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In this episode, we reflect on a well-known aspect of our lives, hearing another’s experience, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 30, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, in response to her friend’s question about the reason for her distress.
கேட்டிசின் வாழி-தோழி!-அல்கல்,
பொய்வலாளன் மெய் உற மரீஇய
வாய்த் தகைப் பொய்க் கனா மருட்ட, ஏற்று எழுந்து,
அமளி தைவந்தனனே; குவளை
வண்டு படு மலரின் சாஅய்த்
தமியென்; மன்ற அளியென் யானே!
Illusion and confusion cover the core of this verse! With an invitation to ‘listen’, the verse opens with the word ‘கேட்டிசின்’. Some person is addressed by the curious term ‘பொய்வலாளன்’ meaning ‘the liar’. Wonder what he did to inherit that label! ‘வாய்த் தகைப் பொய்க் கனா’ is an exquisite phrase that describes ‘a false dream that seemed so real’, an experience that most of us would have had, at one time or the other. Although the word ‘அமளி’ means ‘an uproar’ in contemporary language, in this Sangam usage, it refers to something that offers peace and quiet, meaning ‘a bed’ or ‘mattress’. From human-made objects, we turn to nature in ‘குவளை’, that ubiquitous ‘water-lily’. Ending with the words ‘அளியென் யானே’ meaning ‘A pitiable one, I am!’, the verse invites us to listen with empathy.
False words and false dreams have shaken the lady up, we gather! The context tells us that the man and lady had been leading a love relationship and trysting together. After a while, the man decides he should seek the lady’s hand in marriage and parts away to gather wealth towards that intent. One morning, the lady seems to be in much angst and the confidante asks her why. To her, the lady replies, “Listen, my friend, may you live long! At night, confused by a seemingly true false dream, in which he, who is adept at lies, embraced me, I woke up and caressed my mattress. Akin to a water-lily attacked by a swarm of bees, I fell in distress, for I was alone. I am to be pitied!” With these words, the lady expresses the deep pain of pining in her and how much she misses the man’s presence.
Dreams have fascinated humans from time immemorial. The lady invites her friend to listen to one such, after rendering a blessing to her. Isn’t it a quaint custom to offer a blessing when seeking the ears of someone to our words? The lady talks about a false dream that she had and how to her, it seemed so true. A moment to ponder on the phrase ‘false dream’ – aren’t all dreams false? Could there be any reason the lady is reiterating that the dream is false? First, let’s hear from her about her dream. Before describing it, she gives the man a curious epithet ‘he, who is skilled at lies’ and from this, we infer, that she remembers how the man had promised never to part from her and now he has, making her call him, ‘a liar’. Hopefully, she will realise that it’s for their sake, he has parted away, and forgive him. Then, the lady tells how her man hugged her close in the dream, and feeling it so true, she seems to have touched her mattress, only to discover she was all alone. With a beautiful simile, she describes the way she fell down on understanding this truth, talking about a waterlily that bends to the attack of bees. The lady ends her words by saying indeed, she deserves all the pity in the world.
Now, let’s turn to the phrase ‘false dream’. I suspect the lady is describing the dream so, as it turned out to be something, which was not possible just then. Say, if she had dreamt about talking to her confidante, she could wake up and be able to do that. But now, since the dream was no way possible, she declares it false. Also, I think she loads the phrase with her own disappointment at not finding what she desired. Why did the lady dream? Why have humans dreamt through the ages? This is a question that is still in the realm of the unknown. Humans may have discovered the secrets behind black holes in space and the depths of the oceans but the mind is still a mystery in many ways. A verse that serves to highlight how this particular essence of human experience remains the same, be it two thousand years ago or in the twenty-first century, and be it one sleeping in an ancient Tamil village or one speeding on a shuttle in space today!
Sangam version: கேட்டிசின் வாழி-தோழி!
Current version: நீ நல்லாருப்ப.. நான் சொல்றதை மட்டும் கொஞ்சம் கேளேன்..