Natrinai 119 – A nuanced message

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தினை உண் கேழல் இரிய, புனவன்
சிறு பொறி மாட்டிய பெருங் கல் அடாஅர்,
ஒண் கேழ் வயப் புலி படூஉம் நாடன்
ஆர் தர வந்தனன் ஆயினும், படப்பை
இன் முசுப் பெருங் கலை நன் மேயல் ஆரும்
பல் மலர்க் கான் யாற்று உம்பர், கருங் கலை
கடும்பு ஆட்டு வருடையொடு தாவன உகளும்
பெரு வரை நீழல் வருகுவன், குளவியொடு
கூதளம் ததைந்த கண்ணியன்; யாவதும்
முயங்கல் பெறுகுவன் அல்லன்;
புலவி கொளீஇயர், தன் மலையினும் பெரிதே.

As we step in, we meet ‘தினை’ meaning ‘millets’, the favoured food of the mountain folk. We learn that, ‘கேழல்’ refers to a ‘wild boar’. The poem seems to be teeming with life, for after the glimpse of that boar, there’s the ‘புலி’ or ‘tiger’, ‘முசு’ or ‘monkey’, ‘கலை’ meaning ‘the male’ in one place and ‘deer’ in another place and finally, ‘வருடை’ or ‘mountain goat’. A field day for those on a jungle safari! The phrase ‘பல் மலர்க் கான் யாற்று’ brings before our eyes, a ‘forest river floating with flowers many’. Of these many flowers, two get a specific mention – one, ‘குளவி’ or ‘Patchouli’ and another ‘கூதளம்’ or ‘nightshade’. In short, the poem is a naturalist’s paradise. Let’s walk into this paradise to perceive the personality of the minds portrayed.

First, some background! The man and woman have been in a love relationship for a while and the man shows no intention of formalising the union. One day when he comes to tryst with the lady, the confidante sees him waiting by the backyard. Pretending as if she has not seen him there, but making sure he’s in earshot, she turns to the lady and says, “To capture the boar that feeds on their millets, the mountain folk placed a small trap on a huge boulder. While the boar escapes and wanders away, a bright-hued, strong tiger gets caught in the very trap. Our lord’s domain is such a mountain country. Wonder who bid him to come here? In a wild grove in his mountain country, a sweet, black langur grazes the trees, to its satisfaction. On the banks of the wild forest river, filled with flowers many,  a herd of deer frolic with a flock of mountain goats. This unfolds in the shade of the huge mountain and our lord passes through this path, wearing a garland of ‘kulavi’ and ‘koothalam’ flowers. Be that as it may, he shan’t get embraces any. Even if his displeasure soars as high as the mountain he comes from, it would be of no use!” With these words, the confidante, in a hidden manner, passes on two important messages to the man. One that the lady has been confined to the house and the other, strangers are seeking her hand in marriage and thereby, the confidante is stressing that the man should seek the lady’s hand, without further delay. 

I hear you say that all the confidante was talking about, was animals and flowers in the mountain forest and how come she’s supposed to mean all this? Let’s take some time and unravel the message. To use a modern reference, these poems seem to be like a cryptic code, a code that needs to be unraveled with our patience and imagination. So, let’s take the first scene. The scene where a trap has been laid for a boar that steals millets and in that trap, the boar doesn’t get caught but a shiny, strong tiger does. With this scene, the confidante says to the man that a stranger, like that shiny, strong tiger trapped in the snare, has come with a marriage proposal to the lady’s kith and kin, while the man like, the rightful boar that is to be trapped, remains far away. Considering the time he lived in, the man, no doubt, is fitted with the decrypting software to understand this message right away, unlike you and me!

We now, turn to the second scene in the mountain country, through which the man comes walking with a garland woven with the petals of both ‘kulavi’ and ‘koothalam’ flowers. This is on the bank of a wild river, which too seems to be floating, filled with the love of the forest trees that shed their blooms on the running waters. Near this bank, there’s a grove of trees and a male monkey has had its fill. Nearby, a herd of deer and a flock of goats frolic in joy together. This scene is to tell the man that although the danger of the stranger’s proposal remains, if he does the right thing and come seek the girl’s hand in marriage, then like the frolicking deer and goats, the girl’s kith and kin will rejoice in their union and the man can have his fill of joy, like that grazing monkey in the mountain forest. But, if he were to arrive, with no intention of pursuing the rightful path, he will be disappointed in his desire to court the lady, as she’s confined to the house and even if his displeasure is as high as the mountains he comes from, that would be futile! 

Two things strike me in understanding this verse. Here’s the confidante indirectly calling the man, a boar, in one stance and a monkey in another while a stranger is equated to a tiger! If the same epithets were used today, it’s highly likely that the receiver of the message, in the man’s position, would be insulted. But here, the confidante gives no offence and the man takes no offence. This tells me that Sangam folks did not elevate one animal and derogate another. Be it a boar, a monkey or a tiger, they seemed to have seen only the aptness of the metaphor. This talks a lot about their sense of equality with regard to the natural world. The second thing is their intricate style of conveying a message. Instead of cold facts, straight to the face, the time and thought behind each word penned and each image constructed speaks about the space in their minds. Uncluttered by a thousand distractions, they were able to devote the time needed to present a thought, in all its glorious detail! Taking a cue, will we make at least a little space for the little things in the world outside and within?