Natrinai 138 – The nest on a broken cart

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In this episode, we appreciate the rich imagery employed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 138, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal lands of ‘Neythal’, the poem speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her and conveying a message to the man, listening nearby.

உவர் விளை உப்பின் குன்று போல் குப்பை
மலை உய்த்துப் பகரும் நிலையா வாழ்க்கைக்,
கணம் கொள் உமணர் உயங்கு வயின் ஒழித்த
பண் அழி பழம் பார் வெண்குருகு ஈனும்
தண்ணந்துறைவன், முன் நாள் நம்மொடு
பாசடைக் கலித்த கணைக் கால் நெய்தல்
பூவுடன் நெறிதரு தொடலை தைஇக்,
கண் அறிவுடைமை அல்லது நுண் வினை
இழை அணி அல்குல் விழவு ஆடு மகளிர்
முழங்கு திரை இன் சீர் தூங்கும்
அழுங்கல் மூதூர் அறிந்தன்றோ இன்றே.

As the curtains go up, the first sight that greets our eyes is a ‘mound of salt heaped like a hill’, as seen in the words ‘உப்பின் குன்று போல் குப்பை’. As we have seen before, ‘குப்பை’ refers not to ‘trash’ as in current-day language but to a ‘heap’. ‘நிலையா வாழ்க்கை’ is a commentary on the lifestyle of salt merchants about how they lead an unrooted existence, traveling from place to place, selling their wares. The ‘salt merchants’ are curiously referred to as ‘கணம் கொள் உமணர்’. The phrase ‘கணம் கொள்’ means ‘heaviness filled’! However, here it refers not to the physical stature of these merchants but to the fact that they travel in groups, and never alone. ‘பண் அழி பழம் பார்’ paints an image of ‘a broken-down, abandoned old cart’. Learnt a new word for ‘garland’ in ‘தொடலை’. To paint the images of the coastal town, we have ‘முழங்கு திரை’ meaning ‘roaring waves’ and ‘அழுங்கல் மூதூர்’, which talks about an ‘ancient town filled with uproar’ by the sea. Walking around this town, let’s gather the meaning behind these words.

The man and lady have been in a love relationship for a while. When the man parts away, the lady finds her health ruined in pining. The village folk, sensing the changes in the lady, start their slanderous talk. Hearing this, the lady languishes. Seeking to console her and at the same time, convey a discreet message to the man, the confidante waits for the right opportunity. Seeing him arriving one day to tryst with the lady, making sure he’s in earshot, the confidante says to the lady, “Salt harvested from the saline marshland is heaped in the shape of hills. Taking salt from these little hills, groups of salt merchants traverse through mountains many, leading a nomadic life, to sell their merchandise.  In their journey, they abandon the broken-down carts and go their way. White cranes, seeing such broken down carts, lay their eggs therein. Your man is the lord of such cool shores. One day, a while ago, taking the ‘neythal’ flowers with deep green leaves and thick stalks, he made a garland with flowers tightly stitched together and adorned you with that. This is all that the townsfolk saw. How could this uproarious town, wherein the ocean’s waves resound in rhythm with the festival dance of maidens adorned with intricate jewels around their waists, know anything else?” With these words, the confidante allays the lady’s fears and at the same time, lets the man know that he should make haste and seek the lady’s hand in marriage. 

Time to relish the visual imagery embedded in the verse! First is the scene of salt mounds, heaped like hills. Even today, when one drives along the East Coast Road starting in Chennai, these white salt hills would wave at us. The town of ‘Marakkaanam’ along this road, is the third largest producer of salt in Tamilnadu, which is second only to the state of ‘Gujarat’ in salt production. And, it is said, a Sangam port existed near this very town, from where salt trade was carried forth. Perhaps, this Sangam poet stood in the very place where we speed on, in our cars today. Moving on, we see salt merchants placing bundles of salt in their carts and travelling far, for trade. They leave their towns but take their kith and kin along, in their journey. When they travel onward, their old carts, burdened by years of carrying heavy bundles of salt, could break under the strain. As they come in huge groups, they transfer their load to another cart and go their way, leaving this broken down cart. White cranes flying by, seeing this broken down cart, decide it’s the perfect spot to lay their eggs. The confidante narrates this scene to describe the land that the man comes from but as is the case, it also serves as a metaphor for the man leaving behind the lady, like that abandoned cart, inviting the townsfolk to spread slander, akin to the cranes laying eggs. 

The next scene unfolds with the man holding a garland, tightly stitched with ‘neythal’ flowers, plucked from thick stems with green leaves. He then places it on the lady’s neck. This image is captured not just by us, but also the townsfolk, says the confidante. This common happening is all that they know. Then, she brings the final image of the waves of the ocean keeping tune with the festival dance of maidens, adorned with fine jewellery. This image of waves resounding is not just to describe their old town but also indicate that the town is filled with the roar of rumours about the man’s relationship with the lady. While this is the message subtly conveyed to the man, outwardly to the lady, the confidante says that the village folk don’t know anything else about their relationship. In one shot, the confidante passes on the message of ‘worry not’ to the lady and ‘watch out’ to the man, nudging him subtly, to marry the lady and settle that seaside uproarious town at ease.