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In this episode, we listen to a surprised mother’s reminiscences about her daughter, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 179, penned by an anonymous poet. The verse is set in the ‘Paalai’ landscape and speaks in the voice of a mother, expressing disbelief when she discovers that her daughter has eloped with a man.
இல் எழு வயலை ஈற்று ஆ தின்றென,
பந்து நிலத்து எறிந்து, பாவை நீக்கி,
அவ் வயிறு அலைத்த என் செய் வினைக் குறுமகள்
மான் அமர்ப்பன்ன மையல் நோக்கமொடு,
யானும் தாயும் மடுப்ப, தேனொடு
தீம் பால் உண்ணாள் வீங்குவனள் விம்மி,
நெருநலும் அனையள்மன்னே; இன்றே,
மை அணற் காளை பொய் புகலாக,
அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனள் என்ப-தன்
முருந்து ஏர் வெண் பல் முகிழ் நகை திறந்தே.
As the poem opens, we learn of a creeper that was grown in Sangam households, as portrayed by the phrase ‘இல் எழு வயலை’. This ‘வயலை’ turns out to be the culinary greens called as ‘பசலை’ or ‘Malabar spinach’ in current-day language. Biting on this bunch of greens, appears ‘ஈற்று ஆ’ meaning ‘a cow that has given birth’. Then, we meet with ‘என் செய் வினைக் குறுமகள்’, an endearment from the mother, referring to ‘her young daughter, born as the gift for her good deeds’. The phrase ‘வீங்குவனள் விம்மி’ meaning ‘whimpering ceaselessly, making her cheeks swell’ brings to the fore, a young girl, throwing a tantrum. In this verse, we once again glimpse ‘நெருநல்’, that delicious word for ‘yesterday’. Mother then talks about ‘மை அணற் காளை’ referring to that ‘black-bearded bull of a man’, giving us a tiny clue about young men’s grooming in the Sangam times. Time to hear more about what that blessed girl and this bull-like man are upto!
The man and lady had been in a love relationship for a while. Perceiving that circumstances at the lady’s home were not positive for their formal union, the man and lady decide to elope. Mother learns that her daughter has left home in the company of this man. Confused by this news, she says, “When the vine spinach growing at home was eaten by the cow that had only then given birth, she would throw the ball on the ground, cast aside her doll and start beating on her beautiful stomach. Indeed, that was my daughter, born as a boon for my good deeds! With a startled look, akin to the eyes of a deer, when her foster mother and I try to feed honey-infused, sweet milk, she would refuse to eat that and cry copiously, making her cheeks swell. Even yesterday, she seemed to be one with such a nature. But today, believing the lies of that black-bearded, bull-like man, they say she has dared to go to the difficult paths in the drylands. And they add that, on her white teeth, coloured like a peacock feather’s root, buds a gentle smile!” With these words, mother expresses how the turn of events involving the man and lady seem inconceivable to her, as she remembers her daughter as an innocent little girl, used to the comforts of her home.
Now, for the nuances! Like an impressive storyteller, mother catches our attention by narrating a scene from her household. One day, a cow that had given birth was roaming in hunger and seeing the luxuriant vine of spinach leaves, starts nipping away. Seeing this, the lady, who was perhaps just a young girl then, throws her ball to one side, throws her doll to another side and starts crying, beating her stomach. Let’s freeze that image and delve into the details. Seeing it with twenty-first century eyes, isn’t it somewhat funny that a girl is throwing such a tantrum just because a cow is doing what cows do, that is, to feed on leaves? Not to forget that it’s spinach leaves. Many a little girl or boy from today, would jump for joy if the spinach on their plate is pilfered this way. But, our Sangam girl is besides herself in grief that she beats on her stomach and cries. This may be a curious way of crying to people from different cultural backgrounds but anyone who has been to funerals in the Tamil country would know that this is the way that women lament for the dead! Returning from this detour, we learn that the girl is thus grieved because she had been rearing that spinach bush with a plan to dress herself with those lush green leaves hemmed by red vines. She’s all tears because her clothes have become the cow’s food! Seeing the girl thus disturbed, mother and her helper, the foster mother, try to console the girl and even offer her honey-infused milk but the brat she is, she refuses and continues crying. Mother concludes by saying this is not some ancient history but something that happened even yesterday!
Imagine mother’s shock when those who have seen the girl leave say that she was walking with a black-bearded man through the drylands. Mother refers to this man as ‘a bull’ and with that expression, she subtly draws a parallel between her anguish, at having her daughter stolen away by that bull-like man, and her girl’s anguish when the vine she grew with love, was polished off, by the cow. Mother nods her head in disbelief thinking that a girl who couldn’t even accept that ignorable distress at home, now walks to those treacherous drylands, trusting the lies of the man! What tops it all, mother ends, is that they say she goes with a bright smile on her face. A tasteful verse that starts with tears and ends with smiles, sketching the story of how a mother’s worry travels beyond the miles.
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