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In this episode, we perceive the beating concern in the heart of a lady in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 332, penned by Kundroor Kilaar Makan Kannathanaar. Set in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
இகுளை தோழி! இஃது என் எனப்படுமோ-
‘குவளை குறுநர் நீர் வேட்டாங்கு,
நாளும்நாள் உடன் கவவவும், தோளே
தொல் நிலை வழீஇய நின் தொடி’ எனப் பல் மாண்
உரைத்தல் ஆன்றிசின், நீயே: விடர் முகை,
ஈன் பிணவு ஒடுக்கிய இருங் கேழ் வயப் புலி
இரை நசைஇப் பரிக்கும் மலைமுதல் சிறு நெறி,
தலைநாள் அன்ன பேணலன், பல நாள்,
ஆர் இருள் வருதல் காண்பேற்கு,
யாங்கு ஆகும்மே, இலங்கு இழை செறிப்பே?
The verse opens with an endearing expression for ‘an adored friend’ in ‘இகுளை தோழி’. The phrase ‘குவளை குறுநர் நீர் வேட்டாங்கு’ means ‘like someone plucking lilies thirsting for water’ is a pithy commentary on human behaviour, which we will explore shortly. ‘வழீஇய நின் தொடி’ talks about that quintessential phenomenon among Sangam women in pining, meaning ‘bangles slip away’. The image of ‘a female tiger that has recently birthed a cub’ appears in ‘ஈன் பிணவு’ and accompanying it, appears the ‘இருங் கேழ் வயப் புலி’ meaning ‘dark-shaded powerful tiger’. Ending with ‘யாங்கு ஆகும்மே, இலங்கு இழை செறிப்பே’ meaning ‘how can the glowing bangles hold tight’, the verse intrigues our curiosity about the story in this mountain song.
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a while. One night, when he arrives by the lady’s house, the lady turns to her confidante and says, “My dear young friend! How will you understand this? You have addressed me many a time with wonder saying, ‘Akin to someone, who’s plucking waterlilies, thirsting for water, you tryst with him day after day, and yet your fine arms have lost their old beauty, making your bangles slip away!’ In the mountain clefts, leaving behind its mate that has recently given birth, a dark-hued powerful tiger, desiring for prey, lies in wait near the narrow mountain path. On many days, my man comes walking on this very path, with the same passion that he had on the first day, in the deep dark of the night. Seeing this, how can my shining bangles stay in place?” With these words, the lady expresses the fear in her heart as she thinks of the dangers the man faces on his way to tryst with her and subtly persuades the listening man to seek a formal union.
Time to delve into the details! The lady starts her conversation with the confidante by wondering aloud, ‘How can I make you see this?’ Then, she proceeds to outline something that the confidante has been asking her repeatedly. The confidante is puzzled that although the lady sees the man almost every day, the lady’s bangles are slipping away from the thinned arms of the lady. An uninitiated person may wonder what is the connection between seeing someone and bangles slipping! But, those who have experienced even a little of Sangam literature will be aware that this is the classic symptom of pining that happens when the man parts with the lady for a prolonged time. Returning to the verse, the confidante is understandably surprised because no such parting has taken place and the man keeps visiting the lady. To sketch her bewilderment, the confidante has employed a picturesque simile. She sketches for us a water body filled with lilies and we see a person plucking flowers there. Imagine if this person were to complain of thirst! With all the flowing water around, the person’s thirst is indeed illogical and it’s this simile the confidante has used to compare with the lady’s pining!
After narrating the confidante’s confusion, the lady turns her attention to a female tiger that has recently given birth. No doubt it’s hungry and raving to feed. The thoughtful mate of this female immediately sets out to wait near a mountain path, where a wayfarer is sure to come by. The lady connects this wild scene to her present saying that oblivious of all such dangers, the man walks such mountain paths, with a heart beating with the freshness of love that he felt on the first day. Saying this, the lady concludes with a question to her friend asking how she can be at peace and good health knowing that her man has to pass these dangers every night. In that scene of a male tiger striving to satisfy the hunger of its mate, the lady places a metaphorical wish for the man to alleviate her suffering by seeking her hand in marriage. Stepping back to relish that simile of the lily pond, yearning in the midst of plenty is something all of us can relate to. Reflecting, two roads seem to lead from here – One, to see the water, the plentiful things in life that we often miss in our search for something elusive, or, the other path, like the lady in the verse, to go to the core of the reason that is not tangible to others and do what it takes to quench that contradictory thirst!
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