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In this episode, we perceive scenes from a seashore reflecting the concerns in the mind of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 239, penned by Kundriyanaar. The verse is set in the ‘Neythal’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
ஞான்ற ஞாயிறு குட மலை மறைய,
மான்ற மாலை மகிழ்ந்த பரதவர்
இனிது பெறு பெரு மீன் எளிதினின் மாறி,
அலவன் ஆடிய புலவு மணல் முன்றில்
காமர் சிறுகுடிச் செல் நெறி வழியின்,
ஆய் மணி பொதி அவிழ்ந்தாங்கு, நெய்தல்
புல் இதழ் பொதிந்த பூத் தப மிதிக்கும்
மல்லல் இருங்கழி மலி நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பற்கு
அமைந்து தொழில் கேட்டு அன்றோ இலமே; ‘முன் கை
வார் கோல் எல் வளை உடைய வாங்கி
முயங்கு’ எனக் கலுழ்ந்த இவ் ஊர்
எற்று ஆவது கொல், யாம் மற்றொன்று செயினே?
The verse starts with ‘ஞான்ற ஞாயிறு’ meaning ‘setting sun’ and takes us to an evening twilight on the shore. ‘குட மலை’ or ‘western mountains’, where the sun is said to be setting, tells us that this song is situated on the eastern shore of the Tamil land. The phrase ‘இனிது பெறு பெரு மீன் எளிதினின் மாறி’ meaning ‘bartering the fish caught easily in the seas’ tells us about the abundance of marine life and the ease with which these ancient fishermen seemed to have made a living. When we see ‘கலுழ்ந்த இவ் ஊர்’, we understand there are rumours buzzing around, for it means ‘gossips this town’. Ending with the question ‘யாம் மற்றொன்று செயினே’ meaning ‘what if we were to do something else?’, the verse piques our curiosity to learn more about this shore and its denizens!
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man seemed to be intent only on trysting with the lady. Wanting to urge him in the right direction of a formal union, the confidante, seeing him arrive at the house, pretending not to notice him, speaks as if to the lady, “As the waning sun descends in the western mountains on a disconcerting evening, inebriated fishermen happily sell their easily caught, huge fish and then tread on the flesh-reeking sands, where crabs frisk around. As they walk on this path that leads to their desirable little hamlet, they stamp and ruin the outer petals of blue waterlilies that have bloomed looking like a heap of exquisite gems. The lord of the shore comes from such a fertile domain, filled with backwaters. You have done nothing that he asked of you. And yet, this village spreads slander saying, ‘She embraced him with such vigour so as to break the rounded, well-crafted, shining bangles on her forearm!’ Wonder what they would say if you indeed happen to do something like that?” With these words, the confidante conveys to the man that there was slander afoot in the village and that he must seek the blessings of the lady’s parents and put an end to the rumours around town.
Now, for the hidden details! The confidante first talks about the time of the day, mentioning that it’s the confusing hour of evening when the sun sets in the western mountains. It may be confusing for women who are pining but the fishermen of the village seem to be filled with satisfaction. One, they were able to net a huge catch of fish without any difficulty and two, these were eagerly bought by others. So, filled with the riches of this transaction, they delight in taking to toddy and come walking home in a deliriously happy state. As they walk on, they see not the blooming waterlilies looking as if a pile of gems have been heaped. As they tread on carelessly, they break the petals of the flower and go towards their homes in the beautiful seashore hamlet. The confidante describes the man’s land in this movie-like fashion and she is sure to have interleaved a metaphor or two! Before we get there, let’s listen to the rest of what she says. She remarks how the lady has not given in to anything the man asked of her. And, yet as if they saw with their own eyes, the people in the town seem to gossip that the man and lady were so close such that the bangles on the lady’s arms shatter in their embrace! And just then, the confidante wonders that when nothing is happening, they were speaking so much and what would they do, if the lady were indeed to do all that they accuse her of. The confidante is conveying to the man how much the lady loves him, that she seeks his company, even amidst such thorn-filled speech of the village folk!
When the confidante talks about the drunk fishermen easily selling their catch to others, she means that the man should gather wealth, which would come his way with the same ease, and shower that on the lady’s kith and kin to win the lady. Through this act, like how the flowers were treaded upon by the soles of the fishermen’s feet, the man would subdue the rising slander in the town, and bring lasting peace to the lady’s heart. A song which talks about the priorities in a man-woman relationship also offers a piercing view of the life that throbbed on an ancient seashore!
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