the once-clear pond and flames hang around in the hot drylands.

You say to me, ‘O maiden, who speaks akin to a parrot! Would it be easy for your feet to tread upon that drylands jungle that knows not what rain is?’. However, the days of one’s life is more uncertain than the fleeting wind. I see your heart as the source of my grace; Should I be destroyed by despair here?

You say to me, ‘O maiden, who sheds nectar in your mouth! To quench your thirst, the rivers there have no water’. However, youth fades away, akin to the flow of river water. I see your heart as the source of my water. Should I be ruined by suffering here?

You say to me, ‘O maiden, who has exquisite arms that win over even bamboos! If you are to come with me, the trees there offer no shade’. However, I will lose my colour, akin to a shrub growing in a thick shade; I see your feet as the source of my shade. Should I be scorched by separation here?

Even when I say all this, you say, ’The drylands jungle would be unbearably hot for you!’. In that formidable path, filled with rocks, so dense that arrows cannot pierce through, haven’t you seen the fine male deer with a thick neck being followed by its female? Do they ever separate?”

Time to delve into the nuances. The verse is set in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he conveys his intent to the lady, she replies to him with these words. The lady starts with a searing description of the drylands, talking about how the once-fertile land has turned barren because of the sun’s harsh rays. This tells us that there was no separate desert or drylands tract in Sangam times, but only climate-induced variation in these hills, forests or farmlands. Returning, next she talks about how elephants seeking coolness attempt to climb to higher altitudes but even these hills have not been spared by the summer’s heat. In a crisp portrait, she talks about how the earth is broken and parched, only dust spreads over the once-lush ponds and wild fires tease the air in that drylands.

After sketching the drylands so, the lady talks about how the man insists that her feet will not be able to bear the heat of the drylands, how there would be no water to quench her thirst and how the trees would have no shade to offer, in his attempt to dissuade the lady from accompanying him to the drylands. To these declarations, the lady responds that the days of life fleet away like the wind, youth like flowing water and that she was sure to lose her health and beauty, as pallor spreads on her, like that on a plant growing in the shade of a huge tree. She emphatically says to the man that he is her source of grace, her elixir and her shade, and that she was not ready to suffer alone without him. As the final punch, she takes him to those drylands paths, so dense and formidable and points to the scene of a female deer following its male, and ends with the piercing question, as to whether these deers ever separate! Although it’s again a song of ‘Take me with you’, the sensory images of a breeze brushing past, river water gushing by, a shrub in the shade and the together deer are etched in our minds vividly, echoing the truth of how the world around us can show the way for the inner journey of our hearts!

In this episode, we perceive the confidante’s disappointment in the man’s decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 19, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the consequences of the man’s parting.

செவ்விய தீவிய சொல்லி, அவற்றொடு
பைய முயங்கிய அஞ்ஞான்று, அவை எல்லாம்
பொய்யாதல் யான் யாங்கு அறிகோ மற்று? ஐய!
அகல் நகர் கொள்ளா அலர் தலைத் தந்து,
பகல் முனி வெஞ் சுரம் உள்ளல் அறிந்தேன்;
மகன் அல்லை மன்ற, இனி
செல்; இனிச் சென்று நீ செய்யும் வினை முற்றி,
‘அன்பு அற மாறி யாம் உள்ளத் துறந்தவள்
பண்பும் அறிதிரோ?’ என்று, வருவாரை
என் திறம் யாதும் வினவல்; வினவின்,
பகலின் விளங்கு நின் செம்மல் சிதைய,
தவல் அருஞ் செய் வினை முற்றாமல், ஆண்டு ஓர்
அவலம் படுதலும் உண்டு.

The confidante employs the voice of the lady to prevent the man from going ahead with his plan. The words can be translated as follows:

“Saying the right and sweet things, you passed your days in a gentle embrace then. How could I know that all that would turn to be falsehoods, O lord? Spreading slander that even this vast town cannot bear, you intend to leave to the hot drylands, swamped by the rage of the seething sun; You are not a honourable man, for sure! So, go now. But, when you are in the midst of the task you set out to do, to those who travel thither, do not enquire about my state asking, ‘Do you know how the one, whom I abandoned without love, is doing now?’ If you ask so, ruining your esteem, akin to the shining sun, this great and important task that cannot wait, may incur the disrepute of being left incomplete!”

Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady, after marriage. Even after the confidante’s repeated attempts at dissuading him, the man was intent on leaving the lady to pursue his mission. Understanding this, the confidante speaks to him, assuming the voice of the lady, to drive home her perspective. We hear the lady’s voice recollecting how the man used to say the perfect words to win her heart and had spent his days in her embrace during the past. She laments that she didn’t realise all that was false now. This makes me wonder what these men said to their ladies when in courtship! Is it ‘never ever will I part away from you’, ‘every day of my life I will be only right next to you’? Even the idea of making such promises seems bizarre. Returning, the confidante in the lady’s voice says how slander is spreading in town because the man’s parting away to the drylands. As to why the town must gossip if the man is leaving the lady to pursue a mission or seek wealth, will forever remain a puzzle to me. The confidante goes to the extent of calling the man ‘a person without honour’, just because of his intention to leave!

Then, as if accepting his decision, in the lady’s voice, the confidante says to the man, ‘Sure, go now, but don’t you ask others from our town about how I’m faring when you are in the midst of your mission’. Without explicitly saying why the man shouldn’t ask that question, the confidante says, if the man happens to ask that question, then he may have to abandon that great task midway, bringing disrepute to his glowing honour as a leader. Thereby, she implies that the man will hear the news of the lady’s end as the answer to his question.

