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In this episode, we observe the rich poetry in the art of small talk, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 213, written by Kachippettu Perunthachanaar. The verse is set in the mountain country of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to the lady and her confidante, intending to seek the confidante’s help in securing the affections of the lady.
அருவி ஆர்க்கும் பெரு வரை நண்ணி,
”கன்று கால்யாத்த மன்றப் பலவின்
வேர்க் கொண்டு தூங்கும் கொழுஞ் சுளைப் பெரும் பழம்
குழவிச் சேதா மாந்தி, அயலது
வேய் பயில் இறும்பின் ஆம் அறல் பருகும்
பெருங் கல் வேலிச் சிறுகுடி யாது?” என,
சொல்லவும் சொல்லீர்; ஆயின், கல்லென
கருவி மா மழை வீழ்ந்தென, எழுந்த
செங் கேழ் ஆடிய செழுங் குரற் சிறு தினைக்
கொய் புனம் காவலும் நுமதோ?-
கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல், நீள் தோளீரே!
As we step into the verse, the mountain country extends us a warm welcome with ‘அருவி ஆர்க்கும்’ meaning ‘resounding cascades’. The phrase ‘கன்று கால்யாத்த மன்றப் பலவின்’ brings to the fore, the image of ‘a jackfruit tree in the courtyard, to which a calf has been tied’. The expression ‘கொழுஞ் சுளைப் பெரும் பழம்’ would make the mouths of those who have savoured a jackfruit water, for it means ‘fleshy slices of the huge fruit’. Learnt that the word ‘சேதா’ refers to a ‘cow’ and the word ‘அறல்’ to a flowing stream. ‘பெருங் கல் வேலிச் சிறுகுடி’ is an interesting phrase for it means ‘the little hamlet fenced by the huge mountains’ and brings to mind, the image of a little village nestling in the protective embrace of the mountains. When we see ‘கருவி மா மழை’, the sights and sounds associated with rain are strongly evoked, for it means ‘the great rain and all its accompaniments’. The poem ends with the address ‘நீள் தோளீரே’ meaning ‘ladies with long shoulders’, referring to the arms and shoulders as one entity. Let’s move beyond the sprinkles of these glimpses and soak in the meaning of this song.
The man had met the lady once before and had united with her. Understanding that he needs to win the confidence of the lady’s confidante to further his relationship with the lady, he decides to convey his prior acquaintance with the lady in a hidden manner. One day, seeing the lady and the confidante standing in the corner of the millet field, away from other playmates, he goes over to them and says, “‘Reaching the mountain range where the waterfall resounds, the female cow, which has birthed a calf, savours the huge and fleshy fruit that hangs on the roots of the jackfruit tree, to which its calf has been tied. After that, it moves to the bamboo forest nearby and drinks the flowing water there. What is the name of the little hamlet fenced by great mountains, where such scenes are to be seen?’ When I ask this, you say no word in reply. At least, tell me about this millet field, soon to be harvested, with its thick red millet crops swaying luxuriantly because of the reverberating rain that recently poured, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Is it guarded by you, O maidens with uplifted loins and long arms?” With these words, the man conveys to the confidante that he has met the lady already and that he intends to further that relationship, towards which, he seeks the confidante’s help.
As in many other Sangam poems, we see nothing significant on the surface. At first glance, it’s just a man asking a couple of questions to the lady and her confidante. The man first talks about a female cow feasting on the fleshy fruits of the jackfruit tree and relishing the cool waters from the nearby spring thereafter. And there, he places the first question about their mountain village, asking for its name. Hearing no response from them, he turns his attention to the millet-field, where they are standing, and commenting on the ready-to-be-harvested millet crops, which seems to have flourished so in the recent rains, he asks whether they were in-charge of guarding the same. Just two questions – one about the village and the other about the millet-field! How then will the confidante understand the intention in his heart?
The man knows that when he asks these questions, the lady will be overcome with feeling, and through her facial expressions, she would convey to the confidante about her prior acquaintance with the man. Then, the confidante would get the message that the man is seeking her help to tryst with the lady by night, in their village in the mountains and also by day, in the millet field, which the lady guards. The picturesque description of the scene in the mountain village, where the cow delights in the fruit and drinks off the stream, and the luxuriant millet-fields waiting to be harvested are both poetic devices to refer to the bliss the man will feel once the confidante understands his intention and fulfils the same. One has to pause and admire the way this Sangam verse hones the art of small talk with such craft and precision to convey intention and purpose!
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