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In this episode, we hear words of reassurance, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 177, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, on observing the man’s arrival to tryst with the lady.
கடல் பாடு அவிந்து, கானல் மயங்கி,
துறை நீர் இருங் கழி புல்லென்றன்றே;
மன்றலம் பெண்ணை மடல் சேர் வாழ்க்கை
அன்றிலும் பையென நரலும்; இன்று அவர்
வருவர்கொல் வாழி-தோழி!-நாம் தன்
புலப்பினும் பிரிவு ஆங்கு அஞ்சித்
தணப்பு அருங் காமம் தண்டியோரே?
‘How can he not come?’ asks this verse indirectly. The opening words ‘கடல் பாடு அவிந்து’ meaning ‘the sounds of the sea silencing’ makes us wonder how the endlessly resounding sea can turn silent. Let’s keep that question within and move on to other glimpses. Next, we see the phrase ‘கானல் மயங்கி’. Although the term ‘மயங்கி’ refers to ‘fainting’ in contemporary Tamil, here, the word appears in the meaning of ‘light diminishing in the seashore grove’. This is followed by ‘இருங் கழி புல்லென்றன்றே’ meaning ‘the dark backwaters were looking dull’. All these images hint that the time of the day is evening and sure enough, like an alarm clock, resounds ‘a red-naped ibis softly’ in ‘அன்றிலும் பையென நரலும்’. The words ‘இன்று அவர் வருவர்கொல்’ meaning ‘he will come today’ holds within, the central theme of reassurance. ‘புலப்பினும் பிரிவு ஆங்கு அஞ்சி’ talks about ‘the quality of fearing separation from someone even if they are sulking’. Ending with the words ‘தணப்பு அருங் காமம் தண்டியோரே’ meaning ‘the nature of being inseparable in love’, the verse welcomes us to know more.
Being apart and coming together are the twin themes of this one! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and were trysting together for a while. One evening, the confidante perceives the man arriving at the usual trysting spot and pretending not to notice him, says to the lady, “With the sea’s sounds turning silent, and light dimming in the orchard, the shore and its backwaters turn listless. In the village centre, from its nest amidst the fronds of the beautiful palmyra tree, coos the ‘andril’ softly. Today, he will come for sure, my friend. May you live long! Before, even when you were fighting with him, he would fear being apart from you. He is indeed someone with such a nature of being inseparable in precious love!” With these words, the confidante assures the lady that the man will undoubtedly meet with her and at the same time, passes on the concern and love for the man in the lady’s heart to him.
Time to explore the nuances! The confidante starts by talking about the sea turning silent. Remember our initial question of how could this be possible? Pondering over it, the waves will keep resounding for all time, but other sounds may cease in the sea, and that is, the uproarious voices of fishermen in their boats, and also, the sounds of birds seeking prey in the salty breeze. These fall silent when day turns night and that’s what the confidante means by silent seas. She further adds that the light was falling and the backwaters were turning listless. And, if we peep in closer, the reason for this becomes evident in the closing of buds of the many flowers that were smiling brightly during the day. After all these images, the confidante points in the direction of a soft sound, that of an ‘andril’ bird, cooing in the air. These are sights and sounds that remind separated lovers of each other. After referring to all these elements, the confidante says the man will arrive to meet with the lady, for sure. Not just these reasons in the world outside, but the confidante takes the lady to the heart of the man’s nature and points out how even when the lady was angry with him for some reason or the other, the man could not stay away from her, and so, his nature of being inseparable in love will make him arrive there, the confidante assures.
What is the need for so much assurance when the man was indeed already there? These words of the confidante serves two purposes: One, to assure the worried lady that the man will indeed come to her, and thereby, talk about his nature of understanding the importance of being together in love; Two, to convey the lady’s worry and her desire to be with the man to him. With this, the confidante assures the man of the love that has matured in the lady’s heart for him. All these are preliminary steps in moving the man to seeking a permanent union with the lady. And, when the confidante talks about the man’s loving nature in glowing terms, that would be an added boost for him to follow in the path of the confidante’s persuasion. Indeed, this verse is a masterclass in understanding the psychology of an individual to nudge them in the right path, in a subtle but significant manner!
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