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In this episode, we perceive the portrayal of a Sangam woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 142, written by Idaikaadanaar. Set in the forest country of ‘Mullai’ landscape, the verse speaks in the voice of a man to his charioteer, requesting him to rush to the lady’s village.
வான் இகுபு சொரிந்த வயங்கு பெயற்கடை நாள்,
பாணி கொண்ட பல் கால் மெல் உறி
ஞெலி கோல் கலப் பை அதளொடு சுருக்கி,
பறிப் புறத்து இட்ட பால் நொடை இடையன்
நுண் பல் துவலை ஒரு திறம் நனைப்ப,
தண்டு கால் வைத்த ஒடுங்கு நிலை மடி விளி
சிறு தலைத் தொழுதி ஏமார்த்து அல்கும்
புறவினதுவே-பொய்யா யாணர்,
அல்லில் ஆயினும் விருந்து வரின் உவக்கும்,
முல்லை சான்ற கற்பின்,
மெல் இயற் குறுமகள் உறைவின், ஊரே.
Drenching one in a downpour, the verse opens with ‘பெயற்கடை நாள்’ meaning ‘the last day of rains’. Wonder how Sangam folks could predict the weather this accurately to say it’s the last day of rains for that season! A series of interesting objects catch our attention, when we see ‘ஞெலி கோல்’ meaning ‘fire plough’, ‘பறி’ meaning a ‘small-mouthed bag, fastened with threads’. We learn that the owner of these objects is a ‘goatherd’ seeing the word ‘இடையன்’. The phrase ‘மடி விளி’ fills the air with the sound of a resounding ‘whistle’, produced in that unique manner of folding one’s tongue, called as ‘சீட்டி’ in Tamil rustic belts and ‘பிகில்’ in Chennai slang, originating from the English ‘bugle’. Anyone watching the film of a leading Tamil film star, anywhere in the world, cannot have missed this striking sound when the said hero appears on the screen! But, our goatherd here seems to be employing it for simpler beings, those ‘சிறு தலைத் தொழுதி’ meaning ‘small-headed goats’. The poem ends with ‘குறுமகள் உறைவின், ஊரே’ meaning ‘the village where the young girl resides’. Let us join the man in his chariot, as he races to his lady’s forest hamlet!
The man and woman have been living a happy married life when the time comes for the man to leave the lady on a mission. After completing that task, his heart turns in the direction of his lady, waiting in their home. So, he tells his charioteer, “On the last day of the rains, showered by the skies above, loosening the hoop in his multi-threaded pouch with his hand, the milk-selling goatherd puts the ‘fire stick’ alongside the many eatables therein and then, tightens the hoop. He then, hangs the pouch on his back. As many, fine raindrops drench the other side of his back, he places a rod on the ground, leans on it and in that still state, folds his tongue and whistles. Hearing this call, the confused, small-headed goats, are now lured in his direction. My lady’s hamlet is in such a forest. My lady, that gentle-natured young girl, who waits patiently for me, as is the nature of the Mullai land; the lady, who even when guests arrive to the house in the middle of the night, without fail, serves a feast and hosts them with a smile.” With these words, the man urges his charioteer to rush to his lady, as the promised time of his return is now past, saying that they need to make haste to bring forth a smile of relief to that patient maiden.
Time for our own detours in the man’s homeward journey! After showcasing the skies reaching down as rain on the land, the poem flies from up above and zooms on a hand. All we see is a hand untying the threads of a pouch. Then, we glimpse at a curious object, which is like a long stick with a sharp edge and we learn that it’s the ‘fire stick’ used by ancient tribes to start one. We see this hand putting that stick along with the eatables and other items in the sack. Then, the hand tightens the hoop firmly and closes the mouth of this bag. The hand then throws the bag on one shoulder and then, we glimpse the person doing these actions. It’s a goatherd, a seller of milk! From the face of this goatherd, the view moves to his free shoulder and we see fine drops of the rain’s drizzle decorating it. Now, we understand the reason why the man pushed his fire-stick into his backpack and secured it firmly. It is to keep it safe from being dampened by the rain. From the man’s shoulder, the view then changes to a long rod he holds in hand, on which he currently leans, resting his body on it and in a still state, lets out a whistle by folding his tongue. The perspective shifts from the man to the recipient of his whistle call, the goats in his herd. This far, the goats had been roaming confused by the falling rain. But now, hearing the whistle, they are relieved and turn to walk towards their master. The man brings forth this intricate portrait of the goatherd only to say that the lady’s village is in such a forest! But, whether it’s only to mention the location, we’ll find out in a moment.
The man then details the qualities of the lady, saying she’s one, who welcomes her guests with a warm smile, even if they happen to turn up late in the night and she’s one of such a gentle nature, epitomising the ‘patiently waiting’ nature of women from the forest country! Such a gentle-natured lady, he says and thereby, connects it to the metaphor concealed in the description of the goatherd’s actions. The man implies that the lady too has been worrying in his absence and like the goat is guided by the whistle call of the goatherd, she too would be relieved to hear his voice on his return and with that, the man conveys an indirect message to the charioteer to take him home in a flash. This poem, depicting a Sangam lady as a ‘gentle and patient soul’, someone who is metaphorically ‘goat-like’, one waiting for the call of the master, reminded me of a contrasting, recent Tamil film song, ‘Singappenney’ meaning ‘a lion-like lady’. A song where coincidently, you hear the piercing sound of a coach’s ‘whistle’ in the background; a melodic clarion call for the twenty-first century woman to stand up and fight for what’s hers. The woman who was seen as a gentle, home-bound lady is seen as one conquering the world, in this modern day song. While a woman may be seen as a reflection of the times she lives in, the truth lies in that a woman embodies both gentleness and strength, then, now, and always!
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