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In this episode, we perceive the intricate ways of conveying information, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 135, written by Kathapillaiyaar. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ regions and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
தூங்கல் ஓலை ஓங்கு மடற் பெண்ணை
மா அரை புதைத்த மணல் மலி முன்றில்,
வரையாத் தாரம் வரு விருந்து அயரும்
தண் குடி வாழ்நர் அம் குடிச் சீறூர்
இனிது மன்றம்ம தானே-பனி படு
பல் சுரம் உழந்த நல்கூர் பரிய,
முழங்கு திரைப் புது மணல் அழுந்தக் கொட்கும்,
வால் உளைப் பொலிந்த, புரவித்
தேரோர் நம்மொடு நகாஅ ஊங்கே.
In what seems a relaxed note, the verse opens with the word ‘தூங்கல்’, which sounds rather close to ‘தூக்கம்’ or ‘sleep’. However, this word was employed in the meaning of ‘hanging’ then. ‘பெண்ணை’ tells us we are right on the shore, talking about those tall ‘palm trees’. The sounds and sights of the seashore are further etched in our minds by references to ‘புதைத்த மணல்’ meaning ‘buried sand’ and ‘புது மணல்’ meaning ‘new sands’. ‘விருந்து’ talks about a ‘feast’ and ‘சீறூர்’ tells us the location is a ‘little village’. A horse with a ‘shiny white mane’ makes its appearance with the words ‘வால் உளை புரவி’. What could be the connecting thread between a shore, a tree, a feast and a horse? Let’s journey on to find out more.
The man and lady have been in a love relationship for a while. When the man is delayed in trysting with the lady, changes appear in her, which make her parents worry. One day, the man arrives by their house to meet with the lady. Observing him there and making sure that he’s in earshot, the confidante tells the lady, “In front of the tall, palm trees with long, hanging fronds, whose dark trunks are buried in the abundant sand, they spread a limitless feast to guests who arrive there. Such was the nature of those living in cool homes in the little village by the sea. Indeed, life in our village was pleasant. But, that was before your man met you and shared together times! Your man is the lord on a chariot, pulled by a beautiful horse, with a shiny, white mane, which after traversing paths moistened by dew, is unable to move because of the peaking pain, and finds its legs buried in the new sands of the roaring seas.” With these words, the confidante conveys news to the man that the village is abuzz with rumours and also, that the lady has been confined to the house.
How does the confidante manage to convey all that, with just a few words? Coming to think of it, these days, even when something is said directly and in detail, people seem to have trouble understanding it, for so short is their attention span. And here, the confidante takes a roundabout way to convey all that information. Let’s expand our twenty-first century minds by understanding these methods, two thousand years ago. The first image brought before our eyes is that of a tall palm tree with hanging leaves. So abundant is the sand that the trunk of the tree is said to be buried within. Right here, a feast is being set. Countless items are being prepared and served to the guests who traverse by through that village. Such generosity of spirit seemed to be the nature of those village folk. The confidante declares that so sweet and joyous was, life in their village. Then she adds, ‘but, that was then!’ Why, what changed, we want to ask. She replies that that happy state of affairs was before the man and lady met and fell in love, implying that now, rumours and gossip about their relationship is spreading in the town, making us see the unpleasant side of the village folk’s nature. She then describes the man as one with a chariot, pulled by a white-maned horse. She talks about the weakened horse wallowing in the fresh, wet sands in the shore, unable to extricate itself. Here’s a striking image of a horse struggling in the sand, unable to move. This is a metaphor for the lady being confined to the house by her parents, who are worried for the changes in the lady and are unaware of her relationship with the man. With that bold brush stroke, the confidante paints a stark future to the man, where meeting with the lady will be impossible.
Should the man give up and leave? No, the confidante will not let that happen. She pulls him in, with that image of a feast being spread. She reminds the man that the lady too would be desirous of a life with him, where she has the honour of serving guests in their home. By bringing forth these images, the confidante is nudging the man in the direction of a happy, married life with the lady. A walk by the shore, with scenes of a feast on one hand and a horse struggling in the sand on the other, paints the wishes and dreams of that lady in love.
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