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In this episode, we observe the lay of a mountain country and perceive the inner landscape, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 257, penned by Vannakkan Sorumarunkumaranaar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, bidding him subtly to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
விளிவு இல் அரவமொடு தளி சிறந்து உரைஇ,
மழை எழுந்து இறுத்த நளிர் தூங்கு சிலம்பின்,
கழை அமல்பு நீடிய வான் உயர் நெடுங் கோட்டு
இலங்கு வெள் அருவி வியன் மலைக் கவாஅன்-
அரும்பு வாய் அவிழ்ந்த கருங் கால் வேங்கைப்
பொன் மருள் நறு வீ கல்மிசைத் தாஅம்
நல் மலை நாட!-நயந்தனை அருளாய்,
இயங்குநர் மடிந்த அயம் திகழ் சிறு நெறிக்
கடு மா வழங்குதல் அறிந்தும்,
நடு நாள் வருதி; நோகோ யானே.
The verse opens with the words ‘விளிவு இல் அரவமொடு’ meaning ‘with an unending noise’, which leads us to the only thing that’s capable of creating this effect from time immemorial, ‘மழை’ or the ‘rainclouds’. The definitive sights of a mountain land delight us in the words ‘இலங்கு வெள் அருவி’ meaning ‘radiant, white waterfalls’! The tree that seems to catch the attention of poets amidst the diverse flora of the mountain country is the ‘வேங்கை’ or the ‘Indian Kino tree’, characterised by its ‘பொன் மருள் நறு வீ’ meaning ‘gold-like fragrant flowers’. The phrase ‘இயங்குநர் மடிந்த அயம் திகழ் சிறு நெறி’ conjures before our eyes ‘a small path, logged with water, with no wayfarers’. Ending with ‘நோகோ யானே’ meaning ‘I’m terribly worried’, the poem beckons us to listen with empathy.
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with her by night. The confidante decides that the man must be gently nudged in the direction of a formal union and one night, when he arrives at the lady’s house, the confidante says to him, “With an incessant noise in the air that is filled to the brim with moisture, rainclouds rise and reside amidst the mountain slopes, coating them with coolness in those bamboo-filled, sky-high mountain ranges, wherein flows a picturesque, white falls. Here, the black-legged ‘vengai’ tree, with new blooms, showers those fragrant flowers, akin to gold, on the rocks beneath. These fine mountains are your domain, O lord! You do not seem to grace her with your love. For you tread on those small paths, where copious water flows, where there is no one for company, knowing well that ferocious animals roam therein, and come to see her in the middle of the night. We are ridden with worry!” With these words, the confidante conveys to the man the dangers in his path and the pain this causes in the lady’s mind, gently urging him to slay this angst by seeking a formal union.
Now, for the nuances! The confidante starts by going into a lengthy description of the man’s mountain country. She first talks about the unceasing noise of thunder heard from up above and how the air seems to be filled with the richness of rain drops. Then, she points to how rainclouds have risen high above and surrounded the mountains with a blanket of coolness. There are bamboos covering the slopes of these cool mountains and an elegant white waterfall seems to be gracing the region too. From these generic descriptions of sights and sounds, the confidante points to a single Kino tree, growing therein. The buds of this Kino tree have recently blossomed and already, the tree seems to be showering these yellow flowers, which have an appearance of gold, on the black rocks beneath. After this vision, the confidante concludes the description and then turns to talk about the path the man walks on, at night. This is a narrow path and the narrowness tells us that not many people frequent it. If there’s danger afoot, there will be no one to call out for help, the confidante hints. And there’s plenty of that, as these paths get flooded with water and violent animals like the tiger roam too. Not minding any of this, you arrive here in the dead of the night, the confidante chides the man. And then, she concludes that the man is not acting with thoughtfulness, for his attitude etches on the lady’s heart with the chisel of worry.
Is the confidante asking the man to not come visit the lady? That seems unlikely because she praises him indirectly for not minding the dangers in his determination to seek the lady’s company. But, showing how these dangers fill the lady’s heart with worry, she reveals the care and love in the lady’s mind. In that description of golden yellow flowers of the Kino tree showered on the black rock, the confidante presents the solution to the quandary. The man must shower his offerings of gold to the lady’s kith and kin and seek the lady’s hand in marriage so as to rout these worries and bring lasting happiness to their lives. Conveying concern about the dangers in the man’s path, the confidante sows the seed of intention in the man’s mind, trusting his compassion will make that seed take root and yield the golden flowers of a happy, married life someday soon!
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