Yet again, this lady is presented as a vulnerable being, like a dry and dead twig that will break in a moment, in the man’s absence. The thing is, it’s not even the understandable grief that arises, because of an irreversible parting that we are talking about here, like death, or a journey to some faraway land, where the return is not assured. Just a parting to another place, where there’s even chance of meeting people from the lady’s town, is projected with so much drama. Seeing with our modern eyes, in a time when women live, work, travel, even to space and beyond, on their own, such depictions are hard to accept. Even in that ancient era in the Sangam tradition, this could be a fixed theme that poets had to write about, with little connection to reality. In any case, glad to have progressed to live in a time and land, where such descriptions of a fragile woman have no place! At the same time, my heart goes out to the women in Afghanistan today, whose freedoms are being unimaginably curtailed in the hands of the misguided proponents of patriarchy! Hope these mothers, sisters and daughters, along with others like them in some other parts of the world, will break free from the shackles of this male-dominated oppression that goes on even in this twenty-first century!

In this episode, we listen to the confidante’s plea to the man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 18, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays the irreplaceable importance of togetherness.

அரும் பொருள் வேட்கையின் உள்ளம் துரப்ப,
பிரிந்து உறை சூழாதி ஐய! விரும்பி நீ,
என் தோள் எழுதிய தொய்யிலும், யாழ நின்
மைந்துடை மார்பில் சுணங்கும், நினைத்துக் காண்:
சென்றோர் முகப்பப் பொருளும் கிடவாது;
ஒழிந்தவர் எல்லாரும் உண்ணாதும் செல்லார்;
இளமையும் காமமும் ஓராங்குப் பெற்றார்
வளமை விழைதக்கது உண்டோ? உள நாள்,
ஒரோஒ கை தம்முள் தழீஇ, ஒரோஒ கை
ஒன்றன் கூறு ஆடை உடுப்பவரேஆயினும்,
ஒன்றினார் வாழ்க்கையே வாழ்க்கை; அரிதுஅரோ,
சென்ற இளமை தரற்கு!

The confidante refuses the man’s request in a different style. The words can be translated as follows:

“As your heart pushes you with desire for wealth, you want to part away. Don’t think of doing that, O lord! Seeing the ‘thoyyil patterns’ you painted with love on my arms, and the beauty spots that appeared on me when I embraced your strong chest, reconsider your decision; Wealth does not lie in waiting for those who part away to collect; Those who do not pursue it are not doomed to the fate of starving either; When youth and love lies together in one’s hands, does wealth even compare? In the days of one’s life, even if they have to be, with one hand, embracing each other, and with the other hand, wearing a small piece of cloth each, split from a single piece, this life of togetherness is what’s true life. It’s impossible, isn’t it, to regain lost youth?”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage, with the intent of seeking wealth. When he conveys this to the confidante, she says these words to the man, and in a few lines, she speaks using the lady’s voice as well. The confidante talks about how the man’s heart is nudging him to go seek wealth. She asks him to not indulge in that sort of thinking. Speaking in the lady’s voice now, she says he should focus on the beautiful art patterns he drew with love on her arms and also observe the beauty spots that appeared when he embraced the lady. In short, he should focus not on some faraway, abstract thing, but be present in the present with the lady.

Following this, the confidante continues saying that’s no easy task to gather wealth, and also, those who don’t part away in such pursuits don’t end up starving either. This tells us that the man has enough in life already. Returning, we see the confidante continuing by asking would anyone who has both youth and love ever think of leaving that and going in search of wealth. She then portrays an impoverished couple, who embrace each other with one hand, and with the other hand, hold on to a sparse cloth to cover themselves. She says even such a life without wealth or possessions but in togetherness is what can be called a true and meaningful life. The confidante concludes with the declaration that lost youth can never be brought back! And yet again, with these emphatic words, the confidante intends to make the man give up his journey. The core thought this ancient verse presents to us is that togetherness in youth beats the pursuit of wealth in the race of life!

In this episode, we perceive picturesque similes employed to persuade a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 17, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents the power of the right words at the right time.

படை பண்ணிப் புனையவும், பா மாண்ட பல அணை
புடை பெயர்ந்து ஒடுங்கவும், புறம் சேர உயிர்ப்பவும்,
‘உடையதை எவன் கொல்?’ என்று ஊறு அளந்தவர்வயின்
நடை செல்லாய், நனி ஏங்கி நடுங்கற்காண் நறுநுதால்!

‘தொல் எழில் தொலைபு இவள் துயர் உழப்ப, துறந்து நீ,
வல் வினை வயக்குதல் வலித்திமன்; வலிப்பளவை,
நீள் கதிர் அவிர் மதி நிறைவு போல் நிலையாது,
நாளினும் நெகிழ்பு ஓடும் நலன் உடன் நிலையுமோ?

ஆற்றல் நோய் அட, இவள் அணி வாட, அகன்று நீ,
தோற்றம் சால் தொகு பொருள் முயறிமன்; முயல்வளவை,
நாற்றம் சால் நளி பொய்கை அடை முதிர் முகையிற்குக்
கூற்று ஊழ் போல் குறைபடூஉம் வாழ்நாளும் நிலையுமோ?

வகை எழில் வனப்பு எஞ்ச, வரை போக வலித்து நீ,
பகை அறு பய வினை முயறிமன்; முயல்வளவை,
தகை வண்டு புதிது உண்ணத் தாது அவிழ் தண் போதின்
முகை வாய்த்த தடம் போலும் இளமையும் நிலையுமோ?’

