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In this episode, we observe the ingenuity of a person in conveying urgency, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 123, penned by Aiyoor Mudavanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
இருள் திணிந்தன்ன ஈர்ந் தண் கொழு நிழல்,
நிலவுக் குவித்தன்ன வெண் மணல் ஒரு சிறை,
கருங் கோட்டுப் புன்னைப் பூம் பொழில் புலம்ப,
இன்னும் வாரார்; வரூஉம்,
பல் மீன் வேட்டத்து என்னையர் திமிலே
‘Sand and shade’ is the texture of this one! The opening line ‘இருள் திணிந்தன்ன ஈர்ந் தண் கொழு நிழல்’ meaning ‘as if packed with darkness, appears the cool and dense shade’, paints a nuanced word portrait of a shadow. Next, we turn to ‘வெண் மணல்’ or ‘white sands’, informing us that this is a pristine beach in ancient Tamil land. When we glance at ‘கருங் கோட்டுப் புன்னை’ meaning ‘a laurel wood tree with black branches’, the reason for that luxurious shade becomes apparent. Even in these modern times, I have heard people talk about how deliciously cool the shade of a ‘punnai’ is! In the words ‘இன்னும் வாரார்’ meaning ‘he still does not arrive’, a tiny note of vexation can be sensed. Ending with the words ‘என்னையர் திமிலே’ meaning ‘the boat of our brothers’, the verse welcomes us to set sail into the meaning!
What stories do these pleasant scenes of ‘punnai’ trees and crystal sands hold within? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and that the man was trysting with the lady by day. One day, as the lady and her confidante are waiting at the agreed meeting spot, the man decides to delay his arrival and eavesdrop on the conversation between the confidante and the lady. The confidante however senses that the man has arrived there but pretending not to notice him, says to the lady, “As if decked with darkness, appears the moist, cool and thick shade of the black-branched ‘punnai’ on one side of the white sands, which are akin to mounds of the moon. Leaving the flower-filled orchard in loneliness, he arrives not still. But, about to arrive is the fish-hunting boat of our brothers!” With these words, the confidante informs the listening man that he should hurry up or else lose the joy of relishing the lady’s company.
That sounds like a threat! What is the confidante upto? Let’s dive into her words and find out! Deciding to start with a distinct image, the confidante points to the moisture-filled, cool shade that seems to her as if it’s replete with the darkness of night. We should remember that it’s day when this is happening and imagine how dark that patch of shade must be, to be equated to the midnight sky. Before she turns to the provider of such a prosperous shade, she talks about another nightly entity, the moon, and connects it as a simile to the shore’s sands. In many other Sangam poems, we have encountered this parallel presentation of the moon and the beach, which makes me only look back enviously at those clean sands from two thousand years ago, before human development decided to pepper the pure spread with their products! Returning to the verse, we now find that it’s a ‘punnai’ tree that has rendered that delicious dark shade. The confidante mentions that the shade of this tree is empty leaving the grove in loneliness. This reveals an expectation that the shade shouldn’t be empty and when the confidante mentions that the man still was not there, we understand that the tree was meant to be the meeting spot between the man and the lady, but now there was no sign of him. As a final thought, the confidante says the man may not have arrived yet but what was surely going to get there, was their brothers’ boat that had gone hunting for fish, bound to return as the day closes.
That punch at the end is meant to make the man tumble out of his hiding spot, fearing that all would be lost if he was keen on toying with the little time he had with his beloved. In the words she speaks and the reaction she initiates, you can see the streak of naughtiness in the confidante. She knows the right things to say that would nudge people out of their pretences and focus on what’s important! Wouldn’t it be a useful thing to have this discerning wisdom to set aside trivial pursuits and zoom onto the foremost priorities in all that we do?
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