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In this episode, we marvel at the deep bond between friends, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 128, written by Narchendanaar, this being the only poem penned by this poet. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the poem speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying she knows the heart of her friend, even without words any.
”பகல் எரி சுடரின் மேனி சாயவும்,
பாம்பு ஊர் மதியின் நுதல் ஒளி கரப்பவும்
எனக்கு நீ உரையாயாயினை; நினக்கு யான்
உயிர் பகுத்தன்ன மாண்பினேன் ஆகலின்,
அது கண்டிசினால் யானே” என்று, நனி
அழுதல் ஆன்றிசின்-ஆயிழை!-ஒலி குரல்
ஏனல் காவலினிடை உற்று ஒருவன்,
கண்ணியன், கழலன், தாரன், தண்ணெனச்
சிறு புறம் கவையினனாக, அதற்கொண்டு
அஃதே நினைந்த நெஞ்சமொடு
இஃது ஆகின்று, யான் உற்ற நோயே.
The poem opens with emotive visuals such as ‘பகல் எரி சுடர்’, meaning ‘a flame lit in sunlight’ and ‘பாம்பு ஊர் மதி’, meaning ‘moon on which a snake slithers’. From this real-world similes, it moves towards an abstract dimension with ‘உயிர் பகுத்தன்ன’, which means ‘as if a life were split into two’! The address ‘ஆயிழை’ meaning ‘a bejewelled one’, that word that a lady uses to refer to her confidante in many other Sangam poems, makes an appearance here too. Although ‘ஒலி குரல்’ evokes images of ‘sound’ and ‘voice’, it appears in a different meaning of ‘rich stalks’ here. ‘ஏனல்’ nearby tells us that it’s a millet field that we are talking about. What other secrets does this millet field hold within?
In those days, a lady had playmates many that she grew up with. But there was one girl among them, who was the closest to her, the confidante. Thick was their friendship that they hide nothing from the other. One day, the confidante says to the lady, “ Like a lamp lit during the day, your form has lost its natural shine and like the moon on which a snake-like cloud slithers, the lustre of your forehead is diminished. Yet, you reveal not to me, the reason! But, my relationship with you is akin to one life being poured into two forms and so, I have seen why, for myself. Give up your tears! For I hear you say, ‘My bejewelled friend, when I was guarding the luxuriant spears of millet, there came upon a man, wearing a strand of flowers around his head, anklets on his feet and a garland around his neck. He embraced me with a cool touch. From then, as my heart keeps thinking of that event, lives within, this affliction of mine!’” With these words, the confidante is letting the lady know that she is aware of the lady’s relationship with the man.
Now, let’s explore the nuances depicted and unravel the depth of this friendship. First, is that reference to a ‘flame lit during the day’. A little flame, which appears with majesty and strength during the night, looks pale and weak when lit during the day. This relative truth is placed in parallel to the way the lady’s skin has lost her original colour and shine. Then comes a curious expression about ‘a snake slithering on the moon’. Owing to the predominant influence of Sanskrit literature in later years, this expression came to be understood as a reference to the mythical story of the serpent head of Rahu and Kedhu, eating the moon during a lunar eclipse. Let’s ponder over whether there was space for such fantastical beliefs in Sangam poems. If we recollect, in other poems, the snake is depicted as a creature that trembles on hearing thunder and even, a bear’s roar. With such beliefs about the nature of a snake, the Sangam people would not suddenly elevate the creature as one capable of devouring the moon. So, we can conclude that the reference to the snake is a hidden metaphor to the way a cloud moves over the moon, diminishing its light and nothing more. We then find that this reference is used to illustrate how the light in the lady’s forehead has waned. With these two similes, the confidante says the lady is not who she used to be and yet, the lady has not spoken of that which has afflicted her. However, the confidante says that they both are not mere companions but are two people through whom, courses one life. Their bond is so special that the confidante says she already knows the reason why.
The confidante further adds that in her mind, she hears the words of her friend describing the event in the millet field where she met a man and fell in love. She describes the man as one wearing a strand of flowers around his head, warrior anklets on his feet and a garland around his neck so that there can be no doubt about who that person is. With these words to the lady, the confidante is also letting her know that the man has confided in her about his affection for the lady and that she approves of their relationship. Revealing all this, the confidante consoles the lady saying she need not worry thinking of how to speak her heart to her friend and her kith and kin. With its unique style of portraying two minds, this poem takes our breath away in showing that not even words are necessary when there is a deep and true friendship!
பாம்பு ஊர் மதி எனும் தொடருக்கு தந்த விளக்கம் மிக நன்று.