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In this episode, we hear the echo of the life of wildlife in a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 383, penned by Koliyoor Kizhaar Makanaar Chezhiyanaar. Set in the hills of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, expressing the dangers in the nightly path he takes to tryst with the lady.
கல் அயற் கலித்த கருங் கால் வேங்கை
அலங்கல்அம் தொடலை அன்ன குருளை
வயப் புனிற்று இரும் பிணப் பசித்தென, வயப் புலி
புகர் முகம் சிதையத் தாக்கி, களிறு அட்டு,
உரும் இசை உரறும், உட்குவரு நடு நாள்,
அருளினை போலினும், அருளாய் அன்றே-
கனை இருள் புதைத்த அஞ்சுவரும் இயவில்
பாம்பு உடன்று இரிக்கும் உருமோடு,
ஓங்கு வரை நாட! நீ வருதலானே.
The verse opens with ‘கல் அயற் கலித்த கருங் கால் வேங்கை’ meaning ‘the dark-stemmed Indian kino tree, thriving near the mountains’, revealing the habitat of this frequently mentioned tree, whose name also has the meaning of ‘tiger’ in current-day terminology. As foreshadowed, the animal in question also appears in ‘வயப் புலி’ meaning ‘powerful tiger’ and its arch-enemy ‘களிறு’ or ‘elephant’. ‘உரும் இசை உரறும்’ thunders against our eardrums with ‘the resounding roar’ of the said tiger. The phrase ‘கனை இருள்’ points to the time of the day for it means ‘a thick darkness’. Another animal appears in the phrase ‘பாம்பு உடன்று இரிக்கும் உருமோடு’ meaning ‘the roar that strikes and kills snakes’ and yet again talks about the ancient belief of thunder destroying snakes. Ending with ‘நீ வருதலானே’ meaning ‘as you come walking’, the verse invites us for a trek through the minds of these mountain folk!
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man had been trysting with the lady by night for a while. One night, when he arrives to tryst with the lady, the confidante says to him, “The newborns of the dark and strong female tiger resemble a fluttering garland made of flowers from the black-trunked ‘vengai’ tree near the mountains. Seeing its mate hungry, the strong male tiger attacks and ruins the spotted face of the elephant and then killing it, the male tiger roars aloud. Such is the fear-evoking midnight hour when you come walking down the path, which is submerged in a thick darkness, and where thunder that attacks and kills snakes resounds, O lord of the high mountains. As you come on such a path, at such a time, even though it appears as if you grace her, you grace her not!” With these words, the confidante indirectly presses the man to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
Now, let’s find out how the confidante goes about her task of asking the man to marry the lady! She starts by bringing before our eyes, a dark-trunked ‘vengai’ tree that seems to be flourishing in the vicinity of the mountains. This tree is known for its bright, yellow flowers and it’s for this hue, the confidante has painted this tree for us. Talking about a swaying garland made of these flowers, she places it in parallel to the newborn cub of a huge, female tiger. The young ones of all creatures, and especially, mammals come into the world looking so adorable and in the case of mammals, those innocent good looks are one of the reasons for their survival, something that evokes a strong instinct of protection in the elders and most prominently, in the mother! Likewise the mother tiger suckles its young and no doubt, is left drained of energy and hungry for food. Noting its mate’s hunger, the male tiger decides to go for the prize catch, which is the elephant, and ends up killing it. The confidante says the triumphant roar of this tiger resounds in the midnight hour, when all is still, a time when the man comes walking to see his lady.
After mentioning the first roaring danger, the confidante talks about another roar that descends down and kills the snakes that roam in that dense darkness. The confidante concludes by saying that although it may seem as if the man is showing kindness to the lady by braving these dangers and meeting with her, he is in truth, not being kind! Within the scene of the male tiger killing the elephant to appease its mate’s hunger, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man must understand the lady’s yearning to be married to him so as to seek wealth and return with the triumphant sound of his success. The confidante demonstrates an effective method of persuading someone to do the right thing by first rendering gentle admiration for the positive and difficult things they do and then gently nudging them to go the extra mile beyond temporary pleasures towards the path of permanent happiness. A persuasive way of telling them that they have it in them to be more!
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