என ஆங்கு,
பொருந்தி யான் தான் வேட்ட பொருள்வயின் நினைந்த சொல்,
திருந்திய யாக்கையுள் மருத்துவன் ஊட்டிய
மருந்து போல், மருந்து ஆகி, மனன் உவப்ப
பெரும் பெயர் மீளி பெயர்ந்தனன் செலவே.

The confidante’s ‘no’ said with much imagery! The words can be translated as follows:

“Saying, ‘Refining and readying weapons, moving away and lying afar on the fine bed with many pillows, sighing when embraced from behind, he acts differently’, and wondering, ‘What could be in his mind?’, like those who mull over problems to come, unable to be normal, don’t you tremble and quiver, O maiden with a fragrant forehead!

‘Making her lose her old beauty, leaving her to wallow in sorrow, you intend to leave her and go fulfil your duties of strength; Strong indeed, you are! If you be so, akin to how the long-rayed, blooming, full moon, does not remain so, day by day, the beauty of hers will desert her. Will it remain till you return?’

‘Making the disease of affliction invade her, as her beauty fades, you intend to move away from her and try to gather that outwardly esteemed wealth; If you do so, akin to how a mature bud amidst the leaves in a fragrant, wide pond meets death, time will diminish her days. Will these remain till you return?’

‘Making her many different qualities of beauty vanish, you intend to part away to the mountains and try to fulfil your duties of quelling your enemies; If you do so, akin to the waters of a pond filled with buds, to eat whose cool pollen, many bees arrive, over time, her beauty too will recede. Will it remain till you return?’

Saying all these, the thoughtful and meaningful words that I rendered with relevance, akin to the perfect medicine given to the suffering body by the healer, it became a cure for him. And so, making your heart delight, the great and famous lord set aside his journey!”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady after marriage. Within this verse, the thoughts of the lady, words of the confidante to the man are presented in the cover voice of the confidante. At first, the confidante relays the words the lady just told her, about how the man seemed to be preparing his weapons, and then, lying away from her on the bed, and also, sighing whenever the lady embraced him. Noticing these subtle gestures, the lady has become worried and asks the confidante what he could be thinking. The confidante asks her not to worry at all, and then goes on to convey her conversation with the man.

The confidante, in the three-step approach, talks to the man mentioning about how he intends to leave the lady and part away to fight a battle, win over the wealth and subdue his enemies. She puts forth three pertinent questions then. One, won’t the lady’s beauty fade like how the full moon wanes? Two, won’t time diminish the days of the lady like how a bloomed bud finds its end in the hands of death? Three, won’t the lady’s beauty recede like the waters of a pond, now so lush, as the time parted increases? In each case, she asks the man whether the lady’s life and beauty will remain till he comes back. She concludes to the lady that because she said these well-thought-out words of substance, like how the perfect medicine given by a doctor cures the patiently instantly, the man too was cured of his intention to leave on his mission, and making the lady happy, he had decided to give up his journey.

We can’t help noticing how the confidante pats herself on her back for her perfect words to persuade the man! The highlight of this verse is the sequence of striking similes that denote the lack of permanence, used to indicate the importance of being present and content. Also, through the last simile, fascinating to know about the medicine people of Sangam times and their perfect cures for conditions then! Unfortunate that owing to the passing of time, we will never know what these perfect cures are. In the race against time, science has lost and poetry has won, presenting another argument for the power and permanence of words and emotions!

In this episode, we perceive the deep love in the lady for the man who has parted away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 16, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals nuanced perspectives about seeking the help of gods.

பாடு இன்றிப் பசந்த கண் பைதல பனி மல்க,
வாடுபு வனப்பு ஓடி வணங்கு இறை வளை ஊர,
ஆடு எழில் அழிவு அஞ்சாது, அகன்றவர்திறத்து, இனி
நாடுங்கால், நினைப்பது ஒன்று உடையேன்மன்? அதுவும்தான்

தொல் நலம் தொலைபு, ஈங்கு, யாம் துயர் உழப்பத் துறந்து, உள்ளார்,
துன்னி, நம் காதலர், துறந்து ஏகும் ஆர் இடை,
‘கல்மிசை உருப்பு அறக் கனை துளி சிதறு!’ என,
இன் இசை எழிலியை இரப்பவும் இயைவதோ?

புனையிழாய்! ஈங்கு நாம் புலம்புற, பொருள் வெஃகி,
முனை என்னார் காதலர் முன்னிய ஆர் இடை,
‘சினை வாடச் சிறக்கும் நின் சினம் தணிந்தீக!’ என,
கனை கதிர்க் கனலியைக் காமுறல் இயைவதோ?

ஒளியிழாய்! ஈங்கு நாம் துயர் கூர, பொருள்வயின்,
அளி ஒரீஇக் காதலர் அகன்று ஏகும் ஆர் இடை,
‘முளி முதல் மூழ்கிய வெம்மை தீர்ந்து உறுக!’ என,
வளி தரும் செல்வனை வாழ்த்தவும் இயைவதோ?

என ஆங்கு,
செய் பொருட் சிறப்பு எண்ணிச் செல்வார்மாட்டு, இனையன
தெய்வத்துத் திறன் நோக்கி, தெருமரல் தேமொழி!
‘வறன் ஓடின் வையகத்து வான் தரும் கற்பினாள்
நிறன் ஓடிப் பசப்பு ஊர்தல் உண்டு’ என,
அறன் ஓடி விலங்கின்று, அவர் ஆள்வினைத் திறத்தே.

