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In this episode, we marvel at the ingenious ways of moving another to action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 108, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying a hidden message to him.
மலை அயற் கலித்த மை ஆர் ஏனல்
துணையின் தீர்ந்த கடுங்கண் யானை
அணையக் கண்ட அம் குடிக் குறவர்,
கணையர், கிணையர், கை புனை கவணர்,
விளியர், புறக்குடி ஆர்க்கும் நாட!
பழகிய பகையும் பிரிவு இன்னாதே;
முகை ஏர் இலங்கு எயிற்று இன் நகை மடந்தை
சுடர் புரை திரு நுதல் பசப்ப,
தொடர்பு யாங்கு விட்டனை? நோகோ யானே!
The verse welcomes us to the heart of the ‘Kurinji land’ with the words ‘மலை அயல்’ meaning ‘near the mountains’. The word ‘அயல்’ is fascinating because it means both something ‘nearby’ as well as something ‘foreign’. Curious to see that’s exactly how modern life has emerged where one’s own neighbours remain strangers! Stepping into ‘மை ஆர் ஏனல்’, we see that it’s a ‘millet-field filled with a dark coloured crop’, perhaps the current day ‘Ragi’ or ‘finger millet’. The phrase ‘கடுங்கண் யானை’ meaning ‘harsh-eyed elephant’ paints an intricate character sketch of this animal. Right in the middle of the verse, we are surrounded by a band of people, as evident from the words ‘குறவர், கணையர், கிணையர், கை புனை கவணர், விளியர்’! Who are these people? Are they different tribes who live in the mountain country? Let’s find out in a while. The phrase ‘முகை ஏர் இலங்கு எயிற்று’ meaning ‘teeth like wild jasmine buds’ and the words ‘இன் நகை மடந்தை’ meaning ‘sweet-smiling girl’ paints before our eyes, a young lady with a winsome smile. Interesting to see the word ‘திரு’ that’s generally used either as a respectful address to a person or as prefix in town names such as ‘Tiruchirappalli’ or ‘Tiruvallikkeni’, used as an adjective for a lady’s forehead! Relishing that respected forehead, let us head towards the matters within.
The man and woman have been in a love relationship for a while. Seeing that the man is not intent on formalising the relationship, the confidante tells him, “A raging elephant, parting from its mate, enters the millet field, flourishing with dark red sprouts, near the mountains. Seeing this, the mountain folk who live there, stand around with bows, arrows and handheld slingshots, and some of them start to beat the drums while others shout loudly, warning the villages around. O lord, who comes from a mountain country, reverberating with such sounds near and far! Even parting from a foe, whom one has known for a while, brings ache to the heart! But, how could you desert the friendship of this young girl with teeth shining with the beauty of wild jasmine buds, this person of sweet smiles? You have caused the affliction of pining to spread on her flame-like forehead. I suffer when I think of this apathy of yours!” With these words, the confidante is conveying a subtle threat and pressing the man to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
A threat? I hear your surprise. Yes, the words spoken convey just a scene in that world and the confidante seems to be using no harsh words at all. So, how? We need to get right in the middle of all that action to understand the intention. It’s a millet field near the mountains or perhaps on the mountain slopes. So, we know these mountain folk were not just hunters, they were farmers, who reared millets on that fertile land. That’s the location and into this set, enters the hero, an angry elephant that’s described as being one with harsh eyes and one that has left behind its mate. The reference to the harsh eyes is, perhaps to say that the elephant does not possess the needed social skills and thus, has come alone, without the protection of its herd. Seeing this elephant, the herd of mountain folk unite. The word ‘Kuravar’ is the reference to the mountain tribes but what about the list of other groups of people we read about, in the beginning? Turns out that they are not different tribes but these same ‘Kuravars’ who take up different roles to surround and subdue the elephant in their millet field. Some take up bows and arrows, ready to defend and others stand with slingshots using a different approach of attack and still others, start beating the drums, perhaps to scare the beast and another group, takes to shouting loudly, sounding the call for more help and warning the villages far off. The confidante goes into this scene only to say that the man comes from a mountain country, filled with such sounds and scenes. But, a Sangam confidante doesn’t say all these words ‘only’ to describe. What she means is that, the man has come alone like that elephant to court with the lady and if the lady’s kith and kin were to see this, he would be in big trouble, just like that assailed elephant. What must he do then?
With a pithy statement, the confidante says that it’s hard to part even from one’s enemies. So, how could the man willingly create this same fate with that smiling, young lady and choose a path that would cause the illness of separation to spread on her lustrous forehead? The confidante concludes that she’s pained by the man’s thoughtlessness. In talking of the lone elephant in the field, the confidante is in fact, subtly prescribing what the man should do. He should gain the support of elders in his family and come seek the lady’s hand in marriage, along with them. If that were so, bows and arrows would be cast aside and the groom would be welcomed with garlands by the same mountain folk. Not with commandments, not with instructions, but with a concise metaphor, the way to be, is imprinted deep in the mind!
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