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In this episode, we perceive a nuanced way of deflecting praise, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 131, written by Ulochanaar. The poem is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, in response to a grateful word from him.
ஆடிய தொழிலும் அல்கிய பொழிலும்,
உள்ளல் ஆகா உயவு நெஞ்சமொடு
ஊடலும், உடையமோ, உயர் மணல் சேர்ப்ப,
திரை முதிர் அரைய தடந்தாள் தாழைச்
சுறவு மருப்பு அன்ன முள் தோடு ஒசிய,
இறவு ஆர் இனக் குருகு இறை கொள இருக்கும்,
நறவு மகிழ் இருக்கை நல் தேர்ப் பெரியன்,
கள் கமழ் பொறையாறு அன்ன என்
நல் தோள் நெகிழ மறத்தல் நுமக்கே.
Although a small poem, it was a struggle to decipher the hidden meanings and changing voices within. And, I saw when something is a struggle, the victory is so much sweeter. Speaking of sweetness, the rhythm beckons us! The poet seems to have a preference for words that begin with the same letter as his name, for we see ’உள்ளல் – உயவு’, ‘உடையமோ, உயர் மணல்’! As if he’s responding with a smile, “I have more melodies up my sleeve”, we see ‘தொழிலும் – பொழிலும்’, ‘திரை – அரை’, ‘சுறவு – இறவு – நறவு’, ‘இறவு – இன – இறை’, and ‘மகிழ் – கமழ்’. Beyond sweet sounds, words like ‘தாழை’ or the ‘screw-pine tree’, ‘சுறவு’ or ‘swordfish’, ‘இறவு’ or ‘shrimp’, and ‘குருகு’ or ‘seabird’, flash images from an ancient seashore. Learnt a new word for ‘honey’ in ‘நறவு’ and for ‘town’ in ‘இருக்கை’. Within these few words, we glimpse at a historic character, ‘பெரியன்’, and an old town, ‘பொறையாறு’. So much to see and know!
Now, to the setting of this exchange. The man and lady who had been in a love relationship are now married. The lady’s confidante comes to visit the home of the lady after the wedding. Seeing her, the man welcomes her and declares that it was due to the solace showered by the friend that the lady was able to bear the separation when the man went to gather wealth for his wedding. He thanks the confidante saying that it was a great thing that she has done for him. Hearing these words, the confidante replies, “O lord of the soaring sand shores! Forgetting the joyous moments of play and those groves we walked together, did we have any reason to quarrel with you? On the curved trunks of the ‘thazhai’ trees, surrounded by waves, bloom thorny stalks, akin to the bill of a swordfish. Making these stalks bend, rests a sea bird that has fed to the full on shrimps of the sea. Such is the shore of the honey-smelling town of Periyan, the king with powerful chariots. My fine shoulders are like his nectar-fragrant town, Poraiyaru. Making these shoulders of mine pine and turn thin, neither did you forget me!” A little caution here! Do not be startled seeing the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘I’ in the confidante’s reply. As we have seen in other Sangam poems, the confidante assumes the voice of the lady, in many cases, to present the full picture. With these words, the confidante is indirectly refusing the man’s words of praise and telling him that his actions were greater than hers.
I can see the puzzled look on your face. You ask, how do these words convey that? To see how, we have to understand the multiple layers in her response. First, let’s savour the natural scenes depicted. There’s a shore swept by waves and these waves keep splashing on some trees on the shore. Peering, we see that these are the screw pine trees that we have come across in many other shores. These are the trees with a curved trunk and thorn-filled stalks, which are painted in parallel to the bill of a swordfish. Towards one such tree, flies a sea-bird, after indulging on the shrimps from the rich sea. The bird then rests on the tree, making the branch bend and sway. Seems like a simple scene from the seashore! But, within this description, is a metaphor for the man who has come back with riches, to marry the lady and rest with her, making her sway, like that branch, with joy. Then, the confidante mentions that such scenes are to be seen in the town of Poraiyar, ruled by king Periyan, a lord with fine chariots. She calls it a honey-fragrant town and compares it to the shoulders of the lady! How exquisite should this town have been, to be called in as a simile to a lady’s beauty! Searching on this town, I was happy to see that this same town lives on to this day, near the Tharangambaadi, an erstwhile Danish trading post in Nagapattinam district. Today, Poraiyar’s fame comes from its exported ‘inji pakoda’, or a savoury snack made with flour and ginger. The town has indeed come a long way from the sweet-smelling shores of king Periyan’s times.
Lest we forget, the town is brought to our attention to compare it to the comely shoulders of the lady. The confidante says that the man did not let the lady’s shoulders to lose their health and beauty by staying away too long. Although many distractions might have pulled him in his journey, he was steadfast in his love and came back, as promised, to marry the lady. Thus, more than her, who stood by the lady, shielding her from the pain of separation, it was the man who did a greater thing by keeping his word! Here, we see how a compliment can be returned with humility. The confidante doesn’t outright say, ‘No, I don’t deserve any thanks!’ Neither does she say, ‘True! It’s only because of me the lady’s okay’. She does one better and deflects the good words back to the man. It’s an intricate balancing act between accepting and rejecting praise. The confidante does this by turning the positivity towards the man, hoping that he continues to rest content on that branch of a happy married life with the lady. Indeed, like the grateful man, we must thank the poet for this intricate lesson in the psychology of handling praise!
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