The man’s gone and it’s the confidante’s mission to heal the sorrowful lady! The words can be translated as follows:

“Making my sleepless, pallor-filled eyes well with the tears of suffering, my beauty to fade and vanish as my bangles slip away from my forearms, he left without fearing the ruin to my beauty. When I consider his situation now, I think I could do one thing. And that is:

Making my old beauty to be lost, without considering that I would wallow in sorrow, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, forsaking me. Would it be right if I pleaded to the sweet-voiced clouds upon the path he walks, saying, ‘May you scatter your rain drops abundantly to subdue the heat atop the rocky terrain!’?

O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, leaving me to lament here, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, without considering the many obstacles on the way. Would it be right if I ask with sweetness to the thick-rayed sun atop the path he walks, saying, ‘May your fury that withers branches subside!’?

O maiden wearing radiant ornaments, leaving me in deep misery here, the lover of mine left, desiring wealth, without a shred of grace. Would it be right if I praise the lord of the winds that blow upon the path, he walks, saying, ‘May you spread without the heat that burns bushes!’?

Thinking so about the man who left considering only the greatness of gaining wealth, you don’t have to be confused about seeking the grace of these gods, O honey-voiced maiden. Saying, ’On the woman of such chastity, who can make rains pour upon the earth when parched, pallor would spread, ruining the beauty of her skin’, the god of justice ran with haste and removed all the impediments in his mission to seek wealth.”

Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with the intent of seeking wealth. In this verse, there’s a nested structure of words said by the lady, which are repeated and concluded in the confidante’s voice. At first, we hear the lady repeating in different ways how the man’s parting way has affected her, with the core thought that it has made her beauty vanish and her bangles to slip away. She projects the man as someone who did not consider how she would suffer and thought only about his mission to seek wealth. Even with so much thoughtlessness on his part, the lady cannot stop thinking of him and wonders what she could do to make his journey bearable.

In the three-tiered approach that we have become accustomed to, in Kalithogai, she wonders if she should ask the clouds to pour down their drops so that the rocks he walks on, will be cooler and pleasant; if she should ask the sun to not spread its rays so furiously so that the branches can survive with their leaves and save her beloved from the heat; and finally, if she should ask the wind to blow without the heat that burns bushes so that the man’s walk might be a little cooler and pleasant. The confidante repeats these words and tells the lady that there’s no need to be worried and confused about seeking the help of all these gods. A moment to pause here and note that the lady’s confusion was because of the implied fact that it was not considered right for a woman to plead even to the gods for anything, such was their chastity to their husbands! Returning, the confidante remarks on this very quality of the lady, saying her chastity was such that she had the power to make the rains pour on parched earth if she so wanted. And the confidante says that it’s not only her, who thinks so, but the god of justice, who understanding this truth and fearing that pallor would spread on such a chaste lady, had gone and helped the man in every way, removing all hindrances in his path, so that he can finish his mission promptly and return to his noble wife!

A unique verse that reveals the dynamics of a relationship between a married woman and the gods in Sangam times. That’s why even though there’s so much sorrow and suffering on account of the missing man, we don’t see prayers and requests put forth to heavenly entities in Sangam literature, unlike the later eras, when religion dominated these matters in the hearts of separated lovers. Husband above all, even god, seems to be the motto of these Sangam women, according to the words of these ancient poets!

In this episode, we listen to strong arguments against parting away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 15, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches a vivid portrait of the drylands’ denizens.

அரி மான் இடித்தன்ன, அம் சிலை வல் வில்
புரி நாண், புடையின், புறம் காண்டல் அல்லால்
இணைப் படைத் தானை அரசோடு உறினும்
கணைத் தொடை நாணும் கடுந் துடி ஆர்ப்பின்,
எருத்து வலிய எறுழ் நோக்கு இரலை
மருப்பின் திரிந்து மறிந்து வீழ் தாடி,
உருத்த கடுஞ் சினத்து, ஓடா மறவர்,
பொருள் கொண்டு புண் செயின் அல்லதை, அன்போடு
அருள் புறம் மாறிய ஆர் இடை அத்தம்

புரிபு நீ புறம் மாறி, போக்கு எண்ணி, புதிது ஈண்டிப்
பெருகிய செல்வத்தான் பெயர்த்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
செயலை அம் தளிர் ஏய்க்கும் எழில் நலம்; அந் நலம்
பயலையால் உணப்பட்டுப் பண்டை நீர் ஒழிந்தக்கால்?

பொய் அற்ற கேள்வியால், புரையோரைப் படர்ந்து, நீ
மை அற்ற படிவத்தான் மறுத்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
தீம் கதிர் மதி ஏய்க்கும் திருமுகம்; அம் முகம்,
பாம்பு சேர் மதி போல, பசப்பு ஊர்ந்து தொலைந்தக்கால்?

பின்னிய தொடர் நீவி, பிறர் நாட்டுப் படர்ந்து, நீ
மன்னிய புணர்ச்சியான் மறுத்தரல் ஒல்வதோ
புரி அவிழ் நறு நீலம் புரை உண் கண் கலுழ்பு ஆனா,
திரி உமிழ் நெய்யே போல், தெண் பனி உறைக்குங்கால்?

என ஆங்கு,
அனையவை போற்றி, நினைஇயன நாடிக் காண்;
வளமையோ வைகலும் செயலாகும்; மற்று இவள்
முளை நிரை முறுவலார் ஆயத்துள் எடுத்து ஆய்ந்த
இளமையும் தருவதோ, இறந்த பின்னே?

Another one by the confidante saying no! The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to a lion’s roar, is the sound that arises when the strings of their sturdy bows, made from the beautiful ‘Silai’ wood, are pulled in aim. Even if it’s a king and his accompanying army, who hear this roar, they would show their backs and retreat. Those men would consider it a shame to actually shoot their arrows. Their loud thudi drums resound aloud; Known for their strong necks, sharp looks and beards that twist and turn akin to a stag’s antlers; Filled with boundless fury, they never desert their station; Those highway robbers take wealth and give wounds in return. Such is the formidable drylands, where there’s no space for love and grace!

