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In this episode, we unravel a series of abstractions revolving around trust and love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 327, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her angst over the man’s delay in seeking her hand in marriage.
நாடல் சான்றோர் நம்புதல் பழி எனின்,
பாடு இல கலுழும் கண்ணொடு சாஅய்ச்
சாதலும் இனிதே-காதல்அம் தோழி!-
அந் நிலை அல்லஆயினும், ”சான்றோர்
கடன் நிலை குன்றலும் இலர்” என்று, உடன் அமர்ந்து,
உலகம் கூறுவது உண்டு என, நிலைஇய
தாயம் ஆகலும் உரித்தே-போது அவிழ்
புன்னை ஓங்கிய கானற்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் சாயல் மார்பே.
The verse opens with the words ‘நாடல் சான்றோர்’ meaning ‘the righteous, whom you love’, seemingly putting on a pedestal, one’s beloved. ‘நம்புதல்’ signifies the core ingredient in the concoction of a love relationship and that’s ‘trust’! The pithy phrase ‘சான்றோர் கடன் நிலை குன்றலும் இலர்’ meaning ‘those who are righteous never shun their responsibility’ seems to quote from a book of ethics, belonging to that period. ‘தாயம்’ is an ancient word used to indicate inheritance, about which we will delve into, shortly. The elegant tree of those ancient shores graces us in ‘போது அவிழ் புன்னை’ meaning ‘laurel tree with blooming flowers’. Ending with ‘சாயல் மார்பே’ meaning ‘the soft chest’, the verse invites us to look into the heart of the verse.
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a long while. The lady is saddened that he seems to be taking no steps towards formalising their union. Her confidante tries to allay her fears and in response, the lady says, “If it’s wrong to trust the righteous one, whom you have chosen, then suffering with these sleepless, crying eyes, it’s better to die, my loving friend! If that state is unfitting, then taking as truth, the united voice of the world around, which says, “The righteous never shirk their duty”, I should wait for that which is my rightful inheritance – the soft chest of the lord from the cool shores, where groves filled with ‘punnai’ trees burst open their buds!” With these words, the lady is conveying the extent of her distress, caused by the man’s inaction.
Now, for the nuances! The lady seems to be expressing herself in an abstract fashion. She talks about how if it’s a mistake to have faith in the righteous one, whom you love and who loves you, then suffering with ceaseless tears, it’s better to die! Why do these Sangam women talk about death so casually? Could it be a case of poetic exaggeration? Highly likely, for a society that considers death as a solution is heading nowhere! This must be to sketch to the world, how much the lady suffers as the man seems to show no interest in the righteous path. Even so, the lady never questions the man’s righteousness and continues to consider him as one worthy of respect. Thankfully, soon the lady realises that there is nothing to be achieved by death, for she continues saying that death may not be considered a fitting state. Good for her that she realises this! From this negative reflection on death, she turns to positivity and reflects how the world seems to echo in unison the inviolable truth of how the righteous never stray from their line of duty. She says that it’s the world around saying these words about the man, but somehow the man’s actions are not evoking this response from within her. However, she chooses to follow the positive thought and says that if the words of the world were true, then for sure, she would inherit the soft chest of the lord, in whose cool shores, ‘punnai’ trees are blooming!
Two intriguing facets beckon us closer! One is the phrase about the rightful inheritance. This reveals the Sangam tradition of how a man made his wife the owner of all his wealth and how this was transferred to her children, by right. Hence the word ‘தாயம்’, which means ‘through mother’. Although this is a patriarchal society, a man’s property and wealth seemed to have belonged to his wife and now it becomes clear why the man has to seek entry to his own house, as we have seen in Sangam poems from the ‘Marutham’ landscape. The other interesting element is the comment about the ‘punnai’ trees that are blooming in the man’s land. The lady conceals her surprise about how these trees could be blooming in the right time, when the man, the ruler of the domain, seems to not keep to his line of duty and seek her hand. When these words reach the man’s ears, he will perceive the angst in the lady’s heart and will hopefully allay her agony. In a way, this verse seems to tell us that having a high regard for someone is an effective incentive for that someone to fulfil that expectation and behave responsibly!
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