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In this episode, we picture scenes from a jungle on a dark night, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 154, penned by Nallaavoor Kizhaar. Set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man listening nearby.
கானமும் கம்மென்றன்றே; வானமும்
வரை கிழிப்பன்ன மை இருள் பரப்பி,
பல் குரல் எழிலி பாடு ஓவாதே;
மஞ்சு தவழ் இறும்பில் களிறு வலம் படுத்த
வெஞ் சின உழுவைப் பேழ் வாய் ஏற்றை
அஞ்சுதக உரறும்; ஓசை கேளாது
துஞ்சுதியோ-இல, தூவிலாட்டி!-
பேர் அஞர் பொருத புகர் படு நெஞ்சம்
நீர் அடு நெருப்பின் தணிய, இன்று அவர்
வாரார் ஆயினோ நன்றே; சாரல்
விலங்கு மலை ஆர் ஆறு உள்ளுதொறும்,
நிலம் பரந்து ஒழுகும், என் நிறை இல் நெஞ்சே?
Opening with ‘கானம்’, the poem brings before our eyes a ‘jungle’ right away! What kind of jungle is it? The silent kind, as revealed by ‘கம்மென்றன்றே’ meaning ‘still and silent, without noises any’. This ancient word brings to my mind – ‘கம்முனு’, Chennai slang for ‘keep quiet’. As you see, meaning-wise too, they both resemble each other. I had always assumed that this word ‘கம்முனு’ has some other language origin. Some say that it comes from the Telugu ‘Gammun undu’ and it’s quite possible, considering the Telugu influence in Chennai. But encountering this old Tamil word makes me wonder if Telugu loaned it from Sangam Tamil and returned it back to the origin language as Chennai slang! Curious indeed is the journey of words. Moving on, we meet with the phrase ‘வரை கிழிப்பன்ன’ which means ‘like in a mountain crevice’ and is referring the ‘மை இருள்’ or ‘a pitch dark shade in the colour of kohl, used by women to darken their eyelids’. In the previous poem, Natrinai 153, if we heard a cloud referred to as ‘sweet-voiced’, here we hear it addressed as ‘பல் குரல் எழிலி’ meaning ‘a many-voiced cloud’, making the rumble and the roar of the cloud resound in our ears. If it’s a jungle, can the denizens be far behind? Shortly thereafter, we catch up with ‘களிறு’ meaning ‘male elephant’ and ‘உழுவை’ meaning ‘a tiger’. ‘தூவிலாட்டி’ refers to the lady as ‘one who is weak-willed’, a timid soul. Why is the confidante conjuring these images and referring to the lady so? Let’s go on a night trek through the mountain country to know more!
The man and lady have been in a love relationship for a while and the man meets up with the lady through nightly trysts. The confidante decides that the man must be nudged away from this path and made to seek a formal union with the lady. So, one night, when the man arrives to meet with the lady, the confidante pretending not to see him, says to the lady, “The forest is silent, shorn of all noises; A kohl-shaded darkness, akin to that found in a mountain crevice, spreads across the sky; The many-voiced cloud stops not its song; In the cloud-covered jungle, the furious tiger, a wide-mouthed male, subdues an elephant and throws it to its right and then sends out a frightening roar; Not hearing any of these sounds, you seem to sleep, O demure maiden! To calm this heart that’s hurt by a great suffering akin to a flame that’s quelled by a splash of water, it would be better if your lord doesn’t arrive today. For how can I rein in my angst-filled heart that seems to rush to that treacherous path in the mountain slope, whenever I think about it?” With these words, the confidante paints a picture of the dangerous elements on the man’s path and prods him to consider giving up these clandestine meets in favour of seeking the lady’s hand in marriage.
Reflections serve to make the journey clearer in the mind’s eye. Looking back, we first hear the silence of the forest. In the middle of the night, the forest goes to sleep and all is still and calm around. This is not the reassuring silence of a forest in the day but a dangerous one that fills the heart with a fear about what lurks within. From the ground level, the confidante makes us soar to the skies and show how dark it is, coated with a hue found in the caves of a mountain. Then, she breaks the silence by referring to the clouds, who seem to be singing in many voices upon the night sky. And, this tells us it’s the season when rain clouds shake the skies with their beats. From the skies, the confidante takes us back to the ground to see and hear a furious battle in the forest. A tiger and an elephant are fighting it out and we see that the tiger is trying hard to throw the elephant on its right side. A moment to pause and consider the significance of this action! I learnt that ancient Tamils believed that the tiger would eat its prey only if it fell to its right. They also believed that the tiger would rather starve than touch a prey that fell on its left. I have seen no scientific studies to show this is true but then again, I don’t think that tigers today can afford to be so choosy, in these times when they are being driven to extinction!
All these sounds are echoing in the air and the confidante says that the lady is sleeping without heeding the uproar. She drives the point home by calling the lady, a weak-willed girl! If you think about it, is it at all possible for the lady to be sleeping peacefully when she’s expecting the man? Not a chance! So, why does the confidante say this about the lady? Just a ruse, a metaphorical way of saying the lady is ignoring the dangers all around her. The confidante conveys the hidden meaning that the lady should be urging the man to give up these trysts and to seek a union the rightful way, akin to that tiger’s prey. Cultural beliefs are interwoven with elements of nature to render a message to change someone’s ways in a subtle manner and nudge them into the righteous path.
‘கம்முனு’ எனும் சொல் தமிழகத்தில் பரவலாக வழக்கில் உள்ள ஒன்றாகும் . தமிழிலிருந்து பிற திராவிட மொழிகளில் சென்றுள்ள பற்பல சொற்களால் இதுவும் ஒன்று. இது பேச்சு வழக்கில் அதிகம் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. சங்க காலத்தில் பாடலிடிலும் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. தற்காலத்திலும் பயன் படுத்தினால் நல்லது. உன் துணைவரிடம் உரைத்திடுக