Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we observe a technique of subtle persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 109, penned by Nambi Kuttuvanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
முட் கால் இறவின் முடங்கு புறப் பெருங் கிளை
புணரி இகுதிரை தரூஉம் துறைவன்
புணரிய இருந்த ஞான்றும்,
இன்னது மன்னோ, நல் நுதற் கவினே!
‘What a mystery this is’ is the core question here! Away from abstractions, the opening words ‘முட் கால் இறவு’ meaning ‘sharp-legged shrimps’ talk about the predominant marine creature in these salty waters. Standing on the shore, how can we miss ‘the waves dashing against it’ as echoed in ‘புணரி இகுதிரை’! The phrase ‘புணரிய இருந்த ஞான்றும்’ meaning ‘when even though united’ reveals to us the relationship between the lead characters. Ending with the words ‘நல் நுதற் கவினே’ meaning ‘the charm of your fine forehead’, the verse hints at intricate emotions.
Shrimps and waves can be expected in a song about the shores but do they serve a special purpose? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and that the man was trysting with the lady for a long while. One day, seeing the man arrive for a tryst with the lady, pretending not to notice him, but making sure he’s in earshot, the confidante tells the lady, “Shrimp with pointed legs and curved backs in huge colonies are brought by ocean waves dashing against the shores of the man’s domain. He remains united with you now and yet, it has become pitiable – the beauty of that fine forehead of yours!” With these words, the confidante hints to the listening man that slander is spreading in town and that he must take steps to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
All we heard was talk of shrimps and seas, and how does the confidante manage to reach the man’s mind? Let’s unravel the nuances in her words. Rendering a biology lesson on the shrimp’s parts of the body by listing its sharp legs and then its curved back, the confidante concludes by mentioning how these shrimps live in huge colonies. She continues by adding that such huge colonies of shrimps were dragged by fierce ocean waves to the man’s shores. As always, that’s just the description of the man’s land, and from there, this good friend comes to the point and wonders aloud to the lady, saying that here, the man was trysting with the lady and rendering the grace of his company to her, and yet, the lady’s fine forehead had lost its beauty and seemed to be such in a sorrowful state!
With that declaration about the state of the lady’s forehead, the confidante tells the man that this sad state of the lady will not only be observed by her friend but also by the people of the town and that would inevitably lead to slander and further sorrow to the lady. In that image of waves bringing the catch of shrimps to the man’s shores on its own, the confidante does talk about the riches of the man’s land but also hints at how he seems to be taking no efforts towards seeking marriage but was simply relishing the pleasures of trysting as he enjoys the catch of the sea without any effort in his domain! This way of concealing a sharp censure within a smooth compliment reminds of a contemporary Tamil saying, ‘வாழைப்பழத்தில் ஊசி’, which means ‘a pin within a banana’! As if praising the riches of the man’s land, the confidante inserts the rebuke about his lack of effort and in that, lies both the kindness and firmness in communication that these Sangam folk seem to have been masters at!
Share your thoughts...