With a deep desire, you have changed tracks, and are thinking about leaving away to attain new wealth. Her exquisite beauty is akin to a ‘Ashoka’ tree’s leaf shoot. Will this beauty, which will be devoured by pallor when you part away, be brought back to their old state, by the wealth you earn?

Seeking those who are wise, you intend to part away to attain through true listening, flawless knowledge. Her lovely face is akin to the moon that sheds sweet rays; Will that face, which will spread with pallor, akin to how a celestial snake devours the moon, be brought back to its old state, by the knowledge you gain?

Letting go of your deep togetherness, you intend to go to other countries and attain great friendships. Her kohl-streaked eyes are akin to the fully-bloomed, fragrant blue lotuses. Will those eyes, that will shed tears, akin to drops of oil from a wick, be brought back to their old state, by these friendships you win?

And so, realising all this, decide what you should do; Attaining prosperity can be done any day; But can her beauty that stands out amidst her bosom friends be attained again, after it has vanished away?”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he conveys his intent to the confidante, she replies to him with these thoughts. As customary in most renditions, the confidante starts with a picture of the drylands. To talks about its nature, she turns to the tribe who reside there. They happen to be the highway robbers denoted by the term ‘Maravar’, which has later come to mean ‘warriors’. The confidante talks about how these men with the mere pull of their bow strings, send out a roar like that of a lion, and even if it’s a king’s army that was approaching, on hearing this, they would turn their backs and scuttle in fear. Such is the power they wield that these robbers consider it a shame to actually launch their arrows against their foes. They have the quality of giving in exchange, searing wounds for the stolen wealth of wayfarers, the confidante details. Moving on to their physical features, she talks about their strong necks, their piercing looks and the way their beards lie all matted and twisted like a deer’s antlers. After painting that vivid picture, the confidante says this is a place where there’s no room for any of the softer emotions in life, adding that it’s through such a drylands path, the man wants to leave.

Then follows the three-step questioning by the confidante. In the first, the confidante describes how the man intends to go in search of wealth, in the second, for knowledge, and in the third, for friendships. So, we can infer that the man must have told generically about his mission, without giving further details and she fits in all possibilities for such a journey then. Next, we see the confidante declaring that no matter for what purpose he leaves, would that purpose be able to return the beauty and health of the lady that’s sure to vanish away in the man’s absence. The confidante summarises the situation saying prosperity can be gained any day, any where, but youth and beauty, once lost, cannot be brought back!

The confidante extinguishes the spark in the man to pursue other things in life yet again. So curious to know if such conversations actually happened in the life of people then or are these the figments of poets’ imagination! In any case, through this verse, we learn that these journeys mentioned in Sangam literature, were not only for earning wealth, but also for the sake of attaining knowledge, similar to our educational pursuits abroad, as well as expanding trade ties, similar to our attending conferences to widen our network today!

In this episode, we listen to the confidante’s admonition about parting away, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 14, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and reveals the man’s stance then and now.

‘அணை மருள் இன் துயில் அம் பணைத் தட மென் தோள்,
துணை மலர் எழில் நீலத்து ஏந்து எழில் மலர் உண் கண்,
மண மௌவல் முகை அன்ன மா வீழ் வார் நிரை வெண் பல்,
மணம் நாறு நறு நுதல், மாரி வீழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,
அலர் முலை ஆகத்து, அகன்ற அல்குல்,
சில நிரை வால் வளை, செய்யாயோ!’ என,
பல பல கட்டுரை பண்டையின் பாராட்டி,
இனிய சொல்லி, இன்னாங்குப் பெயர்ப்பது,
இனி அறிந்தேன், அது துனி ஆகுதலே

‘பொருள் அல்லால் பொருளும் உண்டோ?’ என, யாழ நின்
மருளி கொள் மட நோக்கம், மயக்கப்பட்டு அயர்த்தாயோ?

‘காதலார் எவன் செய்ப, பொருள் இல்லாதார்க்கு?’ என,
ஏதிலார் கூறும் சொல் பொருளாக மதித்தாயோ?

செம்மையின் இகந்து ஒரீஇப் பொருள் செய்வார்க்கு, அப் பொருள்
இம்மையும் மறுமையும் பகையாவது அறியாயோ?

அதனால்,
எம்மையும் பொருளாக மதித்தீத்தை; நம்முள் நாம்
கவவுக் கை விடப் பெறும் பொருட் திறத்து
அவவுக் கைவிடுதம்; அது மனும் பொருளே.

The confidante’s back in spotlight, giving a piece of her mind to the man. The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to a pillow, are those bamboo-like, curving, soft arms rendering sweet sleep to me; Akin to twin flowers of the beautiful blue lotus are your splendid, flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes. Akin to the buds of the fragrant wild jasmine that make bees swoon are your perfect, white teeth; Wafting with fragrance is your fine forehead; Akin to a cover of rainclouds are your black tresses; You have a beautiful bosom and wide hips and wear a few rows of white bangles; Such is your impeccable beauty! – Saying many, many such words in the past, you praised her and expressed sweet things. But now you chase her towards sorrow. I understand that it must be because of the lack of love in you.

Did you forget the truth, confused by your foolish notion that ’There is nothing more important than wealth?’

Did you pay heed to the word of strangers who said, ‘How will those who have love remain true to those who posses not wealth?’

Did you not understand that those who earn wealth leaving the path of righteousness will find that their wealth turns a foe in this life and the next?

