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In this episode, we understand the deep love depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 64, written by Ulochanaar. The poem is set in the ‘Kurinji’ landscape or the mountains and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, on the subject of the man’s parting away from her.
என்னர்ஆயினும் இனி நினைவு ஒழிக!
அன்னவாக இனையல்-தோழி!-யாம்
இன்னமாக நத் துறந்தோர் நட்பு எவன்?
மரல் நார் உடுக்கை மலை உறை குறவர்
அறியாது அறுத்த சிறியிலைச் சாந்தம்
வறனுற்று ஆர முருக்கி, பையென
மரம் வறிதாகச் சோர்ந்து உக்காங்கு, என்
அறிவும் உள்ளமும் அவர் வயின் சென்றென,
வறிதால், இகுளை! என் யாக்கை; இனி அவர்
வரினும், நோய் மருந்து அல்லர்; வாராது
அவணர் ஆகுக, காதலர்! இவண் நம்
காமம் படர் அட வருந்திய
நோய் மலி வருத்தம் காணன்மார் எமரே!
The poem is tightly wound with rhythm as we see in the dominance of ‘ethugai’ or second-letter rhymes in successive lines as in ‘என்னர் – அன்னவாக – இன்னமாக’. Alliterations sing to us as in ‘மரல் – மலை’ and ‘அறியாது அறுத்த’. Regular rhymes in last letters are not to be left out too as we see in ‘அறிவும்- உள்ளமும்’ and ‘அல்லர் – அவணர் – காதலர்’. Moving on from style to substance, we find strong statements echoing through out the poem like ‘நினைவு ஒழிக’ meaning ‘Let thought demise’ and ‘நட்பு எவன்?’ meaning ‘Why, the friendship?’ Even at first glance, the anguish in the poem can be felt by the reader. I loved meeting here, this beautiful word ‘யாக்கை’ made popular by the Tamil film song ‘யாக்கை திரி காதல் சுடர்’ meaning ‘the body’s a wick and love’s the spark’! Incidentally, the word ‘யாக்கை’, in addition to meaning ‘body’ also means a ‘bond that ties’. Indeed, the body is the bond that ties us to this life on earth!
Let’s turn our ears to the life unfolding in this poem. The man has left the lady to complete a task. Because he has parted away, the lady suffers in yearning. Seeing this, the confidante intends to reach out to the man through a messenger and send word of the lady’s failing health. Coming to know of the confidante’s intention, the lady says to her, “However special he is, my dear friend, give up all thought of reaching out to him! Do not lament that he has parted away from me. Why should we dwell on the friendship of those who have left us without caring for our sorrow? Those mountain dwelling Kuravars, attired in fibres of the ‘maral’ shrub, unknowingly sever the little leaves of the sandalwood tree. And then, the tree dries and deteriorates, looking sickly to the eye. Slowly, it loses every drop of moisture, tires out and gives up. Just like that, my mind and heart has gone his way and my body is losing the moisture of life. Even if he comes now, a cure, he will not be. Let him remain where he is, that lover of mine! Let him not come here and see the sorrow, caused by my yearning for him, spread sickness all through me, he, who’s my own!” With these words, the lady dissuades the confidante from sending the messenger and disturbing the man from completing his task.
Looking a little deeply into the heart of the lady saying these words, we find layers of love hiding there. At first glance, this may seem like a poem that speaks ill of the man for having left the lady to suffer. But deeper, the care and concern in her unfolds. But, before we get there, let us first focus on the confidante’s care and concern for the lady. Seeing the lady lose her health pining for the man, she intends to resolve the problem, by sending word to the man. But the lady seems to realise that it’s not just on her part to disturb a man who’s set out on a task. So, in order to dissuade her friend, she chooses the ploy of speaking about him in ‘not-so-glowing’ terms. She instructs the friend to completely remove all thoughts of him and asks is it even friendship if the person deserts without caring about the sorrow of the other? Then, she brings forth a beautiful simile. She talks about the mountain dwellers, the Kuravars and mentions, as a matter of fact, that they wear ‘maral’ fibres. Let us take a little detour and follow this trail. ‘Maral’ turns out to be that sustainable and environmentally friendly ‘hemp’! I learnt that these hemp fibres are soft on the skin and grow softer with use, as well as wicks away sweat, protects one from the sun’s vehemence and apparently, are resistant to bacteria too. The Kuravars didn’t need a degree in textile engineering to figure all this out. For their rough and tough lifestyle in the mountain forests teeming with life, their instinctive knowledge has somehow lead them to hemp clothing. The ancients were quite big on hemp apparently and the fibre dates back to Neolithic times. Hemp is not just a thing of the past and is finding much relevance in the fashion industry today. For hemp does not guzzle water and is said to be a better friend to the soil it grows on, than other plants seared for clothing. These ancient Kuravars may turn out to be the fashion pioneers for the future!
Returning back, we arrive at the simile, where the lady seems to say those mountain dwellers so knowledgeable about clothing, seem to unknowingly cut off the little leaves of the sandalwood tree. And, what happens to a tree that’s thoughtlessly chopped off its leaves? No food and imminent death! The lady likens the slow death in the tree, whose leaves have been cut off to her body, deteriorating, bereft of her mind and heart that has parted away with her man. She says she’s so broken like that dried-up tree, that even if the man came, he could not save her. So, with those strong words, she says he should remain where he is, completing what he wants to do. In these words, lie buried her concern for the man, avoiding the pain in him, of returning without completing his work and also finding her in such suffering. While pining away for a parted one could be a thing of the past, we can surely take a leaf from that thoughtful love that shines in this lady!
இப்புலவர் கூறும் கருத்து : பிரிவுத்துயரை விட செயல் முடிக்காது திரும்பும் துயர் .இப்போக்கு இக்கால காதலர்களிடமும் கணவன் மனைவியரிடமும் அவ்வளவாக இல்லாததே வருத்தமான நிலை