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In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a mountain land, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 328, penned by Tholkabilar. The verse is set in hills of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying words of consolation, as her friend grieves over the delay in the man’s return.
கிழங்கு கீழ் வீழ்ந்து, தேன் மேல் தூங்கி,
சிற்சில வித்திப் பற்பல விளைந்து,
தினை கிளி கடியும் பெருங் கல் நாடன்
பிறப்பு ஓரன்மை அறிந்தனம்: அதனால்,
அது இனி வாழி-தோழி!-ஒரு நாள்,
சிறு பல் கருவித்து ஆகி, வலன் ஏர்பு,
பெரும் பெயல் தலைக, புனனே!-இனியே,
எண் பிழி நெய்யொடு வெண் கிழி வேண்டாது
சாந்து தலைக்கொண்ட ஓங்கு பெருஞ் சாரல்,
விலங்கு மலை அடுக்கத்தானும்,
கலம் பெறு விறலி ஆடும் இவ் ஊரே.
The verse opens with ‘கிழங்கு கீழ் வீழ்ந்து’ meaning ‘tubers grow and spread below’, highlighting the nutrition packed food source of these mountain folk. Incidentally, the Western Ghats, the probable location of the Kurinji landscape, is well-known for wild relatives of tubers and here, varieties such as cassava, sweet potato and yam are said to be an integral part of the diet of these mountain tribes. Returning to the verse, we see the other essential element of a mountain country in ‘தேன் மேல் தூங்கி’ meaning ‘honey hangs above’, pointing to the prevalence of bee hives and flowing nectar in this land. The phrase ‘சிற்சில வித்திப் பற்பல விளைந்து’ vividly sketches for us, how fertile that land is, for it means ‘sowing but a few seeds, a bounty is reaped’. ‘பெரும் பெயல் தலைக’ is a request for ‘a heavy downpour’ sent out to the skies. After relishing in these references to nature, we glimpse at two cultural artefacts – one, ‘எண் பிழி நெய்’ meaning ‘oil from sesame seeds’ and ‘வெண் கிழி’ meaning ‘white cloth’. Ending with ‘கலம் பெறு விறலி ஆடும் இவ் ஊரே’ meaning ‘the danseuse, who receives jewels, dances in this town’, the verse beckons us to take part in the festivities.
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship when the man had to part with the lady to gather wealth for their wedding. As days roll by, the lady worries about his prolonged absence and wonders if the man has forgotten her. To her anxious friend, the confidante says, “Tubers take root beneath, honey hangs from above and here, a few seeds are sown to render a plentiful harvest. Such is the mountain land of the lord, where parrots are chased away from millet fields. I know that he comes not from a background equal to us, but one, superior. And so, may this truth live long, my friend! Soon one day, let many, many small clouds merge together, climb the skies and come down as a heavy downpour on the fields! And then, in this town on the soaring mountain slopes, filled with sandalwood trees, surrounded by ranges, not seeking oil from sesame seeds or white garments, the danseuse will receive jewels many and dance with delight!” With these words, the confidante allays the fears in the lady’s mind and fills it with positive images of the man’s homecoming.
Time to delve into the delicious nuances! The confidante starts by talking about tubers spreading their roots underneath and honey hanging above. After these sumptuous references, she turns her attention to the millet fields in the mountains and talks philosophically about how only a few seeds are sown, but the harvest reaped is manifold! The confidante ends all these references by saying that such is the man’s land. From geography, the confidante turns her attention to the man’s psychology mentioning that he is one of a high birth. This is to tell convincingly to the lady that being a highborn, he would never forsake his word to her!
After wiping away the doubts in the lady’s mind, the confidante sends out a wish to the skies, seeking the clouds to club together and rise on the right to their rightful place and pour down on the millet fields in those mountain slopes! Why this specific request? This is because the man had promised that he would be back by the rainy season. If the rains were to pour, the man would return no doubt, for as the confidante has established, he is a man of his word!
The confidante continues saying when that happens in their town amidst the ranges, dotted with sandalwood trees, an event would unfold. In this event, their village danseuse, who always seeks sesame oil and white clothes as fee for her services, would shun those and dance away with delight! What makes the dancer discount her usual fee? To understand this, we have unravel the metaphors in the description we saw before. The tuber taking roots beneath and honey hanging above is an indicator of how the man’s love had spread deep within the lady and had borne the honey of their relationship, for all to see! The field where few seeds sown render harvest plenty is a metaphor for how the few acts of love by the lady towards the man now will reap the harvest of a long, married life. And so, we understand that the danseuse is dancing in the lady’s wedding event, where she has no need for the usual sesame oil and white clothes, as she has been showered with much more, with jewels in fact, for her services. We see how this confidante first removes the fears in the lady’s mind and then fills that emptied space with positive images. Kudos to this expert counsellor, who shows the path to peace in the present, by trusting in the goodness of the past and visualising the possibilities of the future!
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