And so, may you respect her as wealth too; Give up the desire for this wealth that makes you abandon your togetherness; That is lasting wealth!”

Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with an intent to seek wealth. When he expresses his intent to the lady’s confidante, she replies to him with these heated words. She starts by listing all the praises the man decked on the lady when they were in courtship. About her arms, eyes, teeth, tresses and so on. He seemed to find all his joy just by dwelling on the beauty of the lady then. Saying this, the confidante arrives at the present and says that now he wants to leave, and this is sure to leave the lady in sorrow. Such a change in the man must be because of the absence of true love in him, the confidante declares. She then starts poring over the reasons why the man wants to go in search of wealth. Is he thinking that there is nothing more than wealth in this world? Is he listening to the foolish words of strangers that ‘Even loved ones will not respect those who have no wealth’? Did he not know that no matter how much wealth you earn, by moving away from the right path, that will only torment you as a foe in this life and the next? Hinting that’s the exact thing the man’s doing now, moving from the path of righteousness by leaving his beloved in sorrow.

So, the confidante concludes that the man should understand that the lady is his real wealth and that he should give up searching for this other wealth that separates them both, adding only that is lasting wealth in one’s life. Yet again, a man is thwarted from his mission to seek wealth, this time by reminding him of his past devotion to his lady, in contrast to current apathy. Moving beyond this repeating theme, we can appreciate the core truth of this verse that ultimately, the people in our lives are our true wealth!

In this episode, we perceive a detailed account on the drylands, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 13, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents a glimpse of the lady’s protected life.

செரு மிகு சின வேந்தன் சிவந்து இறுத்த புலம் போல,
எரி மேய்ந்த கரி வறல்வாய், புகவு காணாவாய்,
பொரி மலர்ந்தன்ன பொறிய மட மான்,
திரி மருப்பு ஏறொடு தேர் அறற்கு ஓட,
மரல் சாய மலை வெம்ப, மந்தி உயங்க,
உரல் போல் அடிய உடம்பு உயங்கு யானை,
ஊறு நீர் அடங்கலின், உண் கயம் காணாது,
சேறு சுவைத்து, தம் செல் உயிர் தாங்கும்
புயல் துளி மாறிய, போக்கு அரு, வெஞ் சுரம்

எல்வளை! எம்மொடு நீ வரின், யாழ நின்
மெல் இயல் மே வந்த சீறடி, தாமரை
அல்லி சேர் ஆய் இதழ் அரக்குத் தோய்ந்தவை போல,
கல் உறின், அவ் அடி கறுக்குந அல்லவோ?

நலம் பெறும் சுடர்நுதால்! எம்மொடு நீ வரின்,
இலங்கு மாண் அவிர் தூவி அன்ன மென் சேக்கையுள்
துலங்கு மான் மேல் ஊர்தித் துயில் ஏற்பாய், மற்று ஆண்டை
விலங்கு மான் குரல் கேட்பின், வெருவுவை அல்லையோ?

கிளி புரை கிளவியாய்! எம்மொடு நீ வரின்,
தளி பொழி தளிர் அன்ன எழில் மேனி தகை வாட,
முளி அரில் பொத்திய முழங்கு அழல் இடை போழ்ந்த
வளி உறின், அவ் எழில் வாடுவை அல்லையோ?

என ஆங்கு,
அனையவை காதலர் கூறலின், ‘வினைவயிற்
பிரிகுவர்’ எனப் பெரிது அழியாதி, திரிபு உறீஇ;
கடுங் குரை அருமைய காடு எனின், அல்லது,
கொடுங்குழாய்! துறக்குநர்அல்லர்
நடுங்குதல் காண்மார், நகை குறித்தனரே.

An intriguing verse containing nested conversations! The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to a field burnt in anger by a furious, battle-worthy king, scorched by heat, burnt and dried-up, bereft of any food, is the drylands. Here, with spots, akin to puffed rice, a naive deer, along with its male having branching antlers, runs towards a mirage. The hemp fades and withers in the heat; Monkeys tire out. The exhausted elephant, having a pestle-like feet, not finding a pond to drink from, as all the water that springs forth has dried-up, tastes the slush and tries to hold on to its life in the hot drylands, where clouds have forgotten to shower raindrops anymore!

O maiden wearing shining bangles! If you come with me, your little feet that has only tread on soft ground, akin to the intricate, inner petals of a lotus being dipped in lacquer, will turn dark if they tread on hot stones, won’t they?

O maiden with a glowing forehead! If you come with me, you, who attains sweet sleep upon a soft mattress, akin to the shining and splendid feathers of a swan, placed on a bed with a lion’s feet, will be startled when you hear the lion’s roar there, won’t you?

O maiden with a talk like a parrot! If you come with me, your beautiful skin, akin to a leaf sprout soaked in fresh rain, will fade, in the clutch of the hot winds that rise between the flames of the wild fire, bursting upon the thorny bushes, and lose its fine beauty, won’t it?

And so, because your lover said all these things, do not worry greatly and feel ruined thinking that ‘He’s going to part away on a mission’. He said such terrible things about the harsh drylands forest, O maiden wearing curving ornaments, not because he wants to part from you but just to have a laugh, seeing you shudder!”

Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. It has an intricate structure, containing words by the man to the lady, said as a summary and conclusion by the confidante to the lady. First, we hear the voice of the man speaking to the lady, as he describes the drylands to her. He compares the state of the drylands to a field burnt by an enraged king. Owing to all that heat and having nothing to eat, a deer and its mate rush towards a mirage. Even the sturdy hemp is dying, sprightly monkeys are now languishing and an elephant quenches its severe thirst, not in any pond, but the meagre slush on the ground. Such is the drylands that the rains have forsaken, tells the man. Next, in reply to the lady’s request that he should take her long, he offers three points for the lady to ponder upon.

