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In this episode, we perceive the struggle between love and duty, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 284, penned by Theypuri Palankayitrinaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man, expressing the war waging in his inner world.
”புறம் தாழ்பு இருண்ட கூந்தல், போதின்
நிறம் பெறும் ஈர் இதழ்ப் பொலிந்த உண்கண்,
உள்ளம் பிணிக்கொண்டோள்வயின்”, நெஞ்சம்,
”செல்லல் தீர்கம்; செல்வாம்” என்னும்:
”செய்வினை முடியாது எவ்வம் செய்தல்
எய்யாமையோடு இளிவு தலைத்தரும்” என,
உறுதி தூக்கத் தூங்கி, அறிவே,
”சிறிது நனி விரையல்” என்னும்: ஆயிடை,
ஒளிறு ஏந்து மருப்பின் களிறு மாறு பற்றிய
தேய்புரிப் பழங் கயிறு போல,
வீவதுகொல் என் வருந்திய உடம்பே?
The verse opens with the words ‘புறம் தாழ்பு இருண்ட கூந்தல்’ meaning ‘dark tresses that extend to the waist’ and signify another qualifier for women’s appearance in Sangam times. From the hair, the focus falls on the eyes in ‘ஈர் இதழ்ப் பொலிந்த உண்கண்’ meaning ‘moist kohl-streaked eyes’. We meet with ‘உள்ளம்’ which means ‘mind’ in contemporary Tamil. Next, we are greeted by ‘நெஞ்சம்’, which means ‘heart’ in today’s lingo. Shortly thereafter, we see ‘அறிவே’ and again, this means ‘intelligence’ or ‘sense’ in current Tamil. What do each of these words mean in this ancient verse? It’s hard to tell without context and let’s wait for that to emerge. Moving on, we glimpse ‘two elephants with glowing tusks’ in ‘ஒளிறு ஏந்து மருப்பின் களிறு’ and also ‘a frayed, old rope’ in ‘தேய்புரிப் பழங் கயிறு’. Ending with the question ‘வீவதுகொல் என் வருந்திய உடம்பே’ meaning ‘will my tormented body fall apart’, the verse piques our curiosity to know more!
The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man had to part away from her to gather wealth. He knows that in his absence, his lady will suffer in pining. As he walks along his drylands path, one day, he says to himself,”My heart tells me, ‘To that girl, with dark tresses hanging on her back; to her, with kohl-streaked, moist eyes in the hue of blue lotuses; to her, who has captured your heart, go now, to end her suffering’. But, my mind says, ‘If you decide to disturb your mission and leave without completing it, not only will you not get what you seek, but you will also end with dishonour upon your name’ and, it insists with conviction, ‘Do not step away from your duty even a little’. In between these two, akin to an old rope with tattered strands, pulled apart on opposing sides by two male elephants with shining tusks, will my pained body too, fall apart?” With these words, the man conveys his confused state, tormented by those raging forces at conflict within.
Now, for the nuances! The man starts by bringing before us the image of his lady. He vividly recollects those rich and flowing tresses of hers that seem to fall down to the floor and then moves to her kohl-streaked eyes, in the shade of a blue lotus, moist and fresh. The man gives his lady, the epithet – ‘the one who has stolen my heart’. A thought, oft-repeated in modern-day love lyrics! The man has described these facets of the lady only to say that he is being pushed to his lady to resolve her pain by an entity within. I say entity, because of the ambivalence of the Tamil word ‘நெஞ்சம்’ used here. However, based on context, I think we can conclude that this points to the emotional aspects in the man’s mind. Next, the man describes another voice speaking up from within and this voice seems to caution him saying that if the man decides to leave back to his home halfway, not only will his mission to gather wealth be a failure but it will bring dishonour to his name and respectability. With force, it tells him not to swerve from his line of duty even a little. From the stern sound of this voice, we can conclude it’s that entity called as cognition, intellect or the logical aspects of the mind. Thus, we have extracted two conflicting voices, which we will describe with the tools of our modern vocabulary as ’emotion’ and ‘logic’!
Then, the man sketches a scene for us. Here, two elephants are standing on either side, with bright tusks that stand testimony for their strength. In between these two elephants, is a threadbare, used rope. This rope is being pulled apart by these two tuskers. Does that rope even stand a chance? Likewise, the man concludes, his body is going to fall to pieces, pulled apart by ‘logic’ and ’emotion’, those mighty pachyderms within. A torment that every human is sure to be conversant with, at some point in their lives.The battle between all possible combinations of love, work, survival, health, wealth and much more, has gone on, ever since human beings became cognitive creatures. Indeed, it’s the life blood of stories and epics! A struggle governments today face, pulled apart by concerns of health and wealth of the country, a struggle individuals are facing in their conflict between work and survival. These are struggles for things of importance but there are everyday struggles that are of importance only to the one facing the conflict within! Should the man go home or continue on his journey… Should we do that thing or this? A seemingly simple question that is complicated by its fate, not to have a single right answer!
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