Talking about how the lady’s feet has only ever touched soft sands, he declares they would turn red, burnt by the heat of the stones in the drylands, if she were to come with him. The simile he uses to describe the change in her feet is fascinating, for he equates the change to lotus petals when dipped in lacquer. While lacquer in contemporary times refers to the chemical varnish used in painting, the lacquer here refers to a red resin from trees, which has been used since antiquity in endowing a red colour to artefacts, and goes by the name ‘arakku’ in Tamil and ‘lac’ in English.

Returning from these meanderings, we hear the man next talking about how the lady sleeps on a soft mattress upon a bed with legs designed in the shape of a lion’s feet. He tells her how she would jump in fear, when she actually hears the roar of the lion if she were to come with him to the drylands. Finally, he talks about how her beautiful skin, now like a leaf sprout that has danced in the rain, will fade and burn, as hot winds from wild fires blow all around her, if she were to accompany the man to the drylands.

Now, the confidante lets us know she has been repeating the words said by the man to the lady. She turns to the lady and asks her not to worry at all on account of all these words, and reveals that the man has said them not because he was going to leave the lady and go towards the drylands, but only to have a good laugh, seeing the shuddering of his beloved. Quite the prankster, this man! A verse which offers a change of pace from the seriousness of these verses situated in the theme of separation, and tells us that humans will always make space for lightness and laughter in their lives, no matter when and where!

In this episode, we perceive the battle between seeking wealth and being with a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 12, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and stresses on the importance of love during youth.

இடு முள் நெடு வேலி போல, கொலைவர்
கொடுமரம் தேய்த்தார் பதுக்கை நிரைத்த
கடு நவை ஆர் ஆற்று, அறுசுனை முற்றி,
உடங்கு நீர் வேட்ட உடம்பு உயங்கு யானை
கடுந் தாம் பதிபு, ஆங்குக் கை தெறப்பட்டு,
வெறி நிரை வேறாகச் சார்ச்சாரல் ஓடி,
நெறி மயக்குற்ற நிரம்பா நீடு அத்தம்
சிறு நனி நீ துஞ்சி ஏற்பினும், அஞ்சும்
நறுநுதல் நீத்துப் பொருள்வயிற் செல்வோய்!
உரனுடை உள்ளத்தை; செய் பொருள் முற்றிய
வளமையான் ஆகும் பொருள் இது என்பாய்!
இளமையும் காமமும் நின் பாணி நில்லா
இடை முலைக் கோதை குழைய முயங்கும்
முறை நாள் கழிதல் உறாஅமைக் காண்டை
கடை நாள் இது என்று அறிந்தாரும் இல்லை
போற்றாய் பெரும! நீ, காமம் புகர்பட
வேற்றுமைக் கொண்டு, பொருள்வயிற் போகுவாய்!
கூற்றமும் மூப்பும் மறந்தாரோடு ஓராஅங்கு
மாற்றுமைக் கொண்ட வழி.

Back to the confidante and her convincing! The words can be translated as follows:

“Like long thorn fences, appear leaf-covered stone graves for those, who were slain by the curving bows of murderous men, laid in many rows, in that harsh and formidable path. Reaching a dried-up spring nearby, yearning for water, the thirsty and fatigued herd of elephants, press their trunks with haste, and scorched by the heat, maddened, they run in different directions, muddling the paths in that limitless, long drylands domain. You want to go thither, for the sake of wealth, leaving behind the maiden with fragrant forehead, who starts worrying even if you sleep for a little longer than usual. A daring heart you do possess! You tell me that the way to attain prosperity is to earn wealth! However, will youth and desire obey your command? See that you do not waste away those good days when you embrace her, rumpling the garland lying between her bosom! There’s no one who knows their last day in life! You do not seem to understand that, O lord! Shirking your duty to love, with a differing heart, you intend to go in search of wealth! That’s the wrong path of those who have forgotten the role of ageing and death!”

Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady after marriage. When he expresses his intention of parting to seek wealth to the confidante, she voices her thoughts so. Starting in the customary position, the confidante paints a stark picture of the drylands. She talks of how victims of highway robbers are laid under stone graves, covered with leaves, and how these seem to appear like long thorn fences. So many rows of these graves are to be seen there, implying that death is a permanent resident of these parts. Next, from death, she moves on to danger, talking about how a herd of elephants seeking water desperately, reach an almost dried-up spring, and in haste or maybe because of muscle memory, put out their trunks, which get seared in the heat of the ground. This makes these elephants trumpet aloud in pain and rush in different directions, disturbing the paths laid through these drylands. The confidante probably talks about this to say the man is surely going to get lost in his travels! 

Now, she turns to him and says, ‘This is the place you want to go too. So daring you are indeed! Have you forgotten how delicate your lady is, for even if you sleep a little longer, she starts panicking about it?’. Sounds like this young maiden suffers from insecurity and paranoia! Returning, the confidante takes on a lawyer’s role and presents her case, starting with the man’s argument to earn wealth saying only that can bring prosperity for his happy, married life with the lady. While that may be so, will youth and desire wait patiently obeying your order?, asks the confidante. She means to say that if he’s gone for long, these time-bound elements will fade. She seems to think a day spent by the man without embracing the lady is a day wasted! Next, the confidante says a powerful and timeless truth, in the words that no-one knows when they are going to die. With that powerful reminder, she declares to the man that he’s choosing the wrong path if he is going to disregard the influence of age and death in one’s life! 

We can understand that the confidante is intent on stopping the man from leaving but is it not true that love can conquer time? Maybe the confidante is taking quite the practical approach saying that if the man’s gone, then youth will go and so will passion! Which makes me wonder if the man was taking years-long journey, maybe sailing to other countries? Or maybe the confidante makes such a big deal of even a few days or months of parting? Different time. Different priorities. However, we can reflect on that powerful statement in this verse, ‘No one knows their last day’ and make the most of our every day in every way!

In this episode, we perceive scenes of kindness in the wild, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 11, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents insights about the purpose of seeking wealth.

‘அரிதாய அறன் எய்தி அருளியோர்க்கு அளித்தலும்,
பெரிதாய பகை வென்று பேணாரைத் தெறுதலும்,
புரிவு அமர் காதலின் புணர்ச்சியும் தரும்’ என,
பிரிவு எண்ணிப் பொருள்வயிற் சென்ற நம் காதலர்
வருவர்கொல்; வயங்கிழாஅய்! வலிப்பல், யான்; கேஎள், இனி:

‘அடி தாங்கும் அளவு இன்றி, அழல் அன்ன வெம்மையால்,
கடியவே, கனங் குழாஅய், காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
துடி அடிக் கயந்தலை கலக்கிய சின்னீரைப்
பிடி ஊட்டி, பின் உண்ணும், களிறு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

‘இன்பத்தின் இகந்து ஒரீஇ, இலை தீந்த உலவையால்,
துன்புறூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
அன்பு கொள் மடப் பெடை அசைஇய வருத்தத்தை
மென் சிறகரால் ஆற்றும், புறவு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

‘கல் மிசை வேய் வாடக் கனை கதிர் தெறுதலான்,
துன்னரூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
இன் நிழல் இன்மையான் வருந்திய மடப் பிணைக்குத்
தன் நிழலைக் கொடுத்து அளிக்கும், கலை’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

என ஆங்கு
இனை நலம் உடைய கானம் சென்றோர்
புனை நலம் வாட்டுநர்அல்லர்; மனைவயின்
பல்லியும் பாங்கு ஒத்து இசைத்தன;
நல் எழில் உண்கணும் ஆடுமால், இடனே.

A verse brimming with expressions of love! The words can be translated as follows:

“‘To attain the rare virtue of giving to those who are gracious; To conquer immense enmity by defeating foes; To obtain a lasting union with true love;’ he explained were the reasons for parting away in search of wealth. He will return soon, O maiden wearing radiant jewels; I say this with conviction; Listen to me now:

He said, ‘Beyond the limits that the feet can bear, the heat scorches with intensity. So harsh is the drylands forest, O lady clad in thick ornaments’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing a little puddle of water, muddled by the tender-headed elephant calf with a drum-like feet, the male elephant first feeds its female and then drinks from it’.

He said, ‘Making one forget all joy, with branches bereft of leaves, with a sorrowful quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the suffering of its loving, naive female, the male pigeon caresses it with its soft wings’.

He said, ‘Atop the hill, as the sweltering rays wither the bamboos, with a formidable quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the distress of its naive female, owing to the lack of a sweet shade, the male deer offers its own shade to it, with grace’.

And so, the one who went to the drylands forest with such a kind beauty, would not be one to distress my etched beauty. Listen, the lizard at home seems to call in agreement. My fine and beautiful kohl-streaked left eye twitches too!”

Time to explore the nuances. The verse continues to be situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with an intent of seeking wealth. In most verses, we have seen thus far, the man was seeking permission to leave. In this one, he has already left, and we hear the lady’s voice render thoughts about his parting to her confidante. The lady begins by indicating the reasons the man offered for this difficult parting between them. He seems to have told her, to have the rare honour of giving unto good people, for ending enmity in one’s life, and finally, even for having a long and happy union with the lady, wealth was crucial. And that’s why he had to take the decision of parting away from her for a while. Logical words, told with kindness, rendering purpose to his journey. Recollecting his words, the lady says that he is going to return to her soon.

To explain why, the lady once again reminisces about the words the man used to describe the place he was travelling to. Indeed, it was so harsh with heat that no feet could bear, it was so sorrowful with its image of branches standing still without leaves, and also, it was so unapproachable because the heat was so intense that even the sturdy bamboos atop the hill were burnt. While he painted such a stark picture of the drylands forest, he also said other things about it. Such as that scene, where there’s a small puddle of muddled water. A male elephant that chances upon it, doesn’t gulp it down in an instant but waits for its female to have its fill and then drinks from it. Another scene where a female pigeon is much distressed by the heat and its male waves its gentle wings as a fan to cool its mate. And finally, in a stunning, unforgettable image, a male deer seeing the suffering of its female in the heat of that harsh drylands without a drop of shade, offers its own shade to lovingly care for its beloved! Painting these scenes that the man spoke about, the lady is convinced that seeing such love in the places he traverses, the man will not have the heart to harm her own health by staying away long. Just the moment she says, she hears the lizard’s sound from her home and her left eye starts twitching as well, all good omens that can only mean the man is about to come home to her!

A verse that overflows with the joy of kindness! In this verse, it’s always the male offering its protection to the female and this is somewhat coded in human behaviour too, with the ‘Ladies and children first’ policy in moments of calamity, and occasionally, chivalry too! However, in these times, moving beyond these gender segregation of roles, what shines through as the core of this verse is the portrait of kindness in the harshest of environments. Even today, be it in war zones around the world and when events of natural disaster strikes, there are always stories of astonishing kindness to be found. In its own way, this ancient verse tells us that no matter the darkness, all it takes is a little spark of kindness to brighten that world with hope!